Dirt

Is Yamantaka // Sonic Titan a psychedelic sonic death cult or the best prog-metal band to come out of Canada since Voivod? Probably both. What started as a duo is now a full-blown collective helmed by founding member and drummer Alaska B. Conceived as the soundtrack to an unreleased Haudenosaunee/Buddhist cartoon, Dirt tells the story of a team of mercenaries sent to recover a sample of their flooded planet’s uncorrupted soil to bring their society back from the brink of extinction. Like previous albums, it’s cinematic in scope and massively theatrical in execution, with operatic vocals, beautifully compressed-to-hell guitars and some of the best keyboard freakouts since Rick Wakeman donned a cape. It’s rock opera of the highest caliber, total anime prog overload. And the drama is backed with well-written songs. It’s a stunning piece of music where cacophonous Eastern rhythms blend into Judas Priest riffs and ELO organ solos. Uncategorizable, either by genre or culture, the album is the band’s best work yet and a thrilling addition to its impressive catalog.