Federico Favaro - Abstractions

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: Digital

Release Date: 21 Feb 2025

Tracklist:

1. Automata

2. Daydream

3. Horizon

4. Liquid Quartz

5. Polaris

I started putting this review together on Sunday evening after I had spent the afternoon in the company of friends, beer and vinyl records of varying genres. I realised fairly soon after starting that I was in no fit state to carry on so I paused. I'm glad I did because I wouldn't have been able to give this new EP from solo Italian progressive guitar phenom Federico Favaro the justice in deserves. 

Federico's debut EP Abstractions is due for official release on February 21st and he kindly wrote to me recently. I'm currently going through a phase where I'm bouncing from instrumental prog to technical death metal. This release obviously sits in the former category and I'm excited, and honoured to be able to hear it in advance of it's official release date.

This month is flying by and I haven’t written nearly as much as I would have liked. That being said, I’ve purchased and listened to more records at the same time, so you win some you lose some right? Italy has long been a bastion for epic, progressive music and a new name can be added to the ever growing list of exceptional talents this year with the debut EP from solo guitarist Federico Favaro. 

Abstractions begins with ‘Automata’ and it’s classically-inspired intro that flows seamlessly into an aural mosaic of epic guitar-work, alongside equally enjoyable bass and percussion. All instrumentation has been performed by Federico himself on this release (as I understand, please correct me if I’m wrong), making this more than just a “guitar” record.  

I know a lot of people recoil at the thought of progressive music because they think it’ll go on forever but it’s not the case here. ‘Daydream’ builds from Flamenco-like guitar plucking to much heavier and indeed engrossing progressive rock/metal soon after. One thing Federico wrote when he contacted me was that his music was nowhere near the standard of Plini (for example) but I disagree. 

There’s something really upbeat about ‘Horizon’ early on. It has bit of a punk sound to it (at least to my ears). It’s not too long though before any nod to punk disappears in favour of classically-tinged/off-kilter music that’s an absolute joy to listen too. Like the rest of the songs on Abstractions, it could be considered short in prog terms but that’s no bad thing.

The piano that greets you on ‘Liquid Quartz’ is beautiful and fits in perfectly with the jazz elements that flow through the EP. The djent-like guitar/bass tones later on show that Federico isn’t afraid of sudden direction changes and as with the rest of the EP, doesn’t shy away from ripping up traditional musical structures. 

Closing with ‘Polaris’, Federico offers up a song that’s deceivingly gentle and before you know it, you’re whisked off to another realm filled with dissonance and mind-bending riffs/tempos. I was reading an article earlier from somebody who thinks that musicians hate making music. If that’s actually the case then EP’s like this would not exist.

Federico Favaro is a genius and his music deserves so much attention for being genuine, and a true labour of love. Abstractions will hopefully be an example of what’s to come on future releases. What this space.

If you'd like a sneak preview of some of the songs that appear on this EP, head over to Federico's YouTube channel for some play-throughs and other videos - https://www.youtube.com/@FedericoFavaro/videos

Abstractions will be available digitally on February 21st.

Federico Favaro Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/federico.favaro_guitar/

Besra - Equilibrium EP

Labels: Suicide Records

Formats: Digital

Release Date: 01 Nov 2024

Tracklist:

1. An Omen Of...

2. The Final Hour

3. Equilibrium

4. End Of The Horizon

I had nothing review-wise pencilled in for this evening. I usually put together a schedule of sorts based on regular reviews (my ZBR roster reviews for example) and fit more reviews in between. It's basically a vein attempt to convince myself that I'm organised when in reality I'm so far behind on e-mails it's not even fair anymore.

So instead of using the time to catch up, I'm excitedly writing about a new EP that's due for official release on Friday. Coming courtesy of Swedish/Finnish label Suicide Records, Equilibrium is the latest release from Finnish post/prog metal band Besra. It'll be available digitally and follows on from their 2023 full-length Transitions.

Finland’s rich musical heritage has contributed so many bands, whom have been written about multiple times since. Bands including Amorphis, Insomnium, Sentenced, Swallow The Sun (the list goes on) have woven a tapestry of progression, mournful gothic melody, post-metal beauty and deathly aggression all of their own. That is why bands like Besra exist today. On Equilibrium’s opener ‘An Omen Of…’ they encapsulate all of the above to produce a truly epic mix of melody and heaviness. The country’s folklore and personality flows through the song as Besra refuse to give in to outside influences.

Besra’s songs on Equilibrium have an undeniably dramatic feel and tone to them. Listen to ‘The Final Hour’ if you don’t believe me. Glorious post-rock/metal instrumentation is joined by spoken-word vocals, both of which beg it to go on and on, and it does as it flows into the title-track ‘Equilibrium’. A punchier, heavier number that plays to Besra’s progressive strengths as it lets yet more melody in. Reading that people have been comparing them to Cult Of Luna and the like is pretty accurate but I think they definitely have a personality all of their own. Their music is better because of it too.

EP closer ‘End Of The Horizon’ is delivered with excellent precision. Being a sextet with multi-instrumentalists allows for a lot of flexibility and it shows in the expressiveness that exists through all four songs. In the current musical climate, it’s too easy for a band to allow their sound to become too compressed and modern-sounding. I think Besra have got it right here though as they keep things a bit simpler, letting their own instruments and voices do the talking. 

A perfect accompaniment to the winter nights that are drawing in but without cliche. This EP is excellent from beginning to end, warming the heart and cleansing the soul. 

You can stream the title-track and pre-order the EP digitally via Suicide Records below:-

Besra - https://www.besra.band/ / https://www.facebook.com/besraband

Suicide Records - https://www.suiciderecords.se/store/ / https://www.facebook.com/suiciderds

Cryptosis - The Silent Call EP

Labels: Century Media Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 01 December 2023

Tracklist:

1. The Silent Call

2. Master Of Life

3. Prospect Of Immortality (Live In Athens)

4. Transcendence (Live In Athens)

Dutch progressive death/thrash metal trio Cryptosis caught my eye recently, especially when I read about their upcoming European tour supporting Cynic and Obscura (what a line up that is!). They released their most recent EP The Silent Call in December just gone through Century Media Records, who previously released their 2021 album Bionic Swarm. This most recent EP was released on CD and vinyl yet what's strange to me is that it doesn't appear on Century Media's bandcamp page, and no physical copies are for sale in CM's web store. Maybe it was self-financed by Cryptosis (please let me know if I'm jumping to conclusions with all this). Anyway, to hell with my observations, let's dive in.

The Netherlands has become well-known for it’s ability to produce some amazing death/thrash metal bands over the years, including the likes of Asphyx, Legion Of The Damned and of course Distillator (who later on became Cryptosis). Cryptosis add progressive elements to their version of death/thrash metal, as demonstrated on title track ‘The Silent Call’. That progression takes the form of both traditional symphonic prog and subtle modern time-signature bending instrumentation. Their extreme metal chops are in fine fettle, which is why Century Media took such a keen interest in them by releasing their 2021 debut album Bionic Swarm.

‘Master Of Life’ was from the sessions for their debut album and it shows a much more immediate thrash metal form, which looks back to their days as Distillator, providing a much more simplified musical approach. There’s still impressive progression going on musically though and the symphonic elements are dialled down quite significantly too. Definitely a song for the extreme metal fan.

Now like the infamous Alive In Athens recordings by US power metal band Iced Earth, Cryptosis chose to release two of their own songs from a concert in the same city. You can tell that Athens loved them by the crowd chanting at the beginning of ‘Prospect Of Immortality’, which can still be heard over the song’s intro. As with ‘Master Of Life’ earlier on, Cryptosis inject some Slayer-like influences into their music, while melody and death metal percussion swirls around it all.

If you thought ‘Prospect Of Immortality’ was epic then ‘Transcendence’ will blow you away with it’s somewhat familiar yet insane tempo and delivery. The crowd in the background seem to love it’s intensity and why wouldn’t they! Cryptosis seem to have the ability to captivate audiences with their musical formula and long may it continue.

Physical copies of The Silent Call can be purchased directly from Cryptosis below:-

https://cryptosis.net/shop/

Cryptosis - https://www.facebook.com/CryptosisNL

Century Media Records - https://www.facebook.com/centurymedia

Paracrona - Sun God

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 24 May 2023

Tracklist:

1. New Impurity

2. Carry The Cross (feat. Baard Kolstad)

3. Thriller (feat. Baard Kolstad)

4. Sun God

5. Mendacious

6. River Of Pain

7. Therefore I Move The Time

8. Gates Of Immortality

9. Reasons

Staring at my laptop screen isn't going to help me write anything, especially when I've seen Norwegian band Paracrona described as Symphonic Black Metal, Progressive Death Metal and Blackened Progressive Metal by three separate PR agencies. I'm not criticising them but how am I supposed to write an accurate review if I can't adequately describe Paracrona's sound. I'll have to do it the only way I know how, which is to listen to the band themselves.

Paracrona is a sextet of musicians from multiple locations (I guess you could call it an international band). Formed by Ringo Christiaan van Droffelaar (Netherlands) and Oystein Hansen (Norway)  alongside a host of musicians that have contributed to bands such as ICS Vortex, Greve and Fortid amongst others. Sun God goes beyond simple black metal, so let's see what Paracrona has in store.

Sun God stretches out for almost an hour, which is bold for a debut album. Opener ‘New Impurity’ begins with a lengthy orchestral/symphonic passage that abruptly leads into a sound that’s rooted in black metal, unsurprisingly. It has some really progressive moments, thanks to the guitar work that adds a boat load of melody. I was worried about keys/synths taking over but it isn’t the case here. Paracrona actually describe their music as ‘quantum realism metal’, which is a new descriptor amongst many. ‘Carry The Cross’ features the guest drumming of ICS Vortex’s Baard Kolstad, which is kind of strange given that Paracrona already have a drummer in the form of Laszlo Juhos. Whatever their thought process is here, ‘Carry The Cross’ is a ferocious black metal number,

The second song to feature Baard Kolstad is ‘Thriller’. Don’t let the rock ’n’ roll intro fool you here as before long Paracrona launches straight back into their rip-roaring black metal. One thing’s for sure; you’ll get your money’s worth from this release thanks to it’s song lengths alone. The albums’s title track ’Sun God’ features a more mid-paced, post-black metal vibe in between the more up-tempo passages that make up the majority of the song. As with the album so far, it’s very accomplished and scratches the extreme metal itch, yet there’s something missing for me (and I’m struggling to put my finger on it, which means it’s probably inconsequential).

The progressive tag that’s been assigned to Paracrona is pretty spot on, especially when listening to ‘Mendacious’ and it’s epic lead guitar work. It gets the heart rate going, which is the feeling that’s been missing so far. The bass-heavy tones of ‘River Of Pain’ are slightly at odds with it’s symphonic blueprint, though thankfully that blueprint is subtle. I have to say that the more I listen to this album, the more it’s growing on me. ‘Therefore I Move The Time’ is on the more progressive end of the spectrum, with additional time-signature changes amongst it’s black metal arsenal of blasts and riffs. The choral and melodic mid-section changes the mood, bringing it back from the icy depths.

I’ve never been the biggest fan of power metal or true symphonic/operatic metal, but I hear elements of those sub-genres nestling in Paracrona’s music, especially on ‘Gates Of Immortality’. Obviously, theirs is a much stronger and more extreme sound overall but the use of different musical elements do help to elevate that sound to a higher place. Definitely leaving the best to last, ‘Reasons’ comes at you energetically right from the off. Twisting and turning through Paracrona’s various states of heaviness, to their most introspective and melodic. It’s the lengthiest song on Sun God and also it’s grandest.

Overall this is a very strong album. I didn’t know what to expect fully when I hit play and may have been slightly bias towards black metal bands with even greater progression recently, but I really enjoyed this one and it’s balance between cold Norwegian black metal and European melodic metal.

You can stream and purchase Sun God digitally below:-

CD copies and other merch can be purchased here - https://www.paracrona.com/store

Paracrona - https://www.facebook.com/Paracrona/

Abiotic - Ikigai

Labels: The Artisan Era

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 12 Feb 2021

Tracklist:

1. Natsukashii

2. Ikigai

3. Covered The Cold Earth

4. Smoldered

5. The Wrath

6. If I Do Die

7. Souvenir Of Skin

8. Her Opus Mangled

9. The Horadric Cube

10. Grief Eater, Tear Drinker

11. Gyokusai

I feel like I'm cutting it a but fine with this review, as Abiotic's new album Ikigai is due for official release on Friday. I've never really been one for deadlines though, so I guess I'm more on top of things right now than I thought!. This is the band's third full-length and the Floridian tech/prog death metallers have assembled a who's who from the death metal genre as guests on here. They include Chaney Crabb of Entheos on 'Smoldered', Brandon Ellis and Trevor Strnad of The Black Dahlia Murder on 'If I Do Die' and 'Souvenir Of Skin' respectively, Jared Smith of Archspire on 'Her Opus Mangled', Scott Carstairs of Fallujah on 'The Horadric Cube' and Jonathan Carpenter, previously of The Contortionist) on 'Grief Eater, Tear Drinker'. Of course, the members of Abiotic are not new to genre either, having spent part for their careers in Vale Of Pnath, Scale The Summit and Pathogenic amongst other bands.

Ikigai is an concept album influenced by Japanese culture that clocks in at fifty minutes, so there’s a lot to enjoy here. The album begins with the gentle intro ‘Natsukashii’, with it’s pan-pipe/flute-style melodies. The title song ‘Ikigai’ follows it with a mixture of traditional instrumental snippets and progressive death metal brutality, underpinned by more melody. It’s certainly experimental and Abiotic takes you on a journey through many layers of their collective song-writing and performing abilities. Stop/start in places but also wildly crushing at the same time.

The breadths of musicality that flow through the album, even at this early stage is crazy. ‘Covered The Cold Earth’ is both super heavy and orchestral at the same time, while featuring more than a hint of harsh, cold industrial tones within the percussion at times. Overall, it’s definitely more than fair to say that this is virtuosic. ‘Smoldered’ is the first song to welcome a guest, in the form of Chaney Crabb of Entheos, who provides vocals. They add extra depth to Abiotic’s sound here, with a great mix of both rasping screams and low growls smashing together from different ends of the extreme spectrum. It’s also where that percussive majesty reigns supreme too. So impressive!

Aside from the intro, everything on Ikigai stretches to over four to five minutes in length and to be honest, it’s the perfect length for these songs. Enough so that you get a true flavour of their sound if you haven’t heard Abiotic before. ‘The Wrath’ takes deathcore and plants it’s best parts deep within a truly carnage inducing tech-death song, that features the fastest kick-drumming I’ve ever heard this side of a drum machine.  Abiotic’s own progressive madness is joined on ‘If I Do Die’ by Brandon Ellis of The Black Dahlia Murder. His unmistakable lead work provides an extra edge to the Voivod-esque music that makes up the crossing point of this album. 

As if one member of TBDM wasn’t enough, ‘Souvenir Of Skin’ sees an appearance from Trevor Strnad. Now, it would be easy for all of these guests to overpower the impact of Ikigai, yet it’s kept on a tight leash thanks to even tighter musicianship. That’s the main thing you’ll take away from this entire album and it’s nowhere near over yet!. I like nothing more than a proper bass-heavy track and ‘Her Opus Mangled’ is one such beast. This time though it’s not the heavy rumble that’s drawing me in but the utterly bewildering tone of Archspire’s Jared Smith, who adds some awesomely melodic bass work to what is also another frighteningly strong song. Technicality aplenty here and no room for wandering attention spans either.

Talking of stuff that’s frightening, the percussion once again really takes on a form of it’s own during ‘The Horadric Cube’. I still can’t fathom how all of these musicians can come together and create something so enthralling and cohesive, while seemingly all being the equal of the other. There’s also a solo from Fallujah’s Scott Carstairs, which is the icing on the cake. Penultimate song ‘Grief Eater, Tear Drinker’ presents itself in a different way, this time with more vocal melody as well as instrumental melody, thanks to an appearance from ex-The Contortionist vocalist Jonathan Carpenter, whose clean vocals are such a great fit for the overall feel of the song. As is now familiar on Ikigai, Abiotic doesn’t take it easy at all and continues to lay the progressiveness on hard, which is no bad thing at all. 

It feeds directly into closer ‘Gyokusai’ and in doing so goes from serene to menacing, as far as atmosphere is concerned. The pace is slowed down at first, though that is somewhat of an illusion and what follows is just a sharp and explosive and when this album began. Ikigai is best described as a journey. One that’s more like a rollercoaster than a gentle cruise. It’s the first time I’ve listened to Abiotic properly and modern technical death metal now has a new pantheon to reach here.

Three songs are available for streaming prior to tomorrow's release below:-

You can still pre-order Ikigai on all three formats via Abiotic's bandcamp page above.

You can also buy copies from The Artisan Era here - https://www.theartisanerastore.com

Abiotic - https://www.facebook.com/AbioticBand

The Artisan Era - https://www.facebook.com/TheArtisanEra

Sea Sleeper - Nostophobia

Labels: Metal Assault Records

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 05 Feb 2021

Tracklist:

1. Salt

2. Old Guard

3. Coffin Salesman

4. Mountain Carver

5. George Van Tasssel

6. Nostophobia

7. Far More Than Sustenance Now

8. Low

It's crazy that it's almost the end of January! I feel like I haven't even scratched the surface when it comes to early 2021 releases yet, let alone delved deeper into the ever growing backlog. That being said, today's first review contains another debut album, this time from US progressive/post-metal trio Sea Sleeper, which will officially be released next Friday via Metal Assault Records. I don't know a great deal about them other than that members have played in different bands for decades within their local scene. While I'm reviewing this from the promo I was sent, I took to bandcamp to see the recommendations for similar artists and it listed Ulcerate, Death, Gruesome, Psycroptic, Convulsing, Opeth and Katatonia! Not a band bunch there! I know comparisons don't mean much and I'm not going to measure Sea Sleeper against those bands, but it's good to have a guide for new listeners.

Here goes another leap into the unknown with the debut record from US prog/death/post-metal band Sea Sleeper and straight off the bat, opener ‘Salt’ is a curiously heavy death metal song with more than a hint of experimentation. I say it’s curious because there’s a good dollop of progressive/sci-fi elements akin to the likes of Cynic and Blood Incantation, while still maintaining a solid level of brutality from every instrument and vocal pattern. It’s quite bass-heavy too, which is fine as it add heft to the music and stops it from sounding too thin. 

It’s amazing how Sea Sleeper manages to make ‘Old Guard’ sound longer and more encompassing than the opener, but it sounds that way. There are glimpses into doomier old-school death here, interspersed with clean singing. The guitar tones really stand out as well, they’re not overly metallic but they do add menace and melody.

There’s a lot going on throughout this recording if you listen to it at volume. ‘Coffin Salesman’ is proof of that with a musical approach from the band that belies it’s title. There are slams here, but not obtuse ones and it’s more straight-forward death in parts, while forever treading a horror-like/slasher movie path. It’s very hard to explain it accurately, but the latter half of the song sounds almost like the heavy metal of Haunt but slowed down and layered over the aforementioned death metal. That’s how I see it anyway (I’m probably way off).

The mammoth ‘Mountain Carver’ takes the prog/heavy metal influences a step further with much greater use of clean vocals during the it’s first few minutes, before harsher screams take over and Sea Sleeper’s extremity comes back into sight. They switch between the two dynamics throughout the song and never stay the same for too long. It rounds out the first half of the album with real purpose.

Brutality is the word on ‘George Van Tassel’. Plain and simple, it’s hard to describe it as anything else. Technical and too-the-point. Sea Sleeper are so strong instrumentally that it seems at times as though the vocals are not needed. That’s not a criticism though, as they add plenty to the record but like all great prog/death bands before them, it’s all about the instruments and the song-writing.

The album’s title-track ‘Nostophobia’ has more urgency but still demands attention from you as a listener. It’s off-kilter time signatures and riffs that turn on a dime keep you very much on your toes. What follows it goes even further down that rabbit hole. ‘Far More Than Sustenance Now’ mixes up everything that Sea Sleeper throws into this album and spews it out in one unholy, noisy lump of craziness. For all that though, it’s still rhythmic and dare I say groovy at times.

It’s apt that the closing song is called ‘Low’ as that’s exactly what it seems to be tuned to. The bass is once again very prominent and it fits the obscure nature of the song. I use obscure because it’s just mad but also totally listenable and fun. That kind of describes this whole album. It’s filled with heaviness, but it’s feet are kept firmly on the ground by the clean vocals and the buzzing melody. If ever there was a year for discovering new creative bands, 2021 feels like that year. Sea Sleeper deserve to get all the attention when Nostophobia sees it’s full release next week.

You can stream four songs in advance of the release via bandcamp below, where you can also pre-order it on cd or digitally:-

Sea Sleeper - https://www.facebook.com/seasleeper

Metal Assault Records - https://www.facebook.com/metalassaultLA

Twin God - Deaths

Labels: Nefarious Industries

Formats: Digital

Release Date: 25 Sep 2020

Tracklist:

1. Animate (Death Of The Creature)

2. You And I (Death Of The Twin)

I'm grouchy because I have no TV signal. Thankfully, no TV means no distractions and writing about/listening to some noisy music will help with my irritable mood. Or maybe it's because the weekend's nearly over and I have to go back to work tomorrow. I don't know. Anyway, this release is something I came across when going through some unread e-mails yesterday. Deaths is a digital release by New Jersey, USA noise rock trio Twin God, which was released via Nefarious Industries in September. I can get down with any music where the vocals were recorded in a Honda CRV!

You know when you listen to something and you go “why haven’t I heard this band before?” That’s exactly what popped into my head when the progressive metallic riffs of EP opener ‘Animate (Death Of The Creature’ started rolling out of the speakers. Twin God plays a brand of noisy, heavy rock that rests in various camps musically, from heavy progressive metal, to sludge/psych, maybe some grunge and whatever it is that makes Couch Slut so endearing. Needless to say it’s awesome. The riffs set the tone, the percussive time-signatures groove steady for the most part before turning all stop/start, while the vocals are shouted yet the lyrics are audible.

Second song ‘You And I (Death Of The Twin)’ is quite harrowing. It’s tempo is slower and there’s a real sense of loss hidden in the depths amongst Twin God’s musical stew. As with the first song, it’s played with great precision and skill, which may be a strange thing to say about a noise rock band but it’s true. It gets lighter as well during the mid-section, when things go in an instrumental direction with some great prog guitar work and solos. Overall it twists and turns, going from dark to light and back to dark again. 

Recording-wise, it’s warm and alive. I can see why Nefarious Industries have helped to bring it to a wider audience. Hopefully, there will be a physical version on Deaths released at some point in the future. Twin God deserves it.

You can stream and download Deaths via Twin God's Bandcamp page below:-

Twin God - https://www.facebook.com/twingodmusic/

It's also available from Nefarious Industries here - https://shop.nefariousindustries.com/

Nefarious Industries - https://www.facebook.com/NefariousIndustries/

Prospects - Recalling EP

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 04 Sep 2020

Tracklist:

1. Orphic Trigger

2. Bridgeburner

3. Amid The Endless Sky

4. Unseen Observer

Someone asked me yesterday if I could lend them some motivation. After getting home, I understood what they meant. It was hard work and my head was full. Instead of dwelling on it though, today is another day and I'm going to fill it with the comforting sounds of progressive metal. This is the new EP from Canadian band Prospects. Recalling is only their second release, following their debut EP The Calling Of A Red Bird, which was released in 2017.

I feel like I’m out of touch with modern progressive metal. It’s an area that I’ve neglected and I don’t know why. Prospects are a band that sits with that corner of progressive metal and their opening track on Recalling, ‘Orphic Trigger’, is an amalgamation of technical riffing, death metal-like vocals, percussion that’ verges on industrial and spacey, melodic keys. All of these elements combine well together and the clean vocals towards the end, accentuate the progressive nature of the music.

When Prospects are heavy, they’re damn heavy but they’re also so much more than that. ‘Bridgeburner’ is instrumentally stunning thanks to the guitar work throughout, from the initial solo to the clean/harsh riffs that follow. The keys and clean singing herald something more approachable while dissonance, and off-kilter time signatures are not far away. They’ve obviously studied at the altar of Meshuggah and Periphery, though in brief moments it does feel like they’re still trying to find their own sound.

One thing is for sure though, the musicianship on ‘Amid The Endless Sky’ is breathtaking. The transitions between time-signatures/sections can be little awkward at times but that’s a minor blemish on what is a really good modern metal song. Bands nowadays go for the polished studio sound and while the production/mastering here is very solid, Prospects still allow the odd frailty to shine through, showing that they’re human and are still honing their craft. They’re bloody close to nailing it too.

For a four track release, Recalling is lengthy and all the better for it. Closing song ‘Unseen Observer’ clocks in at nearly seven-and-a-half minutes, which is near enough the average song length on the EP, leading to a bewilderingly impressive song here. The heavier riffs remind me of sci-death metal bands like Blood Incitation/Cryptic Shift, while the melodic passages contain the kind of prowess that Animals As Leaders/The Contortionist would be proud of. That’s a lot to take in I know but I feel it’s justified. 

Musically Prospects are very impressive indeed. There may be a couple of very small kinks to iron out within their sound but as said before, they’re extremely minor and this EP is really good. Canada is proving to be a true breeding ground for progressive metal at the moment and Prospects are staking their claim to be leaders of that new breed.

You can stream Recalling and purchase it on both physical/digital formats below:-

Prospects - https://www.facebook.com/prospectsmusicoffical/

Moloken - Unveilance Of Dark Matter

Labels: The Sign Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 31 Jan 2020

Tracklist:

1. This Love Is A Curse

2. Surcease

3. Shadowcastle (Pt. 1)

4. No Ease, No Rest

5. Hollow Caress

6. Venom Love

7. Repressed

8. Lingering Demise

9. Unbearable

10. One Last Breath

11. Unveilance Of Dark Matter

Finally my review schedule is back on track, even if my inbox isn't! With the lockdown still in place in the UK (albeit with some slightly relaxed rules), I wanted to spend this balmy evening losing myself in some more heaviness, this time from Sweden. Moloken released their fourth full-length Unveilance Of Dark Matter in January via The Sign Records. They've been playing atmospheric and progressive metal/sludge for over a decade and have release two EPs alongside their full-length albums over that period. As they prepare for a full live performance of the record on May 23rd, you can prepare yourselves by giving it a listen.

Moloken has been a name that I’ve been familiar with for a while, but whose music has always flown under the radar slightly. The quartet opens album number four with ‘This Love Is A Curse’ and it’s a precursor of sorts. It’s mainly instrumental, save for the final thirty seconds, where the vocals kick in and pull you into the band’s angular extremity. ‘Surcease’ is a different beast. The tempo is faster and the atmosphere is darker. It’s a mix of many different musical elements, from sludge, to death metal, to unnerving post-hardcore and it’s certainly got plenty of metallic chops.

You’ll find that as Moloken’s songs get longer, they become more progressive. ‘Shadowcastle (Pt. 1)’ is a case in point. It reminds you of Leviathan-era Mastodon and it gives a proper glimpse of what the band is capable of when they stretch out their songs. That progression and momentum is broken up by the piano-led interlude of ‘No Ease, No Rest’, which is still dramatic enough to hold your attention as it fades to reveal ‘Hollow Curses’, with it’s blackened hardcore-like riffs and low growls. The Sign Records has become a reliable stable for hard-rock and metal that sits at the traditional end of the spectrum, so Moloken is a different prospect for the label’s followers.

Their sludgy side comes out on ‘Venom Love’ thanks to some subtly NOLA-inspired vocals. That said, it’s still a technical song that brims with post-metal atmosphere. It’s a lot more instrumental-led this time but that’s no bad thing, especially when it’s delivered by a band that are this good. Talking of post-metal (again), ‘Repressed” features a riff plucked out of the top draw. It reminds me of Scottish (short-lived) post-metal/doom band Voe, if any of you remember them. It’s a very short little interlude but it’s ideally placed here. 

‘Repressed’ blends into the striking ‘Lingering Demise’ very easily indeed. I wasn’t expecting this kind of breadth from Moloken, but when they do flex their muscles during longer songs, they’re a joy to listen to. Again, there are notable glances to some of the more well known bands in the genre, but with metal constantly evolving and revolving, it’s no surprise. To go from ‘Lingering Demise’ to the black metal rasps of ‘Unbearable’ is a bit of a shock. I’m not sure it was Moloken’s intention to sound that way, but that’s how it comes across during the opening bars. From there it becomes a mash of death metal vox and prog/jazz instrumentation. It’s great!

There’s time for a final stirring interlude in ‘One Last Breath’, which is aptly titled as it allows you to take yours before album closer and title track, ‘Unveilance Of Dark Matter’. This is your last chance to dance and Moloken make sure you remember it. This record flows in such a coherent way and goes by almost effortlessly. It contains enough truly emotive anger alongside a heap of great musicianship, which really brings it to life. We’re already nearly five months deep into 2020 and with January still serving up albums like this, the expectations for the rest of the year are great.

You can stream and purchase 'Unveilance Of Dark Matter' on all formats via Moloken's Bandcamp page here:-

Moloken - https://www.facebook.com/Molokenofficial/

You can also grab copies from The Sign Records here - https://freighttrain.se/en/the-sign-record/

The Sign Records - https://www.facebook.com/thesignrecords/

The World Without Us - Incarnate EP

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 25 Oct 2019

Tracklist:

1. Listen In Obsidian

2. Man-Sized Hail

3. Things To Tell The Press

4. I Am The Mist

As I wearily looked through my e-mails earlier this morning, I wondered if I was even going to be able to focus long enough to write a review and then I saw the cover art for "Incarnate"by The World Without Us and they opened widely. The colours and the design immediately caught my attention. This is the debut EP from the US quintet (based in West Chester, Pennsylvania), who play modern progressive metal. 

The opening bars of this EP are certainly dramatic. Listen To Obsidian starts with melodic guitar and singing, with percussion that slowly builds with the song. At the mid-point the full-band comes to life but instead of an all-out attack on the senses, The World Without Us hold back slightly longer. Their true heaviness comes out towards the end. After the mid-paced opener, Man-Sized Hail gets the blood pumping with it’s Southern rock n roll swagger and stop/start approach. From their it descends into proper technical death metal territory. Musically impressive, The World Without Us keep you guessing.

They get more upbeat still on Things To Tell The Press, which incorporates hardcore into the mix. The technical metal isn’t far away though and the extensive soloing reminds you that they’re musicians first and foremost. That might seem like a bit of an obvious thing to say, but in modern music you’ve either got musicians or entertainers (musicians can entertain, but entertainers aren’t necessarily good musicians). EP closer I Am The Mist is straight-up heavy from the get go. It’s a proper metal song with soaring clean vocals and harsh growls. The music that sits behind is drowned out slightly but that’s a small thing and not worth worrying about.

The World Without Us are very talented and this is a great debut. It’ll be good to keep an eye on their progression (sorry!). Settling on a sound takes time but they’ve hit the ground running and will grow and grow for sure.

You can stream "Incarnate" and buy it digitally below:-

The World Without Us - https://www.facebook.com/theworldwithoutus/

The Ocean - Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic

Labels: Pelagic Records/Metal Blade Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 02 Nov 2018

Tracklist:

1. The Cambrian Explosion

2. Cambrian II: Eternal Recurrence

3. Ordovicium: The Glaciation Of Gondwana

4. Silurian: Age Of Sea Scorpions

5. Devonian: Nascent

6. The Carboniferous Rainforest Collapse

7. Permian: The Great Dying

Early November will see the release of the new album from German/Swiss post-metal band The Ocean Collective (probably better known as solely The Ocean. This will be the first of two records focusing on the Phanerozoic period of the earth's geological evolution, with the second coming in 2020. "Phanerozoic 1: Palaeozoic" will be released on cd and vinyl (both in separate full-band and instrumental forms) as well as special collectible box sets. For a band that's always followed a similar trajectory music and presentation-wise, this new record promises to be something special.

Beginning with the dramatic instrumental intro The Cambrian Explosion, The Ocean creates intrigue and anticipation through the use of keys and ambience that leads straight into Cambrian II: Eternal Recurrence. The guitars loom large as the melody from the keys and synths form continuation. When the full band kicks in it’s an aural cacophony of harsh vocals, clean singing and stellar musical progression, which is what The Ocean is known for. The Ocean’s heaviness is plain to see on Ordovicium: The Glaciation Of Gondwana. It’s a magical song and while it’s shorter in length, there’s no passing up on the layers of warmth that come from the whole band. When The Ocean fires on all cylinders, they are a cut above.

You could make obvious comparisons at times to a certain US progressive metal band but that would be pointless and disrespectful to say the least. Silurian: Age Of Sea Scorpions sees The Ocean’s dynamic flipped with ocean vocals taking the lead to great effect. The piano definitely adds to their progressive nature as well. No one texture rules over the other despite what I said earlier on in this paragraph. Dense, engaging metal and classical elements work in harmony to make it one of the more conventional (in a listening sense) song’s on the album. Devonian: Nascent follows in the same vein and it makes me realise that I was a bit rude when calling Silurian… conventional. Both songs are soaring metal songs that seem happy to tread further from the genre’s confines and Devonian.. contains a grunge-like clean vocal tone that makes the hairs on your neck stand up, especially when backed up by the harsher growls. Being the longest song on the album, you might be fearing something pretentious but this couldn’t be further removed. 

The Ocean return to heavier realms on penultimate song The Carboniferous Rainforest Collapse, which is mostly instrumental, save for the subtle screams that can be heard deep within the music (at least that’s what i’m hearing so correct me if I’m wrong). Album closer Permian: The Great Dying is the progressive beast that every album of this ilk should end with. This whole record is astounding and it’s made me fall in love with proper progressive music again. The Ocean may be leaning further away from the post-metal that helped them to make their name, but it’s no bad thing when they can produce music of this quality. They are set to become the biggest progressive metal band on the planet.

You can pre-order the album's closer via The Ocean's bandcamp page, where you can also pre-order it digitally and stream two songs:-

The Ocean Collective - https://www.facebook.com/theoceancollective/

Physical pre-orders are available below:-

Pelagic Records - https://pelagic-records.com/webshop/

Metal Blade Records - https://www.facebook.com/metalbladerecords/