Uneven Structure – Paragon (Review)

Uneven Structure are a French progressive metal band and this is their third album.

I really enjoyed 2017’s La Partition, so it’s good to have some more material from the band. On Paragon Uneven Structure run through 53 minutes of modern progressive metal that demonstrates a band at the height of their abilities.

Paragon continues to forsake the majority of the more cliché and stale aspects of many ostensibly similar bands, opting instead for solid songwriting and emotive appeal. This is then dressed up in a contemporary delivery that showcases the band’s talents in no uncertain terms.

Driven by ambient leads and syncopated grooves, Paragon‘s heart of progressive metal is augmented by djent, post-metal, and cinematic atmosphere. With technical riffs and progressive compositions, the music largely focuses on mood, songwriting, and atmospheric delivery, as opposed to some of the more flashy and ostentatious accoutrements of the modern technical/progressive styles. Complex rhythms, compelling melodies, and atypical structuring mean that the music never fails to hold attention, and the strong atmospheric and emotive components of the songs are engrossing and immersive.

A powerful performance from the singer means that he’s both the main focal point of the music, while integrating with it at a deep level. His voice is perfect for this sort of band, and, like the music, avoids many of the tired tropes adopted by many modern bands of this ilk. His voice has improved too, and is more full-bodied and well-rounded. This applies not only to his main clean singing voice, but also his harsh shouts; these latter roars are more noticeable, more effective, and more frequently deployed than previously. The singer’s voice ranges from the sublime to the devastating, and he should earn many plaudits for his performance on this album.

Paragon has taken the strengths of La Partition and built them up even stronger. Uneven Structure have managed to produce the next logical progression in their sound, keeping enough of what went before without repeating themselves, while breaking new ground through improvements in songwriting and quality of composition.