Pteroglyph

Stepping forward from his previous time with Mishkin, Jimmy MacGregor has set himself a new challenge, taking it upon himself to build the foundations of a project, now known as Pteroglyph and offering up multi-layered technical structures, rampant fretwork and colossal power, all in one spanking new EP, The Great Unseen. Having already been featured on the covermount CD of Metal Hammer, Pteroglyph draws influence from the likes of Devin Townsend, Sylosis and Gojira, through three merged tracks lasting fifteen minutes. Due for release on Monday the 26th of August, Garry from SAN PR sent us through a copy to check out, so we jumped at the chance to see what was going on.
Forming The Great Unseen (Parts 1-3), the EP kicks off in style, launching us straight into a bass heavy melee of distorted guitar, bass heavy rhythms and pounding drum lines. Roving between heavy, almost Fear Factory esque guitar and vocal combinations and more haunting, Devin Townsend chorus breaks, the track differentiates within itself, offering up a sound that’s both heavy and accessible without allowing itself to get over the top at any stage. Continuing to push the boundaries of the track as it progresses, the continued twists and turns keep the listener guessing as to what is to follow, refusing to accept convention or go down a predictable route, and instead diversifying throughout. It’s striking that the hauntingly beautiful moments match the power of the more raw sections, keeping a sense of power flowing throughout the track but refusing to become predictable.
Moving into Part 2 of the Great Unseen the unrelenting approach continues, this time launching us into a rolling melee of hammering double bass and roaring guitar lines, all combined with a soft guitar and vocal combination. The contrasting approach here is striking, resulting in a sound that’s powerful and intense, yet restrained and almost beautiful at the same time. Managing to once again offer up diversity at every turn, including one of the most powerful chorus sections I’ve come across for a long time, this track continues the EP in the manner it should, sounding damned good. Managing to tread that thin line between straight up metal and a more progressive approach, there’s twists and turns once again throughout this track, but equally there are hooks designed to keep you listening, proving once and for all that creativity is key when it comes to music like this, and demonstrating the ability that Jimmy has for his craft.
Finishing with Part 3, the EP is brought full circle, coming to a close on another track designed to keep you guessing and wondering what’s going to come next. Deep and emotional guitar tones lead the way into the track, offering up a taste of almost atmospheric style stuff whilst suggesting that there’s more to come, building on the mix as it grows and adding in element after element to deepen what you’re hearing. With an opening that harks towards a Dream Theater in some ways, the track closes the EP in a manner designed to leave you thinking, guessing, and wondering how on earth Jimmy is going to come up with a follow up to this one – finishing the journey through the EP as you’d expect, safe in the knowledge that this hasn’t just been some music, it’s been an experience.
I was put onto Pteroglyph a while back by good friend of the site Mr Short, so when I saw that the EP had arrived I wanted to make sure I checked it out – and man am I glad I did. From start to finish this EP pushes the boundaries of what you expect to hear, showing that sometimes it’s good to move away from simple and instead, allow the creativity to flow through the record. Based on this, Pteroglyph is an act to keep an eye on, a serious serious eye!
To find out more about Pteroglyph, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Forming The Great Unseen (Parts 1-3), the EP kicks off in style, launching us straight into a bass heavy melee of distorted guitar, bass heavy rhythms and pounding drum lines. Roving between heavy, almost Fear Factory esque guitar and vocal combinations and more haunting, Devin Townsend chorus breaks, the track differentiates within itself, offering up a sound that’s both heavy and accessible without allowing itself to get over the top at any stage. Continuing to push the boundaries of the track as it progresses, the continued twists and turns keep the listener guessing as to what is to follow, refusing to accept convention or go down a predictable route, and instead diversifying throughout. It’s striking that the hauntingly beautiful moments match the power of the more raw sections, keeping a sense of power flowing throughout the track but refusing to become predictable.
Moving into Part 2 of the Great Unseen the unrelenting approach continues, this time launching us into a rolling melee of hammering double bass and roaring guitar lines, all combined with a soft guitar and vocal combination. The contrasting approach here is striking, resulting in a sound that’s powerful and intense, yet restrained and almost beautiful at the same time. Managing to once again offer up diversity at every turn, including one of the most powerful chorus sections I’ve come across for a long time, this track continues the EP in the manner it should, sounding damned good. Managing to tread that thin line between straight up metal and a more progressive approach, there’s twists and turns once again throughout this track, but equally there are hooks designed to keep you listening, proving once and for all that creativity is key when it comes to music like this, and demonstrating the ability that Jimmy has for his craft.
Finishing with Part 3, the EP is brought full circle, coming to a close on another track designed to keep you guessing and wondering what’s going to come next. Deep and emotional guitar tones lead the way into the track, offering up a taste of almost atmospheric style stuff whilst suggesting that there’s more to come, building on the mix as it grows and adding in element after element to deepen what you’re hearing. With an opening that harks towards a Dream Theater in some ways, the track closes the EP in a manner designed to leave you thinking, guessing, and wondering how on earth Jimmy is going to come up with a follow up to this one – finishing the journey through the EP as you’d expect, safe in the knowledge that this hasn’t just been some music, it’s been an experience.
I was put onto Pteroglyph a while back by good friend of the site Mr Short, so when I saw that the EP had arrived I wanted to make sure I checked it out – and man am I glad I did. From start to finish this EP pushes the boundaries of what you expect to hear, showing that sometimes it’s good to move away from simple and instead, allow the creativity to flow through the record. Based on this, Pteroglyph is an act to keep an eye on, a serious serious eye!
To find out more about Pteroglyph, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls