Progressive metal act Azusa, are back with their second full length album, Loop of Yesterdays. With this new release, the band continue down the path that they started with their previous effort, Heavy Yoke. Having already established themselves as heavy hitters of the Progressive/Extreme Metal scene, the band used this opportunity to expand upon their already diverse sound.

Kicking off the album is the track “Memories of an Old Emotion.” From the moment you push play, be prepared for a visceral assault on your senses. Starting off with a gritty, hardcore vibe, the song then leads us into some technically driven guitar riffs before giving us a chance to catch our breath with the beautifully melodic vocals of Eleni Zafiriadou who is able to seamlessly transition from brutally aggressive to stunningly ethereal vocals in a matter of seconds. The next track, “One Too Many Times,” is more of a slow build. Starting with rolling drums with playfully interjected guitar notes, the song quickly takes us on a dark, emotional journey. You can truly feel the intensity in Eleni’s voice as she again goes from ambient, soothing vocals, to screaming and even a few deep growls. All of this is layered atop some of the most enchantingly melodic guitar playing on the album.

The next track “Detach” starts off with what is arguably the heaviest drumming on the album reminiscent of Meshugah. Paired with the ferocious guitar work of Christopher Espevoll, the song takes us down so many paths of different soundscapes, textures, and emotions that one might call it a roller coaster, if that roller coaster had derailed midway and ended up in a completely different park. From here, we get into “Seven Demons Mary.” This song contains some of the most intricate guitar work and some of the most tranquil vocals. One of the most powerful moments of the album comes just past the one-minute mark. The band use a “less is more” approach to create a dynamic sound with just drums and very minimal guitar. 

After the short interlude, “Support Becomes Resistance,” the intensity returns on the next song “Monument.” This is probably the song that is most likely to grab your attention with its anthemic lyrics and more straight forward approach to song structure. It’s sure to be a favorite amongst fans due to the catchiness of the chorus but definitely strays a bit from the overall experimental vibe of the rest of the record. The title track “Loop of Yesterdays” is a moment of peace in the middle of one hell of a storm. If you were just tuning in at this point in the album, you’d likely think you’d stumbled upon an indie folk artist, albeit a very dark and troubled one. 

After the brief moment of calmness, the next song, “Rapture” slowly brings back the ferocity. The band really showcase their musical growth on this one with some of the most explosively technical guitar work on the album. The band continue their assault for several more tracks before closing the album with the track “Acting Ritual.” One can’t help but get a very unsettling feeling when listening to this track making it the perfect way to end such a beautifully frenzied album. Gone are the atmospheric vocals on this track. Instead, the back opt to end this effort with one of the most intense offerings on the album. The track provides closure to the album while still leaving the feeling that this story is not yet finished.

Overall, this is a damned near flawless sophomore album from a band that we are really just getting to know. If Azusa delivered an album this solid on only their second attempt, I for one, can’t wait to see how the band continue to progress going forward.

I’m Music Magazine Contributing Writer Jason Jarvis