Abnormal Thought Patterns | Altered State Of Consciousness 

Label: Lifeforce Records
Release Year: 2015
Country: California USA
Genre: Progressive, Technical, Shred, Metal instrumental,Djent

Band Members
Jasun Tipton – Guitars and Keys
Troy Tipton – Bass
Jason Montero – Guitars
Mike Guy – Drums
Guest Musicians
Tommy Rogers -Vocals – Between The Buried And Me
Jeff Loomis – Guitars- ex- Nevermore
Michael Manring – Bass
John Onder – Bass

Tim Toth – Into Eternity – Guitars

Abnormal Thought Patterns Official Website

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Official Lifeforce Records Site

It is summer 2001 and I am in a local record store here in Houston Texas called Diamondhead Records. My journey that day was to ‘only’ buy Trent Gardner’s (Megellan) new rock/metal opera called Leonardo- The Absolute Man. I get to the counter to make my purchase and the guy behind the counter had a opened copy of Zero Hour’s Tower Of Avarice. He told me take the CD over to the listening station, BOOM I was instantly hooked in.
This was a new style of Progressive Metal at the time branded Djent. I was an immediate fan and proceeded to purchase Towers Of Avarice and Zero Hour’s self titled debut from 1998. I have been a fan of Jasun and Troy Tipton and Mike Guy since. Now quite a few years after they called it a day as Zero Hour, the trio return once again as Abnormal Thought Patterns – Altered State Of Consciousness.

This time they have returned with some serious fire power from well seasoned veterans like Jeff Loomis – Guitars- ex- Nevermore , Michael Manring – Bass , John Onder – Bass, Tim Roth – Into Eternity – Guitar, and Tommy Rogers – Vocals – Between The Buried And Me . 

 

The albums’ first track Distortions of Perception starts off with a fury of shred and shredfest with a wicked detuned rhythmic under belly.  The rhythmic underbelly reminds me of the equivalent of a  melodic hammer hitting a rhythmic anvil in detuned harmonic bliss. And the shredfest is up there at Malmsteen meets Satriani. 

The band continues the shred and rhythm fest in their next track Nocturnal Haven , where the signature vocal style of Between The Buried And Me’s Tommy Rogers belts out one hell of a growl before popping the clutch and down shifting towards a more cleaner vocal and goes back and forth between growl and clean vocals throughout Nocturnal Haven . You may recognize the guitar solo at the 4:45 mark. That is executed quite well in his own style of one Jeff Loomis ex- Nevermore . 

Blindsight is a math genius’s thinking man’s composition. With wicked and abnormal time signatures that keep the listener guessing where this track is going. The bass solo at the 2:30 mark from Troy Tipton serves as both a bridge and highlight to the track itself.

Synesthesia with a wicked double bass passage back and forth between the legendary Michael Manring and jazz sensation John Onder. Synesthesia is a rhythm musicians paradise and clinic. Synesthesia is the perfectly arranged on the album and serves as a bridge to where the remainder of Altered State Of Consciousness is going.

Delusions opens up with great drum work by Mike Guy. Delusions reminds me of the Zero Hour days and tracks like Reflections and Demise and Vestige from Towers Of Avarice from 2001 and portions of Voice of Reason and Metamorphosis from Zero Hour’s debut in 1998. They then proceed to provide a Instrumental track to Nocturnal Haven with the work of Jeff Loomis’ left in there and now Into Eternity’s Tim Roth on guitars as well.

Subliminal Perception opens up with a semi electric vibe that prog bands execute from time to time. Subliminal Perception is perhaps the most balanced track on the album. It satisfies the needs for listeners of great plush rhythmic sections and the beauty of stringed and keyboard passages. Subliminal Perception totally lives up to its name from First to final second.

While most people would consider this a comeback for the Tipton brothers and Mike Guy, I see this as a transition into the growth of the band. More of a new creation than a evolution for the band. They adapted perfectly in their lengthy absence. It also leaves you with the curiosity as to where the band is going from here. I give Abnormal Thought Patterns – Altered State Of Consciousness a 4.5/5.