Polyphia - New Levels New Devils
Andrew Hollis
Polyphia exploded into the music scene not so long ago and managed to take instrumental progressive music to new heights whilst the members were still teenagers. Since then they have essentially crafted their own genre, spawning a trail of imitator bands trying and failing to copy their unique sound. Following them over the years, it’s amazing to witness how much they have managed to evolve their sound whilst still staying relevant, starting out from shreddy progressive metal, to classically influenced pieces to the groovy, electronic-pop vibes that they are at today with New Levels New Devils.
Below I take an in depth look at New Levels New Devils by examining and critiquing each individual track on the ten song record.
Nasty - This was one of the songs I was really excited about since it features one of my personal favourite guitarists Jason Richardson, whom Polyphia have already collaborated with in the form of ‘Aviator’ which has one of the most jaw-dropping solos you’ll ever hear. Despite all this, the song turned out to be my least favourite guest feature on the record. Back in the ‘Muse’ era, Polyphia had a very different writing style, which was similar to the progressive genre trends at that time and very shred guitar oriented, which merged very well with Jason’s own style. But whereas over the years Polyphia redefined their sound so much to the point where it’s almost unbelievable that it’s still the same 4 people in the band. Jason, of course still being a world class player, has not evolved as much in my opinion making his approach of playing as many notes as possible within the given time really clash against the more melodic track that places emphasis on groovy timing and chords voicing. The rest of the song is excellent and does a good job of introducing Polyphia’s fresh sound on this record however the guest solo sadly felt a little out of place to me.
O.D. - While the last track may have been slightly disappointing, this one more than makes up for it in my opinion. This was one of the singles, so I have had the pleasure of listening to it before the album was released, however revisiting it for the second time was just as enjoyable. The drums actually stood out to me a lot more than they usually do in instrumental songs like this due to all the fresh textures Polyphia has been experimenting with, that go way beyond a standard drum kit. And of course, I cannot talk about this song without give praise to the main riff which is simply one of the tastiest guitar parts I’ve ever heard. The riff repeats and develops over the song with other instruments fading in and out to support it resulting in one of the more memorable and re-playable songs on this record.
Death Note - This song has one of the coolest intros on the album, courtesy of Ichika, the Instagram sensation who has taken clean guitar tapping technique to a whole other level and made a name for himself with short clips of himself playing. I really didn’t expect to see someone like Ichika as a guest feature on an album as although he’s a great player he’s not really an established artist. However looking at the other guest features in this record it is clear Polyphia are trying to bridge the gap between the ‘internet famous’ guitarists and established musicians, focusing more on their skill and not on their image or how famous they are. Ichika’s playing blends very well with Polyphia’s sound and his ethereal intro part of the track was a great addition to this album as a whole.
Bad - This was a song that gave off dark, mysterious and bad (in a very good and slightly naughty way) vibes right from the get-go. This does a particularly good job of showcasing the brilliant song writing of the band that has only been improved and refined over the years, with their classical influence being apparent despite the track sounding nothing but opposite of classical music.
Drown - This is another tune which features a collaboration from an ‘Instagram guitarist’ Mateus Asato, and I do not infer anything bad by that statement at all, as all the guests in this record are absolutely phenomenal musicians in their own right. Asato has built up an internet following thanks to his beautiful and unique solo guitar compositions and his ability of combining rhythm and lead playing to make one guitar part sound as huge and impactful as a full song’s worth of instruments. His quirky jazzy style and an inarguable pop sensibility that goes beyond a run-of-the-mill guitar technique with some unusual accents and voicing fits this song perfectly and makes this an absolute pleasure to listen to no matter what your taste in music is.
Saucy - The title alone says more than I can or will about this song. Brilliantly crafted instrumental parts, all the groove you could want and the stank and attitude fans have come to expect of this band. Nothing more needs to be said, just go listen to this if you haven’t already.
Yas - Now this is the anime crossover that all the prog kids have been dreaming about for years and Polyphia have finally delivered. Featuring both guitarists from their most compared to band Chon, this track while being one of the shortest on the album is a hell of a rollercoaster ride with instruments showing-off left, right and centre, tasty grooves and just overall perfectly executed, which is nothing less than you’d expect from all the talented musicians featured in this song. One of the strongest songs on the album and a cool video to go along with it as well.
So Strange - This was a bit of a breaking of traditions for Polyphia as its their first song that features vocals, from none other than Cuco. While some fans might find hearing a strictly instrumental band with vocals for the first time weird I very much enjoyed it and found that the vocals fit really well, making me think of an alternate universe where Polyphia did form with a singer and were probably just as if not more successful. Overall a really cool, good-vibes sort of track that gives the listeners a glimpse into a whole other dimension of Polyphia and making us thirsty for more vocal guest features on the next album.
Rich Kids - This song features another one of my favourite musicians Yvette Young, famous for her multi- instrumental expertise, artistic skills and pioneering the North-West math rock sound with her band Covet. Her parts in this song aren’t as protruding as some of the other guest solos, in fact I probably wouldn’t have known she played here without seeing the artist credits, however her non-intrusive finger-style guitar technique blends in very nicely and makes this song one the most calming and chill songs on the album and that gives it its own understated magic.
G.O.A.T. - This was one of the singles released before the album came out, so I was quite surprised to find out that it was the last track in the album. This is probably one of the best examples of the musical direction Polyphia headed in with New Levels New Devils and has that electronic, k-pop feeling groove while still having their signature guitar-based sound, except that it has become less of a focal point and more one of the many elements that serve the song. In a way it does make sense for this to be the last song as it sums up the album pretty well however its such a strong track that it wouldn’t have been out of place earlier on in the album.
