StarSystems sounds like the soundtrack to a high-budget documentary about the birth of a galaxy. It is music that feels weightless yet structurally complex, trading the typical grit of metal for a polished, neon-lit aesthetic. The guitars don't chug so much as they dance, utilizing clean tapping and soaring leads that feel more like synthesizers than traditional rock instruments.
What makes Joseph Stevenson's work distinctive is the seamless integration of electronic textures. Rather than just adding a few pads in the background, the synths often lead the rhythmic charge, creating a hybrid sound where the line between 'man' and 'machine' is intentionally blurred. It is technical, yes, but it prioritizes melody and atmosphere over showing off, resulting in a sound that is as relaxing as it is stimulating.
Start with the album 'Lift' if you want to hear the project at its most refined and cinematic. If you prefer a slightly more raw, guitar-centric approach to the 'space-metal' sound, the self-titled debut provides a perfect entry point into the project's evolving cosmic narrative.
Shares instrumental only (vocal style); digital clarity, layered dense, reverb heavy (production style)
Shares instrumental only (vocal style); progressive metal, djent (subgenres)
Shares instrumental only (vocal style); digital clarity, layered dense, bedroom production (production style)
Shares digital clarity, layered dense, bedroom production (production style); instrumental only (vocal style)
Shares dreamy, contemplative, energetic (moods); instrumental only (vocal style)
Shares digital clarity, layered dense, bedroom production (production style); instrumental only (vocal style)
Shares instrumental only (vocal style); reverb heavy, layered dense, digital clarity (production style)
Shares progressive metal, djent, post-rock (subgenres); instrumental only (vocal style)
Shares instrumental only (vocal style); digital clarity, reverb heavy, layered dense (production style)
Shares instrumental only (vocal style); digital clarity, layered dense, reverb heavy (production style)
Shares djent, progressive metal, mountain, jazz fusion (subgenre)
Shares djent, stargazing, progressive metal, sunrise (subgenre)
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