By Carl Begai
If you hear Dutch metal veterans Textures referred to as a better groomed version of Swedish chaos lords Meshuggah, or Hell’s version of Dream Theater, or the prog equivalent of Pantera, all three comparisons should be taken to heart. Kicking around since 2001, the band unleashed their debut album, Polars, in 2003 to critical acclaim, making it clear from the outset that predictability was not part of their musical vocabulary. Three singers, one bassist, one guitarist, one keyboardist and five albums later Textures is still walking their own line and ignoring all musical boundaries as they stomp forward. Take, for example, the new song “Shaping A Single Grain Of Sand”, the first song released off their new Phenotype album; not quite 5 minutes of progressive riff-ridiculous mayhem that doesn’t let on even for a moment how it’s going to play out by the time you reach the end. And as infectious as they come if you’re into being bludgeoned into submission.
All in a day’s work as far as Textures is concerned.
“This is my second album with the band,” says keyboardist Uri Dijk, who came on board in 2010, “but I know the first Textures album got an award for being the best metal album in Holland at the time. It set the bar quite high for Textures from the start because they were a pioneering band. in this genre of music.”
For his part, however, Uri was never a big fan of Textures prior to joining them. In fact, he bordered on being oblivious to their existence.
“I knew they were a metal band from Holland, I’d seen them play once or twice, I even knew they were looking for a keyboard player, but I wasn’t really into their kind of music (laughs). I play keyboards and I started out with Children Of Bodom, Dimmu Borgir and In Flames; I wasn’t into the progressive polyrhythmical stuff at the time.” Continue reading BraveWords Interview: TEXTURES – Feel This (When Prog Goes PANTERA)