Pelican's Ataraxia / Taraxis EP finds the Chicago instrumental-metal outfit continuing to push themselves outside of their comfort zone. The release is bookended by the title tracks, which see the oft-pulverizing group embracing a more meditative mode: "Ataraxia" is a slowly drifting cloud of pensive chords and lingering tones, while "Taraxis" begins as a balmy slowcore ballad before eventually erupting. "Lathe Biosas," however, is a return to the band’s heavier inclinations, a reminder that they’ve always known how to balance beauty with power.