Mestis – ‘Polysemy’ [Review]

Through Mestis, Animals As Leaders guitar maestro Javier Reyes has set out to challenge himself, setting the following self-described standards:

1) “Create a style of music that focusses on being emotionally exploitive and technically sound…

2) …yet simple enough for the average music listener to appreciate…

3) …using the eight-string guitar in a form that is unconventional to the “trends” or independent of characteristics that are found in music styles/genres that have popularized it, [and]…

4) …create music that [expresses] my personality, upbringing, emotions and musical taste.”

While the results are unlikely to immediately appeal to 1D fans or your gran, Polysemy is definitely a far less cognitively overwhelming prospect than the average instrumental guitar-driven offering. What really sets it apart, though, is Javier Reyes’ ability to think outside the box without losing the plot.

If you want to feel something when listening to instrumental music, Polysemy will get you there. This is no sterile music-as-numbers jigsaw puzzle; it’s the sound of a truly great musician expressing himself in a uniquely nuanced way. Those tired of guitarists leaving most of their fretboards to gather dust will be equally enthralled, marvelling at tasty licks, succulent melodies, and full-bellied riffage.

Polysemy definitely falls deep in the crack between technically intimidating sledgehammer-to-the-head metal and familiar, friendly melodicism. It’s likely to leave a lot of people accustomed to one or the other scratching their heads, trying to decide whether they ought to like it or not.

The solution to that dilemma is simple. Spend some time with Polysemy and see what happens. Almost every style of music we take for granted and even see as quaint today met with bewildered reactions initially.

It might not be gran-friendly, but Polysemy will hopefully prove seminal. It also happens to be the coolest instrumental album since CHON released ‘Grow’ two months ago.

TMMP RATING: 91%

Links / Listen

Polysemy drops November 6th via Sumerian Records.

Mestis on Facebook.

Javier Reyes on Twitter.

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Posted on 05 November 2015