Progressive RockMetalAlternative
Writers:
Josep Maria Llovera
Gabriel Martin
David Sàez
Abigail Williams “A Void Within Existence”
Don’t look for female vocals here. Abigail Williams is the project of four bearded men with bad intentions. Oppressive atmospheres combine with melancholic passages, growls and clean vocals, to leave us unsettled for quite a while. It doesn’t try to be easy or friendly, but “A Void Within Existence” is a dense, atmospheric work that demands attention and a willingness to search within the darkness without fear of what you might find there.
Debut full-length record from this Australian band, offering a relaxed, fairly soft neo-prog with a tendency toward long guitar solos, clearly influenced by David Gilmour and Pink Floyd. Starting from those solid foundations, the result comes across a bit flat and uninspiring; we’d even say it leaves you somewhat cold and indifferent.
Born of Osiris “Through Shadows”
Within progressive metalcore, a very American-leaning style, one of the reference bands arrives at their seventh release, having survived the departure of five members and been reduced to a power trio, but with a more refined, atmospheric sound; despite the predominance of growled vocals. The record keeps the essence of the style, with technical riffs, futuristic synths and clean, forceful production without over-distortion. With moments of controlled brutality and well-integrated melodic passages, surprising fragments like the delicate interlude “Burning Light” or the shared keyboard-and-sax solo on “Activated” make the listen worthwhile.
Crown Lands “Ritual I” and Ritual II
So it turns out Rush’s nephews have changed register. The music on both records is completely different from its predecessors, especially the celebrated “Fearless” (2023). From that angle it’s exciting that they’re exploring new sonorities, but the result is disorienting, since it moves away from progressive rock and the four tracks end up monotonous.
There’s an ethnic feel to it (perhaps tied to Canadian First Nations sounds) and maybe a new-age retreat, but you won’t find guitars or that Geddy Lee-esque voice here, even though the Progarchives page lists Cody Bowles as providing vocals. With the second part the sound stays in the same vein and is fairly monotonous. Only “Tempest” has some added element, like a storm sound, but nothing more. Give a different sound a chance to step outside the progressive canon and venture into the realm of Morpheus.
Doracor “Unexpected Intersections”
From Italy comes an overstimulated record. Over neo-prog tracks in the style of Kayak or Premiata Forneria Marconi, there are some good musicians who’ve taken a hefty dose of amphetamines and do nothing but flex their technical muscle, which contributes nothing to tracks that, incidentally, aren’t especially notable to begin with. On top of an excessively long runtime that leaves you mixing up tracks and thinking you’ve already heard them; in short, all that excellent technique dissolves into a scant sense of musical taste.
The fourth instalment from Swedish band Gaupa consists of four tracks where they keep their stoner-prog-psychedelic sound, but with a rawer musical language than their earlier records, recalling Witchcraft or a more organic Tool, with the piercing vocal touch of Emma Näslund that defines them. “Fyr” explores denser, darker territory, where the riffs tangle with irregular rhythms and tension-laden atmospheres. It’s over quickly, but it’s appreciated that there’s no unnecessary padding.
Camarón meets Behemoth in this Spanish-French project that seems to summon all the impurity of blood and soil through legends of the Reconquista and an Andalusian imagery charged with mysticism and fatalism. Impureza offers us flamenco brutal death metal, with growled vocals and spoken parts in a clear, powerful voice, in the language of Cervantes and Arturo Pérez-Reverte, adding to the whole’s epic theatricality. “Altares” is one of those curiosities so well put together and produced that it stops being “exotic” and becomes a firm proposition, capable of carrying the weight of tradition and local distinctiveness into extreme-music territory.
Jamie Parker “Do You Dream of Luminous Things?”
This British musician has created an interesting record where you can feel the love for artists like Steven Wilson or Gong. But he’s achieved a rawness in his delivery and an approach that also recalls the always-underrated Talk Talk. An essential listen this month and, quite possibly, a permanent addition to your collection or playlist.
Laura Jane Grace “Adventure Club”
Let’s lower the bar a bit here. Classic punk, dynamic and refreshing, with the genre’s typical defiant tone, alongside a festive, surfy, energetic pop feel, with those typical female/childlike vocals of the genre. A bit of joy doesn’t hurt in these dark times, no need to overthink it.
These musicians from Alicante return with a record offering 101 minutes of neo-prog, halfway between RPWL and IQ. The compositions all follow a line defined by softness in the arrangements, and at times we might find the performances lacking a bit of edge. The prioritising of the tracks’ more conceptual side also makes it hard to single out any one track; but that’s prog for you, so it’s nothing bad.
Out of Darkness “Seize the Day”
From Florida comes this band’s second album, showing an interesting blend of metal concepts: prog, death, nu or thrash. Even so, don’t expect overwhelming force, because in reality they’re much more pleasant to listen to than those labels suggest, since so much blending offers plenty of diversity and fun, at times even brushing up against the parody edge of some of these styles.
Rivers Of Nihil “Rivers of Nihil”
An impressive full-length record from this Pennsylvania outfit. A fine combination of technical death metal with progressive atmospheric textures, choirs, keyboards and melodic passages, blending all its elements together in a way that won’t please purists of any of the styles mentioned here. With a track record that already left us open-mouthed with “Where Owls Know My Name” (2018) and “The Work” (2021), this new self-titled album further cements their commitment to expansive, nuance-rich music. Here the experimental elements integrate more cohesively and naturally into the tracks’ structure. The double kick drum flies and there are growls, but there are also tempo changes, harmonies and collaborations featuring banjos, jazzy passages with saxophones, cello, and clear, melodic vocals much more typical of other musical traditions. If the “cookie monster” vocals scare you off, try “Water & Time” and see if that goes down easier.
Skinner Project “To Earth, With Love”
Led by Leo Skinner, we get a blend of prog rock, metal and electronica. Despite its modest production budget, it’s a charming, highly enjoyable album. It’s also a somewhat nostalgic record, musically speaking, since it’ll sound a lot like late-eighties, early-nineties Rush or Saga to you. Either way, it’s sure to please the whole family, since this Brazilian band’s compositional quality is more than notable, especially across all their instrumental passages.
Veterans Styx have put out another record. As you know, they move between prog and AOR, broadly speaking. Although they’ve stayed away from the charts since the eighties, that doesn’t mean their records lack quality — quite the opposite. But times change, and general tastes change with them.
Standout tracks might include the title track, the first single “Build and Destroy”, “Michigan”, “King of Love”, and the ones with a Queen-ish flavour like “Every Body Raise a Glass” and “The Things That You Said”; “Forgive” has a Beatles-esque sound and “We Lost the Wheel Again” carries an air of The Who.
No surprises here, but it’ll delight fans of pomp-rock (of which little remains) with AOR and prog touches; though it doesn’t top their previous record, it holds its own as a solid middle entry in their discography.
Thraikill “Slowly, Then All at Once”
Wes Thrailkill is one of the standout names in current tech metal, though one who preserves the movement’s more classic concepts. In fact, this EP could easily have been credited to Watchtower or Blind Illusion, besides carrying certain softer, jazzier harmonic passages that force us to bring up Allan Holdsworth.
We Are Scientists “Qualifying Miles”
“Qualifying Miles” is the ninth record from New Yorkers We Are Scientists, and marks the start of a more introspective, mature phase for the duo. Long gone is the danceable, immediate energy of their early albums: here we find a more restrained offering, where melodic rock takes on soft shoegaze tints and subtle echoes of emotional post-punk. Without giving up their catchy melodies or ironic personality, the record explores more shadowy, reflective landscapes.
Whispers of Granite “Liquid Stone”
This might be the gentlest offering of the month. This debut collaboration between German artist Trude Eidtang and Norwegian Andreas Hack blends luminous passages with a folk tone drawing on both neoclassical and ambient post-rock. “Liquid Stone” is a delicate record with soundscapes evoking nature, introspection and a serene melancholy. Perfect for moments of relaxation and calm, the album stands out for its subtlety and for a production that searches for beauty in the nuances, with Eidtang’s crystalline voice always at the centre. It could use better integration with the guest musicians, especially regarding the drums (which at times amount to little more than a cheap drum machine) and the guitar, since in some passages they feel more like an artificial add-on than an organic part of the whole.
This English hard-rock band with medieval touches has released a new album that continues its predecessors, both in theme (medieval Christian imagery) and in sound, though they’ve added a folky element with the track “Elixir”. Standout tracks are the ones the record opens with, the energetic “I Lament” and “Run the Race”, along with “Elements” and “The Citadel”, and the closer, “Healing Power”. Pure hard rock with plenty of blazing guitar work.
Writers: Josep Maria Llovera, Gabriel Martin, David Sàez