Q: Your records are incredibly cohesive throughout, with plenty of motifs and well-thought-out track flow. How do you balance “writing for the song” versus “writing for the album”?

Duran: The composition of the album always starts with a couple of riffs. Once we have a first song structure, we try to clarify the vision we have for the album as a whole. Will it be a single block? Will all the tracks flow into one another? Will it be a “Side A / Side B” format? Will it be a collection of singles? We always aim to explore something we haven’t done yet. Then, we look at the songs themselves. Each track has to stand on its own. We don’t want to have fillers on the album. Once we have the songs, we have to choose an order that works as well. We want to provide contrast and keep the listening experience interesting enough. Sometimes this contrast comes in the tonality of the songs, sometimes in the varying intensities, time signatures, and different layers.
Johan: The most interesting and crucial part for me is turning a collection of riffs into a fully formed song. Writing variations, progressions, and transitions, shaping the structure and musical narrative of each track, it can be pure chaos. It can drive you insane! It often feels like I’m searching for a missing piece of a giant puzzle, and the process can take months. It’s as much intellectual work as it is heartfelt expression. And personally, I love that! Also figuring out the connections between songs, whether it’s a rhythmic or melodic motif, a tempo, etc, it’s very fun. You realise that everything is linked somehow.

Q: For nearly a decade, Stortregn were a melodic black metal band heavily inspired by Dissection! What happened to spur the transition into the melodic blackened proggy tech death band you are now? Was it a natural evolution? Do you see the band drastically evolving again, or do you plan on tinkering with the current style for longer?

Johan: Dissection was one of the first extreme metal bands I listened to when I was younger. I was deeply moved and impressed by the emotional power of their first two albums. That impact led me to co-found the band, in an attempt to reach that same emotional intensity. In hindsight, that era felt like a great learning experience for me. Anyway, we quickly wanted to move away from being seen as a “tribute” band because we felt we had so much more to offer, and we were tired of being boxed into that label. The arrival of Duran, and later Manu, also significantly broadened our musical horizons, since they come from different backgrounds and have diverse musical aspirations. Nowadays, we’re pushing our own limits, and we don’t know where that might take us!
Duran: Believe it or not, I had never listened to Dissection before I joined the band! I can’t claim to have been influenced by them. But we continue to evolve as musicians and have different musical backgrounds, so I think it is safe to say that our style is not set in stone. You might hear bluegrass influences in the future. Who knows?

Q: Franck, you’re a new face in the band, welcome! What has touring with the band been like? In person, you mentioned that Stortregn’s extensive use of high screams was a new hurdle in your vocal career. Were there any adjustments you made to your technique?

Franck: Thanks for the welcome! Lots of things to say. Actually I never toured before and I thought touring would remain a boy’s dream. But it finally happened. So touring as the vocalist of Stortregn, a band I’ve been a fan of for years, opening for Virvum, whose album I’ve listened to so many times, was a unique experience in my life as you can imagine. I was really nervous about being up to the task, and I put a lot of pressure on myself to meet Stortregn’s live performances level. But I felt very well with the two bands, I could express how I felt anytime and they all helped me to relax and have a lot of fun. And I was surprised that my voice held on for the 12 shows!
As for the technique, in my previous and other bands I am more used to use the low voice as the main vocals. So for Stortregn, I had to switch in my head to make the high screams as the main vocals, and to use them as high as I could. It was a challenge because the high screams of the previous singer had this strength that, for me, was so characteristic of Stortregn’s sound. It sounds more black metal than what I have done with my other bands. So I had to train myself a lot to reach a balance between keeping the sound of the band and bringing something new with my voice. The composition and recording of the One Eternal EP really helped me in that way, and the advice and feedback of the members of the band were precious.

Q: Samuel, I know you have a background in jazz drumming, and that’s clear in your playing which is some of the most creative and original I’ve ever heard in metal. Who are some of your major influences, metal or otherwise? 

Samuel: Thanks for this question and the kind words. I definitely love some bands from both music styles metal and jazz, bands like Gorod, Leprous, Opeth, The Bad Plus, and also Jazz pianists like Hiromi, Brad Mehldau, or Tigran Hamasyan. If we talk about drummers, guys like Elvin Jones, Max Roach, Jimmy Cobb, Tony Williams, Bill Stewart, Nate Smith, Stéphane Galland, and in metal music Sebastian Lanser, Baard Kolstad and Kai Hahto. I took some drum lessons with them and they’re part of my musical journey.

Q: Johan and Duran, you three have such complex, interweaving guitar/bass lines and dueling solos that it begs the question: how do you decide who plays which part? Also, do you two have any classical training? Your sound demonstrates a seeming mastery of counterpoint.

Johan: Thanks for the compliment! I’m a professional classical guitarist–I did all my studies in Switzerland and won several competitions back in the day. I’m very active in the classical world, performing recitals internationally and playing as a soloist with orchestras. My classical studies drastically changed the way I approach writing for the band, especially from Emptiness Fills the Void onwards, and that influence continues to shape our sound today.
Duran: I think there are so many possibilities with our formation and we don’t want to limit ourselves to pigeonhole our roles. We have Johan’s classical background which brings the sharpness and the strong compositional cohesion and music theory. Then, Manu and I could switch from guitar to bass / bass to guitar at any time. So sometimes Manu plays the bass like a guitarist and I will play guitar like a bassist, if that makes any sense. We want to take on more than just the traditional double lead-rhythm-bass combo. I think this contributes to and expands our sound. It’s all in the optic of getting the right sound for the right part. Then for the decision of who plays what line, it will depend on the vision of the main composer of the song.

Q: Of course, you are a band from Francophone Switzerland, yet you write lyrics in English except for a few on Impermanence and Finitude. Have you considered writing more songs in French?

Duran: “Nénie” was the first song that we recorded in French, although there might be some obscure early demos somewhere with French lyrics, but I can’t confirm that. Then, in Finitude, we have the title track and “De Inferno Solis” which are  in French as well. Once again, it depends on the vibe of the writer. Romain had very interesting lyrics in French and he delivered them brutally and it worked seamlessly on the track. Why should we limit ourselves to English if we can push an idea in a more personal manner? Then again, it has to sound good with the track. I’m hoping one day to get a track out in Finnish, but it has to be justified with the theme of the song or the story. We’ll see how that will turn out.
Johan: French language and pronunciation adds a lot to the music! It’s so much more brutal and crisp. English, on the other hand, tends to sound more polished and ’round’. It’s cool to be able to use them both to serve your musical purpose.

Q: Do you typically do songwriting sessions in person together? Few bands seem to have as much synergy as you in the studio—and live as I was lucky enough to see. Every piece clicks into place.

Duran: Thanks for the compliment. We just started trying to schedule songwriting sessions, but with each of our timetables it’s almost impossible to find a time and place that works for everyone. Otherwise until now, it was very much Guitar Pro based, tabbing out our ideas, uploading them on a shared cloud drive, modifying others’ ideas, hating other people’s edits and trying to find a compromise somewhere. We’ve had a couple of heated discussions. You can sometimes hear the tension in the compositions but the end result has always justified them. 
Johan: In my experience, in-person writing sessions have never really worked for us. Personally, I need to sit down alone, like a craftsman in his workshop who carefully refines and polishes the material.

Q: With the sad news of Ozzy’s death, Stortregn’s new cover of “Mr. Crowley” hits all the harder. What made you pick that song to cover from his discography? Have you considered covering other artists/songs? It always seems like a great way to give tribute to your influence, and it sounds like you guys had a blast performing the Ozzy cover.

Duran: On a personal level, I am extremely sad that Ozzy has passed on. I mean it was bound to happen, but nobody expected it to happen so suddenly. His music has been so influential and has had such an impact on so many different artists and I am no exception. May his music live on forever and may he rest in peace.
On the subject of our cover, we have been discussing a potential cover of “Mr. Crowley” for years. It fits everything: it’s a dark song, a classic, it has epic riffs and solos, an amazing story behind the whole original album, and it has enough space for us to interpret it in our way. We are very happy with the result and can only hope that Ozzy had the chance to give it a listen and approve it!
There might have been other covers in discussion. Nothing recorded, though….yet!

Q: Do any of you have any personal favorite Stortregn songs/albums?

Duran: The next album is my favorite! I can’t wait to finish the writing process to get it recorded and release it! 
Franck : My personal favorite song to play live is “Through the Dark Gates,” especially at the end of the set–it’s just insane. Now, among songs we didn’t play during the last tour, I always tell the guys I really love “Cold Void” from Finitude. I also love “Timeless Splendor,” “Children of the Obsidian Light,” or “Inner Black Flame.” But still, the next album will obviously be the best.
Johan : The next one, indeed!

Q: If you could tour with any band, who would it be?

Johan : Bands that are on the same wavelength as us, but also know how to party!
Duran: It’s a tough question. We just completed our Canada Takeover tour with Virvum which was an absolute blast. I would tour with them again any day!

Q: What bands were most influential in getting you all into music—and as listeners, how has your taste progressed over the years? 

Duran: The scene has never been as big and varied as it is today. So I can always find something new that scratches an itch I never knew I had! My biggest influences would be Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath (Ozzy / Dio / Tony Martin), B.B. King, Pantera, Dream Theater, Slayer, early-In Flames, and so on.
Johan : I’m still returning to my old classics sometimes, but the latest Dordeduh and Sühnopfer were amazing. 

Q: Any favorite albums of 2025 so far, or any local or underground bands you want to shout out?

Duran: I have a huge backlog of albums I have to listen to. I think I still have to finish 2019. But shout out to our good friends: Virvum, Burn Down Eden, Conjonctive, Calcined, The Scalar Process, and Skaphos!

Thank you again to Stortregn for the interview and make sure to check out their new EP One Eternal on Bandcamp and wherever else good music is streamable!

Links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives Page

The post Interview: Stortregn appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Art by Ai-lan Metzger

Style: Symphonic death metal, progressive death metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Fleshgod Apocalypse, Gorgon, Haggard, Septicflesh
Country: Switzerland
Release date: 14 March, 2025

My girlfriend and I, as two creative people, are in staunch agreement on why most creatives don’t make it. Hell, it can even be extended to a reason why most people don’t make it: self-reflection. Creating and releasing a piece of music is bearing a piece of your soul to the world, and in the age of the internet, it’s swimming along with all ten-trillion other minnows in the same pond. The internet is ruthless when it comes to criticism, and it can drive a lot of artists to feel that their work isn’t the problem, but themselves. How could you not? To have something you’ve worked so hard on be torn to shreds can’t be easy, hence why if I find a band with actual talent, I express disappointment rather than disgust.

I’ve rarely thought of the symphonic swirls and meat-headed riffing of Kerberos. My review of their incredibly mediocre debut, Of Dismay and Mayhem, wasn’t one I’m especially proud of, nor did the album provide a very memorable experience overall. But like every mildly talented band who make mediocre albums, I give them a challenge at the end of my review. I expected more from Kerberos, especially with an actual choir and obvious classical composition experience under their belt. So, like the arbiter of music that I am, I threw my mediocre score in their faces, looked down from my throne with an expression of mild pity, and asked them to try harder. Never did I expect them to actually follow up with an improvement.  

Kerberos took that Dismay review personally. Not by sending us piles of hate mail or threatening to blow up our secret underwater headquarters, but by possibly not paying attention to my review at all, and getting their asses to work. I’m going to give praise where praise is due, with the first bit of it focused on clean vocalist Ai-lan Metzger. I was incredibly critical of her cleans on Of Dismay and Mayhem, and rightfully so. Hearing her operatically harmonize with harsh vocals in ‘Near-Violence Experience’ made me do a double take. Instead of crashing into the song as she did last time around, she gracefully weaves her way through string-quartet accented riffs. The contrast between seventh string chugs, vocal acrobatics between her and bassist/guitarist Felicien Burkhard, and all the grandeur that their debut was missing was enough to make me sit my ass down and hear Kerberos out for the rest of this unfortunately brief EP.

Apostle is a mere 25 minutes long, half the length of its predecessor and all the better for it. It’s much better to be left wanting more than wanting the record to be over. With only two songs over 5  minutes, the EP blows past in a flurry of furious riffing and graceful symphonics. There’s less “paint-by-numbers” songwriting than there was on the debut, and by making things a bit more adventurous and prog-leaning this time around, it helps the case that Kerberos have genuinely improved as a band. The neoclassical elements, like in intro track ‘Praeludium in H Moli’, speak volumes in the band’s newfound sense of identity. The band as a whole seem more confident, having a clear vision of what they want the album to sound like, rather than trying to jam symphonic elements where they shouldn’t be.

‘Alpine Sea’ adds an even larger layer of neoclassical elements. Beginning with thundering drums over recorder and strings, the band brings in their “Kerberos Choir”, conducted by Burkhard himself. Once again, the contrast between Metzger’s far-improved cleans and all-male choir accents makes this band unrecognizable from their debut. It’s not just the vocals that are improved this time around either. Burkhard’s wizardry with a fretless bass is on full display here, heard with the insane, Obscura-esque shredding on ‘Near-Violence Experience’, but he knows when to let the rest of the band speak for themselves. He adds a slight Chuck Schuldiner spin to his performance.

 There are a lot of layers on Apostle to the Malevolent, and while I love to see them all on full display, there’s still one major roadblock Kerberos continues to face on their musical journey: the production. The mastering of this record is lacking, though there are improvements from the debut. I’m kind of shocked that this is the same producer behind Virvum’s Illuminance, as that’s one of the few tech-death albums that averts the plastic-y, overproduced sound commonly found in the genre. The drums and guitar are way too thin, and when the band get their dramatics going, they tend to get lost within the busy mix. The guitar tone is muddy, and only tends to clear up when the whole band is present. However, I’ll give credit where credit’s due—the bass is ever-present, and I can hear Burkhard’s noodling most of the time.

Productional quibbles aside, Kerberos‘ improvement on Apostle to the Malevolent is not something I expected on my 2025 bingo card, but it’s certainly a welcome inclusion. Through a contrast in vocal acrobatics and riffage along with a tasteful layering of virtuosic performances, the band has taken several measures to improve their sound. Though the production is still a little rough to the point of detriment and Apostle is too short to really sink into its ideas, Kerberos‘ new direction has me eager to see how they expand on and evolve their new-and-improved sound.

Recommended tracks: Near-Violence Experience, Alpine Sea
You may also like: Sentire
Final verdict: 6.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page

Label: Independent

Kerberos is:
– Felicien Burkard (Guitars, bass, vocals)
– Nicolas Kaser (Drums)
– Ai-lan Metzger (Vocals)

– Diego Lanzendorfer (Guitars)

The post Review: Kerberos – Apostle to the Malevolent appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Progressive metal, post-metal, post-hardcore (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Karnivool, early Thrice, The Ocean, Vulkan
Country: Switzerland
Release date: 28 March 2025

Azure waves lap lazily against the sun-baked Peloponnesian shore and the olive trees are waxy in the Mediterranean heat. A wanderer ventures inland towards the ancient city of Elis. Word has travelled ahead of him, and onlookers stand on stoops and peer through windows to get a glimpse of the son of Zeus: slayer of the Nemean lion and the Lernaean hydra, a man atoning for past crimes¹, plaything of a cowardly king, beholden to dreams of divinely ordained immortality. A scraping noise follows as he strides uphill and, spotting the shovel chipping at the stones behind him, the villagers look up towards the city gates and back to the tool and begin to murmur. ‘Surely not,’ they say, ‘King Augeas’ thousand oxen haven’t been cleaned out for thirty years!’ The camera cuts back to our hero, the village diminishing behind him as he continues forth. He mugs for the camera and quips, ‘There’ll be no love lost over this labour!’ 

Meanwhile, two more years of labouring in Switzerland have yielded the second part in NevBorn’s Alkaios trilogy, based around the twelve labours of Heracles. The first instalment of the Swiss post-metal quartet’s opus was an undersung gem of 2023, a tapestry in four lengthy parts, unfurling each of Heracles’ challenges in cinematic style, and marrying the angst and punch of post-hardcore with the more meditative build-and-release structure of post-metal. The Peacock continues in the same vein to deliver the central third of the tale.

At this point, the Gods get a little silly with Heracles. Having slain a lion and a hydra, and caught a Hind and a boar, the middle four labours see the Greek demigod working as a farm labourer, clearing out stables, killing pesky birds, rounding up a rogue bull, and lassoing in some horses. I don’t know about you, but I think Perseus and Theseus got the cooler quests. The material is a little rougher this time, but NevBorn approach it from intriguing angles: on “Elis” they focus on the refusal of the greedy King Augeas to honour the successful completion of the labour with Heracles’ reward. Meanwhile, “Stymfalia” seems to allude to the discounting of the labour due to Athena’s intervention². The compositions themselves always prioritise storytelling. For example, on “Stymfalia”, Heracles’ successful killing of the birds of Ares is heralded by intense screams in a triumphant crescendo with digitally lowered backing cleans providing a unique texture, while the chaotic tapping solos on “Tirida” convey the savagery of Diomedes’ man-eating mares. 

To the same end, NevBorn’s penchant for long³ runtimes hasn’t gone anywhere, and I’ve come to really enjoy this facet of their compositional style. The steadfast refusal to inject a song with a billion riffs, and instead let each section breathe, again benefits the storytelling as well as the sense of cinema, making them the Béla Tarr of progressive post-metal. Both “Elis” and “Stymfalia”, for instance, open with post-rock builds running to over three minutes, grounding the songs in a sense of mythic scale equal to the subject matter. 

And this willingness to let each section sit and breathe yields album highlights, the best of which is undoubtedly Elori Baume’s sublime sax solo on “Knossos”, a beautiful evocation of the majestic Cretan bull facing down the son of a God. Much like “Keryneia” from the previous instalment, in which Heracles frees the Cerynian hind, there’s a sense once more of affinity; Heracles as untameable beast, itinerant loner, finding companionship in these mythic mammals. As the sax mellifluously cavorts over a serene atmosphere, one can imagine the demigod admiring the bull as it roams the fields in the burnished orange of the Mediterranean sunset; a sense of guilt washing over him knowing he must bind this free spirit, waiting for the cover of night to aid him in his challenge. 

My one reservation is that The Peacock doesn’t differentiate itself from The Eagle all that much. NevBorn have a distinctive style which works for them, but many moments are reliant on the push and pull of calmer atmospheres and clean singing versus screams over chord-driven crescendos, and over the course of what will be a three-hour suite when the final part drops, that’s a lot of the same formula. The moments that stand out—that gorgeous sax solo, the tapping motifs, the uncharacteristic guitar solo, the little pulsations of synth underwriting “Tirida”—do so because they contrast the formula, and they’re woven into the compositions perfectly. NevBorn don’t need to start djenting or doing Dream Theater discursions into technical wankery, but just a little more variety in the rhythm section would make those final four labours really pop.

With Part II safely delivered, NevBorn prove themselves brilliant sonic storytellers, infusing the somewhat stoic labours with emotion and introspection just as the labours infuse NevBorn’s compositions with a greater sense of narrative purpose. I, for one, can’t wait to hear their take on the final four labours in a couple of years time. In the grounds of King Eurystheus’ castle, the now-tame mares of Diomedes frolic. Heracles kneels before the king who informs of his final labours. There’ll be some cattle-rustling, some apple scrumping, and he’ll have to capture a dog that’s three times as vicious as most, but one labour in particular grabs Heracles’ attention: ‘Before all that,’ says the king, ‘you must journey to the land of the Amazons and retrieve for me the girdle of Queen Hippolyta.’ Heracles turns to the camera, smirks and shrugs his shoulders. ‘It’s a living!’ he quips. 

Recommended tracks: Knossos, Stymfalia
You may also like: Ions, Hippotraktor, Playgrounded
Final verdict: 7.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Label: Luminol Records – Facebook | Official Website

NevBorn is:
– Matthieu Hinderer (vocals, guitars, piano, synth, drum programming)
– Brice Geiser (bass)
– Alan Gualandris (guitars)
– Nicolas Huguenin (drums)

With:
– Elori Baume (saxophone)

1.  The Disney film understandably leaves out the fact that, in a fit of madness induced by the goddess Hera who hated him (her inveterate shagger of a husband, Zeus, had fathered Heracles by a human woman), Heracles had murdered his wife and children. His commitment to the labours was, in part, seeking absolution from his crime. ︎
2. In some tellings of the myth, the cleaning of the Augean stables was discounted on the grounds that Heracles was paid for his work.  ︎
3. A lesser writer would’ve said “Herculean”, but I’m better than that. But I’m also not good enough to not write a footnote about it. ︎

The post Review: NevBorn – Alkaios · Part II · The Peacock appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: post-metal, sludge metal, progressive metal (instrumental)
Recommended for fans of: Cult of Luna, The Ocean, If These Trees Could Talk, Pijn
Country: Switzerland
Release date: 22 November, 2024

We’re settling into winter here in the northern hemisphere, and with it comes a host of things to escape from. Holiday stresses mount higher and higher as long nights and short days induce seasonal depression—it’s enough to make anyone want to melt into a nice hot bath and let their troubles dissolve away. And what better liquid for a cozy bath than…coffee? This metaphor got away from me, but whether it’s a good idea or not, Orso are here for all your coffee-bathing needs, following up their sandwich-themed Paninoteca from 2019 with a caffeinated post-metal extravaganza. Like the ground sediment found in the last drops to be drunk from the bottom of your mug, Orso also bring along a legacy of sludge with three band members formerly of now-defunct sludge/death metal outfit Kruger,¹ reinforcing the inevitable comparisons to fellow sludgey post-metalers Cult of Luna.

I must confess I’m not a coffee drinker, so I have little insight to offer about how well each track’s mood suits its namesake beverage, but on the whole I enjoy the use of beverage-as-metaphor; the rich sound of post-sludge metal inherently evokes the deep brown roasted color and texture of the album’s inspiration. However, where one might expect the coffee theme to remain concrete and grounded in mundane reality, the music found throughout Caffè? sounds detached and ethereal with its generous use of reverb and weighty, ponderous phrases of distorted bass and guitar. The resulting blend of dense, earthy rhythms and bright, enthusiastic melody comes together like rich, steaming espresso poured over smooth, sweet ice cream. It’s a delicious combination in real life, and equally satisfying in music form.

Despite the characteristic deep post-metal tones which dominate surface level impressions of Caffè?, the complexity and depth it achieves with three separate guitarists each laying their own contribution one atop the other make it one of the most enthusiastic and triumphant-sounding post-metal albums I’ve ever heard. Particularly on the closing track “Affogato,” Orso’s soaring riffs offer an intense sense of resolution and a catharsis almost worthy of power metal despite remaining firmly entrenched in post-metal aesthetics. On the other hand, while “Espresso” sounds a little more subdued on the whole, its opening moments offer a unique cross-section of the complex layers that Caffè? offers, introducing a rainbow of guitar parts that intertwine and play across each other’s surfaces as the grooves grow deeper and deeper like snow piling up outside your window. Only the third track “Americano” feels a step short of its three siblings, settling into rote post-rock patterns and never quite reaching a payoff point for the development promised by the track’s early setup. Still, it’s only a small blemish on an otherwise consistently great album.

One other feature of Orso’s music that stands out to me compared to their post-metal compatriots is the depth of their dynamic range. It’s easy for post-rock or post-metal to fall into the trap of being always loud or always quiet, sprinkling in a few crescendos or quiet moments here and there, but when such dynamic shifts are included solely for contrast’s sake, they lose their impact, the discontinuity of loudness becoming a surprise to the listener instead of a welcome and expected payoff to a careful build. Caffè? achieves just the right balance, always finding exactly the right level of loudness to serve the moment and with appropriate attention paid to making these dynamic transitions feel satisfying and earned. The opening track “Ristretto” in particular dips in and out of quiet, pensive moments like the troughs of a wave, emphasizing Orso’s contrasting tones that much more when the track finally arrives at its heavy, in-your-face closing crescendo.

You’ve gotta respect a band that commits to the bit, and Orso are nothing if not committed to their silly yet oddly compelling album themes. It can’t be easy to convey the arbitrary and musically unconventional theme of coffee through a fully instrumental album, but Caffè? nevertheless communicates the necessary moods and textures with great success, combining a gritty representation of the physical beverage itself with airy and ethereal qualities that seem to express the more mythical conceptual status attributed to the abstract role of caffeinated drinks in our society. Orso knock their composition out of the park, with towering complexities, satisfying crunch, and a vibrant intensity rarely found in gloomy post-metal; Caffè? leaves a lovely, steamy coffee aroma long after its last reverberation has faded from the air, a welcome tonic of warmth against the consuming cold dark of the coming winter.

Recommended tracks: Ristretto, Espresso, Affogato, maybe a nice chai latte if they have one
You may also like: Shy, Low, Ikaiora, Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster, Lost in Kiev
Final verdict: 8/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page

Label: No Sun Records – Bandcamp | Official Website

Orso is:
– Thomas Target (drums)
– Blaise Brechbühl (bass)
– Raul Bortolotti (guitars)
– Sébastien Pittet (guitars)
– Etienne Marguerat (guitars)

1. Not to be confused with Keurig, the coffee maker brand. ︎

The post Review: Orso – Caffè? appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Melodic Black Metal, Folk Metal (Mixed vocals, mostly harsh)
Recommended for fans of: Dissection, Windir, Ulver, Immortal
Country: Switzerland
Release date: 29 November 2024

When you write album reviews, there is a quiet ledger in your brain that keeps track of everything you’ve listened to in preparation for the inevitable slew of end-of-year writeups. At the same time, there is trouble deciding exactly when to start these writeups: too late and you’re woefully unprepared, burning yourself out on tens of albums you didn’t check out but really should have; too early and your list will be undercooked with no room to include things that squeak their way in at the last minute. Having constructed most of my list in October, imagine my hubris when I stumbled upon Eisenwald’s marketing for Ungfell’s latest release, De Ghörnt: with an ominously gorgeous album cover and the promise of black metal with an “epic narrative” revolving around a Swiss folk tale, I was cautiously hopeful for a last-minute upset to my top albums list. Does De Ghörnt make the cut, or will Ungfell be left to fend for themselves against the cover’s goat creature?

Brimming with anthemic energy and grounded by an earthly finesse, Ungfell offers an eclectic take on black metal with many moving parts that waver between folk metal, meloblack, and second wave, on occasion even dipping their toes into NWOBHM riffage (“De Fährmaa,” “De Geischt vom Märjelesee”) and Windir-esque keyboard breaks (“Sturmglockä”, “S Alpaglüeh”). Black metal prides itself on a focus on atmosphere and instilling certain emotions in the listener, but Ungfell‘s approach chooses instead to subvert within reason the listener’s expectations at any turn they can, whether it be a surreal folk breakdown featuring full symphonics (“De Geischt vom Märjelesee”), three bass solos (“Rollibock”), or seamless transitions between Havukruunu-style meloblack and Immortal-tinged second wave (“S Alpaglüeh”). These dynamics are coalesced by a vivid retelling of an old folktale about a hunter who travels up a mountain and encounters the Rollibock, a goat-like creature who fiercely protects the glacier which stands at its peak.

Despite the potential for scattershot songwriting given the amount of ideas being juggled, Ungfell composes with acumen: opener “S Alpeglüeh” confidently thrashes about with fervor, offering quirky synth breaks in its first section that are repeated in a way that almost feels like second nature among the blistering tremolo winds. Moreover, these folkier sections are delivered in a tasteful way that doesn’t rob the track of its visceral momentum which it carries from start to finish. This is not to say that De Ghörnt is an unrelenting assault, though: following track “D Pracht vom Eggishorn” features a gorgeous folky interlude that offers time to rest and contemplate before soaring into the stratosphere with a gorgeous melodic solo; “Im Ruusch” and “De Geischt vom Märjelesee” follow suit, offering a sense of stillness through folk motifs interspersed with ferocious blast beats.

De Ghörnt is at its best when melodic high-energy ideas are explored; titular track “Rollibock (De Ghörnt vom Gletscher)” stands out as a highlight in this regard, opening with interplay between a fierce meloblack riff and gentle keyboard atmospherics. The piece ferociously tumbles around itself through its remainder, utilizing a bevy of drum patterns to create the feeling of constant motion across its runtime, making room for dire folk sections, plenty of aggressive riffage, and a veritable avalanche of bass solos. However, when eschewing traditional black metal atmospherics for melody-focused songwriting, in-your-face energy has to be matched with lower-intensity moments at risk of making the music feel, ironically, one-note and bland. A vast majority of the time, De Ghörnt’s quieter folky sections do a great job of exploring more subdued spaces, but “D Pracht Vom Eggishorn,” for example, attempts to do this with more “traditional” black metal sections that end up feeling utilitarian in nature. These moments serve to bridge two ideas of interest together without offering a lot on their own, coming across moreso as a necessary evil for the sake of cohesive composition instead of as a point of engagement. However, it’s hardly reasonable to fault Ungfell too strongly for these momentary lapses in interest when De Ghörnt on the whole delivers such personality, style, and excitement.

With all that said, does De Ghörnt make it to my end-of-year list? At the end of the day, it is a compelling black metal opus that displays Ungfell’s capacity as excellent songwriters, powering through ambitious tracks like it’s nothing and (for the most part) balancing them spectacularly against quieter moments to offer a full sense of dynamism across its runtime. With that, I can say De Ghörnt without a doubt earns a place among the best black metal albums of the year, offering plenty of nourishment to hold me over through the darker and moodier months of Fall and Winter. Its ascension to the top of my list initially came as a surprise, but after fully digesting its harrowing trek into the alps, its placement should frankly be a wonder to no one.

Recommended tracks: Rollibock (De Ghörnt vom Glestscher), Im Ruusch, De Fährmaa, S Alpeglüeh
You may also like: Havukruunu, Thrawsunblat, Hyperion
Final verdict: 8.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Metal-Archives page

Label: Eisenwald – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Ungfell is:
– Menetekel (vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards)
– Vâlant (drums, vocals)

The post Review: Ungfell – De Ghörnt appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Artwork by: Héctor Pineda

Style: Post-metal, black metal, avant-garde metal (mixed vocals, uhhh, talking?)
Recommended for fans of: Behemoth, Solstafir, Enslaved, Cult of Luna, Tool
Country: Switzerland
Release date: 25 October 2024

Hailing from Switzerland, Schammasch has been one of the most consistently unique black metal acts of the past decade or so. Their debut album was primarily Behemoth worship, but ever since their sophomore, Contradiction in 2014, they’ve become notorious for their intense, hypnotic approach in which they combine a base black/death-ish metal sound with tom-heavy tribal drumming and varying quantities of post-metal, progressive metal, ambient, and a host of other influences. Their new album The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean is a continuation of their 2017 EP The Maldoror Chants: Hermaphrodite, a thirty minute track split into seven parts in which Schammasch explored dark ambient, post-metal, and tribal drumming to create an otherworldly occult experience. Hermaphrodite is my favorite work of theirs, so the question is can Old Ocean live up to its forebear?.

Hypnotizing charm has certainly not left Schammasch—their intense ritualistic playing style remains as engrossing as ever. B.A.W’s percussion is especially crucial for this: his trademark tom-heavy style is played and mixed both superbly and spaciously: you can feel him move around the kit, each drum, tom, and cymbal possessing  their own coordinates in the mix (reminiscent of Baard Kolstad’s performance and sound on Leprous’ The Congregation). The man utilizes the entire kit, so when he lets loose the effect is akin to a brain massage. He also knows restraint, though, showing both a capacity for ambience with cymbal washes and sparse tom rhythms, as he shows the tact to keep the rhythms simple when the song calls for it. Often I find myself so captivated by his playing I forget the rest of the music—if we did awards for instrumental performances, B.A.W would certainly get my vote for drummer of the year.

But enough about drums, let’s talk songwriting. Like on the previous installment, Old Ocean is primarily a post-metal record, embracing Cult of Luna-esque crescendo structures and including more gentle parts, melodies, and clean singing, while most black metal aspects of Schammasch’ sound have been relegated to textural roles, only really coming to the forefront during the climactic parts, while their death metal leanings only shine through in the darker riff that underpins the crescendo of “Your Waters Are Bitter” and in C.S.R’s harsh vocal style. This approach pays enormous dividends because Schammasch are experts at keeping the listener engaged throughout their elongated buildups, consistently developing the atmosphere in interesting ways before any one idea can grow stale, avoiding the most common pitfall of the genre. In this sense, it helps that Schammasch is not a pure post-metal band and has other sources to pull from.

Take “They Have Found Their Master” and its quiet opening two minutes: under the guidance of a fingerpicked melody the atmosphere is developed first with tribal drums and breathy percussive vocals; after a minor crescendo, they up the anticipation with ethereal blackgaze strumming before the track explodes into their intense trademark style. Similarly, opener “Crystal Waves” manages to enthrall the listener for an even longer stretch with its occult atmosphere before any metal comes in, and the gentle interludes “A Somber Mystery” and “Image of the Infinite” are magical, too. Of course, the heavier moments also demonstrate tremendous craftsmanship. Besides B.A.W’s godly drumming, Schammasch uses a triple guitar attack so that each guitarist can cycle through riff, lead, and atmospheric duties depending on what the song needs, creating a densely layered soundscape at all times in which distinct genres can exist simultaneously—the almost power metal lead melody that drives “I Hail You, Old Ocean” particularly standing out amidst the song’s otherwise extreme metal character. With these elements, Schammasch crafts tremendous crescendos in basically every song, and makes the journey towards them compelling as well.

However, there is one minor criticism I have of Old Ocean, which is about C.S.R’s clean singing. He’s decent at it, but it lags behind the quality of his harsh vocals. Furthermore, some of the melody writing is a bit odd. One of the curious things about Old Ocean is that its lyrics really just read like a philosophical essay with little care for vocal melody or fitting the song’s rhythm. To accommodate this, C.S.R spends a lot of time literally just talking into the mic, sometimes in a normal voice, other times growling his speech. The man’s really good at this whole talking shtick, and it fits seamlessly into the band’s occult atmosphere. However in the sung parts, this odd approach to lyric writing can make the melodies sound a bit clunky. “Crystal Waves” does have good vocal melodies, but on “Image of the Infinite” and during the mid-section of  “They Have Found Their Masters” the melodies sit awkwardly in between singing and talking. On the former track C.S.R’s relatively lacking singing abilities are also especially apparent when Kathrine Shepard (Sylvaine) comes in as a guest singer and completely outperforms him. Fortunately, he doesn’t sing a lot on the record, so it’s only a minor blight.

At the end of the day though, my critiques subtract very little from Old Ocean. Schammasch have once again shown why they are one of the most exciting projects in black metal around, as have they proven to be at the forefront of post-metal innovation, delivering a dark, hypnotic, intense, occult, ritualistic experience that is very easy to get lost in. I do slightly prefer Hermaphrodite still for its consistency, but Old Ocean is a very worthy addition to The Maldoror Chants series, and easily one of my favorite albums of the year.

Recommended tracks: Crystal Waves; I Hail You, Old Ocean
You may also like: Sermon, Antipope, Dark Fortress, Ultha
Final verdict: 8.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page

Label: Prosthetic Records – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Schammasch is:
– C.S.R (vocals, guitars, bass)
– B.A.W (drums)
– M.A (guitars)
– J.B (guitars)
– P.D (bass)

The post Review: Schammasch – The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Progressive death/black metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Ne Obliviscaris, Enslaved
Country: Switzerland
Release date: 1 March 2024

Year: 10,191 AA (After Andy)

I, the Emperor of All Known Prog-Death, Zacharius IV, sit bored atop the Åkerthrone. Each time one of my humble servants brings me a concept album, I promptly have them executed for it pertaining to fantasy, as I have listened to far too many tales of ancient heroes and mystical swords, and what I truly crave is a space opera concept. One that thrives on the tales of intergalactic war, planetary empires and melodrama with a technological backdrop. I suppose I could ask one of my servants to bring me Dvne’s Etemen Ænka or Vektor’s Terminal Redux for the hundredth time, but I truly crave something new.

To say my interest was piqued when my loyal imperial servant, Samuel of House Philips, brought to me an album which he claimed boasted “dynamic songwriting” and “long ass runtimes” atop of a space opera theme was undeniable. I raised a brow as he gently slid the large wax disc brough to him as an offering by this band, Mathilde, onto the Imperial Large Wax Disc Player and stepped aside.

I closed my eyes as the opening synths began to play, and they promptly shot open as ‘Mise En Orbite’ exploded into blast-beat laden, tremolo-picked goodness. My laughter in amazement was so loud that even the neighboring star-system could likely hear it. Surely, this was the album I had been so patiently waiting for since my entry into the Court of the Subway. This was my golden goose, an album so good that I would decree it a 10/10 in imperial ratings.

Then, the album kept going, and I began to lose track of which song was which due to them all blending together. The distant space-bards of Mathilde play an underwritten style of the most valuable subgenre in the universe. All the pieces of good songs are here, but Mathilde is far too ambitious for their own good. Halfway through ‘Mise En Orbite’, I began to check my chronomatrix to see how much time had passed. It feels far longer than it should due to actual lack of dynamics. The crown jewel of my empire, Opeth, understands where to place their heavy and soft sections. Mathile understands this to a certain extent, as the breakdown and buildup near the end of the opener proves so. But there seems to be far too much empty space (heh) in between the beginning and end of this twelve-minute song where nothing of interest happens.

’32 Decembre parte I’ does slightly better with a mere 5-minute runtime, and sees Mathilde consolidate their efforts into not making a song as long as possible, but as interesting as possible. A bass tapping section leading into galloping snare and synths would sound incredible without the vocalist sounding as though he suffered a recent breakup. I understand the emotive nature of Mathilde’s bard-craftings, but his constant one-tone, pained scream makes this album almost headache inducing.

‘Mathilde’ and ’32 Decembre parte II’ should feel like the sweeping album closers they’re supposed to be, but everything falls flat because of underbaked songwriting. While the individual sections would make for great parts of a song, they don’t quite fit together as nicely as I’d like. Take the section that lasts from about 2:30 onward in ‘Mathilde’. They let the song breathe for far too long, and the payoff nearly five minutes later doesn’t make up for lost time. The song should be cut two minutes short, and would be far better off for it.

Overall, Mathilde is far from talentless. They are clearly ambitious and talented enough with the drive to make a 5 song, nearly hour-long debut. But their songwriting is still young, and as such, falters. They want to make a long song without enough good ideas to fill it up. Perhaps, in a few years’ time, they will bring an offering worthy of the greats, as I’ve found the embedded concept to be fascinating. For now, though, I will have Samuel executed for a mediocre offering. Until next time, Mathilde.

Recommended tracks: Mise en Orbite, Mathilde
You may also like: Dessiderium, Aquilus, Disillusion
Final verdict: 5.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page

Label: Independent

Mathilde is:
– Cedric Pretat (bass)
– Axel Vuille (drums)
– Louis Linares (guitars)
– Colin Humair (guitars)
– Anton Simon (keyboards)
– Alessio Giuliano (guitars)
– Romaric Gendre (vocals)

The post Review: Mathilde – 32 Decembre appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: post-metal, post-rock (instrumental)
Recommended for fans of: We Lost the Sea, Lost in Kiev, Cult of Luna, If These Trees Could Talk
Country: Switzerland
Release date: 1 March, 2024

Finally, a proper post-metal album! Swiss post-rock and/or -metal outfit Fall of Leviathan threaten us all with a good time featuring “melodies that reflect the calmness and vastness of the sea before submerging into the depths of the ocean” (from their press blurb for the album), and their debut In Waves delivers on that evocative promise. Showcasing tumult alongside tranquility, this array of marine-themed tracks capably balances the contrasting moods and builds enticing transitions from one to the other and back again. What the album achieves in imagery, though, it lacks in consistency: while the contrasts help underscore the album’s mood and theme, they also get in the way of fully developing any one musical idea beyond the base concept of “ocean.”

Although lyricless, In Waves includes audio samples in the opening and closing tracks to deepen the album’s themes and make them more explicit than instrumentals alone could. The first of these perfectly captures the desolate spirit of empty ocean that Fall of Leviathan have set out to depict, quoting from Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea as “Nantucket” enters a lull at about its two-thirds mark. Describing “prisms in the deep dark water” and “the strange undulation of the calm,” this passage sets the scene for the dual depictions of beauty that the music itself supports—serenity above, harsh unknowns below. This portrait develops further during “Red Bay,” where the bass part’s long, rising notes seem at times to mimic whale song or the low, slow call of some other benthic creature. Further enhanced by the track’s adherence to a quieter tone, both the overall impression of the music and the clever sound effects help suggest the presence of deep, dark mysteries.

Most tracks on In Waves begin with softer, quieter moments before they dive into the darker abysses of post-metal, achieving a similar effect (though certainly to a lesser extent) to how The Ocean’s like-themed concept album Pelagial builds a dual metaphor for the deep layers of the ocean and the depths of a mental health crisis as the music journeys deeper into intense and distorted sounds. The title track in particular extends that formula, swelling up and down or shifting back and forth between the two styles like a wave rather than following a strict progression of light to heavy. On a technical level, Fall of Leviathan prove themselves equally capable of both the light post-rock side and the heavy, distorted post-metal side. However, each song from In Waves feels torn between its more ambient opening atmospheres and the heavier fathoms into which it sinks. This may be more a matter of personal preference, but in terms of their composition I find that the subtlety of the lighter moments feels a bit more effective than the crushing heavy moods, and although the tonal transitions add variety, they also rob those brighter moments of the chance to expand and develop which the long track runtimes would otherwise afford.

The longest songs (though indeed most of them are long) carry the most impact as they stretch out that development from soft to heavy and light to dark, enhancing the feeling of peeking beneath the waves and glimpsing their thalassic turmoil. That said, with the longest track “Pacific,” instead I get a feeling of aimlessness, some sense that the music’s forward development has been held up by a lack of endpoint. The individual moments come across well as the track’s aesthetic shifts like dappled sunlight shining down through tumultuous waves, but the final impression largely sneaks past unnoticed like the tide rising and falling. Although “Pacific” is probably the most guilty of this, I notice it more and more with the rest of the album the more I listen to it. I can pause to appreciate the legitimately pleasant, powerful, or otherwise evocative musical snapshots as they arise, but when each track comes to a close, I don’t feel as if I’ve experienced something fully complete and actualized.

There be some monsters lurking beneath the album’s foamy surface, and In Waves constructs a compelling contrast between the dual scenes of above and below, light and dark, airy and claustrophobic. Although this duality strengthens the impact and the feelings invoked by these scenes’ instrumental imagery, it also at times makes the aesthetics feel inconsistent and unsupported. The compositional and performative range on display deserves acclaim, but in another sense I think I would have preferred a more focused project with a clearer primary goal in terms of being either heavy or soft. Still, Fall of Leviathan have done a bang-up job crafting these sonic oceanscapes, filled with serene beauty backed up by the slow terror of the unknown. Even if flawed, it’s a worthy post-metal outing and a genuine bit of artistry.

Recommended tracks: Nantucket, In Waves, Red Bay
You may also like: Shy, Low, Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster, Molecules to Minds, jeffk
Final verdict: 6/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram
Label: Vitruve Records – Website | Facebook

Fall of Leviathan is:
– Emma Richon (drums)
– David Seuret (bass)
– Loïc Fleury (synths, “noise”)
– Régis Mérillat (guitars)
– Marc Wattenhofer (guitars)

The post Review: Fall of Leviathan – In Waves appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: technical death metal, melodic black metal, prog death metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Dissection, Obscura, Beyond Creation, Inferi, Archspire
Review by: Andy
Country: Switzerland
Release date: 13 October 2023

Counterpoint is unequivocally one of the most significant musical advancements in human history along with ordering the overtones and equal temperament. A single melody bears the weight of narrative in music; several interacting melodic lines (counterpoint) tell an exponentially more complex story, and most importantly, the concept stimulates my wrinkly, prog-loving brain. Stortregn get counterpoint. 

The transition from standard Dissection worship to an unholy, stylistically distinct amalgamation of swaggering meloblack and ferocious technical death metal took Stortregn a decade; perfecting the style took three years. Impermanence was a shock to the system and a breath of fresh air for a tech-loaded 2021, an immaculately paced and performed album with a unique ear for melodic riffing. In these past two years, Geneva’s finest have honed their distinct style down to a science with the laser-focused precision of a Swiss watch; Finitude is both a technical and artistic masterpiece, deftly balancing form and function.

The performances on Finitude are unreal. Romain Negro’s harshes have clarity and diversity while Manuel Barrios’ bass weaves between the guitar parts with masterful ease. And, my God, the guitar parts: contrapuntal insanity. Johan Smith and Duran Bathija abandoned the typical lead/rhythm dichotomy to instead create a stunning Baroque soundscape, the two sounding as if they’re playing in an electric chamber ensemble more than a death metal band. Stylistically, they take the best of Inferi’s melodicism and flair for epic solos, the occasional harmonic unison of Virvum’s absurdity, and the impossibly intricate parts of Archspire while still mixing in a fair share of Dissection’s melodic sexiness (that’s the technical industry term). Finitude truly contains forty-three minutes of among the most stunning guitar parts ever put to tape. Finally, I’d be remiss not to mention Samuel Jakubec’s drumming, as well, since between this and Impermanence he’s rapidly becoming one of the best tech drummers ever. While his footwork has constant blasts as mechanically proficient as Dan Presland or Hanness Grossmann, his hands play with the delicacy of a jazz drummer’s touch. Most impressively, this collective talent functions as a cohesive unit; Stortregn interact as if they’re a single living creature. 

Perhaps the least intuitive but most fundamental aspect of Stortregn’s sound, the spatial awareness inherent to the production pushes Finitude to the next level. The production pays hyper-awareness to which channel each guitar part and drum beat is sent, creating a virile, dynamic interplay between all of these contrapuntal parts. Moreover, the multi-limbed approach of the drumming is fragmented across channels in such a way as to make Jakubec feel omnipresent yet never overpowering. This approach is sensationally dizzying, especially with Stortregn’s penchant for circular, tap-centric guitar riffs, but it pays off in the sheer volume of melodic complexity within Finitidue. Unfortunately, letting everything dominate the space does cause some significant brickwalling–and, therefore, fatigue with such a dense album–but that’s seriously my only substantial complaint on Finitude. 

I haven’t even mentioned a song up to now because I don’t know which one to highlight–they’re all deserving. Lead single “Xeno Chaos” dazzles with flamenco (which I wish they used more of in addition to this one and the haunting bit on “De Inferno Solis”) and a frantic, blinding solo. Or perhaps I should discuss “Cold Void” which dabbles in unexpected dissonance, or maybe the sheer heft of “Omega Axiom” gets you going. For me, the highlight is in the final few minutes of the entire album: “The Revelation” ends with a solo section in which those conversing guitar parts that meander across and through and [insert preposition here] each other finally come together in unison in an orgasmic shred-fest of epic proportions–think First Fragment or Virvum. 

Finitude raises the bar for how to be intricate and not be reduced to wankery. Never once in the shred did I ever think it was too much–Stortregn have proved twice in a row they understand pacing and performance beyond reason. If it weren’t for a gripe with the loudness of the production, I’d be slapping a 10/10 on an album for the first time at the Subway, but regardless I guarantee you that you won’t regret listening to this masterpiece.

Recommended tracks: Finitude, A Lost Battle Rages On, Xeno Chaos, Cold Void, Rise of the Insidious, Omega Axiom, De Inferno Solis, The Revelation
You may also like: Impureza, First Fragment, Virvum, Alustrium, Equipoise
Final verdict: 9.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Metal-Archives page

Label: The Artisan Era – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Stortregn is:
– Romain Negro (guitars, vocals)
– Johan Smith (guitars)
– Samuel Jakubek (drums)
– Duran K. Bathija (bass, guitars)
– Manuel Barrios (bass)

The post Review: Stortregn – Finitude appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Progressive death metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Death, Augury, Morbid Angel
Review by: Zach
Country: Switzerland
Release date: 9 August, 2023

Do you remember that scene at the end of The Phantom Menace, where Palpatine says to Anakin “We will watch your career with great interest”? You as the audience know damn well this little kid is going to grow up to be Darth Vader and if you paid even the slightest bit of attention to George Lucas’s lack of subtlety, you’d know this old man is The Emperor. But, from the characters’ perspectives, they’ve got no idea this kid who says “yippee!” will grow up to be a feared cyborg space samurai. In my career as a prog metal reviewer, this is really all I want. My signing off motto is basically a challenge to any band that makes a mediocre album to make a fucking masterpiece next time. I want a band that scares the shit out of me with the quality difference between albums.

But I’ve never reviewed an Uncaved album. Well, sort of. See, in getting this promo, and Sam looming over me saying “review more tech death, nerd”, I decided to check out their Bandcamp page only to find a familiar name. Felicien Burkard, the bassist of today’s prospect, is one of the brains behind Kerberos, a band whose debut album I found…well, mediocre. Furthermore, the little I’ve heard of Uncaved’s debut sounded pretty good in all the five minutes I spent on a passive listen. So, how does Burkard’s other band stack up?

Certainly an improvement from the 5/10 score I gave Kerberos. This is, by all means, a fine prog death debut. The opener, ‘Nocturni Lumimis’ really sets the stage for what this album is going to be. This is more Death flavor with a touch of Morbid Angel sprinkles on top than Obscura flavor. In English, that means less focus on insane technicality and more on nasty, chuggy riffs. There are the rare breaks of batshit insane technicality, like the Decapitated-esque trem picking in ‘Scorner’, but this is very much a riff-focused project.

But with a riff focused project, you better make sure they’re good. There are indeed riffs on Uncaved, and they’re played well, but nothing stood out to me on countless listens. I spent far more time with this album than usual, trying my hardest to find anything that wasn’t mediocre. Even Burkard’s bass, the rare times it appears, is standard, but talented enough, tech death noodly bass.

There are a few saving graces on this album that keep the score slightly higher than it probably deserves. “Thus I Demand the Abolition of God” is easily the best song on this album, and one of the shortest at slightly under four minutes (not counting the interlude), and standing on its own, it’s quite good. Starting with an operatic intro that almost reminds me of Sovereigns Unknown-­era Augury, and the blistering pace almost makes me think this album could be much better had Uncaved focused on making shorter songs.

See, the riffs on this song aren’t incredible, but they’re a bit of fun, and the fun’s only intensified by their use of mixed vocals. The bass break near the end further solidifies my Augury comparisons, and it’s a bit of that batshit insanity that makes tech death good in the first place. Dogmatorraites is tech-death by the numbers without an ounce of bravery to do something different. Tech death hasn’t become worse over the years, more that it’s become complacent in a formula of its own making. You obviously need some talent to play this stuff, but the reason Archspire, First Fragment, and Alkaloid (Numen is incredible, isn’t it?)  reign supreme is their drive to continuously flirt with other sounds and influences beyond death metal.

Uncaved have all the pieces together to make a really good album if they didn’t seem so stuck in this rut. With a debut, I’m probably going to be a bit more lenient than I should, but right now, they’re another band for the tech sludge pile. If they can figure out some way to break through with all this unused talent, good for them. But go a little crazier for the next release. I’ll have more respect for a band that goes against the grain and fails than one who makes baby’s first tech-death album.

Recommended tracks: Scorner, Thus I Demand the Abolition of God
You may also like: Kerberos, Skyglow
Final verdict: 6/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page

Label: Independent
Uncaved is:
– Felicien Burkard (Bass, vocals)
– Gregor Bucher (drums)
– Ralph P. Huber (Guitar, vocals)
– Samuel Weiderkehr (Guitars, vocals)
– Simon Frederik Piringer (vocals)

The post Review: Uncaved – Dogmatorraistes appeared first on The Progressive Subway.