by Eduardo RivadaviaHailing from Tilburg, Holland, Textures are an inventive sextet that expands (and somewhat humanizes) the oppressive progressive death metal style of Meshuggah by incorporating dark melodies and keyboard-led atmospheric passages into their off-kilter rhythmic patterns and near-hardcore aggression. Comprised of Eric Kalsbeek (vocals), Jochem Jacobs (guitar/vocals), Bart Hennephof (guitar), Richard Rietdijk (keyboards), Dennis Aarts (bass), and Stef Broks (drums), Textures formed in 2001 and spent much of the following two years honing and rehearsing this unusual sonic hybrid into the tracks making up 2004's self-released Polars debut -- soon picked up and reissued by Listenable Records. Two years later, Textures returned with a sophomore album named Drawing Circles.