Review by Adam M on May 12, 2017.

Pyramaze perform a progressive style that greatly recalls Anubis Gate. Luckily this reminded me of their great album, the s/t one. There are a number of guitar riffs that have that same candy-coated goodness to that band.

In fact, the band performs a brand of metal that is very easy to listen to. This makes for a listening experience that is both straightforward and complex enough at the same time. The result is thus balanced and shows many sides. The riffs here are progressive enough, but also catchy enough to remain ingrained in your head in a more power metal fashion. There really is enough commerciality to like here, though, no matter how complicated things get. The streamlined nature of the songs is something the band has been progressing towards and is nicely maintained here. However, there is enough depth to completely grab hold of the senses as well.

The musicianship is nicely done throughout. There is the right amount of showmanship in the guitar riffs, though they are nicely composed as well. The drumming lays a foundation for the band that is strong as well. Vocally, the singer has a voice that nicely complements the songs and is melodic enough to be appropriate as well. Right from the opener Land of Information, the band manages to lay down its imprint for the album musically. There is a heady approach to be found here and it resonates through the guitar riffs strongly. The music is very robotic sounding in a way that completely sounds akin to the best of Anubis Gate. This comparison is appropriate because the band is going head to head with that outfit and is putting up a good fight. If there is a flaw to the music, it’s that it is perhaps to cheesy sounding. This is a small flaw, however, because everything else is so good that you won’t notice this.  Contingent is a very strong recording that is recommended to fans of progressive music and power metal.

Rating: 8.1 out of 10