REVIEW: Pupil: Masters of the Infinite Universe

It starts with a singularity. The seed of creation. Then the rapid expansion. A voice cries out:

Let her rip.

The voice was from the man who, for one album, was known as Jesus Ventura. He has since gone back to his original name -- Ely Buendia. As soon as he gave the word, his co-creators Yan Yuzon, Dok Sergio, and Wendell Garcia arrived not with blaring trumpets but with slacking guitar aggression and trudging beats of power not heard since the Big Bang.

Amid a barrage of saccharine excuses for rock and pop music, Pupil has returned with their third album, "Limiters of the Infinity Pool." This album title sounds obtuse since it suggests thoughts of constraints in a universe full of endless possibilities. But it is this very concept that Pupil attempts to challenge.

The new album is a sonic journey through densely-layered guitarwork (courtesy of Buendia and Yuzon) with steady-but-somehow-sonically-acrobatic rhythm section (courtesy of Sergio and Garcia). The first single, "Distortion," is an indictment of today's media-driven and consumerist mindset.

The new single, "TNT," however, features a more radio friendly upbeat arrangement that suggests a search for That Elusive Something.

Buendia then gets into dream mode state, switching to a danceable "20/20" tune (featuring former Dawn axeman Francis Reyes on guitar). He later dares listeners to submit in "Pusakal" (watch out for that brilliantly arranged bridge).

Classic word wizardry emerges in the uptempo "Obese."

Don't get me wrong. Pupil has never been an Ely-only show. Sergio's in-your-face "Pikit Butas" reveals that things are not what they seem, while "Pampalakas" features a moody synth arrangement (if those were live drums made to sound electronic, I say "awesome") that segues to the steady "Deft Mechanic."

Here's another surprise. Yuson's "One Two" features keyboards by Singaporean musician Amanda Ling, while Garcia ventures into psychedelia in the optimistic "Morning Gift."

The album ends with the deceptively restrained "The Low End," which is a fitting end that brings you back to the quiet start.

All in all, Pupil's third album is masterfully crafted, and possibly one of the best albums of 2011.

If Filipino bands were this deliberate and ambitious, then we have a lot of good music in store for us.