Review: “Demos & Oddities: 1995-1999” by Contrarian

“As with many other progressive death metal bands in the 90’s such as Death, Pestilence, Atheist, and Cynic; Contrarian also experienced disruptions in continuity from lack of support in the fledgling scene and lack of capable musicians within an innovating genre. Being able to record music during that time was more difficult. Bands commonly recorded demos under different names. Mantas (Death), R.A.V.A.G.E. (Atheist), Portal (Cynic). The same went for Contrarian during these times (Manic). Upon many requests from fans, we have gathered some of these demos in a collection. The 1990s were an amazing time for metal in Rochester, NY as well. It was this time period that spawned bands such as Disgorged (Withered Earth), Buried Beneath (Night Conquers Day), Lethargy (Sulaco/Mastodon) and so many more. Most of these bands recording in the infamous Watchmen Studios in Lockport, NY with Doug White. It was an amazing time, and we hope you enjoy these vintage raw demos with a ‘live feel’ from around 1995-1999.” ~ Jim Tasikas

They may have only released their scorching fifth studio album “Sage of Shekhinah” via Willowtip Records in March but just four months on, Rochester New Yorkers Contrarian have decided to return to their roots and release a collection of material from the land that time forgot. Titled “Demos & Oddities: 1995-1999″, the album chronicles a period when the Progressive Death Metal act were known as Manic with drummer Brian Platino gracing the kit, some 15 years before their debut EP “Predestined” under the Contrarian moniker surfaced in 2014. As with “Sage of Shekhinah“, this collection has been mixed and mastered by Doug White at Watchmen Studios in Lockport, New York with Platino joined by mastermind guitarist Jim Tasikas and bassist Ed Paulsen…

A little rough around the edges but by no means the rawest of demoes, this collection starts with the free flowing almost Jazz inspired introduction of “Loss of Phase” before building into the bands more traditional dark and sinister soundscape. Rich, intricate and complex it’s easy to understand why the fledgling scene may not have been ready for this kind of progressive flirtation. What this represents now however is essentially the building blocks of what would become the band as they are today, a prequel that offers a crowbar to prise open Pandora’s box and gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of Contrarian. The playful “Sine Wave Trails” with it’s bold and funky bassline stirs the soul as it dances around the cerebral cortex with a dream like quality harbouring within its rich melodies. That is until Tasikas plucks some 80’s Bay Area Thrash riffs from out of nowhere and flips the script almost entirely for a minute or so. A shade darker but just as warm as its predecessor, “Equilibrium” continues to play with tempo and texture in majestic fashion to create a score that would grace any low budget phycological horror movie. Instrumental motions from the melodic to the powerful and then melancholic in waves that crash gently upon the score with grace, showcasing how far the band had come as musicians even before they received a decent amount of recognition for any of it, their dedication to craft incredible in the circumstances.

The record is split clean in half by “Mosfet Tapestry“, the title referring to the pattern a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor creates. That might seem obscure and unrelatable but when you have a collection of instrumentals that paint with light and shade in Progressive Death Metal, what’s really in a name? As a cut, it has that live feel as if the trio are simply in a jam room with some higher quality microphones than you’d usually expect in the circumstances and it plays out with plenty of verve and swagger. An almost ethereal introduction to “EMI” is intriguing and conceptually at least there is a comparison to be made with Metallica instrumentals “The Call of Ktulu” and “Orion” as Contrarian float in similar phrasings here. “Infinite Derivatives” offers moments that will find you gazing into the middle distance, lost in the swirling staccato riff breaks as the guitars from Tasikas wrap themselves around the rhythms like bandages for the broken. Each listen finds something new rising to the surface and with the complexities in “Analytic Doctrines” that can only be a good thing. As a collection these songs fit well together, offering a sense of reflection upon the past as well as a giving new insight into the future. Listening to them having listened to the stunning “Sage of Shekhinah” tells you just how far they’ve come… [7/10]

Track Listing

1. Loss of Phase
2. Sine Wave Trails
3. Equilibrium
4. Mosfet Tapestry
5. EMI
6. Infinite Derivatives
7. Analytic Doctrines

“Demos & Oddities: 1995-1999” by Contrarian is out 28th July 2023 and maybe available over at bandcamp.