Perspective X IV Shadow of Doubt

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by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

To get to know the band Perspective X IV, you first need a lesson in pronouncing their name. Like most Progressive bands, nothing they do is easy, and in this case, neither is choosing a name. So, it’s pronounced “Perspective Ex 4.” Now that the critical pronunciation is in the past, Perspective X IV is a Progressive Metal/Rock band, whose compositions are colored as much by Fates Warning as they are by Rush and YES. So, while then can be intensely heavy, there is an artful Rock component in everything they write as well.

The band consists of Chris Matthews (backing vocals, bass, keyboards, midi pedals, moog Taurus pedals), Rod Middleton (lead/backing vocals, electric/acoustic/classical guitars, mandolin, banjo, dulcimer, midi pedals) and Ben Burton (lead/backing vocals, acoustic/electric drums, afuche, maracas, bongo bamboo, congas, temple blocks, wind chimes, gong, clave, left-handed helicopter). Perspective X IV’s new release has approximately five or six instruments on it that you have never heard of and won’t be able to identify when you listen to the music on Shadow of Doubt. In other words, put your thinking caps on, because this isn’t Poison …

The release opens with “Disconnected,” one of the heavier songs on Shadow of Doubt, with Middleton on lead vocals. One thing that is different about Perspective X IV is that the vocals never go into Dream Theater, Fates Warning or Circus Maximus land. Whether it is guest lead singer Johnny Ledford, or band members Middleton or Burton, the vocals are low to mid-range, nowhere near the tenor and higher you’d expect from a Progressive band. What this leads one to believe is that the vocals (not the lyrics, just the vocals) are a secondary focus of the band.

“Carry On” features “font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;”>Burton on vocals. You’ll hear a driving, churning rhythm and then otherworldly keys. Where “Disconnected” mirrored the harshness of the title, “Carry On” is much more melodic and at times, almost sounds like a hit song, although your average listener would get confused by the myriad of instruments pervading the track. Keyboards, midi pedals, probably those aforementioned Moog Taurus pedals, and who knows how many other instruments contribute to the music on “Carry On.” All of these sounds make it one of the most interesting tracks on Shadow of Doubt.

The third lead singer, Ledford, gets his chance on “The Smell of Rain.” Lyrically, the lyrics paint a vivid portrayal of the landscape they sing about, with lines like, “Clouds add a touch of grey, reflections of soft warm rays glisten from lakes below,” and “Somewhere a fog lifts off yellow fields, like a thick mystic morning shield.” You will find poetry like that throughout the release. Ledford sings in a similar style to Middleton, so you may even confuse the two if you don’t listen closely.

There are two instrumentals on Shadow of Doubt, “Grey Matter” and “Colossal.” The latter comes in at over eight minutes, and features those Jim Matheos style chord progressions and many of the percussive instruments in their arsenal. Time signatures change, tempos ebb and flow, and Middleton blazes through some impassioned (yet still clinical) guitar leads. Unlike most Progressive bands who play instrumentals, every note serves a specific purpose and makes sense in the flow of the song. They are not here to show off (like Yngwie Malsteen does), but instead, are here to compose directed intricate sonic tales.

The song “On the Horizon” is probably their most straight-forward composition on the release. Ledford is back as the vocalist, and he shuns the measured vocals for a harsher, angrier style. One thing that stands out about Perspective X IV, regardless of who is singing, is that they sound like no one else.

Shadow of Doubt ends with “Shine,” the one time on the CD where you are allowed to catch your breath as they flow into acoustic land during the verses. Topically, the song touches on the demon of addiction, with lines like, “Passion leading to obsession, spirit, body and mind.” The song becomes a different animal about a third of the way through, heavier and faster, which isn’t shocking, considering what you’ve heard thus far.

Perspective X IV somehow work every instrument they collectively know how to play into an entire release without sounding self-indulgent. That’s a feat in and of itself. The other side is that although it takes a while to digest what you are hearing, these gents bring a refreshing style and sound to a genre known for mimicry.

Label: Nightmare Records

Track listing:
1. Disconnected
2. Carry On (Part III of Acceptable Risk)
3. Grey Matter
4. The Calm
5. Shadow of Doubt
6. The Smell of Rain
7. Colossal
8. On the Horizon
9. Shine

HRH Rating: 7.8/10