Jakub Zytecki
Wishful Lotus Proof

I wondered, just before starting to write, whether giving five stars to this album might kill my credibility (which, to be honest, is a bit new since this is my first review). In fact, when it comes to progressive metal, often more than other genres, one often encounters staunch defenders of their idols, who, mesmerized by impeccable technique, often ignore any criticism. That said, despite all my efforts to critique this part of prog-extremists, while reviewing this album, I can't help but convey my enthusiasm for what seems to me to be one of the best progressive metal albums in a long time.

Let's start with some information about the artist, Jakub Zytecki, who, as the name suggests, comes from Eastern Europe and more precisely from Poland. If (which I doubt) anyone knew him, it's probably for his work as a guitarist with DispersE, a young Polish progressive rock band with "high hopes" for technique and musicality. Zytecki, though little known even to enthusiasts, is part of the group of progressive metal artists who have made their way on the Web, which contains decidedly more well-known names like Misha Mansoor, guitarist of the djent band Periphery. However, despite belonging to this merry band, as the collaboration with Mansoor in "Nullity Rooted" demonstrates, in Wishful Lotus Proof, that is his solo debut, Zytecki surpasses most of the already established clichés within djent, so much so that the only truly definable djent song is the second on the album, Satya's Diary, which is perhaps among the least original on the album despite maintaining great ideas in terms of harmonic choices and how the melody is treated.

Instead of Periphery, who still make their presence felt here and there, the music presented in Wishful Lotus Proof is more reminiscent of the experiments of Animals as Leaders, disconcerting elements coexist with the pleasure of easily digestible melodies that are rarely banal, in an album that presents great variety within itself, with songs ranging from extreme and reckless metal much owed to mathcore in "Fall of Logic," to simple but refined ballads like "The Sea's Only Gifts Are Harsh Blows" (noteworthy is the final solo that fits well for the strangeness of the melody to this atypical track), passing through tracks I can't quite define like "Cold" or "Avifors Day". All of this, as is obvious when talking about progressive, is seasoned with excellent instrumental technique (in this regard, it's useful to remember how the author plays all the guitar tracks and sings in many of the non-instrumental songs), unfortunately marred not so much by the presence of electronic inserts which are rather well-integrated with the rest, but by the presence of a programmed drum that sometimes annoys, albeit programmed with care, with a somewhat unreal sound or passages that reveal they are not really played, as in "Yellow".

The only real criticism of this excellent work is the rather anonymous artwork that goes unnoticed and doesn't seem to be in great harmony with the album's content.

Knowing that my judgment, given in the wave of enthusiasm, might change over time and with listening, I feel I can recommend this album to any listener accustomed to somewhat cerebral metal and in search of unusual solutions as much as possible. Considering the age of the artist, only 22 years old, it can only bring hope for a rosy future for the "djent generation" and its developments.