Bodhisattva

Depending on where listeners were introduced to Bodhisattva's sonic mania, they may harbor two significantly different profiles of the duo fronted by vocalist/guitarist Justin Cory and drummer Shane Sittig. Compare their brutal first release, Brain Candy for Insanity, with the deranged (yet more accessible) fare contained within the follow-up, Magnetar, and it's tough to place a finger on the band's MO. Bodhisattva's third proper release, Procession of Lost Souls — an effort chock full of jamtastic rock/death metal instrumental interplay and passionate vocals — nimbly nestles in between a dynamic metal blowout and a soundtrack for a mental patient's dream life. "Overture" opens the album's first section with Cory's moody chords redolent of Metallica, circa . . . And Justice for All, then transitions into tunes filled with high-octane percussion and passionate vocals about internal strife. Midway through, "Intermission" signals a false sense of melodic security with Sittig's luring, lullaby piano chords because the following track, "Tempest in the Lion's Den," jolts us back into the mayhem with an auditory firestorm that continues through to the final track, "Coda." This is, by far, the group's most well-rounded and mature effort to date.