May 24th, 2013 
Brian Leak 
Artist: Scale The Summit
Album: The Migration
Genre: Instrumental, Progressive, Metal
Label: Prosthetic Records
“This is our most aggressive sounding album with the addition of even more dynamics and mood changes. We never sit down and say we need to do this or that to make the next album “better” – we just write the music we think sounds awesome and I think with time the records just progress as we improve our overall knowledge of the instruments and our playing abilities.” – Chris Letchford (guitarist of Scale The Summit)
Many would likely think it improbable for Scale The Summit to improve upon the marvel that is 2011’s The Collective, but The Migration shows further evolution and musical artistry from these instrumental wunderkinds and it’s blatantly obvious that they have in fact managed to further their knowledge and understanding of their respective instruments. Expanding on their already imperious organic compositions with even more maturity and developed songwriting skills, Scale The Summit have crafted one of the best releases of the year. The Migration is 42 minutes of near-flawless, progressive “adventure metal” and ethereal beauty mixed with dynamic jazz grooves and infectious rhythms.
While the title may ostensibly suggest a drastic move for the band’s sound, it’s not entirely a step in a new direction. It’s technically more of the same formula that Scale The Summit have nailed down but it has also been enhanced. This is a welcomed addition to their catalog as fans have grown to love that selfsame STS recipe. This four-piece is completely in control of their craft and it shows in the structures and developments of the bulk of The Migration‘s 10 offerings.
The balance between each musician’s contribution to this album is refreshing. Each instrument shines equally and have spotlighted segments, making for an entirely cohesive whole in The Migration with no member overtly stealing the show. “The Olive Tree” and “Narrow Salient” are two commanding standouts on the album due mainly in part to this balanced harmony of instrumentation. Anyone familiar with Scale The Summit’s jams are aware of the precision and technical prowess in Chris Letchford’s guitar playing, but Skeffington’s percussion and the other 13 strings shared between guitarist, Travis Levrier, and new bassist, Mark Michell, are impressively striking as well.
The two tracks that have been released thus far, “Odyssey” and “Atlas Novus,” are two very different ends of the spectrum that is explored throughout The Migration. The former being one of the band’s most assertive tracks to date, starting the album off immediately with an insatiable aggression between its attacking drumwork and shredtastic guitars and rhythm. “Atlas Novus,” however, is a gentle, sleeping giant in comparison. A Snorlax, if you will. This is one effort where that ethereal, ambient elegance really comes into effect. With intense tapping and melodic tones, the album’s second track is relaxing but has its own subtle intensity as well.
“Evergreen” and “Sabrosa” both serve as brief intermissions to allow the listener to take a quick breath before heading back into the thick of it, but unfortunately they both feel a bit like faineant filler pieces that ultimately just disrupt the flow of the album. I’d hate to say that Scale are selling themselves short with these two, but after experiencing the five arresting tracks before coming to the first of these two suspensions (and two more before the latter), it’s hard to believe that these two minutes shared were the best efforts that their combined talents could contribute to The Migration. They aren’t even bad songs per se, but in the whole of the album they’re rather underwhelming and feel somewhat out of place — two very minor hiccups, though, that hardly becloud the wowing factors and sense of adventure that the album exudes.
As much as I had no intentions to going into this review, it’s challenging to not touch base on almost every track on the album as they all have something worthy of note. “The Dark Horse” is the heaviest piece of The Migration and would have previously seemed almost just outside of Scale The Summit’s wheelhouse, but I have to say, I would love to see more of this side of the band. This is another moment on the album where all four musicians share the limelight and give it all they’ve got. All elements are on-point and give their progressive metal peers a run for their money if they hadn’t already done so otherwise.
“The Traveler” is the longest and final track on the release. It’s an ideal closer for The Migration as it again highlights each of the members’ individual strengths but it’s also very reflective of the material found on The Collective — and even older, Monument and Carving Desert Canyons — ultimately accentuating the entirety of their catalog and reminding us of what this band has proven over the course of their career thus far.
Any fan of Scale The Summit’s previous efforts will certainly be impressed by what the band has created in The Migration — and those of whom have somehow managed to find their past works forgettable may also be surprised and take something worthwhile from this release. I’ll now once again find it hard to believe that Scale The Summit will evolve beyond this as artists and not bore me with their next endeavor, but I also won’t be surprised when they do… if they somehow manage to top The Migration.
SCORE: 9.5/10
Review written by: Brian Lion – Follow him on Twitter
The Migration will be released on June 11 via Prosthetic Records. You can still pre-order some goods here.
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