American progressive metal band Exist have always operated outside fads and trends, and have a timelessness that makes their albums hard to pinpoint on the space/time continuum. Yet, by marked contrast their latest album, Hijacking The Zeitgeist, taps into the prevailing sense of paranoia and aggression that characterises our current age, and in doing so have produced a record that’s equally truculent and pugnacious, and like all their long players, is sure to sound fresh and exciting many years hence.

With their last album (2020’s Egoiista) reaping all sorts of acclaim, the pressure was on for Exist to top that effort and I’m pleased to report that this Washington D.C quartet have stepped up to the plate. The band’s progressive nature means that they’re always going to be pushing their sound forwards, yet the jump between Egoiista and Hijacking The Zeitgeist is something of a quantum leap. The opening riff suggests a sense of urgency, and that’s an idea given credence when the rest of the band kick in, and they kick in hard. Aided by a full and bold production, the band proceed to scrawl their sound on every surface delivering a song in ‘Blue Light Infinite’ that fractures in every direction. However, the band’s deceptively simple sound is still a central pillar; unlike many of their peers, Exist never lose sight of melody and song structure, no matter how technical or proggy the band get, no matter down which poly-rhythmic rabbit hole they disappear, there’s always a catchy riff or motif with which to anchor themselves.

That element of surprise is still ever present, and the moment of existentialism in the middle of ‘Thief Of Joy’ certainly shocked me. Bookended by two supremely heavy passages, this mid-section is ethereal, and floats like a balloon in an azure sky, making good use of musical dynamics with the lithe acting as a foil to accentuate the heavy (and vice versa). New guitarist/keyboardist Charles Eron has slotted in very well and his interplay with Max Phelps is simply stunning (especially on closer ‘Window To The All’) and they somehow make the complex simple. Yet, it is the rhythm section of drummer Brody Smith and bassist Alex Weber who really shine and turn cuts such as ‘One Degree Removed From Human’ into monolithic beasts. With two different vocalists in Max and Alex counterpointing each other the puzzle is complete and turns Hijacking The Zeitgeist into a multifaceted affair, and one that incites chaos from every corner.

This is an album that will solidify Exist’s position at the top of the progressive metal tree, yet it’s catchy enough to crossover into other genres, too, so you should definitely watch this space.

• Hijacking The Zeitgeist is released via Prosthetic Records on 12th April 2024 (available here).

Track List:

1. Blue Light Infinite
2. Thief Of Joy
3. Hijacking The Zeitgeist
4. Funeral Toll
5. A Path To Nowhere
6. One Degree Removed From Human
7. Window To All