I first experienced the extreme progressive metal sounds of Baltimore, Maryland, outfit Exist at the 2026 edition of Progstorm in Montreal. Outside of listening to a couple songs (and loving what I heard) ahead of the fest, I went in mostly blind. Founder and vocalist/guitarist Max Phelps is known for contributing harsh vocals for progressive metal titans Cynic (who I also saw for the first time at Progstorm). I was blown away by Exist’s performance and immediately pledged to go check out their material. It turns out they had just released a new 3-song EP, “Beyond Purpose,” in August, even playing the final song from the EP at Progstorm.

At the core, Exist is a progressive metal band that draws from myriad influences ranging from extreme, to moody, to melodic. The foundation is solidly death metal, but influences as diverse as djent, shoegaze/post rock, and even jazz find their way into the mix. The music is moody and atmospheric, with plenty of technical prowess and dynamic song structures, lush melodies, and a heavy dose of polyrhythmic goodness. The guitar and bass love keeping you on your toes with the smorgasbord of rhythms they navigate, and the drums are a hidden gem with lots of killer fills and dynamic rhythm and tempo shifts. The vocals are a blend of intelligible snarls and cleans that meld the dreaminess of shoegaze with the melodic sensibility of a band like Galactic Cowboys. There is a lot to digest in each song, and you never know what is coming next, but it all works together quite well. forming a cohesive progressive whole.

“Euadimonia” opens with a fast paced djenty gallop before a roar transitions into a slower progressive death metal pace. The resulting induced slow headbang soon yields to shoegaze atmosphere, lush feedback enveloping the softer guitar strums, allowing the bass to carry the heavier load, clean melodic vocals luring you in. The middle section is proggy goodness, light polyrhythm amidst a jammy feel that breaks things up nicely, with the guitars in particular getting a chance to show off. A reprise of the growly verse and  shoegaze chorus ends with a nice charge to the finish.

“Plunge” is the longest song at 8 minutes and covers a lot of ground. It starts with a cool lead driven melody, then allows the bass to take over as the guitars amp up the atmosphere amidst silky cleans. The song is patient, taking its time as it alternates between harsh and clean sections, demonstrating restraint before erupting around the 5 minutes mark with speed and a killer guitar solo. The eruption is brief, dialing back down to smooth atmosphere atop polyrhythm, and the vocals here in particular bring to mind a more shoegaze Galactic Cowboys. A brief shredding solo yields to a reprise of the intro, guitars carrying us to the end. At times this song almost gives me Scar Symmetry vibes with the back and forth between the clean melodies and harsher sections, just at a slower and more atmospheric pace.

Final song “The Holding of the Horses” employs a number of different rhythms as it starts, going from laid back to driving over the course of the first minute. This is definitely the fastest song on the EP, though like previous songs isn’t afraid to shift regularly, ramp quickly, or switch on a dime. It is the only song of the 3 to not feature cleans, instead relying on Phelps’ snarl to deliver punchy aggression. I love the pervasive progressive death metal feel, crushing riffs and vocals melding with a polyrhythmic buffet of great melodies. The chorus is a standout, with Phelps’ growls impassioned and oozing emotion. This is my personal favorite on the EP.

Though truly only a small taste, this EP showcases the variety in song writing Exist is capable of, incorporating plenty of melody, atmosphere, technicality, and varied rhythms. The 3 songs fly by, a key tell for great song writing, leaving me hungry for more. I don’t know what’s next for the band, but this serves as a nice teaser post their incredible 2024 release, “Hijacking the Zeitgeist.” I, for one, hope this is just an indication that a new full length is just around the corner!