New Releases - February 2025!

Well, this came out later than I was planning, though I did come down with some pretty serious colds.  Hopefully I'm over those now and can work on what looks to be a busy year.  I'm trying to get a better start on new releases this time, as there are some big ones right off, and because my retro listening is a bit different this time around.  In any case, here's a trio of interesting metal albums to get things kicked off!

Dream Theater - Parasomnia

While I have covered Dream Theater a few times in the past, this one gets the notable return of Mike Portnoy to the fold.  From there, they've crafted something of a thematic concept album, focused on various forms of sleep disorders (if the title wasn't a clue).  This gives the album a darker feel that's more about mood and atmosphere than heaviness, necessarily.  Still, all of the band members' skills remain on display, which I'm sure will delight their fans.

That darkness kicks in pretty quick with the opener "In the Arms of Morpheus," starting with some cinematic ambience before getting some ominous guitar picking, followed by some heavy riffing.  It's an interesting intro, testing the rest of the album.  From there, the darkness carries on, pretty much through the rest of the album.  "Night Terror" feels like a carry over of the heavy parts from their last album, while "A Broken Man" feels like a throwback to their 90s era.  "Dead Asleep" gets theatrical with the story telling, throwing in a blues-rocking jam for good measure, while "Midnight Messiah" gets thrashy, similar to Train of Thought (which I ought to review at some point).  "Are We Dreaming" is more of an ambient piece that flows into the ballad "Bend the Clock," which features a really nice Pink Floyd segment at the end, allowing Petrucci lean more into his legato style.  The album closes (once again) on a big number, "The Shadow Man Incident," which features the band's typical arrangement of styles and transitions, including a Latin rhythm section because why not?  It's all performed well, with Portnoy getting plenty of time for some rapid fire drum fills to remind folks he's back.

However, I have this sinking feeling that I've heard it all before.  Sure, they have an interesting theme that allows them to explore the darker side of their sound, but compared to the other albums I've listened to, it just feels like more of the same.  Fans will be delighted to get an album they've been waiting for more than a decade for, and I do think it's not a bad album, in fact I enjoyed most of it.  And yet, when it's over, very little stays with me.  Maybe I need to give it a few more spins to let it really sink in (and perhaps the rest of their albums as well), but from my point of view, it's just another (certainly decent) Dream Theater album, just like all the rest.

Grave Digger - Bone Collector

Grave Digger is another one of those bands where I've seen them around, and enjoyed a song or two, but never seriously checked them out until now.  I know they're a long standing German metal band that's had a weird history early on with name changes and break ups, but otherwise they seem to have been a pretty consistent band.  Built on the foundation of bands like Accept and Saxon, they add some speed and a lot of metal clichés, but honestly, I wasn't expecting anything else.

Anything you'd think of when you think of German traditional metal is all here: gruff vocals, chunky guitar riffs, and plenty of energy.  While I'm new to this band, I speculate this is all very much par-for-the-course for this band.  The album starts up with two speed metal songs that go almost too fast for the band.  It's a decent start, but then album drifts into more mid-tempo territory, with "Mirror of Hate" and "Riders of Doom" getting very stompy (in a good way).  The speed picks up towards the end, with "Forever Evil & Buried Alive" featuring some solid energy.  The album then closes on "Whispers of the Damned (The Banality of Evil)," which feels like a Metal Church style power ballad.

While this is all quite fun, the biggest issue is the production.  I know it may be a strange way to describe it, but the songs feel narrow, somehow.  Chris Boltendahl's vocals sometimes get buried (which is strange as he mixed and mastered the album himself).  The lyrics are also a bit on the generic side, which is interesting, as I understand this band has covered more interesting topics in the past.  Still, this is not a bad album by any means, as the riffing remains solid and chunky throughout.  This album definitely falls under the category of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," and that's just fine.

Beriedir - Liminal Spaces

When I saw Beriedir had a new album, I was pretty intrigued.  I liked their last one, as it has a lot of lush layering and interesting ideas, though it wasn't perfect.  Still, I wanted to see what they would do this time around, only to discover that they had taken a pretty dramatic shift.

While much of their sound is still here, with the synths really filling a wall of sound not unlike other melodic prog metal bands, they have chosen to twist it up with a significant dose of classic Gothenburg melodic death metal.  The vocals have both clean and harsh varieties, and the riffing definitely takes a more chaotic turn, resulting in some haphazard songwriting.  I'm not sure what compelled them to add this to their sound, but they're clearly dedicated to it, as it shows up on nearly all the songs.  The lyrics have also taken a level in pretentiousness, making references to Old Testament prophets and German Renaissance artists, among other things.  The band is tight in their performances, even with some pretty jarring rhythms and time signature changes.  I can't imagine this stuff would be easy to play live.

What I will say is that it is definitely not a boring listen.  I may have been caught off guard by the inclusion of some extreme metal elements, but the songs were compelling nonetheless.  I think I'm going to need to listen to this one a few more times to really wrap my head around what they're doing.  Credit to them for at least throwing a wrench into their own sound just to see what they could do with it.  If anyone is interested in a fusion of Evergrey and Wintersun, this album is definitely worth a listen.

Last Played - December 2022 Part Two!

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!

Beriedir - AQVA

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.

Arc of Life - Don't Look Down

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.

Borealis - Illusions

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.

Atomic Symphony - Hybris

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.

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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/

New Videos - November 2022!

I admit it's been a bit of a slow month for me, and I feel like I've gotten behind again on new releases like I did last year, but I'm still trucking along alright on other things like this.  Definitely had some fascinating new videos get released lately that I'm pretty excited to talk about.  Next year looks like it's going to be one busy year for rock and metal, but I suppose that's not a bad thing!  Anyways, here's some new videos for you all!

Despite their popularity, I admit I haven't really heard Godsmack outside of a handful of songs, but I'm always up for some good melodic rock.  This song definitely has more atmosphere than I was expecting, and has a nice little groove here and there.  Given that this may be their last album, they might be trying for something bigger than usual.

Beriedir is a band I've been seeing here and there over the year.  They share a lot of qualities with their fellow Italian prog metal peers, though I think they have a stronger dramatic flair to their songwriting.  I know this is one I have on deck to review, so keep an eye out for more about them!

Well, this is quite the bolt out of the blue!  I knew they were working on new stuff, but I had no idea they were this close to being done with a new album!  I like the song, as I feel like it has a lot of that old-school, Motorhead-inspired energy.  However, I was pretty underwhelmed by Hardwired... despite a punchy lead single, so we'll see how their new album really turns out next year.

After enjoying their debut album a few years ago, I'm glad to see these guys are back with more melodic rock.  While it's pretty standard (if crunchy AOR) stuff, they play it with great energy, and that synth solo is pretty wild.  I'm definitely looking forward to hearing more of these guys!

I mostly learned about Simon Collins through Sound of Contact, and when that band moved on without him as In Continuum, it seemed he disappeared from the prog rock world.  However, now he's back with former Sound of Contact guitarist Kelly Nordstrom on a new project.  The song is definitely spacey, but it shifts well between the heavy riffs and ambient sections.  Certainly worth a look.

After enjoying their last album, it seems Big City is back for more of their curious blend of prog and glam metal.  While the chorus is full of 80s anthemic pomp, the riffing certainly leans closer to proggy or even power metal territory, with double-kicking drums!  They definitely have a unique blend of sounds and its on full display with this new single of theirs.