A four-piece progressive rock group from Buffalo, New York, called Turning Virtue gives no pause in turning their focus on how they will be representing their set of well crafted songs off their new album.
The album cover for A Temporary Human Experience reeks of the sarcastic irony coming from the band name and displays what looks like to be a man and a tattooed woman locked in a lover’s embrace. What seems to be erotic posturing from the couple, is juxtaposed with dream-like vapors coming out in huge puffs from the enthralled woman. Like from the imagery of the sexually explicit album cover, Turning Virtue muses with many themes that deal with the dream world or avenues that is illustrious of that mysterious partition. They seems to have a way with double meanings and this leads to an advantageous take on giving their music many layers.
Leading into the first track is “Transcend,” where we are introduced to lead singer, David Karczewski’s highly intense vocals that with the musicianship of follow members, DPA (bass), Carl Cino (guitar) and Mark Zonder (drums), listeners will get a clash of cathartic and striking sounds. Karczewski also accompanies the band with guitars and keyboards on the record. His pressing and shrill voice offers a pleasing buffering from the incredible reverb and desperate drumming.
In “These Things,” there is foreshadowing on this album with contrasts to light and dark setting time to the deranged vocals creating a clingy ambiance to the already cagey music. Here the vocals lord over the musical instruments while the run of keys and strings of notes offer a melodic contrast to the ominous ring.
There is evidence of special effects in “Box of Disappointment,” including auto-tune tweaking of Karczewski’s singing. Again, this song talks about impulses and has a dismal outlook that overall seems to go about course throughout every song on the album so far.
Around the time we get to the track “Random,” the tempo here starts out slower, as if the lead singer is allowing for some improvisation to pull throughout from his vocals. There is more of a heaving beat that seems to drag more than anything.
Towards “Fall in Love with the World,” the beat more or less picks up from here. Karczewski’s voice does more in this track. It seems that the listeners can get a better feel of the interworkings of this band. With Karczewski’s unique vocals that are unafraid to jam to a sound that speaks to a demographic that turns to honest, pure, authentic progressive rock music. It looks like more than anything, Turning Virtue’s attempt in making this more tangible is successful here.
In the track “What’s True,” this proves to be an intricate song that is cloaked in darkness. The hysterical drumming washes over listeners and spews out different truths than what the vision of the lead singer is following. While the vocals speaks more of a sullen approach towards doom, the frantic pacing of the drums leads listeners to expecting a more sudden finish.
The contrasts of light and dark on this album offers a striking comparison to the litter of sounds that assault listeners from the very beginning. Yet the sounds can get claustrophobic and sometimes audiences may need a breather from the sounds that aggressively takes one down and further down.
A Temporary Human Experience is lit by the undertow of truths and the boxed in mindsets of ongoing lies. It is deranged and demanding. This album seems to be made for avid listeners of progressive rock. Fans of the genre will embrace this album for Turning Virtue has made it their trade to produce some honest, pure, authentic progressive rock.