Metavari : House Tetra Sessions, Vol. 1

Nate Utesch has always been about the evolution of sound and art when it comes to his long-running musical project Metavari. From the early days as a Midwestern post-rock outfit(Be One Of Us And Here No Noise) to moving into more synth-based electro pop(Moonless), to creating more ethereal/new age soundscapes(Metropolis, Absurda, Soft Continuum), Utesch is never happy with just more of the same. Metavari is just as much a growing, moving, breathing art installation as it is a band. The word “band” is too small a descriptor.

Nearing 20 years in existence Metavari continues to evolve. 2024 saw the long-running project return to the stage as a trio(including Ian Skeans on guitar and Colin Boyd on drums), which has led to Metavari’s “third age” and the release of House Tetra Sessions, Vol. 1 out 11/7. According to Nate Utesch, the album is “seven studio recordings capturing our “third age” setlist; overhauls, retools, and synth baths.” It’s an absolutely stunning set of seven tracks showcasing Utesch’ prodigious composing and arranging abilities, as well as his singular knack for world-building in his music.

The album opens with the lush synth bath of “(Green Doors)”, a majestic swirl of electronics that brings Oneohtrix Point Never to mind. I find Utesch and Lopatin travel on similar sonic roads, with both obscuring the pop elements just enough so as to make the sound journey adventurous as well as joyous. The reimagining of Soft Continuum‘s “Páirc Sequence” is nothing short of brilliant, giving the track an exalted pomp and circumstance.

Elsewhere this new Metavari 3.0 give Absurda‘s “The Alphabet” a more rock lean courtesy of driving drums and chugging guitar. Lead single “Infinite Dark(Babel)” is triumphant and bold, a live reimagining of the Babel excerpt from the great Metropolis and Symmetri albums from 2017. “Dream #7” is menacing in a swirl of guitar, synth, and drums giving the Absurda track some serious rock and roll heft and 80s synth pop propulsion. The album closes on the lush, towering sounds of “(Menagerie Doors)”, taken from Metavari’s 2024 scoring of the Fort Wayne Museum of Art sculpture walk.

Whenever new Metavari is imminent it is always call to celebrate. House Tetra Sessions, Vol. 1 sees the return of one of our most vital artists, recontextualized and rebuilt from the foundation up. Metavari’s third age has begun.