Progressive metal bands often contradict themselves by playing something that closely resembles their influences. Maybe it’s because Sexto Sonar is not from Europe or North America, but even though hints of their influences occasionally pop up, their sole full-length album ‘Enfrentando la Realidad’ has a fairly original sound that largely focuses on strong songwriting rather than cramming in as many time signatures and virtuosic stunts as possible. There is so much atmosphere and emotion in their material that ‘Enfrentando la Realidad’ is one of the most listenable albums the style has to offer that actually challenge the listener.

One thing Sexto Sonar has over many progressive metal bands, including a few big names, is that they know how to make space for strong melodies, and vocal melodies in particular. Singer Joad Manuel Jiménez was the most experienced member of the band by the time ‘Enfrentando la Realidad’ was recorded, having fronted influential Venezuelan metal bands Centurion and Arkangel before. His versatile and highly expressive delivery help the album stand out, and the fact that the musicians have no problem making space for him to excel hints at a focus on strong songwriting rather than flashy musicianship.

Ultimately, though, it’s the songwriting that makes ‘Enfrentando la Realidad’ such a fantastic album. Instead of constantly chugging on the lowest strings in the oddest meters they can think of, Sexto Sonar has audibly focused on giving every song a clear identity of its own. No two songs sound alike on ‘Enfrentando la Realidad’, and even the Arkangel cover ‘Luces y Espadas’ sounds nothing like the original. Sexto Sonar’s songs tend to be very dynamic, working through multiple climaxes that don’t necessarily sound like they should be in the same song, yet everything makes perfect sense within the context of said songs.

My immediate favorite was ‘Olvidando el Ayer’. It builds from a dreamy, Pink Floyd-esque intro to a semi-ballad carried by Santiago Rodríguez’ gorgeous clean guitars and Jiménez’ intense delivery, and it constantly feels like something is boiling beneath the surface. The title track is a spectacular prog metal epic with an incredibly powerful finale; the first few minutes don’t hint at how emotional the song ends up sounding. Opening track ‘Visiones’ is closer to the Dream Theater and Symphony X school of progressive metal, but with smoother songwriting, despite its relative complexity, while ‘Soledad Oculta’ makes excellent use of massive contrasts.

If the progressive metal moniker usually deters you due to its association with needlessly complex bands, ‘Enfrentando la Realidad’ is one of those albums that may convince you regardless. On their debut album, Sexto Sonar proved that challenging songwriting does not have to go at the expense of memorability. In fact, it’s here in spades, even though the songs occasionally go through some unexpected twists, and Rodríguez, bassist Héctor Rivas, keyboard player Yeffry Marval and drummer Juan Jiménez all get their chance to shine individually. The excellent, organic mix also makes ‘Enfrentando la Realidad’ an insanely pleasant listening experience. Don’t miss out on this!

Recommended tracks: ‘Olvidando el Ayer’, ‘Enfrentando la Realidad’, ‘Visiones’