THE GORGE: Everything Is Noise Premieres “Synapse Misfire” Video From St. Louis Progressive Metal Outfit; Mechanical Fiction Full-Length To See Release July 28th Via Pelagic Records

St. Louis-based progressive metal outfit THE GORGE is pleased to unveil their video for their latest single, “Synapse Misfire.” Now playing at Everything Is Noise, the track comes by way of the band’s Mechanical Fiction full-length, set for release via Pelagic Records on July 28th.

Within the realms of progressive music exists a fine line between instrumental proficiency and bare-ass wanking. The art of remaining tasteful while performing crazy acrobatics on your instruments is difficult to master, but on their third full-length album Mechanical Fiction, THE GORGE masters the challenge with ease.

Born from their shared love for heavy music and twenty years of experience in playing together, THE GORGE consists of four jazz musicians who use the project as a creative outlet besides their day jobs as session musicians and music educators. Triangulating the chaotic yet groovy energy and the guitar masterclass of Botch with the riffage of Mastodon and the nimble instrumental intricacy of Animals As Leaders or Intronaut, Mechanical Fiction is an immensely ear-pleasing collection of tasty riffs and complex compositions that are nonetheless free-flowing like a river smoothly carving its winding path through a rugged landscape.

Offers guitarist/vocalist Phil Ring of their latest single, “The frenetic, chicken pick’n guitars and start/stop rhythms of ‘Synapse Misfire’ work in tandem with the thematic exploration of what happens when the electrical impulses of the brain finally fail, passing on to whatever comes next. More often now we are remembered by a digital representation of our lives, for better or worse living on in the seeming permanence of the networks and synapses of the online world.”

Adds Everything Is Noise, “Given AI’s obsessive development and use over the last few years, not to mention people’s desire to upload their own mind and consciousness before they pass on, this is quite the relevant topic. The video complements this well, juxtaposing performances of the band over renditions of the brain’s web-like synapses – simple yet effective. My favorite bit is the ending instrumental section where flair is stepped a bit to close the track out with rollicking drums, the best riffing of the track, and a general sense of overloading their sound to the point of abruptly breaking, though not literally…THE GORGE, while technically impressive, does have a great sense of restraint that doesn’t take away from the musicality or energetic performance.”

Watch THE GORGE’s “Synapse Misfire,” courtesy of Everything Is Noise at THIS LOCATION.

Watch THE GORGE’s previously released video for “Beneath the Crust” HERE.

THE GORGE’s Mechanical Fiction will be released on CD, LP, and digital formats. For preorders, go to THIS LOCATION.

Straddling a wide range of musical influences, Mechanical Fiction is an affair between four lovers of complex and heavy music. From the dazzling math rock complexities of album opener “Synapse Misfre” to the tapping acrobatics of “A Decision Was Made,” the whole of Mechanical Fiction exudes the pure joy these musicians must have felt while composing these tracks. Just following along the fast-chugging mid-section of “Beneath The Crust” which leads to the beautiful surprise of a glorious choir hailing the sunrise, or just rocking out to the glorious riffing that kicks in after some blistering blast beats on “Presence” are just a few of the ample examples of memorability and pure face-melting bliss on Mechanical Fiction.

“Mechanical Fiction refers to the mundane ways in which we proceed through our lives,” explains guitarist/vocalist Phil Ring. “Living out routines because that is what we are supposed to do, we constantly go through the motions, telling ourselves that everything is okay.” Scratching the surface, THE GORGE protrude pure fun combining tasteful guitar wizardry with giant grooves and a keen sense of songwriting, but delving deeper into the record and especially into the lyrics will lead to the discovery of unexpected emotional depth. “Dealing with the loss of loved ones to mental illness weighed heavily in the lyric writing process for me,” continues Ring. Shifting across the lyrics in his massive baritone growl, THE GORGE frontman brings to life pure desolation and grief on songs like “A Decision Was Made” or “Earthly Decay” making them not only pack a punch musically, but also emotionally.

Nevertheless, among the scattered ashes these musicians always manage to find a spark of hope that ignites a fame of joy. The title track hearkens back to that time when fusion solo guitarists like Tosin Abasi and Plini became big names, but in contrast with these skilled axemen, THE GORGE are less concerned with virtuoso soloing and more with repetition and structure. The statically pounding mechanisms of Meshuggah-style riffing and singing are artfully interspersed with surprising moments of pristine melody, which refect the two-faced nature of this record. The low-key “jazzy” midsection of “Earthly Decay” is a subtle moment in which the band’s musical pedigree shines through, but it’s actually in the artful buildup through the different sections towards a gnarly finale that really shows their collective compositional skill.

Fans of Mastodon, Intronaut, Botch, Between the Buried and Me, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Meshuggah, Animals As Leaders, and the like, pay heed.

THE GORGE:
Phil Ring – guitar/vocals
Joe Bowers – guitar
Chris Turnbaugh – bass
Jerry Mazzuca – drums

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