On Intrinsic, progressive-metal pacesetters The Contortionist thrive on the tension inherent in their wild sonic contrasts. Take "Dreaming Schematics," which starts as a jazzy, synth-glazed space-rock piece before piling on the abrasive guitar riffs and eventually collapsing into a hair-raising deathcore slugger. Elsewhere, "Feedback Loop" veers between maze-like math rock and robotic synth-prog, while "Causality" mixes splattering post-hardcore bursts with evocative sections of plaintive keyboards and cooing vocals from lead singer Jonathan Carpenter.