Masser – The Forlorn Path EP
Masser – The Forlorn Path EP
Self-Released
Release Date: 02/02/24
Running Time: 15:29
Review by Oli Gonzalez
9/10
Solo projects. They always intrigue me. Often born from an individual yearning for a creative outlet, to put it bluntly some can be absolutely dreadful whilst some are frankly amazing. Very rarely in between. Some can feel constrained by, and have to yield to the creative wishes of others in a full band setting. On the other hand, some undoubtedly benefit from having that filter and others to collaborate with.
Today, I had the opportunity to check out Masser’s upcoming EP release “The Forlorn Path”, the project being the brainchild of sole songwriter Gideon Waxman. An EP that explores some rather deep spiritual and philosophical themes, such as the use (or misuse) of social media in society, overcoming personal struggles and barriers, as well as drawing on inspiration from classic video game themes and characters. I’m being a little vague there as I think you, the listener, should definitely check the themes out yourself. Having been in a touring Metalcore band, I was curious to see how these ‘core elements would emerge within the sound of Masser or whether we would see a completely different musical direction.
At just over a quarter of an hour in length, this review may be just as short and sweet as the EP itself. This certainly isn’t a bad thing though. Quite the contrary, as for me it was the optimal window to peer into the creative genius of Waxman and unquestionably left me wanting more! As such, it’s perhaps easier and more appropriate to describe the EP and my experience of it as a whole.
There’s an undoubted Metalcore undertone to Masser’s sound. Perhaps best articulated by the crunching bass and rhythm guitars locking in elegantly with the drums in thunderous harmony, creating a solid rhythmic foundation to build upon. This rhythmic foundation is utilised to full effect throughout, with the consistently intelligent deployment of aesthetically pleasing synth tracks to create huge soundscapes and dynamic atmospheric qualities. These synth tracks provide melodic focal points for Masser’s identity. Rather impressive focal points at that. A winning formula so far really. As a side note, I do wonder how the songs would fare as simply being instrumental tracks, and whether this had ever crossed the mind of Waxman. A conversation for another time though, as there’s no instrumentals here. Now we can turn our attention to the vocals.
Simply put, Gideon’s voice is drenched with raw human feeling and dripping with pure emotion at all times during “The Forlorn Path”! A blazing performance! Given some of the emotionally charged topics he chooses to tackle, the vocal tones employed are superbly applied here to convey these emotions. Whether that’s in a cleaner or more ethereal sounding vocal, or some of the more aggressive harsher tones, Gideon definitely demonstrates his versatility here. His strongest vocal performance is perhaps in ‘Guardian’ for me, what I consider to be the strongest on the EP for this reason.
With all these elements in place, all would be wasted without the correct mixing and production. Production wise, well whatever you’re doing Gideon, keep doing that! The values are sublime in what is a studio engineering masterclass. Every instrument gets the opportunity to shine and receives all the love and attention they need. Nothing much more to add to that.
If I had to compare the band’s sound to any other, try to imagine a modern Metalcore band that leans more towards the melodic and aesthetic end. Perhaps TesseracT, combined with Leprous for that subtle progressive edge.
Am I still intrigued by this particular solo project? Not as much intrigued as I am thoroughly enamoured and utterly wowed! I’m sure you will be too. So, upon release day, make sure you get your hands on “The Forlorn Path”. Allow yourself to become immersed in the artistic vision of Waxman in what truly is a testament to how far the creative excellence of one individual can extend.
TRACKLISTING:
01. The Forlorn Path
02. Creed of a Worshipped Weapon
03. Hour of the Wolf
04. Through the Mist
05. Guardian
LINE-UP:
Gideon Waxman – All instruments and vocals
LINKS:
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