With 28 tracks spread across two discs that encompass over two and a half hours of music, Embryonics is the perfect representation of a band with a musical scope and vision that exceeds virtually all boundaries. There really isn't any other band that sounds like Alchemist, from the intricate pot pourri of musical styles to the broadly interesting and thought-provoking lyrical sense, and this collection showcases eight years' worth of recordings that shaped this great act.
As usual for an Alchemist album, the first thing that catches your attention is the striking artwork of guitarist Roy Torkington, a vivid, psychedlic dreamscape that captures the feel of the music within. Inside, the booklet features a gallery of archival photographs and gig flyers going back to the demo days, plus extensive liner notes on every track penned by the band members themselves. Such immaculate and careful packaging holds the promise of great things within and Embryonics does not disappoint.
With so many fine songs to choose from, the hardest part of compiling this collection must have been deciding which tracks would miss out, yet in the final wash-up there could be no better representation of the Alchemist back catalogue than the list that made the cut. Embryonics includes six tracks from each of the band's first three albums, plus six demo tracks and their version of "Eve of the War" from the long-deleated and much sought after 1999 EP of the same name. The local release also features three live cuts as bonuses: the version of "Chinese Whispers" from the EP and work outs of "Yoni Kunda" and "Closed Chapter" from a Three Hours of Power radio episode in 1996.
Opening with the Spiritech version of "Chinese Whispers", the track that remains to this day as perhaps the finest example of Alchemist's work, Embryonics shows the progression and development of their sound. From the raw but magical 1990 demo version of "Jar of Kingdom", the truly off-the-wall arty-prog of "Imagination Flower" and "Found" with Michelle Klemke's strangely keening vocals to the fully-developed ethereal journeys of "Staying Conscious" and "Spiritechnology", there isn't a single moment where Alchemist's reputation as one of the most interesting and creative metal bands of all is in doubt. This is a geniunely essential release not just for fans of Australian metal but for anyone who enjoys truly progressive rock music.
- Goreripper
(See reviewer's scoring method)
