Hypno5e are one of those bands that can basically do whatever they want at any given moment. There aren’t many that can pull that off AND make it work within a piece of music. This is why “Shores of the Abstract Line” is not only an insane roller coaster ride BUT it is also an incredible album.

For those reasons I hear a bit of Between the Buried and Me in Hypno5e but it’s more in the approach they take to their music and execute it. They also remind me a little of fellow Frenchmen Gojira since they have the riffing style of that band. But make no mistake, these are more about influences only. Hypno5e don’t really SOUND like anyone else.

The interesting part of “Shores of the Abstract Line” is that it has sound clips through out which make the album feel like the soundtrack to a foreign film. Normally, I am not a huge fan of an overuse of sound clips because they always seem to distract from the music. However, the clips are more like they are part of the music. It’s more like the band is using them to guide the listener through the maze that is “Shores of the Abstract Line.”

The album is broken into various “shores” and even the language of the sound clips changes depending on the “shore” you are on. From French to Spanish to English, it’s like you are jumping from movie to movie. Many bands can claim they are cinematic metal, but Hypno5e are defining what cinematic metal is on “Shores of the Abstract Line.”

Musically, the band can be so fucking heavy before shifting to an atmospheric section and then slapping you with some insanely angular guitar riffs. The beauty is that you have no idea what is coming BUT it never feels like there isn’t a flow to what is going on. “Shores of the Abstract Line” is NOT an easy listen but it is an album that you hear something new each time you listen to it. For me, that’s what real prog is all about.

“In Our Deaf Lands” and “Blind Man’s Eye” are probably my favorite tracks but even then, I’ll hear something different on the next listen and it can change. Even having something as different as the Latin vibe or “Tio” not only gives the listener something else stylistically but it shows the depth that Hyno5e possess.

“Shores of the Abstract Line” is more than music and calling each track a song does them no justice. It is a piece of art. Musically, lyrically and sonically, “Shores of the Abstract Line” goes beyond what is expected of an album. Prog is meant to challenge the listener, that has always been my definition. “Shores of the Abstract Line” is certainly challenge and ultimately it is infinitely rewarding.

Rating: 9.5/10

Tracklist:
1. East Shore – Landscape in the Mist
2. East Shore – In Our Deaf Lands
3. West Shore – Where We Lost the Ones
4. West Shore – Memories
5. Central Shore – Tio
6. North Shore – The Abstract Line
7. North Shore – Sea Made of Crosses
8. South Shore – Blind Man’s Eye

Label: Pelagic Records