As we reach the halfway mark in Misha Mansoor’s Archive series under his Bulb moniker, the evolution of the artist becomes clearer and more defined. The melodic djent factor is becoming more prevalent and the noodly bits are in the minority, and the songwriting is stronger and more defined. The riffs are meatier, the melodies are smoother and more linear, and you can hear the Mansoor stamp all over the music. The first two tracks on Archives: Volume 5 (“Coldemark” and “FF7 Jenova Cover”) are similar: fast; melodic, and immersed in prog sauce. The leads on “Coldemark” fall into a lighter Satriani feel and the ones on “FF7 Jenova Cover” are distinctively Steve Vai-esque – whether or not this was intentional is neither here nor there, as they are both solid fuel for shred-heads. Apart from a ...
