For those of you who are starting to get tired of progressive rock music in the 90s, this track is a great refresher for your mind.
As an avid fan in this genre of progressive rock/metal (and also as a bedroom guitarist), I was starting to become disgruntled by the blatant abuses of composition techniques made popular by bands like Dream Theater and Periphery, yet executed poorly to the point where even a newcomer to the genre would know, that a 7/4 time signature was used for this riff just to make it NOT 4/4; intricate, complex riffs and groove patterns were done so for the sake of it, thus lacking any flow or musicality.
Toska’s music, especially "Infantile", is the exact opposite of that. Everything is just right; the irregular transitions, the time signature and tempo changes, the interplay in guitar/bass arrangement, the use of weird sound effects at the right time to give that buzz for the listener to keep wondering "what's next?" without losing the groove. There maybe many section changes, but I can still perceive the overall “storytelling arcs” unfolding themselves throughout the song, ending the song (and the EP, Ode to the Author) with a satisfying resolution.
This track came at the right time for me, as it literally gave me the last bits of musical inspiration I was looking for to finish my debut EP. It was such a joy listening to the unique musicianship between the players of the band that can only be the result of years and years of practice.
You can learn more about Toska here:
About The Curator - Oliver Cheung
Oliver Cheung is a musician based in Hong Kong. Although he has recently released his debut instrumental progressive rock EP (titled Remembrance), it is only a part of what he wanted to create, as he pursue his passion in music and art with the question, “what else is out there?”