Teknosis unites some of the Thunder Bay music scene’s most talented artists in a band designed to be heavy, challenging, and fun. Their debut release, Return To Civilization, accurately captures all of that and more, blending elements of death and technical metal while also keeping everything groovy. In particular, the second track, “Matriarch,” has a feel that will have heads banging and bodies bouncing and grooving simultaneously. From the opening march of “Where Is Your God?” through first single “Shapeshifter” and culminating track “The Cycle,” Teknosis puts listeners through their paces. It feels like the songs could go off the rails at any moment, but remain incredibly syncopated throughout. Given the amount of tension and anticipation built up song to song, it’s hard to believe this is only five songs long. Teknosis has created an EP that lays the groundwork for bigger things to come and leaves listeners eager to hear more.
-Jason Wellwood
4/5
