With influences ranging from Symphony X and TesseracT to Leprous, Porcupine Tree, and Opeth, French progressive metal quintet Mobius are certainly channeling a very characteristic sound. Now comprised of Adrien Brunet (drums), Heli Andrea (vocals), Xavier Pompon (guitars), Guillaume Deveaux (keyboards), and Alexandre Gaudencio (bass), their 2016 LP, The Line, was a wildly elaborate, ambitious, and multifaceted introduction.
On January 30th, the band plans to outdo themselves in every way with their follow-up, Kala, an album inspired by “the experience of loss, with the death of Héli’s stepfather forming much of the lyrical content.” Fortunately, though, you don’t have to wait until then to hear some of it, as the emblematic second video single from the record, “Bhati,” can be seen below. Offering a enthralling and dynamic synthesis of jazzy piano introspection, djent devastation, operatic vocals, hypnotic rhythmic density, and overarching Middle Eastern accentuation, it’s a superb example of what makes Kala such a stunning sophomore effort.
True to Mobius’ intentions, “Bhati” “inflicts a captivating battle between the realms of meditative serenity and energetic, head-bang-worthy intensity.” Their previous release, “Akasha” (whose video is also linked below, as is the one for another standout track, “Abhinivesha”), centered on “death and the concept of the afterlife”; in contrast, “Bhati” explores “reincarnation and new explosions of vitality.” Andrea adds:
“Bhati” is the story of a baby coming to the world . . . the song lies at the precise transitional moment between death and rebirth. Here, everything is conflicted: the child struggles to hold on to the memories of a past life as new sensations emerge and he experiences unlimited love from his new parents and family. In this moment, I imagine there to be anguish [and] sadness but happiness at the same time.
It’s a very compelling and complex tune, and the video is a thematically apropos and engagingly edited glimpse at Mobius playing it in the outdoors. Combined, they hope it “begins 2020 with a reminder to all that life is precious, fleeting, and to be enjoyed and cherished as fully as possible.”
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Let us know what you think of “Bhati” in the comments section, and be sure to preorder Kala here. Also, you can find the full album tracklist below.
Mobius – 'Kala':
