Wow, December disappeared in a hurry! I admit I didn't get to all the albums I had hoped to, but I was able to check out a few different ones, mostly albums with a lot of epic pretentions (not that that's a bad thing!). I think I'll try to work in a few more before I get to my Top 5, but here are the last few I checked out.
Nospūn - Opus
Building upon the template established by Dream Theater and Haken, this band of prog metallers are starting off at a pretty solid point with their debut Opus, a concept album full of strange imagery and diverse musical sequences. At first, it feels like it might be a bit too much, but the songwriting just keeps it together enough to make the album feel whole and complete.
Starting at a house with many tenants, a young man sees a tragedy that causes him to become more and more reclusive over time, focusing on his musical masterpiece. However, he ends up shutting the world out, and many years later, tries to use time travel to complete his work. Instead, he ends up in a time loop where another version of himself tells him to leave his work behind and instead go back to prevent that initial tragedy and learn how to work with the world instead of avoiding it. I admit I had to do some digging to get all these details out, as upon first listen, I was expecting something a little more metaphorical. Nevertheless, it serves as a unique idea to hang these songs on, featuring plenty of time signature and tempo changes to match the freewheeling tone of the story.
Those entrenched in contemporary prog metal probably won't find anything particularly new or innovative, but the execution of the ideas is certainly top notch, as these players are very in-sync with each other for their performances. There's plenty of shifts and changes, but none of it feels too jarring, and even becomes uplifting at times, especially with the grand, triumphant conclusion. The songs that stood out to me included the theatrical "Death of Simpson," the quirky single "Earwyrm," and the classically proggy instrumental "4D Printing." I'm probably going to have to give this one a few more spins before I can really wrap my head around it, but this might be the prog metal album of the year, and I know I'm not alone in thinking that.
After enjoying their last release, I was surprised to see them come out with another so quickly. However, I didn't jump on it until now, only to discover that the band is on hiatus for the forseeable future. Hopefully, they find the time to come back together, as I do think they've carved a unique niche in the prog metal space for themselves.
Right off, they carry on with their dynamic riffing and symphonic wall of sound, and prog metal fans will be right at home with the quirky rhythms and proggy jams scatter throughout. However, compared to Hybris, this one is a darker, slower, more melodramatic flair, trading in some of their adventurous songwriting in favor of more somber storytelling. Again, I'm not quite sure if this is a concept album or not, but the artwork certainly seems to link it to the previous album, nonetheless. While the band performs their material well, it's Jasmin Baggenstos who stands again with her iconic alto vocals. This time around, she seems to have a more soulful approach, especially during the softer jazzy sections.
The album is also on the shorter side, barely clocking at 36 minutes, and yet, it feels about right, as there really isn't any padding or any ideas that feel undercooked. While all the songs keep a steady, mid-tempo vibe, they create a great sense of atmosphere, as this album feels much more cohesive and whole. "Phoenix" does bring in some good energy in the middle, but otherwise, it's a dark tale that winds its way to its somber conclusion. While I do think I like Hibris a bit more, as it is more lively, this is still some solid progressive metal from a band that probably didn't get much attention. I'll have to check out their debut at some point to round out their discography, and if it's as good as their other two, it will be worth the listen.
I know hype can be a dangerous thing, but when this album was suddenly getting good reviews saying it's the best power metal album of the year, I certainly raised an eyebrow in curiosity. It's not often that the genre gets attention from the more mainstream metal press like that, so I decided to check it out. While it certainly tells an epic tale, I think this is some pretty standard power metal.
I was first surprised to discover that Daniel Heiman of Warrior Path was the singer for this band as well, providing his epic vocals and wails. However, despite him being the only member to be in both bands, this album shares a lot with Warrior Path's sound, going for big riffs and epic story-telling. The major difference is the lush production, with plenty of synthesized strings and choirs to help fill the wall of sound. They also bring over some of their clunky songwriting, often shifting from mood to mood, and I noticed that there really weren't many choruses on these songs. This brings the focus to the story that's being told across the album, which is a dark fantasy tale about the titular towers promising wealth and knowledge to whoever can find them, if they can make the journey unscathed.
For what it's worth, I did go into the album with a measure of caution, as I know the dangers of being overhyped for something, so I don't want to say I was let down by any means. I'm just surprised that so many think this is some kind of revelatory album, considering that Warrior Path was doing much of the same thing two years ago.. I don't know if much really stood out, though I'm glad to say that the 15 minute title track was pretty good (as sometimes those can be a gamble). In the end, this is just a very solid power metal album with an epic tale to tell, plenty of good riffs and solos courtesy of Steve Lado, and the epic singing of Daniel Heiman. While I've certainly heard worse, I don't know if this has what it takes to be in my Top 5. (We'll have to see.)
With the end of the year, it's time to wrap things up. I'll probably do a few more articles in January to take care of things (including my Top 5 of the year!), and then it will be time for another year of rock and metal! I'm thinking about changing up my formulas a little, but those details will come later. For now, I hope we've had a good and safe holiday season, so that we can reflect on all the great music we've enjoyed. Until then, rock on! \m/
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