Style:  progressive black metal, electronica, industrial metal, symphonic metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Mechina, Thy Catafalque, Sigh
Country: France
Release date: 1 August 2025

I love when an artist has a philosophical vision that the music matches. The man behind Creatvre, Raphaël Fournier, knows exactly what he wants Toujours Humain (Always Human) to represent: a deep tension between being human and being part of the fast-approaching technological future. In I, Voidhanger’s Bandcamp blurb for the record, Fournier drops some absolutely fire explanations like “It [Toujours Humain] echoes the cries of those no longer heard, fragments of tweets turned into prayers” and “It’s an allegory of self-erasure for individuals, as programmed by those who set the agenda… The shame of still being biological.” A bit pretentious? Absolutely. But the description is undoubtedly poetic, and Toujours Humain definitely walks the walk.

As a writer at a blog of luddites, I am naturally drawn far more to the side of Creatvre that looks toward the past and not the imminent technocratic future. The project’s 2020 record, Ex Cathedra, is brilliant Baroque-inspired black metal with flute and real strings; in 2025, the Baroque aspect of Creatvre’s sound is wrapped into synthwave à la Keygen Church, the only remnants of non-electronic instruments being sax and trumpet in tracks like “R+X,” “Diffimation,” and “Shaïna.” Toujours Humain successfully distorts their classical compositional style rooted in human tradition into an industrial, synthesized album that sounds like it could be from the future.

Synths and synthesized choirs, off-kilter electronic beats, and industrial metal barking harshes lay down the foundation for Toujours Humain and its view of technology. Atop that base, Creatvre creatively branches out in a couple ways: the aforementioned Baroque influence in impressive counterpoint (“Hope Inc.”, “Chant des Limbes”), dancey industrial beats under trem picking (“Plus Humain”), vocoder (“Plus Humain”) and dynamic synthwave (“Toujours en Bas,” “Diffamation”). Fournier also explores several compositional assets that don’t work in his favor, like the constant industrial sections focused on rhythm much more than melody, the latter of which is Creatvre’s strong suit. Some tracks rely too much on those industrial cliches, too, leading them to be completely forgettable on the tracklist (“R+X” aside from its trumpet part, “810-M4SS”). Fournier’s vocals are also one-note, staying entirely within a small span of mid-range harsh growls, with an odd whispered quality from multilayering, that feel out of place compared to the often exploratory and dynamic music on Toujours Humain. 

Exacerbating the middling industrial metal sections is a loud, fittingly over-produced sound. The strong guitar leads on “Syntropie” and “Chant des Limbes” get buried in a dozen different synth tones, which bleep, bloop, arpeggio, and provide a fat bottom end to the sound. No room is left for breathing in the mix—not that our cyborg counterparts will need air—in favor of a full, epic sound. The choral moments are the only ones that benefit from the loud mix, as they achieve a bombastic score-like quality, similar to Neurotech. The rare moments where fewer elements are moving around the sonic space in parallel are clearly where Creatvre excels; for instance, at 1:12 in “Hope Inc.”, Fournier isolates the main lead guitar with a single synth line to go into the Baroque-infused main melody in the “chorus” of sorts. The track also has a much more energetic swing than much of the rest of the album, mostly avoiding the industrial slog. 

Fournier gets his point across on Toujours Humain that man and machine are on an imminent collision course with his blend of old and new, but I hope that he rediscovers his more human composition because my still-unchipped brain prefers the symphonic black metal of Ex Cathedra over the industrial synthiness of Toujours Humain. Or, perhaps, I’m just too slow at evolving to fit the new technology and will be left behind as an embarrassing remnant of what our species was, fleshy and reliant on oxygen.

Recommended tracks: Hope Inc., Chant des Limbes, Diffamation
You may also like: Grey Aura, Neurotech, Keygen Church, Les Chants du Hasard
Final verdict: 6/10

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

Label: I, Voidhanger Records – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Creatvre is:
– Raphaël Fournier (voice, guitars, bass, synths, drums, trombones, trumpet, saxophone)
With guests:
– Ombre Ecarlate (additional composition)
– Cédric Sebastian (additional vocals on tracks 6-7)

The post Review: Creatvre – Toujours Humain appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Industrial Metal, Breakcore, Black Metal, Doom Metal (mostly harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Bongripper, Om, Author & Punisher, Igorrr
Country: Netherlands
Release date: 21 February 2025

I’ve only been writing for The Progressive Subway for about two months now, but I fear it has already irreparably altered my taste in music in some ways. For example, when an artist describes their own work as “dissonant”, I have PTSD flashbacks to a few weeks ago, when Andy asked me to check out Gorguts‘ Obscura for the first time. Bong-Ra‘s latest LP, Black Noise, is downright pleasant in comparison.

Bong-Ra is one of many projects from the mind of Jason Köhnen (Celestial Season, The Answer Lies in the Black Void, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, etc.). If you’re interested in exploring the territory where metal and electronic music overlap, a stroll through Bong-Ra‘s back catalog is an excellent introduction. Black Noise is not the first metal-electronic fusion album from Bong-Ra, but it is the best example of where that balance is shifted in favour of fans of black or industrial metal, as opposed to breakcore and raggacore (Warrior Sound, Monolith) or drone metal (Antediluvian, Meditations).

Black Noise is largely a work of industrial metal with a tasteful infusion of electronic instrumentation. On the opening track “Dystopic”, trudging guitars occasionally glitch, and you’re reminded every so often that the drums are programmed as the track flows into and out of breakcore sections. At times, Köhnen hearkens back to his earlier, more atmospheric oeuvre, like on “Bloodclot”, a sparse track with a throbbing bassline reminiscent of a pulse. “Parasites”, another memorable work, is notable primarily for its prominent sampling of wet, writhing, wriggling creatures; partway through “Parasites”, those squidgy, slimy samples are timed to align with the bass drum, making it sound like a band trying to play their way out of a pit full of worms and leeches.

But Black Noise is not a particularly memorable album on the whole. When I introduce someone to a new band, I can tell they’re not really open to giving it a chance when the main criticism they have is “all of the songs sound the same”. I think that’s usually a cop-out, and what they really mean is “I listened to the album and didn’t pay attention because I didn’t care all that much, so I don’t remember the differences between the tracks”. But friends, I have listened to Black Noise upward of a dozen times now and I can tell you with certainty: most of the songs on this album sound the same.

The first three tracks – “Dystopic”, “Death#2”, and “Nothing Virus” – are nearly identical sonically. The same monotone growling vocals, the same distorted guitar tone, the same mechanical ambiance. Sure, the lyrics are different track to track, but on individual tracks they’re so repetitive as to be almost mantric. Each of these songs has a choppy delivery: short one-to-three word phrases repeated over and over. The entirety of the lyrics¹ for “Dystopic”, for example, are

• “Echoes void.”
• “Shattered dreams fade.”
• “Cold eyes.”
• “Lifeless.”
• “Dystopic.”
• “Endless decay.”
• “Silent machine hums.”

Take those seven phrases and repeat them a handful of times (with interspersed grunts and yells for flavour) in whatever order you like and you’ve got yourself a song. You can do the same for “Death#2”² with

• “Static fills my…”
• “…numb, cold skin.”
• “Pulse fades.”
• “Heavy, slow breath.”
• “Death in silence.”
• “Shadows take hold.”
• “Life fades away.”

“Nothing Virus” is a bit more varied lyrically, but it still maintains this two-to-three word phrasing in the vocals. If someone heard these three songs from Bong-Ra, they would be more than justified in thinking that “all their songs sound the same”. The fourth track, “Useless Eaters”, finally breaks this pattern by containing no lyrics whatsoever – just many samples of Charles Manson rants. (Never did I think I would be so thankful for Charles Manson.) Not until the seventh track of the album, “Ruins”, do we finally get some variety in the vocals; this and the unsettling “Parasites” both feature some clean vocals in addition to the harsh ones. But don’t worry, the choppy phrasing is present in the clean vocals, as well. “Dystopic” is a great track, but I don’t need that same track slightly reworked in five different ways on the same album—give me some variety, man.

Jason Köhnen’s Bong-Ra has evolved significantly over the past three decades, and Black Noise is a step in a new direction: heavier than his previous fusion work and more digestible than his previous metal work. But Black Noise is not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination. Cutting out the forgettable “Death#2”, “Nothing Virus”, “Black Rainbow”, and “…Blissful Ignorance”, Black Noise could have been a decent five-track EP; but as-is, there’s too much filler, not enough killer. With his jump from avant-drone metal to industrial, Köhnen seems to have not yet found his niche in the metal world. To develop a more consistent fanbase, Bong-Ra need to deliver more consistently, both in terms of style and quality.

Recommended tracks: Parasites, Bloodclot, Dystopic
You may also like: DJ Skull Vomit, Intensive Care, Celestial Season
Final verdict: 4.5/10

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

Label: Debemur Morti Productions – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Bong-Ra is:
– Jason Köhnen (everything)
– Attila Kovacs (touring guitarist)
– Botond Fogl (touring guitarist)

1. Transcribed by the author and therefore possibly incorrect. ︎
2. Unintelligible lyrics at 2:36 and 3:38. ︎

The post Review: Bong-Ra – Black Noise appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Gothic metal, industrial metal, alternative metal (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Lacuna Coil, Epica, Megara, Ankor
Country: France
Release date: 10 January 2025

I find the French metal scene is much like the Italian metal scene in that the bands who are interested in exporting culture by singing in their native tongue seem few and far between. Imagine that even the biggest French metal band in the world, when playing on the biggest stage in the world, in their native country, singing a metal version of a traditional folk song, couldn’t help but throw an English verse into it.¹ I just had to fucking roll my eyes and laugh. What an achievement for Anglophone metal, I guess. So when I find a band that sings in their native tongue, I’m immediately more interested in listening to that than I would be in listening to another similar band who sings in English, and today that brings me to Parisians ELYOSE and their newest album Évidence. A tasty blend of djenty riffs, industrial synths, and gothic atmosphere, neatly packaged with a glossy and tight production, there’s enough earworms here to keep you happily humming along even if your only experience with the French language is the sizing at Starbucks. 

Évidence has a very defined and crisp sound that is in contrast to the more loosely cinematic or theatrical feel of the symphonic and gothic metal style. Guitarist Anthony Chognard opts instead for sharp, aggressive djent riffing in the vein of Australian progressive pop metal outfit Voyager or even Mick Gordon‘s DOOM soundtracks but never straying too far from the gothic/industrial influence: in this way I’m reminded of later Lacuna Coil releases more than something like Nightwish. Chognard is also in charge of drums, and they sound massive and play well with the stop-start guitar work, often coming through in double-kick bursts and keeping the energy up, even adding a blast-beat section in “Immuable” punctuated by a staccato vocal that sounded really sinister.

ELYOSE really shines in their use of synths on Évidence to add texture, sometimes creating ambiance with soft pads (“Abnégation”) and at other times playing complex arpeggiated leads as an intensifier before a heavy intro (“Ascension Tracée”). The synths are a good way of differentiating sections and creating a sense of movement within a track, and when that filter opens up you know some shit’s about to go down. The symphonic and electronic sounds sit well in the mix and do well not to overpower the vocals of singer Justine Daaé, who sits comfortably in her expansive range, varying from haunting and powerful high notes to a more alternative/nu-metal-inspired almost-rap cadence (“Mission Lunaire”, “Tentatives Échouées”). 

The use of decidedly pop elements across Évidence lend it a more accessible sound: the song structures are generally on the more conventional side and the durations don’t drag out too long; the djent influence in the riffing generally lacks complexity; the aforementioned alternative metal vocal style is very pop-coded, and ELYOSE favors electronic or metalcore breakdowns with the spotlight on the vocals rather than guitar solos. That’s all a little cliché but it works well enough within the broader idea. ELYOSE aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel or break new ground here, and I find myself often drawing comparisons with their 2023 release Déviante. While I applaud them for sticking to a formula that works, I wonder if maybe they could’ve been a bit more adventurous with their soundscapes and arrangements. 

Évidence is a fun, uncomplicated, 40-ish minute romp, with lots of hooky electronic parts, rhythmic groove, and a penchant for getting vocal melodies stuck in your head. And I want to extend praise for the mostly-French track listing that adds a certain je ne sais quoi to the experience. It’s always a pleasure to hear a band put out a release in their native language even if it narrows the market a little bit—and to the naysayers who may complain about not understanding the lyrics, I posit that they seldom lodge the same complaints against extreme metal outfits with harsh vocals. ELYOSE are obviously skilled at what they do, but I’d love to see them expand on it a little with the next release.

Recommended tracks: “Tentatives échouées”, “Prête au combat”, “Théogyne 2.0”
You may also like: Manigance, Vilivant, Lisa Dal Bello
Final verdict: 6/10

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

Label: Independent

ELYOSE is:
– Justine Daaé (vocals, keyboards, programming)
– Anthony Chognard (guitars, bass, drums)

1. Gojira – Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!) ︎

The post Review: ELYOSE – Évidence appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Progressive Metal (Mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Strapping Young Lad, Soilwork, Dark Tranquility
Country: Ukraine
Release date: 19 April 2024

Some artists are insanely prolific. About once a week on average, Andy will announce to all of us that a new Kosm album has just dropped—for some reason he endures every release from a man who puts out something like fifty albums per year. Deha is another insanely prolific artist, and both make King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard look like Tool. Fortunately, I don’t know any bands like that, and I can’t imagine wanting any artist to put out that much music. Diminium’s debut, Dissonant, dropped on November 30th last year—and Dimi Rich, the man behind the band, has been busy these past five months working on new EP Dominant. That’s fast compared to most artists, and as long as he doesn’t start releasing an album a week, I’m happy. 

Dissonant was a nice little surprise when it dropped, a record clearly influenced by Devin Townsend’s erstwhile outlet Strapping Young Lad, brimming with anger and energy, but Rich managed to utilise that sound to his own end, pouring much of the frustration and heartbreak of the war in his country into his music. Dissonant is a quick twenty-one minute EP with five tracks that sees Rich infuse his sound with black metal flavours. 

“Oblivion” makes that influence instantly apparent with its steadfast blast beat rhythms, and some tremolo-picked riffs later on, techniques which resurface over the course of the EP. “Vortex” opens more like a System of a Down track and feints with a filthy noughties metal groove before then turning back to the blackened tremolo, adding spacey chorus effects and, buried ominously behind the other instruments, eerie chants, all reminiscent of Dodheimsgard. Rich’s influences are found all over the place—Dominant isn’t a black metal EP, it just borrows judiciously from the genre—but he manages to weave them into a consistent tapestry. If one idea doesn’t sit so comfortably, the next one will. A lot of that comes down to Rich’s versatile vocal range; he modulates his harshes between death metal growls and higher, harsher black metal screams, each section feeling dominated and defined by the vocal performance. 

“Ordeal” opens with eerie flamenco and bursts of distortion, and again marries black metal influences to an almost nu-metal sense of groove. Having recently reviewed an album that suffered from a lacklustre rhythm section, Rich’s mastery of rhythm is all the more apparent. He has a great ear for grooves, which can only be achieved through an understanding of how drums and guitar must interplay. That’s also apparent on “Shifts”, a punchier track that sees Rich take on some belting heavy metal cleans (how about that new Judas Priest record everyone?) and pushes into an uncompromisingly ballsy breakdown. Dominant closes out with an instrumental version of “Avoid a Void” from Dissonant which is thrown in as a bit of a bonus track. I’m not wild about instrumental versions of vocal-led tracks and Rich doesn’t really do anything new with it, but, y’know, it’s fine. 

It shouldn’t be any surprise to hear that Rich is an award winning sound engineer. Dissonant sounded fantastic and so does Dominant. Indeed, there’s very little to criticise across the board, but Rich never quite blows me away. He’s a tight composer but I want some more pushing the envelope, more of that prog ambition. What would a ten minute Diminium track sounds like? What would more genre experimentation look like? Weaving in blackened influences is a promising start, and there’s no doubt that Rich has plenty more to offer.

Dimi’s rich ideas [Sam berated me for not doing any “rich” puns, so I did this incredibly weak one] continues to impress, demonstrating an understanding of black metal and incorporating it seamlessly into his established sound, and while Dominant is short but sweet, it shows huge potential for the future. I’d love to see Diminium keep experimenting with different genre influences, as well as explore more progressive structures, but Dominant proves that Rich is a consistent and entertaining songwriter with a hell of a lot of potential. 

Recommended tracks: Oblivion, Vortex, also it’s not on the EP but go check the cover of Dua Lipa’s “Training Season”
You may also like: Mean Messiah, Opsimath
Final verdict: 7/10

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

Label: Independent

Diminium is:
– Dimi Rich (everything)

The post Review: Diminium – Dominant appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: prog metal, djent, industrial metal, symphonic metal (mostly clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Devin Townsend, Mechina, Michael Romeo (but that weird song “Fucking Robots” specifically)
Country: Slovenia
Release date: 15 March 2024

Of my countless accolades and achievements even at my young age, perhaps none reach such dizzying heights as Stockholm Syndrome-ing my mother into liking prog metal (as previously alluded to in my Southern Empire review). However, she always calls power metal and symphonic overtures in prog and the like “Disneyland music”; no, Mom, Symphony X’s “The Odyssey” isn’t Pirates of the Caribbean. Neurotech, on the other hand, actively cultivate a cinematic grandiosity, though closer to the mood of a dystopian sci-fi film than a Disney one… or perhaps Space Mountain. Maybe you’re onto something, Mom.

From the opening moments of swelling orchestration and choir’s chants of “Credo,” the album sounds like the score to some futuristic thriller. As in that technological future, everything on Memory Eternal is coated in chrome: shiny orchestrations, touched-up vocals, space-y synths, tight songwriting. Wulf—the Slovenian guy behind Neurotech—has his music under complete control at all times, never feeling unwieldy even at Memory Eternal’s heaviest moments like in the electro-djent parts of “Echoes of the Fall” or “The Ark of Cain.” But Wulf also doesn’t necessarily play it overly safe, either, with 80s synths transitioning into harsh vocals (“The Ark of Cain”) or long post- buildups replete with cello and choirs (“Memory Eternal”).

Within Neurotech’s cultivation of bombastic, epic soundscapes perfect for a blockbuster, he writes moments of awe-inspiring beauty. For instance, the acoustic bits in “Echoes of the Fall” cut like a knife through the glassy aesthetic ushering in a much more human touch. And for those who don’t know, arguably Neurotech’s best-received and most epic work is easily his Symphonies albums which merge classical ambition with prog metal’s instrumentation, the crème de la crème of which are expansive, glorious instrumental sections that explode with blast beats. Thankfully, Memory Eternal is suffused with such moments, as resplendent as they are liberating, infusing a feeling of levity into the heaviness. However, unlike Symphonies, I think the drums are mixed too loudly, not letting the melodies soak in as much as before, a real shame considering how awesome they are. Wulf’s songwriting abilities are on full display here, too, able to morph pop into electro-industrial djent with high-quality orchestration seamlessly, the choruses building up into the nutty climaxes.

In the crystalline execution of Memory Eternal, not all works for the best. Even if they fit the futuristic vibes, the detached vocoder effects aren’t necessarily my favorite as they become fairly monotonous by the middle of the album. I appreciate the turn toward poppiness for an album like Memory Eternal, but while Wulf still keeps the writing interesting, his instrumental stuff is what really grabs my attention: He’s a true master of synthesized orchestration without crowdfunding a sauna (Jari *cough cough*). The bigger problem is the drum tone, which I find tedious with its repetitive 2/4 stomp—a bit reminiscent of 80s synth pop. I still love the drumming when it turns to blast beats over clean sections—it’s truly my kryptonite and few do it better—but as I said earlier, Neurotech have done it better on previous releases.

So sure, Mom, I don’t think Neurotech would mind if you called this Space Mountain music; music just doesn’t get more sleekly hyperspeed than in 4:20 of “Echoes of the Fall.” While Memory Eternal throws a wrench in the symphonic excellence of Symphonies in favor of a more pop background, I don’t think Wulf loses any of what makes those albums so successful. Wulf is clearly a perfectionist, and I look forward to seeing what other curveballs he can throw in the future.

Recommended tracks: Credo, Echoes of the Fall, Descent, Memory Eternal
You may also like: Neurowolf, Neuroaxis, Evelyn, Sunyata
Final verdict: 7/10

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

Label: independent

Neurotech is:
– Wulf (everything)

The post Review: Neurotech – Memory Eternal appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Genres: Industrial Metal, Thrash Metal, Prog(gish) Metal (Mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Strapping Young Lad, early Devin Townsend, Soilwork, Scar Symmetry
Country: Czechia
Review by: Christopher
Release date: 23 February 2024

I’ve kind of become the de facto Devologist here at the Subway. My degree in Comparative Devology (I have a minor in Quantum Wilderunics) has made me the leading expert on the little family of prog species that all evolved from the same bald common ancestor. The other day, a new species fluttered into my forest light trap, screaming in angst, bashing up against the sheet at ridiculous RPMs, flashing its synths in distress—there was no doubting it was a Townsendopterid. After it had tired itself out, I picked it up delicately with my forceps and popped it into a specimen jar with some coffee, some effects pedals and an ambient CD with which it quickly settled down. After careful study, I named it Messius iratus or Mean Messiah. 

Ok, let’s bury that routine for a while. In Infinite Illusion is the third album from this Czechian trio who work in that same thrashy, industrial sphere as Strapping Young Lad and Devin’s early solo work; the instantaneous whiplash of the double bass and unhinged scream that opens the title track leave no doubt for what’s to come. Vocalist Dan Friml is something of a veteran—he’s worked in heavy metal on and off since 1987 with the Czechian bands Sebastian and Apostasy—and he pulls off the expected style of fry screams, with his cleans traversing a similar range to a younger Devin, too. Every element is capably performed and reassuringly familiar. 

“Fire” draws on the more straightforwardly upbeat vibe of Accelerated Evolution era Devy with major key synths and an anthemic chorus; “Clouds” moves into more ominous industrial territory with a nu-metal beat making it sound like Korn without the freakout scatting; and “Crash Test” smashes into the more technical realms of groups like Scar Symmetry and Soilwork. Just as ferrets, otters and wolverines are all mustelids, so Mean Messiah aren’t a mere Strapping Young Lad knock-off but rather progenitors of a distinct sound within a given niche, drawing as they do from across that old industrial-tinged noughties metal scene ,allowing for variation throughout In Infinite Illusion. Rather than avoiding cliche or cheese, they kind of revel in it, but Mean Messiah have the charisma to pull it off. It doesn’t hurt that In Infinite Illusion spans eight tracks in thirty-nine minutes; short and sweet, just as this style should be. 

Back to Comparative Devology: I’ve written papers on a few species now, including Monolith Zero, Ramage Inc., and Diminium, and it’s instructive to look at these more closely. Monolith Zero, to my ear, flew too close to the sun, the riffs were so familiar as to feel like persistent homage. Ramage Inc. married the Devin influences with Gojira-esque groove, but worship and length remained problems. Diminium was the most successful of the three, taking the raw aggression and energy of SYL and reinvigorating the cliche. Of these three, Mean Messiah are fortunately closest to Diminium in their, I don’t know, musical physiognomy (what do you want from me, good jokes)? Sticking to the less chaotic, more anthemic end of the SYL sound and broadening their horizons to take influences from across the noughties metal scene—with even some nu metal ideas creeping in—to round out their sound, Mean Messiah may well be the most distinct species in the genus.

Figure 1. shows the relative loudness of the ensemble elements on In Infinite Illusion (it wouldn’t be a biology paper pisstake without a bar chart). As one can see, the drums, while well performed, are by far the loudest instrument in the mix, and although I enjoy how prominent the synth is, the rhythm guitar parts are close to being washed out by all the other elements—fortunately, the lead guitar doesn’t suffer from the same problem because there are some pretty sick solos across In Infinite Illusion. It’s not a bad mix by any means—in fact the album sounds sharp overall—but the elements could stand to be better balanced.  

It’s always nice to discover a new species of Townsendomorph, especially as The Omega Experiment haven’t been recorded in the wild since 2020. Mean Messiah’s mix of thrash and industrial aggression with more anthemic, even poppy vibes makes for a surprisingly fun listen and will ensure that Messius iratus is highly sought after by casual Townsendopterists looking to kill them, spread them, and mount them on their board alongside the others in their collection. Isn’t nature beautiful? 

Recommended tracks: In Infinite Illusion, Clouds, Fire
You may also like: Diminium, Ramage Inc., Monolith Zero, Exxperior, The Omega Experiment
Final verdict: 7/10

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

Label: The Barn Production – Facebook | Official Website

Mean Messiah is:
– Dan Friml (guitars, vocals, keyboards)
– Miloš Meier (drums)
– Lenka Čechová (bass)

The post Review: Mean Messiah – In Infinite Illusion appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Genres: avant-garde metal, instrumental prog metal, electronica, industrial metal (instrumental)
Recommended for fans of: The Algorithm, Master Boot Record, Neurotech, Space Mountain soundtrack
Country: Poland
Release date: 6 January 2024

With a name like Evelyn and an album cover that reeks of Vieux Boulognendue, I figured Multidimensional Transformation must be generic symphonic metal, no different than any of the other five hundred bands that ape Nightwish—probably replete with a hot, goth-adjacent singer named Evelyn that would make my peer Zach instantly fall in love, too. To be sure, Multidimensional Transformation has symphonic elements, but it’s really a smorgasbord of eclectic electro-prog, pilfering elements from the likes of Neurotech, Mesarthim, and The Algorithm. 

When the first section beyond the superficial intro exploded two minutes and nineteen seconds into the album—with me expecting a bland soprano—I about jumped out of my skin at the relentless industrial blast beats and electronica-suffused blackened tremeloes. While immediately abrasive, a slew of strong melodies began, performed both by the lead guitars (while they weren’t mindlessly chugging as they are across large swaths of the album) and by the prevalent synths which define Evelyn’s sound. Providing a range of styles to Multidimensional Transformation, like trance, electro, breakbeat, and synthwave, the synths easily rise above the rest of the album both in the background as an ambient texture and, more importantly, as an intense, pummeling vessel for carrying the main melodies like The Algorithm or Mesarthim. The best track “Programmed Dream” especially incorporates a more chilled prog metal-cum-synthwave section toward the end as an overall album highlight, divorced from the rather hectic main body of the album.

However, one can hardly hear the melodies for most of the album because of obnoxious, constant blast beats. I love blast beats more than the next guy (unless the next guy is Zach), especially over clean and/or chill sections (as in Neurotech’s excellent Symphonies albums), but Evelyn is far, FAR too much. Even disregarding the horrible tone choice—I mean, really, the echoing, reverb-riddled computerized drums are truly grating—they are far too loud in the mix, drowning out everything else. Moreover, while a sandbox of constant blast beats can be a cool texture to work on top of (see Plague Organ or even Bríi), Evelyn is far stronger without fully blasting, either when it uses more electronica-focused beats or even the exceedingly rare times it abandons percussion completely to let the synths handle the relentless forward march. 

Primarily because of the drumming, Multidimensional Transformation quickly becomes a fatiguing listen. Since the pulse is so relentlessly consistent, the whole album becomes a muddled pool of ever-mutating synths and blast beats, and the album contains very few highlights or particularly memorable melodies even if some are quite pleasant unlike a Neurotech or Master Boot Record release. Moment to moment, Evelyn is fairly engaging even if frustratingly loud (and even more than a tad annoying with the drum tone and some of the bland guitar chugging à la The Dark Atom), but taken as a whole, Multidimensional Transformation does surprisingly little considering how hecticly active each track is. Once you’ve heard half a song, you’ve heard all the album has to offer, AND you’ll save yourself from going crazy at a barrage of quantized drumming. 

At first I really thought Multidimensional Transformation was terrible, but it grew on me tremendously with its sweeping synths and melodicism; however, in the end, the negatives outweigh the positives, and listening to Evelyn became a nuisance. This sure is more interesting than your average Nightwish clone, at least!

Recommended tracks: Programmed Dream
You may also like: The Dark Atom, Arkhtinn, Mesarthim, Gonemage
Final verdict: 4/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Metal-Archives page

Label: independent

Evelyn is:
– Chorus (guitars, programming)
– Asteria (keyboards)

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Style: Progressive Metal, Groove Metal (Mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Strapping Young Lad, Gojira, early Devin Townsend
Review by: Christopher
Country: Ukraine
Release date: 30 November, 2023

Without wanting to get too cynically McLuhanesque, in the age of social media a war is only as important as its entertainment value. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which began in February 2022, brought an onslaught of militarised horror to global media, and outpourings of support and solidarity with the Ukrainian people. And then, after a while, we forgot. We have a new war to go insane about now until that, too, bores us, and some new geopolitical drama comes to occupy our collective attention. But for those living amid the fray, these wars and their degradation remain an ever present reality: loved ones killed, neighbourhoods destroyed, and the constant threat of death and destruction looming overhead. 

No wonder Dimi Rich sounds so pissed off. Diminium is his brainchild where he composes and performs all instruments, and was conceived as an outlet for his anger and disgust regarding the war in his native Ukraine, as Russian shells were fired into his homeland and blackouts sunk him into darkness. Clearly influenced by such groovy, heavy luminaries as Strapping Young Lad and Gojira, that same sense of distilled aggression dominates on debut album Dissonant; rageful vocal performances, intense riffs, and frenetic soloing all adding up to a record best summed up as “heavy fucking metal”. 

Strapping Young Lad is the primary influence here, and a plethora of the riffs sound like they could be ripped straight from a lost SYL record, “Alert!” and “Survive” being prime examples. While Rich often lurks in the realms of homage, his own compositional acumen keeps Dissonant from ever feeling merely derivative. There are flourishes of real creativity, exemplified by “The Great Escape” which feels like Rich’s most original track, from its softer sections, the guest vocals of Exaltation, and some deeply satisfying shredding. “Розділені Кордонами”, meanwhile, is sung all in Ukrainian and opts for a more lamentory and sincere tone, though its invective and heaviness remain untrammelled. 

Part of the key to this compositional prowess is in Rich’s vocal performances: his harsh vocals recall both Joe Duplantier of Gojira, and a young Devin Townsend (particularly in his SYL days), while his cleans run solid ground too, the big vocal harmonies on “Havoc” recalling Stefan de Graef of Psychonaut and Hippotraktor. Additionally, he often swerves into a more theatrical delivery, more akin to Rob Halford or even Geoff Tate, as on “Light Up the Sky”, “Empowered” and “The Great Escape”. Rich’s sheer versatility allows Dissonant to temper its core sound with a lot of different musical flavours, the journey through angry metal stomp, chaotic thrashiness, and epic melodies of “Endless River” being a case in point.  

The core Strapping Young Lad inspired sound is punchy and enjoyable—such as the Devy-esque sweep solo on “Avoid A Void”, and “Alert!” which sounds like an SYL medley (I definitely hear shades of “Force Fed” and “Wrong Side”)—but Dissonant is at its best when setting itself apart, which, fortunately, is most of the time. Usually artists find themselves unable to step outside the shadow of their influences on their debut, but Rich does much to define his own sound here. Not every experiment works—the sudden funk groove with horns closing “Avoid A Void” is somewhat superfluous, and I’m not wholly convinced by “Empowered” despite its intriguing use of sax (contributed by guest saxophonist, Sam… just Sam)—but Rich dares to take risks and, most of the time, they pay off. 

DIminium’s influences are undeniably easy to tease out, but the genuine passion, rage, and compositional talent suffusing Dissonant, fuelled by a palpable sense of ire and grief, make it a surprisingly compelling listen. Certainly, if you miss the balls-to-the-wall, no-fucks-given headbang-inducing madness of Strapping Young Lad, you’ll find plenty to enjoy here, and there’s more beneath the surface that testifies to Rich’s future potential. 

Recommended tracks: Havoc, Розділені Кордонами, The Great Escape
You may also like: Ramage Inc., Monolith Zero, Hippotraktor
Final verdict: 7.5/10

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

Label: Independent

Diminium is:
– Dimi Rich (vocals, guitars, bass, drums, keyboards)

The post Review: Diminium – Dissonant appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: industrial black metal, avant-garde black metal, dissonant black metal (mostly harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Deathspell Omega, Ne Obliviscaris
Review by: Andy
Country: international
Release date: 24 February, 2023

The infinite abyss; unfathomable expanses of cosmic blackness; nothingness. These are the things that fuel Omega Infinity’s music. Distilling all the despair and horror of what lies between galaxies and beyond the observable universe, Omega Infinity shred apart the unwary listener on their newest concept suite, The Anticurrent. From the formless sea to the heat death of the universe, The Anticurrent preserves relentless intensity in their storytelling as the two members, Xenoyr (Ne Obliviscaris) and Tentakel P. (Todtgelichter), unleash distressing performances heralding doom. You cannot escape the rage of the universe. You are a speck of dust on a grain of sand on an infinite beach compared to the powers of Omega Infinity. 

Fittingly starting with “The Alpha,” The Anticurrent starts as the celestial aether aeons before any deity, creation, or order, an impenetrable track of nauseating shiftiness and abrasive electronica. For the entirety of the opening minutes, Xen howls–invoking pandemonium and chaos–above disgustingly polyrhythmic drums and piano arpeggios so obtuse as to give Plebeian Grandstand a run for their money. And once the void breaks open into sustained blast beats more recognizably black metal, layers of dissonant electronica render even that as abrasively challenging. Each subsequent track introduces another confounding element like the expectation defying yet somehow simple bass lick in “Banish Us from Eden” or the spoken word from Lindsay Schoolcraft in “Death Rays.” Omega Infinity refuse to let the listener become comfortable in the blackness, for something is always lurking just beyond perception even in the seemingly infinite emptiness. 

Lyrically, Xenoyr excels on The Anticurrent, even with a track that almost borders on silly (“Banish Us from Eden” discusses that sticks, stones, and atomic bombs break our bones), yet his vocals help maintain the terrifying vibe immaculately such that immersion isn’t really broken even if I do let out a chuckle every spin. Other tracks tackle the space concept excellently and directly: As much as I love Xen’s poetic Ne Obliviscaris lyrics, narratives are often lost on me there–not so here. Furthermore, this album very well could be Xen’s most impressive vocal performance yet, standing strong even against several of my favorite albums of all time. The inhuman wails and growls contrast nicely with suffocating blast beats and those eerie, melodic piano parts from Tentakel P. 

The sterile production benefits tracks like “Iron Age,” which relies on a military cadence, but despite fitting the theme, a bit more warmth could help The Anticurrent with being more listenable without sacrificing the abrasive edge. The only respite from the unending march through time comes in the form of the lovely guest performances courtesy of Adrienne Cowen (Seven Spires) and Lindsay Schoolcraft, both of which cleverly morph from a lull in intensity to become the intensity; Cowen croons a near-chorus in “Iron Age,” yet she reappears with sick growls and shrieks, and Lindsay’s spoken word starts innocently until layering outwards in an effort to disorient similar to Kriegsmachine on “The Other Death.” Finale of The Anticurrent “The Voices at the End of Time” similarly chants the title from numerous perspectives before swallowing you up with a slow minimalist piano, an incredible ending to the album proper announcing that the universe is dead. 

The final two bonus tracks, covers of Sear Bliss and Emperor, are made Omega Infinity’s own while keeping the spirit of the originals intact. The trumpet and pinch harmonics in “Night Journey” are particularly stellar along with the frantic synth jam. Moreover, while not my personal favorite Emperor track, “Ya Entrancemperium” in the ruthless, industrial stylings of Omega Infinity is an impressive and fun exercise of reinterpretation. The tracks also give us a glance into bands which inspire Omega Infinity, classic early black metal with a bit of incorporated progginess. 

Go sit in darkness and contemplate your frail existence as Omega Infinity intend. Let your head swirl with the black metal and ponder the electronic attack on your senses. Maybe if you’re lucky, false vacuum decay will end the universe without you realizing a thing during your listen. You are powerless: All is quiet.  

Recommended tracks: Iron Age, Banish Us from Eden, Voices from the End of Time
You may also like: Vous Atres, Plebeian Grandstand, Scarcity, Xenoglyph, Kriegsmachine, Portal, Todtgelichter
Final verdict: 7/10

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

Label: Season of Mist – Bandcamp | Website | Facebook

Omega Infinity is:
– Tentakel P (instruments)
– Xenoyr (vocals)

The post Review: Omega Infinity – The Anticurrent appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Death metal, Prog metal, Industrial (Harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Decrepit Birth, Death, Gojira
Review by: Cooper
Country: Belarus
Release date: 15 July, 2022

Like most pieces of art in any medium, albums are often inextricably tied to the moments in time in which they were created. Especially in a genre like metal with its infinitely expanding fractal of sub-genres, certain songwriting and production trends tend to come and go like clockwork. Whether that be thanks to keystone releases that redefine genre conventions or thanks to evolving technology that opens the door to once unheard of production techniques, once one is versed in the nuances of metal over the decades, dating an album without ever once looking at the release date becomes a simple endeavor. As someone who listens to a lot of music, particularly death metal, I am astutely aware of this fact. I generally know the vibe – if not the exact style of riff or change up – that’s coming next; meaning, it takes an album truly off the wall to pique my interest. I am pleased to say that Deathbringer’s sophomore release IT is one such album.

Before this release, I had never heard of Deathbringer, and who could really blame me? Their debut album Homo Divisus, released in 2007, was at best a shameless, albeit well done, clone of Death‘s seminal LP The Sound of Perseverance. Following the release of Homo Divisus was fourteen years of radio silence, ending in 2021 with the release of “Per Aspera,” the first single from what would come to be IT. Oftentimes, bands are unable to ever return from such long hiatuses, but I believe that the extra time Deathbringer spent developing their sophomore release was well worth it. While their debut was squarely locked into a certain era thanks to its constant allusion to specific musical moments of the past, IT incorporates sounds across the entire spectrum of metal’s past and present. The distinction is minor but the effects are tenfold, giving IT a timeless sound that stands out from the majority of current releases.

IT is industrial infused, progressive death metal. Songs like “Per Aspera” and “Pitfall (When It Begins)” both exemplify this sound well but IT has much more to offer. Many moments induce a sense of claustrophobia thanks to the use of Warforged-like dissonance. Several songs feature groove-laden riffs that must surely be Gojira-inspired. And tracks like “Nihil Messiah” even edge on Meshuggah-esque djent. It’s a mixed bag for sure, but Deathbringer has a few tricks up their sleeve to unify the album under a single banner. First off, IT is a concept album. Instead of a linear story though, the album recounts various “snapshots” of a singular moment. To quote the album’s Bandcamp description, “The album focuses on the moment in time when our Universe is being devoured by IT. Each song describes this moment from the point of view of completely different characters.” I don’t want to give away much more, but I do recommend reading the lyrics while listening. 

IT also employs ample ambience as another unifying element. Of the fifteen tracks on the album, seven are ambient, each titled a different Greek letter. These tracks often flow directly into and out of the surrounding non-ambient tracks, and each offers a unique, luscious soundscape with tones ranging from dreamy hip-hop to genuine audio horror. Individually, these tracks work very well to set the tone for the songs that follow, but when considering the album as a whole they negatively impact the flow. For instance, of the final four tracks on the album, three are ambient. When the album should be working to deliver its glorious final impressions, it is instead developing soundscapes that fail to deliver a satisfying conclusion. Unfortunately, my issue with the album’s finale is not my only complaint. For instance, a few riffs on the album sound much too similar to each other, like the gallop style verse riffs on “Inevitability (Its Whip)” and “Impartial Beholder,” and this problem is only exacerbated by the song’s back to back placement. Additionally, an effect is placed on the vocals for the majority of the album that I do not particularly enjoy. It’s subtle, but it sounds as though the vocals are being recorded from a guitar amp. This effect can be cool if used sparingly but I feel it becomes overbearing when used to this extent. Alas, these are but minor complaints when compared to what Deathbringer did well on IT.

Ultimately, if you are feeling worn out from the stream of bands all riding the cutting edge of death metal, IT may be for you. Here’s to hoping that Deathbringer’s next album doesn’t take fifteen years to release.

Recommended tracks: Per Aspera, Pitfall (When It Begins), Nihil Messiah
You may also like: Disloyal, Incarnator, Funeral Speech
Final verdict: 7.5/10

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

Label: Unique Leader Records – Bandcamp | Website | Facebook

Deathbringer is:
– Alexander Goron (bass)
– Krzysztof Bendarowicz (drums)
– Mario “Gone-Tech” Gontaro Bazalar (vocals)
– Artem Serdyuk (guitars)

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