EP-Review: Existenter – “Inverted Pyramid Trilogy”

Russian Prog-Metal band Existenter evokes self-discovery and realization with their three track EP titled “Inverted Pyramid Trilogy” that debuted on February 9^th, 2022. Inspired by modern metal leaders like Gojira, Spiritbox, Haken, and Architects, Existenter offers up a metal EP with a groove feel and distinct sound all their own.

After their debut album, “Planet in the Universe” dropped in May of 2021, the band is spent their time working on releasing new singles and their EP as a tease for their upcoming album “Lonely Artist” due for release in later 2022.

Composed of Anton Mityugin (Composter, Bass, Backing Vocals), Aleksander Sidelin (Songwriter, Guitars, Backing Vocals), Miroslava Mirova (Keyboards), Anton Zaitsev (Drums), and Maya Gitsina (Vocals),Existenter is “a person who inspires all living things, and revives all dead things.” They say that this trilogy is a symphony of the band’s current stage of development and their expression of the Pyramid of Human Values. Shelter, safety, and beauty of freedom and growth are the foundations of the pyramid but, high technology has distorted it, flipping it upside down. Keyboard wars are the priority while the livelihood and basic values have come to be ignored.

This EP takes note of the disconnect and downfalls, urging listeners to carefully listen to each song in sequence to truly understand the complex network of the pyramid and the distortion we have come to create.

The first song is titled “Other Way” that’s a quick track screaming for attention with unhinged drums, unique vocals, and an eerie melody. Despite the short length, it’s got a range of musical complexity from vocals to drums, changing rhythm and melody throughout to create a sound that depicts the shift from human values to social media, and the clutches of the online world.

“Time Bomb” is a fast-hitting track of feverish shreds and pounding drums that get your moving. If only it were longer, this track has a gorgeous melody enhanced by low, startling vocals that energize and intrigue. It provides a glimpse into the speedy downfall of our society and how we’ve come to prioritize our online presence over our in reality one, asking questions such as, do you remember the faces of your parents? And when was the last time you admired the summer dew on a morning field?

The final track from the EP is “You Will Understand” that begins with tranquility in an unexpected turn, taking a light and airy feel before dropping into a maddening pit of brutal lows and surprising depth. The longest off the EP at 4 minutes in length, it’s rhythmic and shocking. Vocals shift flawlessly from quiet lows to terrorizing highs with instrumentals that change gears to match on the fly. A near 3-minute mark solo cleanses the air, offering another change in atmosphere and raise the eyebrows of listeners who come to not only embrace Existenter’s musical diversity, but begin to understand the message they’re trying to tell. This is but a taste of what’s to come forExistenter and they tease us with a vast range of musical skill and range that not only leaves us begging for more but, eagerly awaiting their album’s full fury to be unleashed. With such thought-provoking messages in only 3 tracks, imagining the true brutality in their expression is unfathomable.