The Phantom Eye who originate from Brooklyn, New York, consist of Pete Ross (Godmaker) – Guitar/Lead Vocals, Rob McKinney (ex-Ascent of Everest) – Keys/Bass/Vocals/MIDI Programming and Larry Hundertmark (ex-Neck) on Drums/Lighting Programming/Designer/Visual Projection/Programmer/Designer. They have managed to support in their relatively brief lifespan some excellent bands in the shape of Spotlights and Wailin' Storms (both of whom I have covered for Ghost Cult and Sleeping Shaman respectively) and they will also be playing September's Metal Injection Festival in New York alongside prominent names as Cave In and Converge.
According to the promotional notes the Chromesthesia EP was initially going to be conceived as an instrumental work before the choice was made to include Vocals so as to take the songs to the next level. Since then the band have released two more tracks, 2023's 'Palindrome' and 'Black Hotel' in February this year. It seems like the time is ripe therefore for new material, however, before we press on with the future, let's take a step back into the past with this here retrospective review.
'Urgency Calling' is a slow burner that embraces the expansiveness of Post-Metal but with more expressive, heartfelt Vocals. There is certainly a Prog element to the music too that thankfully echews the self-importance and tedium of the genre. Interestingly at the bottom of the EP's Bandcamp page under 'other artists you may like', groups such as Made Out of Babies, Envy and GGGOLDDD are listed and listening to this opening track you can hear why. They certainly sound like they would be a perfect fit for either of the Pelagic, Neurot or Artoffact labels (any one of these), a great start to the album. 'Ease the Pain' is the longest track at over seven minutes with some Doomy riffs but not of the typical Sabbath variety, think bands more along the lines of Elder, albeit a Shoegazy version with nice nods to Pygmalion era Slowdive, the feedback and noise laden tendencies of Sonic Youth and even the sombre atmospherics of early Cure. There's a tenderness here, though one would be hesitant to label it Emo due to the negative connotations associated with that genre. An epic in both length and tone.
'Polluted Heart' has delicate Pink Floyd Psych flourishes and Vocals that recall the great Tony Reed of Mos Generator, Stone Axe etc. There are also touches of early Smashing Pumpkins present as well as the legendary Alain Johannes' recent solo work. A majestic piece. According to Wikipedia'Chromesthesia' refers to a “type of Synesthesia in which sound involuntarily evokes an experience of color, shape, and movement”. That's certainly the impression one gets listening to this track, especially the expressive and colourful Desert Rock vibes of Yawning Man. Playwright Henrik Ibsen once said that “A picture is worth a thousand words”, well this exceptional instrumental piece has a similar impact. 'Meaningless' employs both sombre Gothic Metal as well as downtempo Slowcore which bands such as The River and Warning employ. This may not be the kind of track which would appeal to your average Def Leppard fan (good), but its beautifully crafted and an absolute standout for me. Its indeed indicative of a band with a lot of promise and hence the perfect way with which to conclude the EP.
So there you have it, five tracks of exquisitely crafted Post-Metal, Shoegaze and Psych with which to sink your teeth into. Admittedly while it did take a little time to grow on me, subsequent listens brought ample rewards and it will for you too should you spare the time and patience.
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