I have never written a review of an album I helped make before, but seeing that my contributions were minimal, I still feel able to write this without my personal bias getting in the way. In fact, my love for Duncan Patterson’s music is the bias we should be more worried about.
Duncan Patterson may be most famous for his early work with the band Anathema, but has artistically (I believe) chosen to remove himself from projects when they start to take a life of their own. Maybe he’s in constant search of artistic freedom. Maybe he just gets bored. Either way, Antimatter (which is now under the careful watch of Mick Moss) and Alternative 4 (the band named after the Anathema album he spearheaded) have put out their own masterpieces of goth meets doom meets classical meets movie soundtrack.
My contributions to this album were working with my drummer Fernando Guerrero and our friend Alicia Mitchell in recording background vocals to compliment the already amazing Enas Al Said (female vocals) as well as Duncan himself. We were given just the parts we needed to add, which seemed like self contained songs as they were. But hearing them in the context of the full tracks with all parts put together was a fascinating and rewarding experience.
The album itself is a short one. Just 5 tracks, a total of 34 minutes long. And the music is very easy going. It doesn’t demand much from the listener, but to get lost in its ethereal sound. “Absolut Absolutum” starts off by building up with a choir like sound for over a minute before abruptly cutting off. The main piano theme comes in, later joined by frail female vocals (Enas). About 5 minutes in, Duncan’s background vocals come in slowly and help introduce the drums, which carries the tune the rest of the way alongside Alicia’s voice, whose delicate touch sounds more like a violin. There are only 8 lines of lyrics, but Enas conveys them with emotion, and the song leaves plenty of space in between lines for the message to come across.
“The Quiet Light” is the longest track on the album, at 10 minutes. As opposed to the spacious classical feeling of the first track, this feels more like a ballad from the get go. The piano is the driving feature with sparse orchestral flourishes and Duncan vocals filling in the powerful performance by Enas. A flute like instrument carries the piece into its next section, which is a hypnotic but still ambient trip hop section. The dub style drums and repeated piano melody unexpectedly drop out for a haunting back and forth between voice, strings, keyboards, before Enas repeats the phrase “calling me home” over it. This builds until the ending of the track.
“Walking Between Worlds” might be my personal favorite off the record. This song has a strong Celtic influence, starting with the excellent drum beat and use of reverb on the drums and vocals. Enas loses a bit of her Middle Eastern tonal qualities as she instead channels her Sinead O’ Conner or Dolores from The Cranberries. The driving rhythm is broken up with a very moody back and forth between Enas and Alicia’s vocals, acting as the chorus. The flute comes back in the middle along with some drawn out chords and notes. It is a section that reminds me of old school Prog such as Genesis, Moody Blues, or Camel.
“The Amber Line” is the song that is most reminiscent to Duncan’s work in Anathema and Antimatter. A guitar driven track with a dark melody and a duo throughout from Duncan and Enas. I love how their vocals pair and build together throughout the piece. It has a stronger emphasis on the lyrics, as previous tracks had words that fluttered around. This one’s are precise and upfront. The layering and effects are fantastic, and the second half is a dark yet beautiful test of patience as the guitar melody repeats and the vocals come in and out of the track.
The last song is also the title track. “Grace Road” is a 5 minute instrumental that is a somber way to part with the record. Starting with just piano, the strings come in a minute later, and then choir like vocals after that. It continues to build in this way, sounding like something straight out of The Lord of the Rings, till it comes to its final note.
Each of these songs provides something special to the album, making the whole experience cohesive, relaxing, and introspective. It should be no surprise at this stage in his career that Duncan knows how to compose, but at this stage, he has found a wonderful balance between his family time to become self reliant, and release gorgeous pieces of music on his own, with the help of a few friends. It is a fantastic release, and I am proud to have contributed even a small amount to it. To listen, you can go to his bandcamp or message me (comment below) for free download codes!
The thrilling conclusion to the my last post. As stated in my previous entry (I suggest reading that one before reading this one), I have taken liberty with some terms, and essentially combined what some would call Neo-Prog (new bands influenced by 70s Prog) and Post-Prog (bands inspired by other styles that have progressive tendencies) together to make a more cohesive list.
Aside from that, Nothing else new needs to be said so let’s get right to it! Starting at #9!
9. Riverside – Second Life Syndrome
Riverside are Poland’s greatest progressive export, and picking an album by the was actually even harder than picking one by The Flower Kings. I love every album by these guys equally. Every album so far has shown a different side of this multi-faced band. So I tried going with the one that I felt covered all the bases, while still demonstrating the Riverside sound.
Their debut Out of Myself shows the boys at their most Pink Floyd with a soft and delicate sound on most tracks. Rapid Eye Movement introduced a dark electronic sound. Anno Domino High Definition was their most compact and frantically paced, while Shrine of New Generation Slaves was their most organically classic rock. And Love, Fear, and The Time Machine is probably their best choice as most balanced.
But Second Life Syndrome will always be the essential Riverside album in my mind. Taking the ambience from their debut and adding in inspirations from Tool and Dream Theater, this album is a monster of a listen. From the iconic intro (“After”) into an all out showcase of what this band is capable of (“Volte-Face”) and then bringing it down with a beautiful ballad like “Conceiving You”, they are only mentally preparing you for the 15+ minute masterpiece that is the title track. Divided into three parts, it is everything you love about the band: relatable lyrics, aggression, emotional soft spots, and an experimental jam session.
The second half is equally impressive with another ballad (“I Turned You Down”), a progressive instrumental (“Reality Dream III”), another epic track (“Dance with the Shadow”), and the fragile but intense outro “Before”. You can’t go wrong with this insanely talented band, but I always return to this one as my personal favorite by them.
8. Neal Morse – Sola Scriptura
I already made the Genesis connection with my Spock’s Beard review in part 1 of this list. But I’ll reiterate it here. When Neal Morse left the band, they got drummer Nick to replace him on vocals. And Neal’s solo career has done as well as “The Beard” as they’ve continued on their way, like Peter Gabriel’s did. The big difference is obviously that Neal’s solo career incorporates Christian Rock, after finding Jesus, detailed on his Testimony albums. And Neal has balanced his time between Christian solo albums, and Prog solo albums, among other projects.
I know many people who get turned off by the Christian aspect, but they are missing out on some really great music. And it doesn’t get better than his concept album about the life of Martin Luther. This 4 song album contains three epics (2 of them passing the 20 minute mark) and one lone ballad. Fans of Neal’s work won’t be surprised by either. He is a master of multi-part epics with all his projects (“So Many Roads” from Lifeline and “World Without End” from Momentum almost helped pushed their respective albums on this list alone!), and his albums usually contain at least one orchestral/emotional ballad to provide a breath between all the prog.
This particular albums contains some of the heaviest riffs and moments that Neal has ever been a part of, as well as some of the most incredible melodic and simultaneously technical musicianship that you will ever come across. This is thanks to an all star cast consisting of Randy George on bass, Mike Portnoy on drums, and Paul Gilbert on occasional guitar solos. Everyone gets their moment to shine. Neal gets his keyboard and piano solos, Randy has his aptly titled “jam”, and Paul’s three sections are among the highlights.
To try breaking down each section would be too long. This album is full of memorable melodies, brilliant transitions, and some of the best performances these musicians have ever put to record (and with their extensive individual histories, that’s saying something!). I invite you to get past the lyrics if Christianity or talk of God is not your thing, because the musicianship will astound you, and Neal’s sense of composition will leave you all feeling warm inside. From the overture to the last lines of the album, this album is perfection.
7. Frost* – Milliontown
How do I follow up such bold allegations on my last review? With the brilliant debut of one of the most under-appreciated bands on this list. That being said, this band might have the most to do (besides Marillion) with the actual definition of Neo-Prog, since many of the people who have played in it have also been members of Arena, IQ, It Bites, and Pendragon. So how did Frost* come to be?
It was formed by Jem Godfrey who is more known as a producer responsible for many British #1 hits such as “Whole Again” by Atomic Kitten. But Jem showed his own chops when Frost* released this album in 2006. Frost* has changed lineups, broken up, reformed, and changed sounds on each of their albums, and while their second one Experiments in Mass Appeal might actually be my personal favorite by them (I tend to flip flop back and forth), I can’t deny the mastery of the album that started it all.
It all starts with “Hyperventilate”, a 7 and a half minute jam session with equal parts of melodies and technicality. “No Me No You” starts off almost sounding punk before going into an explosive chorus. “Snowman” is a ballad that shows that what makes this album so brilliant is the production. The songs would sound simple if it wasn’t the ever present electronic elements filling up the empty space. And the tones Jem gets out of his keyboard are unreal.
The other brilliant trick is going back and forth between John’s warm vocals and Jem’s sharp ones. “The Other Me” picks it up again, starting with some interesting blues slides. “Black Light Machine” is a masterpiece, with one of the greatest guitar solos of all time (easily a top 10 for me) and its unique multi-part structure is a roller coaster of emotions. But it all leads up to the 26 and a half minute title track, that starts with a perfect movie soundclip to set the stage, and goes through a serious of memorable sections that rivals any of Neal Morse’s 20+ minute epics. Not bad for a band’s debut album!
6. Transatlantic – The Whirlwind
What is the formula for an album to beat some of the already incredible albums on this list? Easy. You make a supergroup featuring 4 band members that have already been on this list, with other bands of course. Transatlantic is the incredible combination of Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Pete Trewavas from Marillion and Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings. This is their third album, and honestly, their 2nd one, Bridge Across Forever could have easily been its place. That album is structure very similar to Sola Scriptura. 4 songs, 3 epics (2 over 20 minutes), repeated themes and motifs throughout, and the lone orchestral ballad. So, why did I choose this one?
The Whirlwind is something all its own. This 77+ minute epic song is split up into 12 parts, each of them memorable on their own, but of course this album is accomplished off of the sum of all its parts rather anything individually. Every member of this band is familiar with concept albums, and every member is familiar with “suite” composition. So it’s no surprise how well all the parts fit together.
From the “Overture” and the uplifting “Whirlwind”, to the gorgeous “The Wind Blew Them All Away”. Through the jam session of “On the Prowl”, the Flower Kings sounding “A Man Can Feel”, and the Spock’s Beard sounding “Rose Covered Glasses”. And onwards through the dark and emotional “Is it Really Happening?” to the grand finale of “Dancing with Eternal Glory” and the “Whirlwind Reprise”. It is an absolute ride.
It is a band that utilizes all the strengths of all the members. All 4 provide vocals at different times. Mike’s drums sound organic and full. Roine and Neal fully take command with their alternating vocal styles as well as their well thought out guitar and keyboard solos. And Pete always knows when to shine through, either with his warm vocal tone or standout bass tone. And for those of us in the year 2020, it seems like they will be revisiting this album’s style and structure on their next album in 2021, so be on the lookout for that!
5. Steven Wilson – Grace for Drowning
Where do I start with summarizing my love for all things Steven Wilson? Most known for his work in Porcupine Tree, Steven has had a career some of us can only dream about. Between No-Man, Blackfield, Bass Communion, Continuum, IEM, Storm Corrosion, and his solo career (not to mention his guest appearance amd wonderful remixes of classic albums), he has had the ability to work with some of the greatest musicians on the planet, experiment, and satisfy all his creative desires in regards to different styles of music. From prog, to pop, to drone, he has done it all. And while his fans cry for the return of Porcupine Tree, his solo albums have pushed him into uncharted territory.
I struggled between this and Hand.Cannot.Erase, which would probably be the fan favorite. And why not? It was a brilliant concept album inspired by a documentary of a true story and contains some of the most exciting moments he’s ever done. However, Grace for Drowning is still my personal favorite, so I’m going for it.
The beauty of this album is that it is 2 albums, both around 40 minutes each. Steven listened to his own advice and didn’t make an album of emotional depth too long. Instead, he split up the songs, creating two well-crafted albums, each with their own unique flow. They both start with contrasting instrumental build ups (the gorgeous and lush title track and the haunting “Bella de Jour”, named after one of my favorite movies).
“Sectarian” is a dark and heavy jam session, showing off the chops of the incredibly talented musicians. I forgot to mention that Steven has quite the group of guys backing him up on these discs (Jordan Rudess on keys, Theo Travis on flute and sax, Tony Levin AND Nick Beggs on bass, Steve Hackett from Genesis, Trey Gunn AND Pat Mastelotto from King Crimson, as well as others). Each album has its own gorgeous title track (“Deform to Form a Star” and “Like Dust I Have Cleared From Eyes”), which are the first song with lyrics and the last song on the last album, respectively.
“No Part of Me” is an electronic based song with a dark and heavy second half. Similarly, “Track One” is an acoustic piece with a surprising dark ambient second half. “Postcard” is the typical gorgeous but sad Steven ballad. But it is the darkest moments that really set this album apart: The uncomfortable industrial sounding “Index”, the hypnotic dark jazz “Remainder the Black Dog” and the centerpiece, the 23+ minute “Raider II” about the BTK killer. Steven brilliant introduces the motif on disc 1 with its 2 minute prelude, which simultaneously acts as a break for that album. But when it comes back, it’s a full force song of heavy riffs, flute solos, anxiety raising quiet moments, and quite possibly Steven’s heaviest vocal delivery (aside from Porcupine Tree’s “Futile”).
If you haven’t heard this one in a while, it demands another spin. I guarantee, you’ve forgotten how good this one is.
4. Anathema – Weather Systems
I think the greatest irony of this album being so high is that Anathema has never considered themselves Prog. In fact, aside from Pink Floyd, the members admit to never growing up with bands like Rush or King Crimson. And yet, they constructed an album that is so perfectly a Prog-like concept album, that it became one of my top 2 favorite albums of all time. If I had to do “desert island pick”, BTBAM Colors would be my heavy pick and this would be my soft pick. Unfortunately, I had to leave behind my personal bias, and rate this fairly.
Anathema started out as a death/doom metal band, and over the years slowly transitioned from goth, to alternative rock, to this gorgeous blend of orchestral rock. Having more in common with Coldplay and Radiohead than Jethro Tull and Genesis, they released a string of albums from 2010 to 2014 that in my opinion is hard to beat. And while We’re Here Because We’re Here and Distant Satellites are just hairs below in my opinion, this album has a beauty that is just unmatched.
The overall theme simultaneously compares the the loss of a loved one with the changing of the seasons. Comparing the powerful emotions felt between two connected human being with the powerful effects of Mother Nature conjures up a ton of beautiful imagery. And the music and the lyrics work hand in hand to compliment the touchings of such a heartfelt subject. It starts with the two part “Untouchable”, in a brilliant format that they recreated on their next album with “The Lost Song”. Starting off with an in your face acoustic melody, it is a string of upbeat emotional melodies building up to a climax. When the song drops, part two comes in, and a ballad version based on the melody and lyrics is sung, first by Daniel (male) and then by Lee (female). This call and response is like a communication with the other side.
“The Gathering of Clouds” returns to the fast paced, almost frantic acoustic style and the transition into “Lightning Song” is genius. This song showcases Lee’s ethereal vocal style with some of the best harmonies and a huge ending. “Sunlight” brings it down for a bit, but the incredible balance of post rock, indie, hard rock, and folk keeps you on your toes. “The Storm Before the Calm” breaks all that with a dark turn from left field, with its hypnotic electronic element.
“The Beginning and the End” and “The Lost Child” counter all the brightness of the early songs, almost like the winter of the album. It shows their goth influence but in a more mature way than that of their early albums. They’ve got beauty, restraint, and a blistering guitar solo by Danny in the former, while the latter ends with some vocals in the stratosphere. This all leads to one of the best ending songs I can think of.
“Internal Landscapes” starts with a soundclip of a man recounting his “near death experience” before the band comes in and ties the album all together with its final lyrics, “I was always there, and I will always be there”, sending you off with a feeling of peace and hope. All in all, one of the most emotional experiences and one of the best ways to spend 55 minutes of your life.
3. The Mars Volta – Francis the Mute
One of the more well known bands on this list, The Mars Volto broke through the mainstream despite their eclectic and experimental sound. One of two bands formed from post-hardcore band At The Drive In, this new project allowed the band to branch out into more progressive territories. They famously stated wanting their debut to sound like Pink Floyd’s Piper at the Gates of Dawn, and while that’s not the album that comes to my mind, an hour long concept album was not a bad start for them!
Utilizing the incredible flow of the first album, they tried a different approach with their second album, and this is where they really shined. Frances the Mute at heart is a 5 song album, though the title track did get left off and the last song was split up on CD and Digital versions. But this album’s structure has always reminded me of another classic Prog record: In the Court of the Crimson King. So if you’ll indulge me, let me explain.
Frances the Mute starts with a bang. After lulling you in, it surprises you with its blend of jazz, hard rock, avant-garde, and Prog. It alternates between English and Spanish lyrics and has some of the most unique dynamic transitions of any album on this list. There are long ambient transitions between each song, including analog style tape warping and loops. If “Cygnus” is this album’s “21st Century Schizoid Man” with its heavy jazz, then it brings things down with its 2nd track ballad “The Widow”.
And while it may sound nothing like “I Talk to the Wind”, it creates the same effect. At heart, “The Widow” is an ambient blues jam, with a ripping solo to prove it. Things pick back up with “L’Via”, a heavy but catchy song with Latin rhythms and a haunting soft section. And again, has nothing remotely to do with King Crimson’s masterpiece “Epitaph”, they both have that middle album boost, because track 4 in both cases, are where things get really similar.
“Moonchild” and “Miranda” both start off with few quiet lyrics before extended tinkering sessions, or in Volta’s case, their attempt at a Spaghetti Western. In both cases, an unexpected hit signifies the fifth in final track; in Crimson’s case, the epic title track, and in Volta’s case, the 33 minute “Cassandra”. Cassandra might not be the band’s signature song, but it is epic beyond all belief. Flute and saxophone solos that would make Crimson happy, multi-part sections, and a fusion of genres inspired by albums like Bitches Brew by Miles Davis.
The point of this comparison is not to show that they cheated. It’s to show that despite mainstream success, The Volta’s forward thinking approach and unique combination of sounds ties everything together, just like it did when Crimson came out with their groundbreaking approach in the late 60s. This is a monster of an album and deserves to be on a list alongside more “traditional” Prog bands like Marillion. Not to mention it has Flea from the Chili Peppers playing trumpet, John Frusciante on two guitar solos, and cover art by the late great Storm Thergerson. What more do you want?!
2. Radiohead – Ok Computer
If you were to look at the song lengths of this next album alone, you’d think I was crazy for putting this so high on a Prog list. But there’s just no denying the importance of OkComputer. Radiohead is without a doubt the most well known band on this list, but have always tried to find a way to push or reinvent themselves with every release. When this album came out in 1997, grunge and Brit pop were all the rage. And while this album has elements of both, it’s progressive tendencies introduced a whole new generation of music listeners to forward thinking styles of music.
Referred to as “The Dark Side of the Moon of the 90s”, it really does feel like a revamped version of the themes tackled on that classic album. To all the things that already made us go crazy (war, time, money, literal mental illness), we could now add the growing developments of computers and the foundations of cyber wars, fear of micro-chips, chat rooms and eventual social media groundwork, as well as substance abuse of any kind of mind altering narcotic, and so much more. And the music pushed all this.
Between Thom York’s slightly off, but also hypnotic vocals and the wide range of guitar tones and production techniques, the band was in the perfect balance between their early guitar-driven rock and their later experimental/electronic phase. Starting off with “Airbag”, drawing you in gently with a slightly upbeat rhythm the way “Planet Telex” did on their previous release, it is an introduction to the kinds of weird tones and unique melodies that you’re in for. But that all changes with “Paranoid Android”.
Possibly one of the greatest songs of all time, it is a dark, nihilistic journey through 3 distinct sections with some of the best transitions I’ve ever heard in my life. Think of it as a grunge “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Not operatic, but just as exciting. “Subterranean Homesick Alien”, a play on a Bob Dylan song name, is an ethereal tune with some of nicest use of octaves on a guitar (alongside “Killing in the Name of” by RATM). “Exit Music (For a Film)” is one of the saddest sounding songs I can think of, which is unusual placement before the catchy “Let Down”, but somehow works.
“Karma Police” is a classic everyone has probably heard with a chord progression straight from “Sexy Sadie” by The Beatles. Next is a brief interlude spoken by “Microsoft Fred” (Im dating myself by remembering this) before picking up with “Electioneering”, the most rocking song on the album. “Climbing Up the Ways” is a “wall of sound” style song with elements of drone, trip hop, dub, and punk. “No Surprises” is a ballad that plays around with pop music of the 50s and 60s, conjuring up the “white picket fence American dream”.
“Lucky” is another dark ballad, with beautiful use of Mellotron sounding choirs, tremolo, slide guitar, and a soaring solo, and in that sense, probably has the most to do with Prog aside from “Paranoid Android”. It all ends with “The Tourist”, which has a slight jazz feel to it. Like the lyrics, everything “slows down” and gently lulls the listener to a full and complete stop before it is ok to take off their seatbelts or lap bar restraint. And though the songs aren’t your traditional “prog songs” it’s hard to deny the diversity and thought process involved.
With influences ranging from Bitches Brew by Miles Davis, to Elvis Costello, to REM, to PJ Harvey, to CAN, The Beach Boys, even Ennio Morricone, Radiohead (as Steven Wilson once described) “snuck up” on music journalists with ambitious albums that proved that concept albums could be cool again. And if it wasn’t for Ok Computer, we probably wouldn’t have had this next one…
1. Porcupine Tree – Fear of a Blank Planet
I tried to balance this list with influence, mainstream appeal, ambition, uniqueness, as well as personal bias. That being said, there was no way this wasn’t going to be #1. One of my top 5 favorite albums of all time, and Steven Wilson’s second appearance on this list. If Ok Computer was Dark Side of the 90s, here’s Ok Computer of the 2000s.
By 2007, Porcupine Tree had already released a string of great albums and were getting more and more popular with every tour. What once was a joke side project for Steven while he worked in No-Man had now become his main focus. In Absentia and Deadwing were already being viewed as modern classics and were going to be hard to top. But while both of those albums balanced the pop aspects with their new found appreciation for heavy metal (courtesy of working with Opeth and the discovery of Meshuggah), Fear of a Blank Planet (a nod to the famous album by Public Enemy) pushed them into darker territories.
Fear of a Blank Planet is a concept album based on the book Lunar Park by author Bret Easton Ellis (famous for Less Than Zero and American Psycho). It’s lyrics describe a lost generation stumbling around malls with no real direction in life. Self medicating with prescription pills or other forms of drugs, as well as alcohol and sex just to pass the time. It is a dark and nihilistic look at growing problems with a generation raised on social media and only knows of what they are shown. In other words, the album does justice to the Bret Easton Ellis writing style.
The 6 song album is paced beautifully, taking hints from the Court of the Crimson King structure I mentioned above. The first song is the title track, which might be the most punk rock sounding song the band has ever done. Aggressive guitar playing, in your face lyrics, a Robert Fripp style guitar solo, Gavin’s incredible drum fills scattered throughout, and Colin’s bass and Richard’s keys filling in all the empty space gracefully.
The second song is a simple ambient ballad called “My Ashes” providing breathing room between the monster third track “Anesthetize”. This three part song is “Paranoid Android” on steroids. They both start with mid tempo sections and unusual chord progressions, the middle section is by far the heaviest, with some truly crushing riffs seemingly coming out of nowhere, and the last section is the soft reflective moment.
“Sentimental” was originally going to be another multi-part song before being cut down to a second ballad to provide more rest before the last two songs. It is among the catchiest Porcupine Tree choruses. “Way Out of Here” starts out soft before blasting with a string chorus. impressive middle section, and another fantastic guitar solo. And “Sleep Together” is one of the darkest songs by the band, with its unusual sounds, Middle Eastern and Indian influence, and climatic buildup towards the end. A fitting finale.
I’m tempted to break it down more and talk about every little thing I love on it, but it is best experienced as a whole. It perfectly encompasses the pop sensibilities of bands like Coheed, Dear Hunter, Radiohead, and Mars Volta, while equally paying tribute to the Prog that has come before it. Influenced from 70s bands like King Crimson, Rush, and Pink Floyd, while balancing modern influences like Tool and Nine Inch Nails, and even incorporating electronic and industrial music like Tangerine Dream and Massive Attack. It is one of the most perfectly balanced albums I can think of.
ANTIMATTER is a British rock band that uses elements of progressive rock, gothic rock, and trip hop to create a style that is not quite rock and not quite metal. It is the longtime project of British musician Mick Moss, who formed the project in 1997 with Duncan Patterson (former member of Anathema). Together they released three albums before Patterson left to form a new band. Moss continued the project and released two album called Leaving Eden in 2007 and Fear Of A Unique Identity in 2012. Recently, ANTIMATTER, released their sixth album, The Judas Table, in October of 2015. The album is a concept album that explores the ideas of bad energy that is left in the human psyche after falling in and out of relationships with toxic people, and the betrayal, lies, and manipulation that come with it. According to Moss, the idea for this album and the idea for their previous album came simultaneously after Leaving Eden, however musically this album is a continuation of the previous album, and this is obvious due to the high presence of electronic and new wave influences. The album starts with Black Eyed Man, a beautifully constructed song with a lot of emotion in the vocals, guitar playing, and strings playing in the background. Killer is a little bit more electronic focused than the previous song. Comrades is an acoustic focused song that is much more reminiscent to early ANTIMATTER albums, specifically Planetary Confinement. Stillborn Empires is a much more aggressive song that builds up towards the end and climaxes with beautiful and powerful female vocals. The rest of the album continues to show ANTIMATTER’s balance between the traits featured in the previous songs, while never getting boring, and never losing their cinematic edge. This album will go highly unnoticed, which is an absolute shame. Mick Moss and company put a lot of time and effort into this release, and the output is one of the best melancholic albums in recent memory.
Review originally posted on Nocturnal Hall Magazine. Link to the original can be found here.
View of the Sunrise 