Review by Saxy S for Nova Collective - The Further Side (2017)

The texture of The Further Side will not surprise anyone who knows that Nova Collective is a supergroup featuring Haken's Richard Henshall, Between the Buried and Me's bass player Dan Briggs and Cynic drummer Matt Lynch. For the kind of album that The Further Side is, it is performed with the most pin-point of precision. Every piece of this record is deliberate and executed with grace. Production wise, nothing is out of place, Dan's bass work is splendid, the back-and-forth between the guitars and keyboards is well balanced and the drum work is technical, but not overwhelming to the listener.

I would be grossly remised however if I didn't bring up the songwriting, which is so boring and mediocre. The two chordal instruments does allow for Nova Collective to give the impression of something closer to jazz fusion with the textures, but the execution of these forms is uninteresting. There are solos for sure, but more often than not, The Further Side is a unified technical show piece, with modulating tempos, time signatures and styles. This record reminds me of the worst aspects of 2010s Opeth, when they were trying to be like pre-Moving Pictures Rush. But even the earliest Rush albums had decent hooks to latch on to to compliment Alex Lifeson's extended guitar solos. What does The Further Side have besides technical proficiency? 

This is the kind of record that I know that I would have enjoyed if it was in Guitar Hero, like An Endless Sporadic's Magic Machine. But as someone who even less about technical demands in their progressive music, Nova Collective leaves me feeling empty. Of course it's impressive, but who is it meant to impress if not the band members themselves? 

Best Songs: Cascades, State of Flux