A perfect album? - TESSERACT War Of Being reaction

This Tesseract War Of Being album reaction and review is genuinely my first time hearing this record from start to finish, and my first time hearing most of the songs.
0:00 Context
0:41 Natural Disaster reaction
6:47 Echoes reaction
12:34 The Grey re-listen
18:40 Legion re-listen
24:40 Tender reaction
29:18 War Of Being re-listen
40:20 Sirens reaction
45:18 Burden reaction
51:48 Sacrifice reaction
1:01:32 Analysis & Review
1:06:25 Rating
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When I do my reaction videos I don't press pause because I don't want to interrupt the natural flow of the music as it was originally intended by the artist. I try to vocalise my thoughts in real time as I listen to the song, and then summarise my reaction afterwards.
Please do recommend songs or other artists for me to checkout in future by commenting on this video! I'm constantly on the lookout for great new music and things I've never heard before.
A Spotify playlist of songs I've reacted to and consider to be Delicious can be found here: open.spotify.com/playlist/26j...

[@darkphoenix2]

Man, I wish so badly that this band got more attention

[@dek86s]

they deserve it!! they are amazing!!!!

[@docrichardkimble]

Seriously.

[@sicboi80]

100% deserve more exposure.

[@dougcronkhite2113]

Yes. It is. Absolutely zero filler on this album.

[@treyozee2685]

Took me a few runs to really feel Burden. Now it's by far my favorite. Just perfectly constructed for my soul.

[@jackm.4702]

Burden managed to make it to 2 on my Spotify Unwrapped despite how late in the year the album came out. Masterful songwriting all around.

[@SteveOGRock]

Gosh that’s an impressive bit of catching up it did!

[@Ryl0o]

its been like 7 months since this album dropped and i still cant get enough of it

[@lukesorensen9432]

Not to pick favorites here, but burden is a monster. Genuinely everything about that track is perfect

[@malenky4057]

'Syncopated out my mind' exactly! They pull you out of a normal groove just enough and then when it lands straight its so effective. On another note, Dan put in so much work for this album from what I've read and seen. I think he had a 'vocal director' sort of person working with him on the album. That may be her doing the second voice in Sirens in fact as well as potentially a few other layers.

[@SteveOGRock]

Ooooh interesting! Thanks for this.

[@JoshStobart]

Can confirm, she did some of the vocal layers in more than just Sirens, though that's the easiest place to hear it. Her and Dan's voice sit around the same tone and vocal range so it let them use male and female for vocal colour. That's also why the vocals don't sound as homogenised as they would usually sound if one person was singing all the layers.

[@athmaid]

Echoes straight up sounds like the ending credits of an early 2000s superhero movie, in the best way possible. Their most consistent album so far imho

[@PhoenixDecim]

I just kept looping back to The Grey after the last song and it just works!

[@YisusBlakSpp]

Do NOT do this, I've been doing this since the album came out, it's a trap, I've been stuck in this loop endlessly

[@PhoenixDecim]

@@YisusBlakSpp hahaha that doesn't sound too bad 😉

[@Jesperadoo]

Your reaction to Burden legit made me tear up, what a song. Have to be my favourite from this album!

[@SteveOGRock]

It’s rather epic indeed!

[@dek86s]

I was a plasure experience re listen this album with you!! sirens is so emotional for me, i'm glad you give a masterpiece rating!! this album deserve it!! much love!!

[@SteveOGRock]

Honoured that you joined me through it. Thanks!

[@cameronrichard6943]

Album was great loved the reaction, another band to check out would be voices from the fuselage. the singer Ashe sang the Altered State tesseract album. one of my favs. Thanks for the reaction!

[@dek86s]

yes!! ashe is amazing !! his voice is unique!! and voices from the fuselage is much like tesseract!! sadly there is not any new album..

[@joeldesormeaux]

I was wondering hard why you didn’t react to this absolute gem. Really appreciate the content keep up the good work! I love your perspective on music

[@SteveOGRock]

Thanks so much for the positive feedback here! Enormously appreciated 💙

[@Irmelinis]

For so long (well, three months...) I've been waiting for you to do this reaction!! So excited to listen to this with you, you're always pointing out interesting details I haven't noticed in songs, and seeing you get excited over the drums, or Dan's vocals or Amos' incredible bass playing makes me excited too! :) Tesseract is so much about the bass and the drums, the driving force. My favourite on this record is "Burden", it hooked me right away, and has a stellar vocal performance from Dan! You said Phil Collins, I say Michael Jackson 😁 "Tender" is another favourite. It's my album of the year, for sure. Thanks for this, I will be watching it many times. Thanks for putting out great content this year!

[@SteveOGRock]

Haha Michael Jackson is a good shout. Thanks for waiting for me to do this 🫶🏻 Honoured to hear that you spend the time joining me on the journey through the whole album ❤️

[@dek86s]

both legends!! yea i was remember more michael jackson epecially those highs!!! i am amazed to reading other tesseract fans!! this is a great community!!

[@Gwennhadu11]

Great reaction, man... I think this album is a masterpiece and I'm not tired although I'm listening to it a lot since it came out, their music is so rich and intense.. It was funny to see how you react almost every time at the precise place I was expecting you to... I just missed one: 22.31, you were talking when Dan hits the roof with this insane ascending 9th just after the major chord, give it a second chance, you'll love it! Hope you'll get a ticket for a UK gig, if not just cross the Channel and come to Paris instead!😁🤘

[@risenbybronco]

bout time! stoked to hear your thoughts!

[@SteveOGRock]

Haha sorry it took so long 😅

[@Sandsy3]

They're so good live! Going to see them (again) here in Norway. Would recommend

[@nandaletro]

This album is such a masterpiece! Like everything TesseracT does!

[@binarycode1397]

Absolute banger of an album , one listen put it straight into my top 5 of the year , and a great showcase for Dan's vocal abilites

[@SteveOGRock]

Yes indeed! Amazing vocal performance throughout.

[@WitzyZed]

They're daaaang good live!

[@TheHeadOfAGoat]

Fucking love your full album reactions. Great albums deserve that I think. Also, glad I am not the only one that noticed the '80s Phil Collins feel.

[@SteveOGRock]

Thanks! And yeessss Phil Collins 🤘🏻

[@BMXkidzevan1]

Yessssssss thank you for this!!!

[@PaulOG..]

That was fantastic, going to be listening to this album a lot

[@christophersanguino8135]

Loved the long form reaction! Check out The world breathes with me from Caligula’s horse. They have a new album coming out this month and it’s absolutely going to be incredible. 10 minute work goes by so fast.

[@SteveOGRock]

A couple others have mentioned them. Definitely intrigued!

[@amartilianom]

I’ve been listening to this band since 2019; and had the chance to see them live here in Colombia 🇨🇴 past year; and oh man; they have had a huge impact on my life. This album is a complete masterpiece and an emotional journey, you don’t want it to end. Great review!

[@jonathasmelo3213]

"This is f*cking disgusting" 31:42 hahaha That crashed me and I laughed together. Expecting TesseracT to coming to Brazil with WOB Tour next year! The connection between Daniel e Matt Bellamy got me too, I've never thought about that! And yes, this snare is f*cking amazing! Jay Postones is fantastic. For me, Jay and Amos are the greatest musicians of the band!

[@SteveOGRock]

😂

[@drsteve-zr9ej]

“Fucking disgusting” is textbook Meshuggah. Polyrhythmic madness that you can still count 4 over. 31:39

[@AyyFuji]

Not saying you need a smoke to enjoy this, but after having a little, first listen, it's the same vibe I get from Tool (not heard djent or known what progressive metal truly was), and I'm in love. Oh damn this stuff is so good, new current favourite for sure.

[@mathesonmcewen2642]

Probably my favourite album of the year. You should definitely check out the drum playthroughs uploaded by Jay Postones

[@stephenthomson6230]

This album is one of TesseracT's best and after many repeated listens still captures me. This might be one of my favourite vocal performances of all time!! I enjoyed the entire reaction and listening again! I would definitely recommend seeing them on this tour. I saw them a month ago and they put on an amazing show! Cheers🤘

[@SteveOGRock]

Yeah I’m hoping to see them in London next year. I don’t have a ticket yet though. Attempting to line up an interview 🤞🏻

[@oliverlanzilli]

Just came across your channel and I love your reaction to the songs, and the great insight into the more technical and parts that the average listener wouldn't pick up on. If you love the attention to detail in prog music, I recommend Aviation's latest album Luminaria, or their song Outliers. Great stuff!

[@Jesperadoo]

This might be my favourite album of 2023. These guys are absolutely insane musically and technically.

[@JoHarm96]

That “flam” on the kick in war of being is actually hertas which is way more impressive.

[@shanemorse760]

Just saw them live in the States. You will not be disappointed. The quality in every aspect was perfect. One of, if not my favorite shows of all time. So talented and entertaining.

[@treypayne495]

I love watching your reactions. First watched you with Sleep Token, which is another top band of mine. Your knowledge of music theory is far above most peoples and I have a great appreciation for that. Also, that “Aaahhhhh fuck!” At the end of The Grey literally made me describe because same!

[@SteveOGRock]

Thank you so much for saying so. I’m really pleased to hear you’re finding my videos worth while. Sleep Token are incredible, truly. Tesseract are also obviously rather brilliant. Sometimes you just gotta exclaim “ah fuck” 😁

[@breadguy325]

my new all time favorite album I can't stop listening to it

[@jcandnp]

ALWAYS love your reactions Steve. It’s uncanny how you’ll notice and point out the same exact details that caught my attention. So it’s with great confidence that I give a few suggestions for reactions, one you’ve likely heard of before, and a couple you prob haven’t: 1. Caligula’s Horse - a band that I slept on because I thought the band name kinda dumb - but they have multiple masterpiece albums - I’d start with In Contact. 2. Maraton - Norwegian prog meets Muse-like melodies. They toured with Leprous, and they have just enough poppy groove that I think you’d call ‘em jaunty 3. Temic - the vocalist from Maraton teamed up with guys who played with Portnoy & Townsend - their Terror Management Theory is epic/powerful in so many ways! Hope to see you react to one or more of these in the future. Thx!

[@SteveOGRock]

Thanks! I do love jaunty things indeed! 😁

[@gSWG3R]

Tesseract have peaked with this album, though, knowing them, they'll top this in the future too. 😂 Jay Postones is an incredible drummer, and I cannot think of a single drummer that plays the way he does. He is entirely unique in what he does on the kit. The syncopated, polymetric shit he pulls just does my head in. I thought I was pretty good when I learned how to play that polyrhyrhmic section in Eulogy by Tool. But, Jay Postones could probably do that in his sleep. 🙃

[@SteveOGRock]

I bet he was doing polyrhythms in the womb 😂 So skillful.

[@udmusic6156]

I am not afraid to say this... this is the best album I have ever heard in my entire life... I can find no flaw... and thank God for that... that means I can enjoy every bit of this... 😊🤘🏻

[@reneandrasik1745]

amazing album :) from my point of view, there are too many metric modulations for the "casual listener" but still 9.5/10

[@SteveOGRock]

Yeah, I can see that in a couple moments where it’s very easy to lose track. I certainly did 😅 I think the sonic ambient landscape over it though may be enough to sustain a casual listener through those moments.

[@Kelly.sapphire]

Great album. Another album you should listen through is a new band Nospun and their first concept album Opus. Awesome prog album and I feel this band will just get bigger.

[@lisabyford]

Ok so i have only last week started paying attention to this band. It is weird how much I now like them!

[@SteveOGRock]

Yeah, I’ve been passive about them in the past but this is hitting different.

[@lisabyford]

Just finished listening to your reaction, going to listen to the album again now. Really hoping to see them at Radar. They also seem to be excellent people in the band. Did you get an interview yet? Loved your reactions obvs!

[@SteveOGRock]

@@lisabyford sadly no. I was in an email chain with their Press person for months and in the end there was no spot available at their London show. Sad times. May try for an online one at some stage.

[@lisabyford]

@@SteveOGRock RADAR?

[@SteveOGRock]

@@lisabyford I’m based in London and have small children so it’s a question of budget and time. Not currently planning to go up to Manchester for a festival, but maybe if I can find a way to wrangle access somehow 🤔 Line up is enticing! I’ll have been to Download the previous month though.

[@ashleighjane]

Thank you for reacting to this in full! This is an album I would not have listened to otherwise, as much as I wanted to hear what the hype was about 😅 This album is not for me. This isn't a style of music I relate to and can sit and enjoy. I knew that going in, so this was a hard watch - and I had to do it in parts ahaha. But I do appreciate the incredible talent and how masterfully it is put together. There are little parts of different songs I like, but the build in Burden was a stand out for me. Thanks again for sharing this, legend! Love your reactions 😊

[@SteveOGRock]

You're very kind, thank you. I love that you partitioned the watching of this into manageable sections 😂 Much respect. Yeah, I'm with you on "Burden", that is a fantastic moment for sure.

[@dek86s]

can you do a review for altered states? their second album with ashe o'hara!! cheers

[@SteveOGRock]

Perhaps one day! Not high in the to-do list currently.

[@andriansyah9986]

Hello Reaction weird genius feat pepita - catalyst .. Thanks you 😊

[@coreyclip1]

I just listened to this album a few hours ago on stream and it blew me away

[@SteveOGRock]

Hi Corey! Yeah I expected it to be high quality but like… it was pretty exceptional.

[@coreyclip1]

@@SteveOGRock there were tears

[@SteveOGRock]

@@coreyclip1 if I had to guess when that might have happened… I’d say 4 and a half mins into “Burden”? That’s a glorious moment.

[@coreyclip1]

@@SteveOGRock it was actually during Sirens

[@SteveOGRock]

@@coreyclip1 ahh. Yes that seems to be a fave of a few folks. Are you going to make a highlights clip? Would watch.