Album Review: Maitreya – Hyper Reels (Self Released)

Maitreya (may-trey-ah) is a progressive-metalcore band located in Whitby, Ontario who have been active in the Oshawa metal scene since 2016. Maitreya is a brotherhood; a collaborative expression of the human experience. The music acts as a mirror reflecting the dualistic states of nature contrasting loving, blissful, and uplifting vibrations and the dark, turbulent inertia of ones’ deepest fears.

On June 25th, 2021 they will release their new album, Hyper Reels.

There’s a lot to unpack here as Maitreya are an ambitious band with a willingness to both stick to ‘progressive’ type but also turn it on its head a lot of the time. What we have here with Hyper Reels is a fresh take on both progressive metal and metalcore in general. Ten high-powered and heavy efforts that go in a myriad of unexpected and thrilling directions. If there’s one thing Maitreya do well on Hyper Reels, it is to keep you guessing all the time.

It’s far from the only thing they do well though. They also do unrelenting metal heaviness very well, melodic highs and brutal lows, captivating attractiveness, grimy viciousness and touches of sci-fi infusion. For nearly fifty minutes, Hyper Reels grips and squeezes tighter and tighter until you’re choking under the pressure. All with as big smile on the face.

Here’s the most important thing about this album though and it’s really important to mention because the word ‘progressive’ can be quite off-putting for some.

Hyper Reels is not obsessed with technical and overtly complex rhythms and passages. Oh sure, there are plenty of wild flurries of instrumentation but they’re far from dominant. Well placed and cohesive, the natural flow of the tracks is never disrupted and there’s a constant sense of purpose to every single moment. This makes the album that little bit more accessible while still having a ton of interesting ideas for those craving the challenge.

They already come with a reputation from their local scene and their drive to go bigger is clear. Gargantuan and wide-ranging efforts like this will help that cause.

Maitreya – Hyper Reels Full Track Listing:

1. Catalyst
2. Departed
3. Radical
4. Summit
5. Invaders
6. Bloom
7. Pilgrim
8. Flesh Engine
9. Hyper Reels
10. Iswara

Links

Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music