If there are subgenres that I should be discussing more on this blog, it's progressive rock and metal. As much as I like those genres, it seems to slip through the cracks. To make up for it, I've decided that this next article will feature four current prog-related releases! (And it also helps that I've been pretty interested in these albums, anyways.) So let's kick back and appreciate some prog!
This album came out early in the year, and I saw a video or two, but it didn't catch my attention right away. However, as I caught another video, I decided to put this on the list of titles to review for the year, and I'm rather glad for it. Finding an interesting spot between progressive and power metal, Berieder has provide a fascinating set of songs that make the most of their lush sound.
Initial impressions made me think of bands like Angra, Darkwater, and Evergrey. However, the vocal harmonies make me think of Tyr, of all things. In any case, we're definitely in quite some melodic territory that isn't afraid to shift around and build up layers of sound. At first, things start in more of a power metal vibe, but as the album goes on, the proggy elements start showing up more and more. While I don't think it's a concept album, most of the songs deal with water and weather, giving the album a strong sense of flow. The middle has three songs that really stood out to me, "The Angel in the Lighthouse," "The Drowned," and "Stormbound," which I feel bring their different ideas together in a fascinating way, between all the proggy transitions and crunchy riffs. There is also quite a bit of keyboard synthesizers on the album, often carrying the intro melody into the song, and featuring more noodly solos, which is interesting as they are credited to the vocalist Stefano Nusperli. It would be interesting to see him do both the keyboards and the high wailing vocals in a live setting.
However, not all of it works. Some of the lyrics can be a little on the clunky side, and some of the later songs feel a little weak. "Arkangelos" goes for this mini-epic, but the chorus feels strangely static and uninspired compared to everything else, and "Of Dew and Frost" has more of a melodic rock vibe, despite its strangely dark lyrics, making for a messy fusion. That being said, the album does end with "Moonlight Requiem," which provides a solid, power metal style closer. Overall, it was a pretty good listen, and I think this one my grow on me the more time I give it.
When I first heard about the existence of this band, I was pretty excited, so when their debut album came out, and it ended up being a weird blend of prog with AOR melodic rock, with a messy production that blended too much together, I was pretty let down. I also assumed that this was going to be a one-off project, so when a follow up album was announced, I was certainly confused. However, after the lead single seemed to show signs of improvement, I figured I should check how the rest of the album sounds. While some of the song-writing problems remain, I do think this is a step up for the band.
Right off, the production is definitely better, and I'm able to really hear guitarist Jimmy Haun's and keyboardist Dave Kerzner's contributions. While we still have Billy Sherwood's warm, lush soundscapes, the pieces feel more distinct and easier to hear. However, the songwriting remains as loose as ever, with some songs feeling a little too busy, as if all their ideas are competing for space. The opener "Real Time World" definitely has this problem as it shifts from idea to idea rather suddenly, making it difficult to grasp what the song is trying to do. "Colors Come Alive" also has this problem, despite some interesting guitar work. Some of the songs also feel long for the sake of long, with "Don't Look Down" being a track that could have been better if it were a minute or two shorter. Speaking of song length, this album definitely leans into prog territory, as the pieces really wind around their chaotic ideas. Most notably is the epic closer "Arc of Life," clocking in at nearly 18 minutes, and for what it's worth, is probably the best track on the album. It doesn't seem as impatient as the others, letting their ideas flourish a little more and giving the performers more opportunities to express themselves. I also liked "Let Live," as it has some solid basslines, though the chorus is a little jarring.
While I don't think they've quite reached their full potential, what I'm hearing is a band that is progressing forward. It feels like they're trying to fuse elements of Tales of Topographic Oceans, Big Generator, and Open Your Eyes onto one album, with some pretty mixed results. However, I can't help but wonder if their material wouldn't sound better live, without all the production's reverb, as it would give the band members the opportunity to really gel their sound together more naturally. Still, the album does have a good sense of atmosphere, and is probably worth a listen or two for classic prog rock fans.
So what if Russell Allen sang for Evergrey, but then they added a ton of epic symphonic flourish? This seems to be the sound Borealis is going for, and I can't deny that I like it quite a bit. Between the chuggy riffing, catchy choruses, and lush orchestrations, this album goes big and largely succeeds.
The production is incredible, letting the heavy parts be heavy and allowing the lighter parts to stand out. It feels like they picked up someone from Epic Music World to provide some incredibly epic strings and horns to back these songs with astounding power. They also have nice little touches, like the occasional flute or violin providing a melody, and plenty of female vocals to wordlessly blend into the wall of sound. The guitars really have a great tone, going back and forth between some very chunky riffing and great, melodic guitar solos. Matt Marinelli vocals soar over all of this, not only magnifying the songs' energy, but giving them great emotional depth and weight. Lynsey Ward comes in a few times as a guest vocalist and does a great job as well, often as vocal counter-point. Stand out songs for me were "Ashes Turn to Rain," "Pray For Water," "Light of the Sun," and the epic closer "The Phantom Silence," bringing all their ideas together in one ten-minute monster that explores their dynamics quite fully. Epic really is the best word for it all, and they do it very well.
If there is a problem, it's that it does occupy a very specific sonic space for pretty much the entire run-time, and so some people might feel that all this bombast might wear them down. They do try to mix it up with some slower songs, like "Face of Reality" and "Abandon All Hope," and they even try a song without any guitars at all in "Burning Tears," but it still maintains the high drama throughout. However, I love how epic they are willing to go with their sound. I gotta be honest: this is probably going to end up in my Top 5 for the year. If you're looking for epic, dramatic, symphonic metal with a few proggy touches and some heavy riffing, you'd be hard pressed to find anything better than Illusions for 2022.
When I first came across this group of Swiss prog metallers, I was initially impressed with Jasmin Baggenstos's vocals, as her alto voice was pretty unique, giving the band a different kind of richness to the layers going on. After hearing their new album, there certainly is a lot more of that, as they provide a very fascinating, eclectic listen.
Initial impressions make me think of bands like Haken or Symphony X (though without the latter's neo-classical flair). Aside from the vocalist, the heavy riffs are what set this band apart, as Roberto Barlocci and Thomas Spoegler have some pretty groovy riffs for their material, chugging and stabbing their way through these songs. The symphonic elements are more subdued than other symphonic metal releases I've heard, but keyboardist Carlo Beltrame also brings out some interesting synth sounds and solos, sometimes in the atonal vein of Keith Emerson. And Jasmin is definitely doing some great vocal work, shifting her tone from mysterious to melodramatic to aggressive in order to match the tone of the song, and yet it all sounds perfectly natural. She also gets a few opportunities to hold some long notes, adding to the epicness, soaring over all the gritty, syncopated riffing and orchestral ambience.
I do wonder if the mixing is a little uneven, as some of the symphonic elements get buried under the crushing rhythms. Another thing is that the songs lead into each other, making it feel like one album-long 40 minute epic, and maybe that's deliberate. I'm not sure if this is a concept album or not, but it really does stick to its proggy, angular sound all the way through, making the tracks feel a little indistinct from each other. That being said, it's some pretty fascinating stuff, with stand outs including the epic middle-piece "Oath Taker," as it takes the listener on quite the journey, and the title track and "Chimera" offering more accessible pieces while still providing plenty of interesting riffing and style changes for prog fans to sink their teeth into. This album is definitely the proggiest material of this article, and it's probably going to take me a few more listens to really unpack all that's here, but I do think my expectations were met pretty well.
Well, that was a lot of fun! I know I like prog, but it does take more time to really let it all sink in, and I'm not always in the right mood for it. Grabbing some power metal or AOR is so much easier! Still, I think I've had a great opportunity to hear some pretty different and unique songs, and that's what prog is generally great at.
Kinda crazy that we're already here at the end of 2022! I've got two more articles I want to try and push through before the end of the year (we'll see how that goes), and then we begin a new year! Until then, rock on! \m/
