Pleximents - Mental Prisoner (2020)

Waiting for the debut conceptional album 'The Maze Within' to be released this month, Evgen Tsibulin blessed us with a tasty single on 22 December 2020. The single was released under the name "Pleximents," which is the new prog metal project that the Siberian guitarist is working on. It also features the acclaimed bassist Anton Davidyants, whose presence is immediately perceived when the starting lick is played.

Right from the start, Tsibulin presents the different instruments that the Pleximents project will feature. Interestingly, this lineup contains classical guitar and grand piano, both of which are uncommon in prog metal. Although, I found "Mental Prisoner" a bit closer to jazz fusion, especially the metallic fusion that Plini popularized. The metal riffing, rhythm switching, and guitar soloing are elements of prog metal that the song undeniably contains. However, there is a classical guitar and bass line playing behind the whole song that brings the song closer to jazz-land. Intense solos are followed by groovier sections featuring less of these metal elements and more of the piano/guitar/bass trio. The whole composition is really balanced between the 2 extremes, in that sense.

The bass and classical guitar solos are worth dedicating an entire paragraph to. As is the norm for these solos, we first hear an immediate retraction from the peak point of the song. A calm atmosphere is manifested, though the drums keep the momentum intact. Davidyants slashes right through the silence with his jazzy chops. The tone, the picking, the shreddy notes make his solo truly one of the best moments of the track. The other best moment is the flamenco guitar solo.

Check out the track on all streaming platforms and stay tuned for the album!