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about this album
‘Stasis’ consists of seven compositions that were written with the full creative force of the five-piece in mind. The result of this is a lavish, dynamically complex sound and a multilayered structure that is much greater than the sum of its parts. Operating at the intersection of Meshuggah’s relentless, polyrhythmic pounding and Gojira’s colossal atmospheric weight, Hippotraktor have expanded upon their already distinctive sound by introducing De Graef’s vocals that bring with them an intriguing new dedication to musical storytelling. Lead single ‘Silver Tongue’ is a melodically rich composition that marries soaring close harmonies and shimmering guitar work with grinding, post-metal dirge and guttural howls as the nameless protagonist of the album is shown the naive duplicity of the life he lived and how easily he was led astray by the Silver Tongues, those who propagate a selfish, amoral vision of the world. The captivating, one-take performance video that accompanies the single serves as a visceral reminder of the band’s formidable physicality that, coupled with their newfound compositional prowess, renders Hippotraktor and ‘Stasis’ as a force to be reckoned with. “Stasis tells a story of human nature,” explains lead vocalist Stefan De Graef about the album’s narrative. “As the protagonist enters a new world in which he is confronted with other humans for the first time, he acquaints himself with their customs and ethics, discovering generosity and empathy, but also gre
