Rivers of Nihil were one of the American technical death metal bands that seemed to be a direct response to the tech death bands from before (the early 2000s to 2010) switching gears from more traditional death metal or metalcore to space themes and ambient moments, such as The Faceless and Obscura. Those bands in turn made their change in response to the originators of tech death changing to more philosophical themes such as Cynic and Atheist. And around this time, it wasn’t just death metal, but Prog as well, as Devin Townsend and Opeth finding their softer sides. So with this line of bands following each other footsteps, was it surprising that Rivers of Nihil would change from their tradition death metal to incorporating psychedelic elements on 2018’s Owls Know My Name?
The simple answer is no. By then, saxophone had well found it’s way into tech death, including on albums by The Faceless. But aside from what some might dismiss as a gimmick, the songwriting on that album was absolutely solid, and it was a joy of an album to explore. Their follow-up however, surprised even me, not only how good it was, but also how much ground they explore and territory they masterfully cover. Let’s dig in to 2021’s The Work.
Between the release of their of previous album, three major things (that I know of) happened for the band:
1. The release of Owls helped the band get to a point where they could tour for a living.
2. The success of Owls created a pressure for the band’s follow up, something they had not experienced at this kind of level before.
3. The COVID 19 Pandemic put all of that to a halt, much like it did for the rest of the world.
These newfound experiences put the idea of “work” into context for the band, something they explore thoroughly over the course of this 64+ minute record. Without going too much into the concept, it’s not just the actual work we go to in order to support ourselves and our families, but the work our body does everyday to keep us alive, the work we put into relationships, all the work that goes on in our world and in ourselves every second of every day. The band chooses to start this album on a theatrical note. The soft opening is not surprising, and it brings up memories of Autotheism by The Faceless. But what it lacks in memorability as opposed to that one, it makes up for setting the stage for this dramatic endeavor. The subtle change from major to minor key, the background vocals, and train like sound effects all help the song build up to a huge climax. The song comes back down, only to go straight into………
The huge and heavy riffs of “Dreaming Black Clockwork”. This song is equal parts djent from Meshuggah, industrial elements and vocals like Devin Townsend, and “black jazz” like the band Shining, thanks to the comping style of the saxophone. It has a soft and mysterious middle section that only returns to the heavy riffs. This is a great introductory track to the mechanical tones of this album in comparison to their previous ones. It also shows how the band break away from the saxophone as a soloing instrument, and instead as a flowing and continuous part of the ambiance of the album.
If the previous song reminded me of Devin Townsend at his heavier moments, “Wait” reminds me of some of his more tender moments. It is an odd follow up to have a softer song immediately after the previous one, but I think that jarring transition is exactly what the band was going for. After some screams in the middle and a classic rock climax with a bluesy solo, and transitions into the darker “Focus”. I love the dynamics in this song, from the bass heavy verse, to the middle eastern sounding guitar riff of the chorus.
“Clean” has some memorable heavy riffs and screamed vocal lines, but the star of the show is a psychedelic synth solo and bluesy guitar solo that comes perfectly in the middle of it all.“The Void From Which No Sound Comes” combines the industrial and ambient elements of “Focus” with a massive chorus and a perfectly executed saxophone solo. “MORE?” Is the most aggressive song on the album musically, lyrically, and vocally, and it interestingly transitions to a reprise of the intro track, appropriately named “Tower 2”.
“Episode” starts off like doom metal you’d expect from the band Swallow the Sun, and is greatly contrasted with its heavy parts that sound more like the band Behemoth. It has a few masterful guitar solos as well as an emotional climax with the repeated lyrics “Do the Work”. They close the album out with a pair of epic tracks. The first is the gorgeous 7 minutes ballad “Maybe One Day” which is simultaneously hopeful and questioning, climaxing with a slide guitar solo and the repeated lyrics “Is this the only way?”. The last song is the progressive metal masterpiece “Terrestria IV: Work” which weaves through so many twists and turns, finally culminating with our familiar lyric, “Do the work”.
Overall, some transitions from heavy songs to soft songs may be questionable, but they were definitely the intent of the band nonetheless. It with everything else on this album meticulously crafted, it would be hard to imagine that wasn’t the case. Still, it is a small gripe if I had to choose gripes. The album is an incredible experience from start to finish. Every song has merit and memorable sequences. I may have gotten around to this album late, but it has been one of my favorite recent experiences, and I would highly recommend it to any fan of metal, Prog, tech death, or even jazz, as it will surely be one of those albums that bridges the gap for listeners who are typically not into extreme metal, much like Cynic and Meshuggah have done.
This was perhaps one of my most anticipated albums in quite sometime. However, as a Steven Wilson fan, I also knew not to expect an album like anything that came before it. This is a review of thee long awaited reunion album of one of the most loved Prog bands.
Porcupine Tree went on hiatus in 2010, at the height of their popularity, so that founding member/singer/songwriter Steven Wilson could focus on his solo career. Much has been said over the years, and without turning this into a “he said/he said”, let’s just focus on 2022. The band announced a new album, without the inclusion of former bassist Colin Edwin. The trio (Gavin Harrison on drums, Richard Barbieri along with Steven also fulfilling bass duties) have left their fate open to interpretation. Is this the swan song PT fans never got, or a sign that there’s more PT to come? I think the upcoming tour will determine that. But in the meantime, let’s talk about the new music!
4 tracks were released ahead of times as singles. I listened to the first two (the first two tracks on the album), before waiting to hear the rest in one sitting. Hearing songs out of context can always be underwhelming, and with so much riding on this album in my mind, I was already feeling that way about the first two. I wanted to give the rest a fair chance. I’m happy to say that doing so has changed my mind about these tracks.
The album starts with “Harridan”. This 8 minute song begins with a funky bass riff, similar to Primus. This style of bass playing already clashes with the soft full tone you would expect from Colin, but is more in line with Nick Beggs work on “Luminol” from Steven’s solo album The Raven That Refused to Sing. Gavin and Richard’s style are immediately evident. Gavin’s complex yet clear and precise drumming suiting the groove, and Richard’s ambient keyboard tones filling in the empty space. It is an upbeat and driving tune, with a very quick chorus. Tonal wise I loved it, but felt like it didn’t have a hook. Steven’s distorted vocals was a welcome return, and it has a wonderful soft middle section for contrast. Upon repeated listens, I realized the chorus had a better hook than I initially realized, and as an opener and reintroduction to the band, it is a definite success.
“Of the New Day” was the second single released and while it showed the ballad style that Porcupine Tree has always incorporated into their albums, having it second after such a big opener seemed like a drop in momentum. Also, the quick changing of odd time signatures seemed to make the pace more frantic, for what could have been a simple and beautiful song. The time changes become second nature with repeated listenings, and an upbeat middle section makes it so that you have already covered a lot of ground with these two tracks alone. I still would have loved to have seen a more stripped down version of this song later in the track list personally, but I can easily see it becoming a fan favorite.
“Rats Return” is one of my favorite tracks on the album. While the band has walked the line between Prog Rock and Prog Metal (starting with In Absentia in 2001), this song sees the band at their most full on Prog Metal. Starting with a riff worthy of Dream Theater or Haken, it quiets during the verse to the strange and ambient sound we know and love from Porcupine Tree, especially on the Fear of a Blank Planet album. While the riffs and dynamic transitions give the impression of complexity, the structure itself is very simple, and it includes all three members doing with they do best which is why I love it so much.
“Dignity” is kind of what I wanted “Of the New Day” to be as the second track, though it works quite well in the middle of the album as well. It is a delicate and beautiful song, that takes its time to build up, and has some wonderful harmonies, melodies, and lyrics. I especially love the classic rock riff after the chorus. It blends old and new quite well with the mellotron sound of the 60s meeting Muse like keyboard sounds in its bridge. It also has one of Steven’s best guitar solos over an electronic drum beat before returning to the song, and the huge finish at the very end is an added bonus. This song will sound massive live.
“Herd Culling” has similar issues for me as “Of the New Day”. It is a heavy track with glimpses of the last two songs of Fear of a Blank Planet, and should be on the same level as “Rats Return” for me in theory. But these two songs are some of the rare occasions where I feel like the band focused more on odd time signatures than suiting the song (something, Steven has often said is never his focus). The time signatures in my opinion make the song too frantic (something that is obviously it’s intention), but take away from the heavy riffs, throughout or the great vocal melodies in the middle of the song. Maybe it’s just my ear struggling to hear the rhythm, but as a fan of lots of complex bands and songs, these gripes are not something I expected to have on this record.
“Walk the Plank” is possibly the most straight forward song on the album, but it’s also very effective because of that. It incorporates the electronic and industrial elements of “Bonnie the Cat” and the title track off of The Incident with the funky grooves of “Eminent Sleaze” off of Steven’s most recent solo album The Future Bites. It is a great song to place on the second half of the album because it is amongst the darker and more complex tracks, but it does not lose the overall feeling of them.
“Chimera’s Wreck” is the epic closer, clocking in at 9 minutes and 40 seconds. If “Dignity” was the more uplifting counterpart of the 1960s Prog inspired songs on the album, “Chrimera’s” is the sadder and darker tune. With a Genesis like arpeggiated guitar intro and an ethereal call and response during the verses, the lyrics are amongst the saddest lyrics; a bold statement for a man who has made a career exploring that side of the spectrum. The main hook contains the lyrics, “I’m afraid to be happy and I couldn’t care less if I was to die”. This hook builds up with great bass playing and Gentle Giant like wordless vocals. This is followed by great riffing, a guitar, falsettos, and an abrupt ending.
Every song on this album has merit, and in total, it is probably the band’s most progressive AND most metal album. However, the flow of the album is not nearly is good as that of the last few releases by the band, and once it is over, you struggle to remember exactly what it is that you have listened to. Repeated listens will obviously help with this, and every song would be amazing to see live. But as a complete album, I have trouble seeing it in the same realm as Fear of a Blank Planet or even The Incident. Plus, some of the bonus tracks from the deluxe edition were great and could have helped the album with flow and pacing. And as a fan, I’m tired of dishing out $100+ for a few extra tracks that should have been on the finished product. But with all my complaints, it is wonderful to have new PT in the world, and I’m hoping it won’t be the last.
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!
Cult of Luna by the time of this release had already established themselves as one of the “big three” of Post Metal alongside legendary bands Isis and Neurosis. They are known for their consistency and forward thinking approach. For me, they had already been a part of two of my favorite albums of all time, with Vertikal and Mariner (alongside American vocalist Julie Christmas). But their previous albums were no slouch either.
Following those two albums couldn’t have been easy, and I may have been tough on reviewing the follow up, 2019’s A Dawn to Fear and the companion EP, 2021’s The Raging River, which both did grow on me with repeated listens. But sometimes the biggest problem with ambient types of music is that it can get lost in the ambience, and forget about the song at its core. This is not the case with the shorter songs with clean vocals the band has every release for some time now, but some of the longer songs that have great riffs, but ultimately sound very similar.
Following quickly after those two releases, I hoped that this one would have a little more diversity, and while that’s not exactly what I found, I did connect with it a bit faster than with the previous two releases.
First and foremost, the album name, track listing, and album art are quintessential Cult of Luna atmosphere, so much so that you can’t believe it already hadn’t happened. For a band who has traveled musically and lyrically through countryside, cities, and even space, a journey through snow and barren lands is the perfect setting for their cold, dark, moody feel.
“Cold Burn” opens the album much like “The Silent Man” did for A Dawn to Fear and “Three Bridges” for The Raging River. It’s a driving song with brief melodic moments. But what they brilliantly do here is lull you into a false sense of security. When “The Silver Arc” comes in right after with a similar sense of urgency, you think it’s gonna be more of the same. But when it’s beautiful droning middle section complete with a bright bass tone you would hear on a record by The Cure or Tool appears, it hypnotizes you.
“Beyond I” the first surprise of the album comes at the perfect time. I shouldn’t say surprise since soft songs on their album are becoming expected, as well as guest vocalists, but they are what I look forward to since they provide so much needed contrast. Mariam Wallentin’s voice is haunting on this keyboard driven track with no drums. It reminds me of AA Williams, especially on her split with Mono. The band intelligently follow this up with the slow building “An Offering to the Wind”. With the tension and atmosphere of a Western film, the flow of the album starts to take shape, with its peaks and valleys mimicking the very landscape it describes.
After it’s epic climax, the album brings itself down again with the ballad “Into the Night”. Whereas “Beyond I” was more electronic and industrial driven, this one continues the country and western feel the band started on the previous track. It starts slow and brooding, building half way in to a full band ballad, with very unusual chord progressions. It reminds me of Radiohead almost, due to a mellotron keyboard tone, and a crooning vocal style. It is a different style for the band. Very ambient, and it shows their continued confidence in the variety of clean vocals. And while the sporadic appearances on these track listings don’t signify a complete change, this middle dip of forward thinking songs bookended by the heavier, driving tracks is what gives this album its wonderful and consistent flow.
Continuing with this thought process, the band does not just randomly pick it back up with immediate heaviness and urgency. They slowly build it up once more time with the short instrumental “Full Moon”, a beautiful blend of the country and western feel of the last two songs, with the electronic/industrial keyboard heavy tones of “Beyond I” all mixed together. The subtle changes of tone yet constant flashbacks to past themes gives this album cohesion, and flows perfect into “The Long Road Home”, which starts with some incredible slide guitar work.
Eventually the title track brings that intensity felt on the first two songs. The band really take their time on this album, in the best possible way. The title track is filled with fantastic dynamics and the production really shines on this one as you hear layering that simultaneously make you think of the cityscapes of Vertikal, the space of Mariner, and the countryside of Somewhere Along the Highway. Aside from obvious post metal references, bands and projects like Agalloch, NIN, Author and Punisher also come to mind.
“Blood Upon the Stone” the last real song and second longest song, acts as an epic closer, and doesn’t take as long as “An Offering to the Wild” to get going. Using the momentum from the previous track, it gets right into it. The extended middle section with delayed guitars, consistent drumming and subtle keyboard tones turns into an explosion of dissonant and post rock goodness. The vocals return over a repeated melody a builds to an incredible climax worthy of finishing off this group of songs. But Cult of Luna don’t leave you hanging.
The album officially closes with “Beyond II”, which is an ambient piece of drone, classical, and industrial, all mixed together. It was created alongside Colin Stetson who also helped provide soundscapes on “An Offering to the Wild”. Normally I’m not the biggest fan of instrumental ambient noise closing out an album. But after such a massive track and complete journey, I can see the need for it here. It eventually fades out, and leaves you ready to re-experience it all.
It’s always hard for a band to live up to a fan favorite. And while Cult of Luna might be in the fortunate position to not have one distinct one, they have certainly created a mountain for themselves to climb over on each new release. But the band gives off the impression that they don’t care… in the sense that they have nothing to prove, and aren’t making albums for anyone in particular. They do what they want to. Some aspects of that are new, some are what they do best. But they’re not going to completely change over night for new fans, nor are they going to stay the same for the old ones. And each new release has something new to give, but it will always sound like Cult of Luna. It’s up to you how much you want to invest in finding the differences. But don’t expect to write it off entirely as just another new album by them.
Between the Buried and Me (BTBAM) released Colors in 2007, an album that would change my life and the way I thought about music. It also changed a lot for the band, helping them away from the metalcore scene they were forged in, to opening slots in Amphitheaters with the likes of Dream Theater and Opeth. Those who were brave enough to get past their long name knew of their progressive tendencies, and on this album, it was on full force, like nothing before it, and in my mind since it.
My love for that albums lies in its balance. Balance between heavy and soft sections. Balance between knowing when to take itself seriously and knowing when to surprise its audience. Balance on knowing how long to stay on a riff or a grove. Balance in its transitions. Perfect balance in its 8 unique and equally important parts, that flow through as one. A balance, that I search for in all albums, but is very rare to find.
So when BTBAM announce a sequel to this album, I don’t take it lightly. This album has a lot of weight on its shoulders, and I don’t want a quick and easy cash grab.
The first single “Fix the Error” immediately left a bad taste in my mouth, aside from some Colors like arpeggios and some drum solos (that I did not yet know were 4 different drummers). It was quirky. It was punk like. And it had a vocal part that continues to grind at me after many listens.
Not at all what I think of when I think of Colors.
“Revolution in Limbo” was the next single, and this one blew me away. It sounded like old BTBAM. As if I could have been on the original Colors album. With brief moments that sounded like Alaska as well as ones that could have been on The Great Misdirect. The balance was back. Metalcore riffs, sweeping guitar licks, transitions that made sense, a confidence in its sense of melody, and a 9 minute runtime that just flew by.
Now I was confused. And the next single didn’t help me out either! A keyboard driven proggy/funky, technical death metal song that sounded more like the bands BTBAM inspired rather than themselves. Something that could have been done by The Contortionist or White Arms of Athena, while still fitting right at home on a Tommy (vocalist) solo record. Now I have three very different songs and no clue, how it all comes together.
On my first listen to the whole album, I’ll be honest. I didn’t think it did. It felt like a bunch of different eras of BTBAM all fighting for seniority. I knew there were good moments and songs, but was ready to write a review about how the balance and melodies were severally lacking.
And then I listened to it some more.
And this long overwhelming album started making sense. Not only that, but it was flying by. And just because it didn’t have the same kind of standout melodies that the first Colors had, didn’t mean it didn’t have flow.
Flow became the word of the album, because I hadn’t realized until that point how much the flow was lacking on Automata and Coma Ecliptic. I’m not saying BTBAM forgot how to write an album. They’re obviously masters of that. But it wasn’t just songs connected by lyrics anymore. Musically, this album was making sense.
From the soft intro of “Monochrome” that we know to expect from them (starting with “Foam Born (A)” from Colors, to the subtle hints and similarities of “The Double Helix of Extinction” to “Foam Born B”. This song snd “Revolution in Limbo” are a ferocious double punch with drumming and guitar chugging that feels like an old friend returning, even though they’ve made a career out of it. Soon you start hearing references to all kinds of BTBAM songs. Is the drumming a reference to “Ants of the Sky”? The vocals a reference to “Lay Your Ghosts to Rest”? The melodic lines a reference to “Informal Gluttony” or “Extremophile Elite”? You start to wonder if they were intended or not. Standouts of the song are the growls (curtesy of drummer Blake), and Ants of the Sky saloon reference.
In the context of the record, “Fix the Error” comes at a perfect spot. Now that they’ve reintroduced the modern life and isolation themes of the first album, the theme of upbringing and revolution makes more sense. It truly becomes a time to celebrate (though I still hate the “if you see the rainbow” part).
“Never Seen/Future Shock” is an 11 minute epic with “Telos” like riffs, melodies, random medical sounding sections, but it also demonstrates something on this album. Not only their confidence, but their sense of fun is really blending so well here. Maybe cause they could reference themselves so much, or maybe cause the songwriting came more naturally. But these long songs with twists and turns don’t feel like they’re dragging on. Even after a section with crazy timing, it pays off with about 4 minutes of beauty.
“Stare into the Abyss” is a keyboard driven electronic track that we’ve come to expect from them, but it provides necessary breathing room and has a post-rock climax. This before the chaos of “Prehistory”, with its video game/cartoon sounds. It follows in the footsteps of “Bloom”, “Voice of Trespass”, and “The Ectopic Stroll”, for the fun section of the album.
If the first half of the album showed they could still pull up their older and heavier style at will, this second half shows their arsenal of tricks aren’t just gimmicks, and the transitions are phenomenal. “Bad Habits” is one of the most interesting tracks in my opinion because it’s got a strong old school Prog vibe. Hints of King Crimson, Genesis, even Gentle Giant scattered throughout their aggressive delivery. From the keyboard tones, jazz, folk, and classical, it is definitely a Dan (bassist) song, it brings out the best in Tommy, especially with its emotional delivery of lyrics like the return of “sleep on, fly on” from “Ants of the Sky”.
Then comes the aforementioned “The Future is Behind Us” which sounds so fun and welcoming in comparison, before moving on to “Turbulent”, which actually doesn’t live up to its name. In actuality, it is another moment of simplistic electronic keyboard parts, continuing what the previous track started while making references to other songs, bringing different ideas together. It just lets you get to the music while building up for what is to come. But before they do that, they actually drop out for a bit with “Sfumato”.
Like “Viridian” before it, the band provides breathing room before the epic closing track. It introduces what will be a main theme on the keyboard while giving off serious David Gilmour vibes, which you can never have enough off. This just leaves…
“Human is Hell”, which acts as the “White Walls” of the album. Starts off similar with a driving riff they actually borrow from TheGreatMisdirect. It follows a similar trajectory as “White Walls” but not without its surprises! The title of the song is said in a part that reminds me of “Digging the Graves” by The Faceless. The first few minutes are almost punishing in how heavy it comes off, and then the melodic chorus comes out of nowhere, almost bittersweet.
It’s impossible to say everything that happens in the song, let alone all the references. Halfway through the melodic melody from “Sfumato” comes back and introduces an extended soft section with beautiful lyrics, melodies, and solos. Then a familiar chord progression leads to a keyboard build up, similar to build ups we’ve seen in their epics before. You can already imagine the audience getting pumped up at this part for the big finish.
After a “Swim to the Moon” nod, a “Prequel to the Sequel” like breakdown, and mini drum solo, we have a brief soft part, before the final chorus. Once this ends, we have the brief major key guitar solo like seen on “Goodby to Everything (Reprise) and “The Grid”. This gives it a classical finale ending, as opposed the sorrowful one of “White Walls”. This is one of my few gripes because it feels like band is relying on it too much, but it is a short gripe for such a triumphant album.
It is so hard to condense writing about this long album with all its references, all it twists and turns, all its technicality, and all its musical sensibility. I fear this review might already be as long as the album itself. But to try and summarize, for someone who was so worried about a sequel to something they loved so much, it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. Then again, how do you expect a sequel to something that was so unexpected in the first place. But the band passed the test with flying colors, finding a confident way to pick and choose the best parts of their career without completely redoing it.
BTBAM has always had the unique ability of sounding like everyone other band and yet only like themselves at the same time. There wasn’t much they needed to prove to their fans at this point, but their impressive talent to continue challenging themselves while playing some of the most challenging music out there is nothing short of inspiring.
It’s no surprise Steven Wilson is my favorite musician. His songwriting and his diversity has been influential on my own band, and I make it a point to see him each time he comes around because of how unique his live shows are.
His albums take a life of their own. They have their own style, concept, and imagery. From the drone inspired Insurgentes, to the jazz tinges of Grace For Drowning, the classic Prog of The Raven that Refused to Sing, to the dark modern Prog of Hand.Cannot.Erase, and the 80s pop inspired To the Bone, he had already shown us an interest in electronic music. It had been scattered throughout. So the next logical step was to bring it to the forefront. An album about modern life. An album about consumerism. And just the packaging to showcase it.
With its blank white style, and “item number” for random assortments of useful and not so useful things to buy, it could be seen on the standard edition, singles, deluxe edition box set, even a special one of a kind box set with a price tag of £10,000. It was on the websites, the music videos. This blank “future” (or present), was everywhere, staring us in the face whether we wanted it or not.
Musically, the album has been divisive, which is probably why it’s taken me so long to write this review. I wanted to approach it unbiased, but with so much build up, it was hard to become unbiased. Maybe it would have been easier if the album hadn’t been so delayed by the COVID 19 Pandemic. But that also shaped the album by giving Steven more time to change track orders and work on bonus songs.
So here is my take:
Part of what made this album so hard to review was the fact that most of it was already released by the time it came out. With each single, the songs had their lovers and haters. I didn’t want to get lost in this because it always makes a difference hearing it by itself versus in the track order. All we hadn’t heard was the “intro”, and the last two songs (“Self” was also released before my copy finally arrived).
The album begins with “Unself”, a simple melody and chord progression over an electronic drum beat. It’s good enough to be an intro, but my issue is that it doesn’t flow well into “Self”. Even a better transition would have made this combo of songs absolutely crushing.
“Self” is a great first song. it introduces the style of the album perfectly. The electronic style mixed with 80s pop. Female background vocals come in on the chorus and lower vocal octaves come in on the verses. The song is enhanced by its appropriate and memorable music video, something that could also be said for “King Ghost” and “Personal Shopper”.
Speaking of “King Ghost”, it’s a great follow up to add contrast with its ethereal style. It moves away from the funky Prince style of the first song to a more trip hop style, reminiscent of Massive Attack. Steven’s falsettos may be a turn off to some people, but it’s a great song that feels just a touch too short.
Up next is “12 Things I Forgot”, which is one of my favorite songs on the album, but is kind of an awkward song after the ambience of “King Ghost”. It os a poppy song that reminds Steven fans of his work with Blackfield. Great sound, catchy chorus, and a nice guitar tone at the end that could have become a full fledged solo (however Steven seems to be taking a page out of Aviv’s book and is going for the least amount of deviation as possible).
After this one step away, it goes right back to the darker and funkier tone of “Eminent Sleaze”. This one caused controversy when it was released as a single. It has a similar combinations of sounds as “Self”, but more focus on groove rather than the driving electronics. There’s some Pink Floyd in the guitars and keyboards, but it’s the lyrics that seem to turn people off. However, it’s a fun song to sing along with and I can imagine people dancing to it live.
This leads us to the first single, “Personal Shopper“, the longest song on the album. It’s got a Nine Inch Nails feel, combining dark EDM (electronic dance music) with ambience, the female backing vocals, falsettos, and a heavier feel than most of the album. It also has a middle section with Sir Elton John naming off products to buy. As a single, this middle section was unnecessary, but in the middle of the album, it helps get the point across and provides some much needed downtime in an album that mostly just flies by.
The last two songs on the album are ones that are ok, but not strong enough to send the album off on. “Follower” is a driving rock song with a repeated hook, that just doesn’t do much for me. It’s upbeat and sounds cool, but would have done better to build up the album before all the great songs that came before it. And “Count of Unease” sounds like Steven’s most uninspired ballad. No strong hook, no big finish. Final ballads are usually his specialty, but it feels so out of place at the end, and you wish there was a “Happy Returns” you could leave off with.
This would be the end of the normal review, but I quickly want to grow through all the leftover songs that appear on other formats.
On the Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set:
CD:
1. “Personal Shopper (Extended)” – an almost 20 minute version of the song to get lost in. Complete with Elton’s part done twice.
2. “Unself (Long Version)” – honestly doesn’t add much, but probably would have been a better build up/transition to the album.
3. “Ha Bloody Ha” – feels more like older Steven Wilson music, and definitely would have been out of place on this album.
4. “Move Like a Fever” – maybe my favorite song to have gotten left off. Dark, danceable, and has really cool sequencing. Hypnotic and memorable. Could have replaced “Follower”.
5. “King Ghost (Extended)” – Steven heard my request and made a longer, more chill version of this already great ambient song.
6. “I Am Cliche” – lives up to its name as the most generic sounding song thus far. A beat that sounds like it could have been for “Eminent Sleaze”, lack of catchy chorus, and a guitar riff that is ok, but I can see why it was left off of the main disc.
7. “Wave the White Flag” – this feels like what “King Ghost” could have been. Lots of similarities, but instead it’s done in that late 90s/early 2000s Porcupine Tree style when Radiohead was a big influence on Steven. Great track.
8. “Eminent Sleaze (Extended)” – another extended dance version like the other two we’ve had on this disc for far. The track takes its time to build on itself and contains all your favorite parts from the original.
9. “In Pieces” – A dark but driving track that has a lot of Depeche Mode influence. Interesting melodies, keyboard arpeggios, and murky guitar tones.
10. “Every Kingdom Falls” – In my opinion, would have been the better closing ballad instead of “Count of Unease”. Darker and sadder, and has that strong Tom Yorke feel. Also shorter and more to the point.
Cassette Tape:
1. “Anyone But Me (Demo)” – A Beatles and Electric Light Orchestra-ish pop song with backing vocals and harmonies, and a familiar chord progression that we’ve heard in countless songs, but all of the familiarity helps the point of the song and drives it’s lyrics and catchy chorus home. Supposedly, the official version will get released in its own format, maybe as a tour only edition.
On the Eminent Sleaze Single (Released on CD and Vinyl)
1. “Eyewitness” – Another track that could have replaced “Follower” in my opinion. 80s dance beats mixed with Tangerine Dream keyboard sounds and backup female vocals.
2. “In Floral Green” (Lonely Robot Cover) – an excellent cover of a very Steven Wilson like song. A spacey ballad by John Mitchell, also known from the bands Frost*, Kino, Arena, and It Bites.
From the 12 Things I Forgot Single (released as a vinyl only)
1. “Move Like a Fever (Alternate Version) ” – an extended version (2 minutes longer) of the already great song that can be found on the bonus disc of the album. The definitive version of the song in my opinion.
2. “King Ghost (Tangerine Dream Remix)”- If you thought the song was ambient to start with, this is an extended version by one of the great ambient artists of all time. Exactly what any fan of both artists could want!
Released on the Ultra Deluxe Version of the album, limited to just one copy.
1. “The Tastemaker” – released as a one sided 7” single, and graciously shared by its owner who also made a video to it. It’s a quick and easy song that expands on the sound and lyrics of “Eminent Sleaze”, without as many falsettos. Not worth £10,000 in my opinion (I’m joking of course, as I know the boxset came with way more than just this one song), but we are very fortunate that it fell in the hands of someone who actually released it to the public. Cheers to you Alan!
And that’s my review. It may not be close to being my favorite Steven Wilson album, but it provides many great songs that will fit well into his already amazing live shows, and the bonus material provided us with a wealth of material, so it’s not just the quick 40 minute album that we look to. I definitely would not want Steven to stick to a specific sound. The beauty has always been watching him try his hand at everything. I’m sure if the next one sounds very different, it would silence the haters of this one. We’ll just have to wait and see what comes next.
Well, it looked like my last list caused a bit of controversy but also was helpful to a few people. So I’ve decided to speed up the process for my next list. The difference between Prog Metal and Neo-Prog Rock is essentially that while Prog Metal (as the name would suggest) is a combination of the progressive genre with heavy metal (that started with Dream Theater, Queensryche, and Fates Warning but has grown substantially from there), neo-Prog is essentially a resurgence of the classic 70s Prog sound of Yes, King Crimson, Genesis, and many others.
Neo-Prog started in the 80s with Marillion, and still continues to this day. I must admit (at the risk of losing my credibility) that I did not include albums from a lot of other founding neo-Prog bands, because they didn’t have the same widespread influence, so let me give them a shoutout right now (I’m so sorry Jadis, Pallas, IQ, Arena, Pendragon, Twelfth Night, and a few others. You all deserve better). The reason I choose to specifically focus on Neo-Prog is because…
Well… frankly…. the progressive genre has expanded so much that there are so many different kinds of Prog these days. Bands that have very different approaches and inspirations are all kind of lumped together, from Muse to Opeth, from Mastodon to King’s X, to Karnivool and Periphery, Prog has become kind of blurred. And that’s not a problem for people who are now learning of new bands that way. But for a reviewer making a list, I strictly want to focus on bands that created albums that have a very direct link to the 1970s classic Prog sound.
Now many of these bands may still have their own approach, and may have included techniques or styles that would never have happened in the 70s or appeared on a 70s album, but that’s ok. as long as the link is direct and make sense, I’ll allow it.
Also, I’ve decided to split this up into two parts because of how long the last list came out to be. So here we go! Here’s my list of the 18 essential Neo-Prog Rock albums!
18. Dredg – El Cielo
Dredg had one of the more interesting string of albums to look at (5 from 1998 to 2011). What makes them so interesting is how much they changed from album to album while still retaining the band’s character. From the harsh heavy sound of their debut, Leitmotif (which looking back isn’t too far off from that of their good friends Deftones), to the alternative rock on Catch Without Arms, to the electronic pop sound on their final album Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy.
But it was their 2nd album El Cielo that is considered a crowning achievement. A concept album about dreams and sleep paralysis, it is inspired by one of Salvador Dali’s most famous paintings. It is a diverse album with unique transitions (done mostly by a series of interludes). It ranges from pop, hard rock, and post rock influences, but is always focused. From the catchiness of “Same ol’ Road” and “Sanzen”, to darkness of “I’m Sorry But it’s Over”, and ends on the glorious high note of “Whoa is Me” and “The Canyon Behind Her”. It starts off strong, ends strong, and takes you through many wonderful places throughout.
17. The Dear Hunter – Act II: The Meaning of, and All things Regarding Ms. Leading
We continue this list with a band who is more likely to be called indie rather than prog, but that doesn’t take away from the truly progressive things that these guys are doing. Multi-album concept albums based on a story that the singer created, 9 EPs with 4 songs each based off of moods and feelings associated with each color in the color spectrum, live transitions/jam sessions between songs that would make any band jealous, and a lack of fear when it comes to attempting/incorporating new styles of genres into their already diverse sound.
Act II is the 2nd in a 5 album concept cycle. Musically and lyrically picking up where the first part left off, we follow a boy who travels to the city after the death of his mother. There he falls in love with a prostitute and encounters heartbreak, one of many tragic events in this characters life. The band compliment with hard rocking tunes like “The Procession” “The Church and the Di’e”and “Dear Ms. Leading”, vaudeville style songs like “The Oracles on the Delphi Express” and “Vital Vessels Vindicate”, progressive moments (“The Lake and the River” and “The Bitter Suite”), ballads (“”Evicted”, “Where the Road Parts”, “Black Sandy Beaches”, “Red Hands”), and even upbeat pop tunes like “Smiling Swine”.
It is a phenomenal record, worth every second of every listen, and blends genres like folk, rock, blues, and jazz like it’s nobody’s business. The lyrics are emotional and require multiple spin to full digest.
16. Coheed and Cambria – In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
Like The Dear Hunter, Coheed is probably more well known as an indie or “emo” rock band due to the pop punk aspects of their first album. And while those aspects are still a part of the band to this day, they have more than proven their Prog credentials.
This second release (and continuation of their “Amory Wars” saga) by the band not only shows improved songwriting and production, but also longer songs, and concepts within concepts. Starting with the epic battle cry that is the title track, we are treated to a few shorter tracks ranging from upbeat happy tunes, to darker songs with great dynamics and transitions like “The Crowning”. And aside from the well-known hit single “A Favor House Atlantic”, the second half sees the band channeling the attitude of bands like Rush.
From “The Camper Velourium” Trilogy which gets darker and angrier with each song, to the two 9+ minute epics “The Light and the Glass” and “21:13”, the band shows their knack for melodies, harmonies, instrumental moments, riff-writing, chord progressions, and tie-ing stories together by bringing back motifs from earlier songs.
15. 3 – The Ghost You Gave to Me
Poor 3. This band has never been given the recognition they deserve. Perhaps they were cursed with the hardest band name to “google”. But anyone who’s seen them live knows that they are a talented group of musicians, who interestingly blend funk, flamenco, hard rock, and space rock, all in a tight package that sounds like no other band.
Going into this list, I thought I was going to put their 2007 release The End is Begun. That or 2004’s Wake Pig perfectly showcase the balance between the band’s early sound and their later darker and heavier style as well. But their most recent release (which is now 9 years old) is the most focused released in terms of their Prog side. With a string of catchy hard rock tunes, they showcase their odd times and syncopation. But the real champions of the album are “One With the Sun”, “It’s Alive”, and “Only Child”, which showcase the band’s transitions, bright and ambient tones, build ups, and songwriting.
Plus, ending with the brilliant all-encompassing lyrical ballad of “The Barrier” really brings the album closure, as it almost acts as a recap of everything the band had done so far. The world needs more 3!
14. The Flower Kings – The Sum of No Evil
Going into this list, I knew this was going to be one of the most challenging tasks: picking a single album by The Flower Kings. These prog masters not only have an extensive catalog, but consistent as well. Known for long albums, double albums (Paradox Hotel, Unfold the Future, Stardust We Are), albums that flow through like 1 long song (Flower Power, Space Revolver) it is impossible to pick an essential album by the band.
So out of pure bias, this one has always stood out in my mind as my personal favorite. The problem with most albums by the band is that with so much material and lots of short interludes, their albums can sometimes feel overbearing and all over the place. In my opinion, this is the band at their most focused. No filler. Just 6 great songs.
With only one song written by Thomas Bodin and the rest written by frontman Roine Stolt, it doesn’t have as much diversity as some of their albums do, but it is no slouch. The album is full of beauty, melody, technicality, musicianship, moments of flash, moments of much needed rest, and hints of the darker tone the band started using. This is one of the best starting points for a new fan and is still a fan favorite as well.
13. Beardfish – Destined Solitaire / Mammoth
Since this is unlucky #13, I’m gonna go ahead and cheat on this one. Actually it has nothing to do with the number and everything to do with the fact that I literally can’t pick a winner between this two. It’s not that these are the most perfect albums ever, but they are so equally matched together that it would be a great injustice to separate them. These two albums represent the band’s transition from their sprawling double albums to the dark and heavy albums they ended their career with.
Beardfish are a Swedish progressive rock band with traces of everything 70s. From Genesis and Zeppelin, to Deep Purple and Frank Zappa. Perfectly blending the hard rock elements with the quirkiness and technicality of their heroes, they reached acclaim with Sleeping in Traffic Part 1 and 2.
Both albums start with strong progressive instrumentals, “Awaken the Sleeping” harkens back to Gentle Giant and Focus, “The Platform” showing hints of modern metal like Mastodon. Both albums have their signature songs (“Destined Solitaire”/“And the Stone Said: If I Could Speak”) ballads (“Tightrope”), grooves (“In Real Life There is No Algebra”), and plenty of epics that showcase so many styles of the band. They always know when to bring it down with a short time, but there’s so any catchy melodies on these albums that it’s hard to even know how to summarize them.
RIP Beardfish. Many hopes that the world gets to see you again some day.
12. Antimatter – Fear of a Unique Identity
This might be a divisive choice. Some might say that this band isn’t even progressive. Some might say that this isn’t even the band’s most progressive album. Antimatter started out as a collaboration between Mick Moss and Duncan Patterson, formerly of Anathema. This album was the first without Duncan, and was Mick’s time to prove that he could lead the band all on his own.
He exceeded all expectations, with an album that was heavier than anything the band had done thus far. Combining the electronic, dark wave, gothic, and acoustic elements of previous albums, Mick tied it all together in a very Pink Floyd-like way. A clear and focused theme of modern life, excellent production, beautiful tones, emotional delivery, and a strong album from start to finish.
While it may not have anything to do with Yes or Jethro Tull like many of these albums do, it is a rare treat to hear such a well put-together album, and that is very 70s of Mick and the boys. One of my all time favorite albums and worthy of the recognition.
11. Spock’s Beard – Beware of Darkness / X / Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep
If you thought my answer for Beardfish was cheating, you’re gonna hate this one. Spock’s Beard is one of the most loved American progressive rock bands to be influenced by the 70s style. Coming out of Los Angeles in 1992, they had the talent, the counter-melodies of Gentle Giant, and a twisted/dark sense of humor. They’ve also been blessed with the ability to reinvent themselves multiple times.
After a string of successful albums with Neal Morse, they pulled a Genesis and had their drummer Nick become their singer. After he left, the band recruited Ted Leonard from Enchant. And so I give you my pick of the essential albums from each era of the band, because each accomplished singer deserves a shoutout for what they all brought to “The Beard”.
Beware of Darkness is their second album with Neal and the most balanced in my opinion. I could have picked any from the Neal era really because they are all so unique, but this one has always stood out to me. It features a George Harrison cover in their style, the quirky “Thoughts” which continued in parts on later albums, the epic “The Doorway”, a showcase of the band’s classical style guitar sounds, a ballad, a band staple in “Walking on the Wind”, and a heavy and epic closer with “Time Has Come Today”.
Nick took a while to fit in, if you ask me. Some of the albums drag on and don’t gel quite right. But X shows the band at the most confident that they had been in quite some time. Three epics full of introspective lyrics, technicality, and beautiful moments (“Edge of the In-Between”, “From the Darkness”, and “Jaws of Heaven”), a fun song in “The Emperor’s Clothes”, the excellent instrumental “Kamikaze”, and the remaining two or three songs (based on the version you get) are catchy and memorable. From start to finish it’s a joy to listen to.
Ted Leonard made quite the impression with his first album with the band. Continuing the confidence and strong songwriting of the previous album, it felt like he had been in the band for years. His emotional and heartfelt delivery highlighted the band’s playing. From Enchant sounding songs like “Hiding Out” and the ballad “Submerged”, to the Nick led Spock’s Beard sound of “A Treasure Abandoned” and “Something Very Strange” even back to the Neal era sound of “I Know Your Secret” and “Waiting For Me”. It even has another edition in the “Thoughts” saga.
If I had to pick just one I’d give the Neal album the nod for the classic sound, but I have to give props to all three eras/singers.
10. Marillion – Misplaced Childhood
Picking a single album from Marillion’s discography is not an easy task, and yet, Marillion fans would most likely gravitate towards this one. Despite its love and acclaim, it doesn’t truly show all sides of Marillion. The first two albums were straight Genesis worship. The next two was the band’s “classic sound”, the next few saw the band’s new singer trying to continue that sound while also trying to be more mainstream, and since then the band has balanced long progressive albums with the introspective alternative rock sound similar to U2, Coldplay, and Radiohead. And while not every album is a classic, they’ve adapted beautifully with the times.
And while I wanted to pick one album that showcased singer Steve Hogarth and all he’s done for the band, I just couldn’t pick one album that reaches the same level of acclaim of this Fish-era masterpiece. Breaking away from just their love of everything Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel, the band showed that they were competent songwriters with Fish’s emotional lyrics and Steve’s Gilmour-like solos. The first of two Marillion concept albums written by Fish, the album looks at love, success, acceptance, and lost childhood.
The album starts with the gentle and delicate “Pseudo Silk Kimono” and travels through some of the band’s most memorable songs: its biggest hit “Kayleigh”, the touching “Lavender”, the multi-part “Bitter Suite”, and the triumphant “Heart of Lithuanian”. The second side flows as well as the first side, not as mainstream but equally as memorable. The upbeat “Waterhole” and “Lords of the Backstage” lead to the epic “Blind Curve” and the album ends on a high note with the title track and “White Feather”.
I would love to do an in depth review of this one and a few of the Hogarth releases such as Brave, Afraid of Sunlight, Marbles, and Somewhere Else. For now, enjoy this album and my in depth review of Clutching at Straws, which is also on this blog spot.
That’s it for part 1. Stick around for part 2 with albums 1-9. I should have it up soon.
View of the Sunrise 