Hermetic Science – Deliria: A Chronicle of 2020 (Hermeticum Records CD 103, October 2023)
Hermetic Science recently released Deliria: A Chronicle of 2020, their triumphant return after a 15-year hiatus. Notably, this is a potent concoction of their most tenebrous and balanced recording to date.
Embarking on a keyboard-fueled voyage, the album unfurls a series of progressive rock instrumentals, each pulsating with moments of sheer intensity. Picture this: piano and keyboards weaving intricate patterns, dynamic bass lines, and thunderous drums colliding with symphonic keyboard interludes. It’s a musical rollercoaster that takes you from high-octane energy to contemplative serenity.
Diving into the eclectic influences that fuel Deliria: A Chronicle of 2020, Hermetic Science skillfully draws from the well of 1960s hard bop, 1980s rock vibes, 1990s trance beats, and the eerie motifs of horror cinema. Furthermore, it is a time capsule documenting the chaos, disorder, and confusion of the tumultuous year 2020 with unapologetic precision.
Steeped in a legacy that traces back to their 1996 inception, Hermetic Science has been a stalwart presence in the instrumental music scene. A trio from the get-go, the band’s evolution mirrors the shifting tides of Edward Macan’s musical career. Initially rooted in remarkable vibraphone and marimba work, Macan’s keyboard mastery now takes center stage, with vibes and marimba assuming a textured backdrop.
The debut album’s genre-defying fusion of progressive rock, psychedelia, western classical music, jazz, medieval, and eastern influences still forms the bedrock of the band’s stylistic identity.
The cover of Deliria: A Chronicle of 2020 was made by Paul Whitehead, the iconic Charisma Records house artist of the 1970s, renowned for his collaborations with Genesis and Van der Graaf Generator.
Musicians: Edward Macan on keyboards and vibraphone; Jeffrey Ruiz on bass and vocal effects; and Travis Strong on drums and percussion.
Hermetic Science’s previous albums: Ed Macan’s Hermetic Science (Magnetic Oblivion, November 1997); Prophesies (Magnetic Oblivion, September 1999); En Route (Magnetic Oblivion, November 2001); Crash Course: a Hermetic Science Primer (Hermeticum Records, June 2006) [Collects remixed and remastered versions of the 19 original tracks from the three Magnetic Oblivion albums]; These Fragments I Have Shored Against My Ruins (Musea, June 2008); and Out There: Live 1996-2006 (Hermeticum Records, July 2019).