Review by Adam M on June 9, 2020.

Intronaut pushes their sound into even increasingly more dense soundscapes with their newest album Fluid Existential Inversions. There is definitely a more complex nature to these songs that wind down a number of different trajectories. There is a need to make the music more challenging, but the band still has an oceanic and entirely interesting sound to it.  It’s an interesting change because I thought the band was starting to become more stagnant, but they have surprised me here. 

There is endless variety on the album and a colorful nature that is difficult not to appreciate.  This is easily the best Intronaut has sounded since Valley of Smoke and the album proves to unlock further nuggets after repeat listens.  There are simply a larger number of dynamic changes and progressive tendencies than the last couple of albums and it all adds up to a release that is more forward thinking and interesting.  I still think the band can push the envelope even further, but the progress they have made from the last release is commendable. Though the band has pushed boundaries, there is no doubt the feeling that things are starting to sound a bit generic. I fear for the band’s next album because the band will have to do something really interesting to remain relevant. As it stands, this is one of the best Intronaut albums and one of the best progressive releases of the year so far.  The band is starting to retread similar ideas, but throws the ball into uncharted territories as well. It will be interesting to see how they progress and keep things interesting in the future.

Fans of Intronaut’s previous material will find a lot to like here, as will fans of progressive metal in general. This is simply a very strong progressive post-metal album that will appeal to fans of this sub-genre.

Rating: 7.7 out of 10