Album Review: Redshift – Laws of Entropy (Pale Wizard Records)

Bath-based progressive-metal trio Redshift will release their second album ‘Laws of Entropy’, on April 28th, 2023, via Pale Wizard Records. A concept album exploring the journey through life from birth to death.

Speaking about the inspiration behind the album, the band state:

Being a young man with the world at your feet, thinking you can live the life you want and then realising it’s not as easy and giving into the struggles and pressures of life, suffering a mental breakdown, eventually asking for help and then dying. Each song is a step in this journey. The 21-minute closer deals with all these themes from start to finish.

With a showcase of frenetic explosivity, Redshift begin Birth with a flurry of fast and technical instrumentation. The early chaos slipping into something more rhythmic as the vocals arrive and the progressive elements settles into something extremely dynamic sounding. It’s a fascinating listen that changes and evolves as it goes on.

It feels like an introduction though when compared to the following Discovery. A grandiose and epic trawl through the imagination of Redshift that has varied tempos, chunky guitars, heavy drums, and a wicked blend of rasping and clean vocals. An exhilarating journey of a track that is up there as one of the best efforts on the entire album.

Yet, once again, Redshift take things even further musically and even deeper into their concept with Civilisation. With their imagination running wild, some of the heaviest sounding progressive metal moments of the record, and mood-altering melodies, they continue to impress.

Things get a little stranger with Entropy, Redshift showcasing a playfully odd side to their music. One of the more difficult tracks to grasp but still a fascinating listen. Before, Singularity’s heavy use of synth gives off a strong sense of old-school sci-fi and leans into rockier areas for something quite different.

All coming together for a stupidly big finale called Blueshift. A track that is around 21 minutes long and the most captivating track of all. The immense level of progressive ideas is startling. The flow and how the tone shifts so simply, but effectively, is impressive, and how it manages to hold the attention as it does all of this is unforgettable. While it might not be the most obvious track for a new listener to hear, there’s no doubting that it will amaze any and all who hear it.

However, it is the apex of an upward trajectory for Redshift and no-one should overlook the excellent progressive metal ideas that come before it.

Redshift – Laws of Entropy Track Listing:

1. Birth
2. Discovery
3. Civilisation
4. Entropy
5. Singularity
6. Blueshift

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