Coyote Man – Precognition Review

Precognition is the follow up to Coyote Man’s self-titled record and without question is every bit bolder, braver and more refined than the original release in almost every way. Hailing from Chicago, home of our very own The Metal Experience, Augie and Ian have clearly spent the last three years developing complex soundscapes and surreal concepts that perplex and empower as equally as they enrapture and delight. Being a purely instrumental band advertently means that there will be a lot more attention paid to every implement on offer, and the music does not lie. What we are treated to is simply exemplary. Highlights for me include "The Unseen Hand" and "Perilous" as they do an incredible job of starting out nuanced and covert before explosively blossoming into something intangible and ethereal. In other words, it sounds like listening to a dream. Quite how two people have cultivated such rich and well-paced audio journeys, quite frankly, is beyond me. I feel as though I could get specific and delve into the production and how gorgeous and moving the synths are or spent the next few hours trying to unravel the brilliance of "Death Before Dishonor" with its rocking progressive metal guitar riffs and grounded rhythmic flow, but I feel that may be counter productive to what makes this album so special and unique. Precognition is not something you can just unpack and be done with. It is almost like a living and breathing entity that moves as gracefully between tracks as it does when finishing them. Without a doubt, Coyote Man are one of the most interesting bands in the world today, I feel as though they share that same space with bands such as Sleep Token or Alcest, in their ability to transcend the material and leave you wanting more, in that sense of inertia provided. It’s like the most magical trip you could ever take, and I wish there was so much more.