I love when a band’s name aligns so well with their sound. Dutch progressive metal band Textures is indeed an amalgam of textures, tantalizing your auditory senses in myriad ways. 2016 saw the release of their previous album, “Phenotype,” very well received and lauded in the prog scene. They disappointed a lot of people when they unexpectedly broke up not too long thereafter, made worse by their allegedly having a full album’s worth of material ready to record. Fast forward to 2026, and the band is back together, having released their first album in 10 years, “Genotype.” The band says they went back to the drawing board and wrote all new material, so who knows if the unrecorded album ever truly existed or not? We may never know. What I can say is that this new album, whether a spiritual successor to “Phenotype” or not, is a fantastic record that was worth the wait.

Textures, along with bands like TesseracT and Periphery, carried the Meshuggah torch while expounding on their trademark sound, taking the crushing djenty riffs and polyrhythmic aggressive approach and contrasting with atmospheric melodic sections. These atmospheric sections can have dreamy, almost spacey vibes, accentuated by syncopated synths that act as a polymeter foil to the drums and guitars. Textures does this so well, playing what separately are relatively straightforward rhythms, but in concert create complex passages that keep you off balance. The heavy sections are absolutely pulverizing, featuring massive riffs and thunderous drums, all while trying to knock you over and make you try and regain your footing. Vocalist Daniël de Jongh exudes confidence, vocals ranging from emotive cleans to metalcore screams, powerful and poignant and in your face. Dynamic shifts are utilized to great effect, alternating between stark sections of loud and soft, exercising volume builds and swells, and building atmosphere that sets the mood and complements whatever the rest of the instruments are doing at the moment. Each song paves its own path, not following convention while still remaining cohesive. I find the replayability factor of this album is high, and it is easy to get lost in its melodic aggression.

“Void” is a cool instrumental opener that is more complex than your usual intro track. It is a full on prog song, just shy of 4 minutes, with layered melodies and rhythms working together. Early you get a tease with a background roar, only to settle into mesmerizing guitar melodies enveloped in atmosphere. It ends quietly, transitioning directly into “At the Edge of Winter,” which doesn’t stay quiet for long. A synthy melody opens, making way for hefty djent and an aggressive roar before calming into a melodic verse and chorus at the intersection of prog metal and indie rock, giving me vibes of both VOLA and Saosin. A brief hefty interlude makes way for verse number two, seeing the entrance of guest vocalist Charlotte Wessels, best known as the long time former vocalist of Delain. Her vocals are silky and emotive, complementing de Jongh with both alternating and dueling vocals. The song melodies are fabulous, featuring guitars and keys flowing over the underlying off kilter rhythms, building a platform for Wessels and de Jongh to perform vocal magic and soar as the song forges ahead. Suddenly, you are kicked in the knees from a brutal djent explosion, metalcore screams destroying your ears, before handing off to a long atmospheric outro of ethereal vocals and keyboard and guitar melodies over driving drums.

“Measuring the Heavens” starts out with another ethereal synth passage and impassioned post rock croons, building to a Jekyll & Hyde dynamic featuring melodic sections contrasted with Wheel-like crushing djent. Soulful atmosphere permeates, keeping you off balance as the band navigates the various passages, before crushing you with a polyrhythmic sledgehammer, emphatic roars and soaring vocals included. After a brief dynamic shift that gives you a chance to breathe, it slams you again, building to a massive stop on a dime, then recommences the beating until the final note.

“Nautical Dusk” has a moody beginning, with flaring synths and driving drums, emphasizing rhythm and atmosphere as it paves its path. The percussive underbelly provides a nice foundation for the emotive vocals, guitars and keyboards in off balance tandem whether more subdued or punching with heavier djent. It navigates the various textures with ease, keeping you on your toes amidst the polymeter. At the 4 minutes mark it amps up with sinister growls and thunderous riffing, then pivots to a majestic melody that approaches earworm territory, finally leaning on a guitar solo to carry the song to the finish before one concluding crushing blow.

“Vanishing Twin” has a haunting a cappella intro that transitions into driving polyrhythmic riffing over a more straightforward drumbeat. The vocals take on an airy feel, including the sprinkled in backing screams, complemented by the enveloping orchestration and constant riffing. The build is slow and deliberate, energy picking up as the song goes on, layers folded in and dynamics playing games with your ears. Then things climax, bursting in thunderous fury for a massive finish.

“Closer to the Unknown” is driving out of the gate, vocals edgy, in your face, and oh so catchy. Growls make an early entrance, mixed with sinister screams atop a nasty breakdown, then play a game of cat and mouse with quieter moody sections, driving melodic passages, and crushing brutality. The vocals are big and anthemic, layered with harmony and emotion, easily making this chorus the album’s most memorable. The guitars really get to show off, with some killer solos, plenty of lead flourishes, and a variety of riffs that work well with the drum attack.

80’s arcadey synths greet your ears as “A Seat for the Like-Minded” begins, a consistent presence as the song navigates various textures of somber and aggressive. The band does a great job melding various rhythms, and this song is no exception, with the more  straightforward synths underneath hefty djent or faster riffing creating a hemiola effect that keeps you off balance. The vocals are soulful and ooze emotion, whether enveloped in spacey atmosphere or anthemic in their passion. The final salvo features polyrhythmic drums under a metalcore roar, yielding to triumphant vocals that layer the harshness back in for a nice dueling effect leading to an exciting finish. 

Longest song “Walls of the Soul” closes things out with a melodic progressive intro that brings to mind VOLA or Ihlo, subdued and bass-driven with a rhythmic drum foundation. The song doesn’t remain subdued long, guitar forward with powerful riffs crushing every chance they get while the lead breaks in with regular emphatic flourishes. The keyboards are a nice contrast to the heft of the guitars and drums, adding atmosphere to support the airy cleans and brutal screams. A consistent texture utilized by Textures is providing the listener periodic reprieves before again daring you to find your balance and remain standing. This song mostly abstains, instead choosing various ways to bludgeon you and keep you off balance. Even when they finally dial things back a bit at the 6 minutes mark, the hemiola effect is real while the spacey atmosphere swirls around, marching to the end in haunting brilliance. 

Textures took their time to decide to not be done and then release a new album, but the creativity was clearly flowing, resulting in eight terrific songs and a welcome return to their polyrhythmic roots. If you are a prog metal lover, then don’t walk, but run to this album. Its blend of melody and heavy woven together by polymetric fiber is fascinating, and it is certain to tantalize your ears.