All Roads Lead Here
All Roads Lead Here puts more care into its arrangements than a simple guitar showcase needs. Chimp Spanner is the project of Paul Antonio Ortiz, whose music brings bright lead guitar, electronic textures and heavy, tightly controlled riffs together. The six-track EP moves between open melody and darker passages without losing its overall character. It is short enough to stay focused, even when the detail becomes demanding.
Dark Age Of Technology is a strong beginning. The guitar and synth sounds create a futuristic atmosphere, but the piece has more direction than a collection of effects. Its changing parts make the technical playing feel connected to the arrangement. The heavier rhythm beneath the lead lines also gives the music enough weight to reach beyond a purely relaxed instrumental sound.
The three-part Möbius sequence moves further towards the darker side. Lower guitar figures and sustained keyboard sounds create more tension, with the music placing less emphasis on an immediately clear tune. The changes between passages are carefully managed, allowing the sound to develop without simply stopping for another riff. That attention to connection is one of the record's strengths.
The same sequence also reveals a limitation. Its winding shape can feel longer than the ideas require, and the melodic lines do not always reach a clear resting point. The result is impressive while it is playing, but less easy to remember afterwards. Listeners who depend on a strong recurring theme may find parts of the middle stretch frustrating.
Cloud City offers a more direct ending. Its buoyant rhythm and more melodic guitar work give the EP a lighter finish, creating a useful contrast with the darker material. The playing remains detailed, yet the piece has a clearer sense of release. It helps the record finish with a distinct mood rather than another extension of the same atmosphere.
All Roads Lead Here is a convincing example of technical metal with thought behind its construction. The brightest melodies and the heavier textures give each other room, and the transitions show a strong sense of care. A few passages would benefit from a clearer melodic destination. Even so, there is enough character and control here to make the EP a rewarding introduction to Chimp Spanner.
