Two years ago The Seven Mile Journey began turning heads with their debut full length, The Journey Studies. The effort was a marvelous experiment with movement in the post-rock genre, making huge strides by drawing a distinctive difference between pointless meandering guitars and effectual, understated sonic progression. Far too many instrumental bands fall into the former category when simply passing the time between opportunities to lay waste on the audience with an onslaught of noise courtesy of an electric guitar and a mound of pedals. Even so, many critics found the album to overly conservative; much of the subtle work involved in the creation of The Journey Studies resulted in an accumulation of tension and suspense which was never actually released during the performance. It's a valid criticism of an otherwise impeccable delivery, and one that prevented the band from earning more praise for their efforts.

Much excitement surrounds the release of The Metamorphosis Project. How would The Seven Mile Journey evolve after the success and criticism of The Journey Studies? Would they continue to turn their back on tried and true post-rock dynamics, or would they finally give in and deliver the epic finisher? The answer, in a nutshell, is both: The Metamorphosis Project is a sophisticated experience that combines the sober spectacle of their predecessor with the swift resolution often associated with the post-rock sound. And it works, rather brilliantly too. There's certainly no shame in being a post-rock band and utilizing techniques which are known to be effective, and The Seven Mile Journey are able to tastefully work some crescendo magic into the fold while retaining their individual spirit. 

The album begins with "Theme for Elthenbury Massacre," which is a dark, brooding composition that could have been featured on the band's debut. Piano and guitar dance seductively in a manner which is reminiscent of the work of England's Blueneck, transitioning seamlessly into "The Catharsis Session." The Seven Mile Journey build the piece slowly, allowing the tension from the previous track to gradually deflate before raising the listener's pulse again. Halfway through, the intensity picks up significantly, but without releasing that budding stress. The track ebbs, undulating with the excessive emotional content that now surges through the musicians' instruments, and The Seven Mile Journey exit the track while simultaneously maintaining the high strain of the track and piquing the listener's interest by delivering a performance that is chock-full of energy and confidence. "Identity Journals (Anonymous)" ends the act. The band reassembles and does their best to erase the burden carried over by previous tracks. The mood changes significantly here, as the track departs from the darkness that surrounds the previous two tracks and takes a more ethereal, celestial route. It's only appropriate, since "Identity Journals" gives the first real climax of the album after a wonderful fourteen minute journey, that we begin to see peek our heads out of the heavy fog and are treated to some lighter tones and moods. The finale is not rushed or zealous, instead the band progresses naturally into what feels like a very organic and fitting conclusion.

The second half of the album picks up the momentum, offering some exhilarating highs and raising the bar in the band's repertoire. "January 4th - The Hypothesis Hours" could be a track off the latest Joy Wants Eternity album, as it fits in perfectly with the shoegaze agenda of delayed guitars and crashing cymbals. The Seven Mile Journey stretch this track out to nine minutes, throwing in a very surprising climax at the end. This is probably the only point on the album that I don't particularly agree with; it has less of a cohesion with the album around it than the rest of the tracks, and in some instances it does feel forced. Nonetheless, the track does justify itself by allowing the drummer to showcase his talents for an extended period of time, as well as foreshadowing the impending chaos lurking at the album's end. "A Sanctuary for Lugubrious Tracy" does a great job of resetting the palette, a few keys and somber guitars change the mood and throw me personally into Clint Mansell's The Fountain masterpiece. The band does a wonderful job at arranging the pieces together to maximize their effect on the listener; not only does this provide a key transition point between tracks, but it also ties itself to the first half of the album as well, which is a great point of consistency. 

Much like "Identity Journals," "Purification - The Journey Transcriptions" caps off the second trilogy by throwing an exclamation mark on the set. Since the intensity has been gradually increasing throughout "January 4th" and "Sanctuary," "Purification" raises the stakes accordingly, proving to be the band's most epic and thrilling work yet. The band gets the most out of repetition in this fifteen minute track, coasting through several different styles and ultimately satisfying our tastes with a crushing attack. Although this is by far the least distinctive track on effort, there's still the ever present mark of The Seven Mile Journey in the way the guitars develop and progress throughout the track's length. It's done with more purpose and intent than most of their peers, and it's precisely this type of song-writing which has become their greatest asset, and allows them to rise over the competition.

There's little to disagree with on The Metamorphosis Project. Even those who have long since declared post-rock to be boring and formulaic will have to confess that this Danish quartet do a great job of balancing understated guitar composition and epic compositions. Neither asserts itself to be better than the other, but instead we're treated to a wonderful point-counterpoint between the two where the band is really able to shine. True, these aren't the world ending catastrophes that bands like Mogwai, Sigur Ros, or Godspeed You Black Emperor might conjur, but in the year 2008, is it really still about being the biggest and loudest? The Seven Mile Journey submit that it is not: song-writing and balance appear to be the two key concepts that they favor, and they provide quite a convincing argument. In any case, I'm inclined to agree with these fellows.

-Jordan Volz