PRYZME’s new release, ‘True Stories… And Other Lies’, is the band’s first album in four years and it does not disappoint. From the opening notes of “Echo of Silent Place”, the listener is immersed in a warm and textured soundscape that is as rich in melody as it is in dense, yet never overbearing, arrangements. The song’s development is unhurried and layered, building from quiet instrumental sections to vocals that are at once intimate and commanding. “Earth Song” is a more somber affair, but no less powerful in its reach. Its lyrics personify the Earth and its message is both a lament and a call to action, underscored by powerful guitar riffs and a crescendo of rhythm that pulses with the weight of its words. “End of the Anger” is an emotionally-charged roller coaster, shifting from funk to heaviness to spacious tranquility—a sonic metaphor for conflict and resolution.

“Green Eyes” is a more relaxed track with a smoother, melody-driven edge. It’s a warmer, more direct expression of the band’s more melodic side, with harmonies that resonate and a groove that ebbs and flows with a fluidity that is almost languid in contrast to the intensity of the surrounding tracks. “Reality of Dreams” is a more contemplative track, blending meditative lyrics with an evolving instrumental core that holds the listener’s attention through its ebb and flow of gentle introspection and sudden outbursts of energy. “Never Again” is the album’s most ominous track, a bass-heavy journey with a tight, almost militaristic edge to its guitar and drum work, as if sounding a clarion call of warning through music.

Each song on ‘True Stories… And Other Lies’ has a distinct personality, but they all come together to form a sound that is recognizably PRYZME. The album’s closer, “Silent Place”, is a 12-minute tour-de-force of patience and artistry, with the band expertly wielding the dynamics of quietude and intensity. It’s a broad canvas of sound, with expansive stretches of subdued, almost minimalist sections giving way to dramatic crescendos and spacey passages. The album is a reminder that technical proficiency in music doesn’t have to come at the expense of emotional depth or immediacy. ‘True Stories… And Other Lies’ is a progressive rock album with a beating heart, big and ambitious in scope but never losing sight of the human element. It’s a journey to be experienced, not just heard.

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