Alchemist

These Australians are pushing boundaries far beyond what most people would even call metal, and it's a wonderful experience. They're the modern day heavy version of Pink Floyd, just a swirling, tripping experience that alternates between melodic melancholy and aggressive attacks. They've toned down on the hysterical speedy parts that made the songs fail a bit in the past, making Austral Alien the band's most mature and focused work yet. It's so hard to pigeonhole this band, but try to imagine being caught in a pleasant tornado, being tossed around with all the dust and grass, being propelled forward constantly and naturally, with sound echoing all around you. Add a soundtrack released by Relapse, and you get the idea. But this is no smoked-out session of apathy, this is an album of 11 songs that are all powerfully delivered, with the band subtly pushing their refreshing message of environmental issues through their lyrics.