Style: Progressive metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Fates Warning, Symphony X, Opeth
Country: Israel
Release date: 25 July 2025

One of my favorite obscure albums to recommend to people is Orpheus Blade’s debut Wolf’s Cry. Its cinematic songwriting, dark atmosphere, grandiose production values, excellent guitarwork, and a charismatic female/male vocal duet from Adi Bitran and guest singer Henning Basse (Metalium, Legions of the Night) made for a uniquely compelling experience. Ever since I discovered the album, I’ve been eagerly waiting for a follow-up and have regularly harassed a friend of mine who knows the band personally about album no. 2’s status. For years, all he relayed to me was that “IT’S COMING, I SWEAR!”¹ despite absolute radio silence from their social media accounts. This continued until one day Christopher thoughtlessly said on my lunch break “oh btw Sam there’s a new Orpheus Blade out—you should probably review that.” DAMMIT SHACHAR WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY ANYTHING?! THEY ANNOUNCED THIS WEEKS AGO!

Orpheus Blade has undergone quite a transformation since Wolf’s Cry. The only original remaining member is Adi Bitran, who took up about half the vocal duties before. It’s especially a shame to have lost Henning Basse as the dude/dudette vocal duet was one of Wolf’s Cry’s main selling points—I didn’t even realize he was only a guest singer until researching for Obsessed in Red. Gal Ben Haim’s phenomenal guitarwork is also no more; he has been replaced by Yaron Gilad (ex-Tillian) and Danny Aram. Safe to say, the new cast has some very big shoes to fill. 

…they do not. As much as I hate to say it, Obsessed in Red is a step down in nearly every single facet from Wolf’s Cry. Let’s start with the production. Simply put, Obsessed in Red sounds like a demo: weak guitar tones, muffled drums, vocals being unnaturally forward, poor mastering, and just a general lack of any modern polish or sheen make the record sound unpleasantly amateurish and a slog to listen to before any thought is given to the music itself. If you told me that Obsessed in Red came out in 2010, I would have believed you, and even then I still would have called the production mediocre at best. Jacob Hansen, who mixed and mastered Wolf’s Cry, is nowhere to be seen, but it’s clear that he wasn’t adequately replaced and the result is unacceptable for this day and age. 

Still, as a reviewer I cannot let myself be shackled to a bad first impression based on production difficulties. Unfortunately, the songwriting doesn’t rescue Obsessed in Red. The dark cinematic style that made Wolf’s Cry so compelling has been replaced by a much more standard prog/power-ish metal base with some death metal and gothic elements sprinkled on top for garnish. What spark the record has generally comes from these darker components—gnarly tremolo picked riffs (“Unattained”), polyrhythmic double kick drum beats (“Anywhere But Here”, “Unattained”), melancholic guitar leads (“Those Who Cannot Speak”), and impressively monstrous harsh vocals throughout—but they are consistently undermined by the atrocious production and otherwise middling songwriting. The big issue is that the band’s foundational prog/power sound barely inspires. Whether it’s the bland heavy metal main riff from “Of Tales and Terrors”, the middling harmonies in “Anywhere but Here”, or the well-performed but structurally entirely predictable shredding of “My Red Obsessions”, when central components fail, the entire structure crumbles. 

Another central songwriting component that’s lacking is Bitran’s clean vocals, which seem to have deteriorated from Wolf’s Cry. Part of this might be due to the mix, which often makes her sound thin, but on a deeper level her delivery is just a bit meek. The vocal lines themselves are mostly fine and she hits every note cleanly, but she struggles to project her voice with the force and add the necessary grit for a metal band, leading to some particularly bad moments like the chorus of opener “My Arms for Those Wings” (speaking of bad first impressions), or the verses in “Of Tales and Terror”; Henning Basse’s contribution is sorely missed here. She’s much better when she’s not required to project as much, allowing her to showcase a breathy crooning style which works especially well in the softer sections (e.g. the opening of “Nicanor”). Still, her crooning over the band’s relatively straightforward style is a Wolf’s far cry from the debut, where the dark cinematic atmosphere gave her an ideal backdrop to shine. The one unambiguously positive development for the vocals, however, is with the harshes, which have improved in both presence and ferocity. Overall, it makes for a performance that’s competent but rarely commanding—serviceable in the softer or harsher extremes, but disappointingly middling everywhere in between.

If anything, Obsessed in Red feels phoned in, like the band had enough of sitting on this material for so long and said “fuck it, let’s just release the thing.” The uninspired way the album closes out feels emblematic of that—after “Nicanor” culminates in an underwhelming finale, “At Her Feet” concludes the record with nothing but Bitran crooning over a synth backdrop that receives little to no development. The production is equally careless, and technical skill and a few moments of inspiration cannot save the largely lifeless songwriting. It pains me to say, but next to nothing of the vigor and creativity that made Wolf’s Cry so compelling has survived this past decade. My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined.

Recommended tracks: Unattained, Those Who Cannot Speak
You may also like: The Anchoret, Hunted, Terra Odium, Novembre
Final verdict: 4/10

1. Our WhatsApp communication is in all caps—don’t ask me why. ︎

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

Label: Independent

Orpheus Blade is:
– Adi Bitran (vocals)
– Yaron Gilad (guitars)
– Danny Aram (guitars)
– Ido Gal (bass)
– Stivie Salman (bass)
– Nitzan Ravhon (drums)
With guests:
– Davidavi Dolev (backig vocals)

The post Review: Orpheus Blade – Obsessed in Red appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Symphonic metal, progressive metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Nightwish, Epica, Orphaned Land, Myrath, Dream Theater, Symphony X
Country: Israel
Release date: 18 July 2025

Symphonic metal takes up a lot of space. I mean that as a compliment: the genre is aurally packed wall-to-wall with sweeping orchestras, grand choral arrangements, and shredding, heavy riffs. Sure, it can be campy, corny, overwrought—but for those who like their music larger than life, symphonic metal just hits different. I fell for it hard as a tween, when I nurtured a severe Nightwish obsession that gradually bloomed into an appreciation for the genre as a whole. Years later, in 2017, I stumbled across Sands of Time, the debut full-length album by Israeli five-piece Scardust. The band’s audacious reimagination of the symphonic metal playbook earned them a spot in my rotation that has endured to this day.

Unlike scores of bands who take the approach of copying Nightwish or Epica’s homework and changing a few details so they don’t get caught (or not), Scardust have an unmistakable trademark sound. They take pride in the technical skill of each band member, weaving ample showmanship into Mediterranean-and Middle Eastern-influenced compositions that often nestle bass or guitar solos alongside sprawling orchestral and choral arrangements which are—for my money—more thoughtfully and creatively architected than most in the genre. Scardust’s ambition has never dipped, but can their third album, Souls, keep up the momentum?

Um, maybe a bit too much. Scardust’s previous albums each opened with instrumental and choral overtures that elegantly set the stage for what was to come. By contrast, the number of different musicians introduced in the opening minutes of Souls makes me think of kids on a school trip, rushing to take a group photo before they get back on the bus. The orchestra and the magniloquent Hellscore choir—directed by Scardust frontwoman Noa Gruman—are there, as expected, but the rest of the band muscles in quickly, squeezing in bass and guitar solos in under four and a half minutes. And, soaring over it all is Gruman herself, with dizzyingly acrobatic vocal manoeuvres coloured by a timbre so polished that it almost seems shellacked. It’s all happening, all at once, and the momentum doesn’t let up. By the time Souls’ third track, “RIP”, rips out of the gates with Gruman growling over frenetic backing from the band and choir, I wish the whole ensemble would simply stop and take a deep breath. Mercifully, they do. Softer interludes on this track and scattered across the album’s forty-minute runtime bring relief, but Scardust never stop giving a hundred and fifty percent.

At the heart of Scardust’s unstoppable force is Noa Gruman, whose skill as a vocalist is unquestionably dazzling. Her range spans many octaves and styles—from whistle register to growls. In particular, her harsh vocals have improved significantly since the band’s earlier albums. They’re crisp, ferocious, and impressively enunciated. However, there’s one critical lesson that Gruman appears to have not yet learned, and it’s that less is sometimes more. Just because you can hit a laser-precise E♭6, growl like a bog monster, and belt like Floor Jansen, doesn’t mean you should do all of those things in a single breath (as at the end of “My Haven”). Moments of restraint could allow her remarkable technique to feel more emotionally resonant, and give the listener space to breathe. A true frontwoman, Gruman clearly commands the spotlight, but the other band members revel in their moments of explosive flair, whether it’s Yoav Weinberg’s thrillingly athletic drumming in “Long Forgotten Song” or Aaron Friedland’s zingy keys in the opening of “Touch Of Life III – King Of Insanity”.

In Souls’ already crowded milieu, the album’s guest contributors have their work cut out for them to find space. Ally Storch of Subway to Sally adds some impressive violin gymnastics to “Searing Echoes”, but her interludes feel pasted in rather than smoothly integrated, a shame on an already bloated track. Meanwhile, Haken’s Ross Jennings struggles to go toe-to-toe with Gruman in the three-part “Touch of Life” suite that closes the album. Gruman’s vocals demand a similarly bombastic duet partner¹, but Jennings’ unique vocal tone makes for a rather lopsided pairing. Later in the suite, when he sings solo, the effect improves considerably.

Scardust’s energy and intensity are higher than ever. But is it too much? My main gripe with Souls is that the band appears to have taken a formula that was already a lot and pushed forward in places where I want them to pull back. I don’t need them to get the jump on every big moment before I expect it, to dial everything up to eleven. Still, Souls sometimes captures that mesmerizing momentum from past albums without collapsing under its own ambition. “Dazzling Darkness” builds with refreshing subtlety, and closer “Touch of Life III – King of Insanity” cleverly reprises motifs from 2017’s Sands of Time. Both tracks’ scurrying melodic modulations showcase the band at their irrepressibly catchy best.

You’ll always know a Scardust song when you hear one. In the oversaturated symphonic metal landscape, originality and daring ambition count for a lot. But Souls sees the group leaning further into maximalist tendencies which tread a fine line between awe-inspiring and overwhelming. I don’t expect Scardust to ever rein themselves in. But next time, I hope they’ll trust that giving it a hundred percent is already enough.

Recommended tracks: Dazzling Darkness, Touch Of Life III – King Of Insanity
You may also like: Master Sword, Delta
Final verdict: 6/10

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

Label: Frontiers Music – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Scardust is:
– Noa Gruman (vocals)
– Gal Gabriel Israel (guitar)
– Aaron Friedland (keyboards)
– Orr Didi (bass)
– Yoav Weinberg (drums)
With guests:
– TLV Orchestra
– Ally Storch (violin)
– Ross Jennings (vocals)

1.  For example, Orphaned Land vocalist Kobi Farhi paired well with Gruman in his guest appearance on Sands of Time. ︎

The post Review: Scardust – Souls appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: progressive metal, progressive rock, avant-garde (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Green Carnation, maudlin of the Well, Orphaned Land, Opeth
Country: Israel
Release date: 21 June 2005

We’re now twenty years from the release of Subterranean Masquerade’s debut LP, Suspended Animation Dreams. Small in its reach but huge in its scope and ambition, this charmingly weird record has mightily stood the test of time, though unjustifiably forgotten—all dusty from the crime of aging, to steal a lyric. An eight-year hiatus would follow the album, as would the band’s triumphant return, offering a solid string of releases that notably includes Subway favorite Mountain Fever in 2021. But even with SubMasq firmly back in the world of progressive music, Suspended Animation Dreams remains mired deep in the underground. So join me on a subterranean ride through a bizarre, sonically marvelous cult classic.

Subterranean Masquerade’s approach to Suspended Animation Dreams is no different from that of so many other young, progressive bands: throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. Grabbing handfuls of ideas, sounds, influences, and compositional techniques, and then hurling them exuberantly into an album is practically a rite of passage. But miraculously, just about everything SubMasq throw sticks: metal, Floydian prog, lounge jazz, Middle Eastern folk, an array of instruments and vocal styles (including the most articulate growls you’ll ever hear), a massive roster of session musicians, intertwined lyrical vignettes tackling different aspects of the human psyche, and much more. These elements combine seamlessly into a listening experience that matches the album cover’s glowing shade of orange and surreal, half-sketched figures—a warm and mystical soundscape expands and contracts into different exotic forms but never quite actualizes into something real. The whole thing’s a trip. Let’s descend further. 

Though Suspended Animation Dreams was released in 2005, its production sounds similar to a ‘90s Dan Swanö project.¹ The fuzzy guitars have body but don’t attack the ears; the drums, vocals, and bass are given enough punch to drive the music but no more; and the myriad other instruments cut through the mix but retain authenticity rather than shimmer artificially. The sound is warm, not bright—a candle softly lighting a cave, not a floodlight bleaching its walls. Suspended Animation Dreams’ mix is key to its success, as the album’s enchanting compositions maintain a dreamlike flow not disrupted by jagged sonic edges.

And flow the tracks do, each wandering freely among various textures and styles. There are a few recognizable verse- and chorus-type patterns, but they’re typically repeated or built upon with new elements—a violin accenting the second verse of “Wolf Among Sheep (Or Maybe The Other Way Around),” for example, or added percussion giving a tribal feel to what’s conceivably part of the verse in “No Place Like Home.” More representative of the album are lengthy excursions into territories less familiar to metal albums. “The Rock N Roll Preacher” may begin with relatively straightforward metal, but it soon gives way to a smooth piano-led bridge and ends with horns driving a jazzy melody. Meanwhile, after some distorted riffing and leads, “No Place Like Home” closes with an extended foray into Middle Eastern folk, complete with wordless, chant-like vocalizations. Each track has at least one passage—and more often several—that extends Suspended Animation Dreams’ aural landscape in a new, interesting direction. The fourteen-minute epic and penultimate track “Awake” then flows gracefully through nearly all of them, covering an immense amount of ground while remaining comprehensible. This stylistic cornucopia makes Suspended Animation Dreams truly unique, even twenty years after its release.

In addition to blending diverse styles intelligibly, Subterranean Masquerade perform each with incredible detail. The loungey, jazz passages dispersed across the album are lush and full. Ambient touches, such as those in the title track opening the album, are well placed and draw the ears in. And the ‘70s rock closing the album in “X” is impassioned, featuring a brilliant, Gilmour-inspired solo. When the band lean into Middle Eastern folk, the result is lively and robust, making fantastic use of both standard rock instrumentation and an eclectic mix of woodwinds, traditional percussion, and more. Between all this, it’s easy to forget that Suspended Animation Dreams is a metal album at its core, until SubMasq remind you with moments like the infectious guitar leads bookending “Six Strings To Cover Fear,” and the tremolo picking and double bass lying beneath the track’s growled verse. “Awake” ends with similarly catchy guitar leads soaring over distorted riffing, offering a climactic ending to the track’s winding, epic composition. These passages aren’t necessarily “heavy,” but the bit of added heft provides excellent juxtaposition to the lighter stretches for a richer sonic palette. 

Suspended Animation Dreams’ instrumental and compositional diversity is nearly matched by the diversity of its vocals. Paul Kuhr’s (Novembers Doom) primary delivery is a well-enunciated growl, one in which you can make out each word and subtle change in emotion. These harsh vocals fit the album’s more intense moments while also providing an emphatic contrast to softer ones—particularly effective are the emotive growls over the gentle piano passage in “Awake.” Across the album, Kuhr cycles consistently among differently textured cleans as well, ranging from stylized narration to subdued, melodic singing. Soulful female vocals embellish many of the tracks, whether as backing accents in “The Rock N Roll Preacher” or by taking center stage through much of “Awake” and “X.” The ever-changing vocals further imbue the album with a dreamy feel: one moment, an articulate demon is speaking; the next, an inner voice is narrating; and soon after, a women’s choir echoes through with a sense of hope. Yet, somehow, it all remains coherent. 

Ultimately, it’s the album’s full experience that makes our expedition deep in the underground worth the effort. Beyond what Suspended Animation Dreams offers musically, its surreal atmosphere and sense of adventure give it enduring appeal. The descent begins with the titular opener, as Kuhr announces, “For the rest of the session, you will be asking yourself, ‘Am I going crazy?’” From there, a transportive magic takes hold as the tracks unwind, journeying the listener fluidly through different aural surroundings until unintelligible chants intensify behind the final guitar solo in “X” and end abruptly to close the album. This sudden ending is a snap back to the above-ground world left waiting as our voyage ran its course. I’m yet to experience another album quite like it. 

With Suspended Animation Dreams, Subterranean Masquerade charted a spellbinding trip that sacrificed nothing in its songwriting or performance. The album stands as one of progressive metal’s great, unique debuts, even if it continues to reside deep below the genre’s surface. Although Suspended Animation Dreams holds an unrepeatable magic, fortunately, the band have steadily released quality album after quality album, cementing themselves as a Subway favorite and a stalwart of folky, progressive music. SubMasq’s debut might have been lost in time, but the band remain present—and with four years since their last release, we’re about due for another one. If the last twenty years have taught us anything, we’ll be shouting their praises from the underground again soon enough.

Recommended tracks: No Place Like Home, Six Strings To Cover Fear, Awake
You may also like: Papangu, OMB, Seventh Station, Obsidian Tide, In the Woods…

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

The End Records

On Suspended Animation Dreams, Subterranean Masquerade was:
– Paul Kuhr (vocals)
– Tomer Pink (guitars, dulcimer, harmonica)
– Jake DePolitte (guitars, bass guitar)
– Steve Lyman (drums)

With guests:
– Kobi Farhi (additional vocals in “No Place Like Home”)
– Mike Sartain (additional vocals in “The Rock N Roll Preacher”)
– Mitch Curinga (electronics)
– Joe Chrisholm (trombone)
– Willis Clow (guitars, mandolin, spoken vocals)
– Andrew Kuhnhausen (saxophone, clarinet, flute, spoken vocals)
– Wendy Jernijan (additional vocals in “Awake”)
– Wayne Burdick (percussion)
– Yishai Sweartz (additional vocals in “No Place Like Home”)
– Sarah Pendleton (spoken vocals)
– Bronwen Beecher (strings)
– Susan Naud (vocals)
– Dave Chrisholm (trumpet)
– Ben Warren (piano, hammond organ)
– Samuel Johnson (spoken vocals)

1.  Dan Swanö wasn’t involved in Suspended Animation Dreams, but he would go on to mix and master both the first EP and LP Subterranean Masquerade released following their hiatus. What’s more, Swanö handled mixing duties for now-ex-SubMasq vocalist Paul Kuhr’s other band, Novembers Doom, on their album The Pale Haunt Departure, which was released just months before Suspended Animation Dreams. ︎

The post Lost In Time: Subterranean Masquerade – Suspended Animation Dreams (20th Anniversary) appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Progressive metal, melodic death metal, djent (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Orphaned Land, Ne Obliviscaris
Country: Israel
Release date: 20 September 2024

One of the things I’m always most excited to talk about on this blog is Israel’s vibrant underground prog metal scene, from international flag bearers Orphaned Land to Subway favorite Subterranean Masquerade all the way to the brilliant trad prog of one-off-high-school-project-never-to-be-seen-again Venus in Fear. Another excellent project from there is prog death-ers Obsidian Tide whose bass player Schacher Bieber is a friend of the blog (their record from last year was also Quite Good). So, safe to say, I was pretty happy to see a promo of their guitarist and vocalist Oz Avneya’s solo album in our inbox, let alone when I saw that Dan Presland (no longer ex–Ne Obliviscaris, Black Lava) was responsible for the drums. Sadly for me, Bieber isn’t on bass, but Oz conjured another Schachar (Sasson) to make up for it. Can the Israeli prog scene deliver the goods once again?

Genre-wise, The Road to I is not much different from Obsidian Tide, playing a lighter brand of progressive death metal with oriental folky touches my Western ear cannot discern the specific heritage of but which sound great. The main difference lies in the get-in-get-out style of composing: only two songs even pass the five minute mark, and one of them is a cooldown track at the end. Each song has its own unique identity, from the djentiness of “Proxima B” to the Dream Theater-isms of “Conjurers of Conformity” and “Momentary Blink”, to the symphonic folk that permeates breather track “Emotionally Attached”, ensuring plenty of variety. The performances are obviously at a high level too, so the foundation for a rock-solid record is there.

But at the same time, I find The Road to I to be undercooked. Whereas Obsidian Tide could sometimes stretch an idea beyond its merit (off topic but “The Invasion of Paradise” would have been much better if it shaved off two minutes), Avneya does the opposite and fails to let its ideas breathe and develop to their maximum potential, which is especially frustrating when the playing is as good as it is. “Conjurers of Conformity” has incredibly flavorful guitarwork but rushes to the finish line almost immediately, “Momentary Blink” has absolutely killer ideas with the Dream Theater-isms in the intro and the epic death metal vibes when the vocals come in (among others) but doesn’t piece them together well and could have easily been twice its length to let the sections flow more naturally, and “Ethics We Chose to Omit” has grandiose, almost symphonic death metal bits in its climax which would have been fantastic if it didn’t hurriedly arise out of an otherwise groovy djent song. Had Avneya taken more time to develop these songs, they could have all rivaled Obsidian Tide’s best cuts, but alas.

And those songs contained the best ideas. Oz’s talent as a writer ensures nothing he writes is ever truly bad, but there are some duds. “Seeds of Immortality” feels like a radio length Obsidian Tide song with extra djent in the verses (and a great guitar solo!). It’s a good song, but I could also put on “Pillars of Creation” or “Clandestine Calamities” and get much more out of those. His ventures into djent can be pretty djeneric, too—the “Proxima B”-side TesseracT riffs and the uninspired chugging in the middle of “Conjurers of Conformity” getting especially on my nerves. Speaking of “Proxima B”, I’m not a fan of how the guest singers are incorporated either: Yohai Davidoff’s coarse, epic vocals in the chorus sound like they belong in a late 00s heavy/power metal group while the instrumentation is jarringly hypnotic and moody, and Inbal Bril’s soprano vocals soar in the bridge as Oz djents away at the tonal cohesion. I can kinda see what he was going for but the execution is lacking.

Another weird consequence of the short songs lies in Road to I’s overall structuring. Avneya does well in balancing harsh and soft textures, placing three breather tracks at the beginning, middle, and end… which would have been fine had they not taken up over a third of the album’s runtime. Yet even then, I find myself wishing that the symphonic angle of “Emotionally Attached” was fleshed out further. Again, it’s a good song, but it could have been more. Furthermore, a final criticism I want to level at the record is that Dan Presland is given awfully little room to show off his chops. Only in the most epic moments does he let loose a little, but given how short the songs are, those moments are few and far in between. It seems like a waste to hire such a renowned drummer and give him that little creative wiggle room.

Yet, despite the heavily critical tone of my review, I think Road to I is a good album at the end of the day. It has generally great guitarwork, varied songwriting, and generally just does prog metal well. My frustrations primarily stem from how it all could have been so much more. I’m curious to see if some of these ideas get transferred over to the next Obsidian Tide album (to be expected mid 2026, I’ve been told), but in the meantime, this will do. 

Recommended tracks: Conjurers of Conformity, Momentary Blink
You may also like: Obsidian Tide, The Anchoret, Dessiderium, Winterhorde, Subterranean Masquerade
Final verdict: 6/10

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

Label: Independent

Avneya is:
– Oz Avneya (clean vocals, guitars)
– Shachar Sasson (bass)
– Dan Presland (drums)
– Zed Destructive (harsh vocals)

With guests:
– Inbal Bril (soprano vocals – tracks 3, 6)
– Yohai Davidoff (guest vocals – track 3)
– Erez Nadler (additional percussion – track 1)
– Guy Eylon (cello tracks – 4, 7)
– Lily Itzhaki (violin tracks – 4, 7)

The post Review: Avneya – Road to I appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: progressive metal, symphonic black metal, melodic death/black metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Borknagar, Insomnium, Enslaved, Ne Obliviscaris, Opeth
Review by: Sam
Country: Israel
Release date: 8 December, 2023

Of all places to be on earth right now, Israel would not rank among the happiest, but art finds a way to shine a light through even the darkest of circumstances, and progressive black metallers Winterhorde are back with a mythology driven concept album, Neptunian, for us to escape into. I was a huge fan of Underwatermoon and Maestro for its epic, diverse approach to the genre which I liked to describe as “Borknagar but better.” When I saw they had a new one coming out, I instantly mailed the band and their label to ask for a promo. Had it not been for severe writer’s block, I would have published this on Monday, but alas, we’re here only on the day of release. Let’s get into it.

Neptunian is a cinematic album, which is delivered through holistic, symphonic arrangements and a certain dramatic quality that permeates throughout. You can feel the tension of the story ebb and flow through the music, that each note was placed with care and purpose as if I’m watching a movie. The story is artfully delivered with vivid imagery yet it’s easy to follow the events. In a genre which typically overshoots in one direction and forgets about the other, I believe that Winterhorde have found a balance and the quality that the rest of the progressive metal genre should strive for when writing a concept album. Reading the lyrics alongside the music elevated the experience a lot. 

But while concepts are good and all, let’s talk about the music. Winterhorde play an amorphous mixture of various melodic black/death metal styles, symphonic metal, and progressive metal, showing prominent shades of Emperor in the drumming and their black metal style, and shades of Insomnium’s melancholic atmosphere and occasionally their riffs. As a result, on previous albums I’d compare them to 2010s Borknagar as well for their use of epic clean vocal choruses, but there’s less of that here. The progressive aspect is used for extra color on the riffs, clean vocal passages, and loose song structures, but it’s not capital P prog that shoves its technicality to the forefront as primary appeal. Neptunian primarily is a cinematic extreme metal album that uses prog as a spice. It’s not that each aspect is overtly unique, but through the sum of its parts and the way they mix them Winterhorde find their own sound.

Another strong point about Neptunian is its cohesion on both a macro and micro level: it flows continuously like a story yet the chapters are clear cut and stand on their own. I often like to rag on any given band’s song direction, but Winterhorde are nearly flawless in that regard. They know how to effectively develop a theme and intertwine different ideas into a tight package and bring them to a satisfying conclusion, at least, technically. What I miss compared to Maestro are stand-out moments. While the thematic unity on Neptunian is amazing, there’s also a homogeneity to it that makes it hard to recall individual moments. I listened to the album twelve times, and not a whole lot has stuck with me. The opener stands out for its majestic scene-setting quality, the title track is great with its bright tone and how it releases the tension in the bridge, and “Alone in the Ocean” has a grandiose chorus, but for the rest it’s all rather homogeneous to my mind. There’s no clear stand-out track like “They Came With Eyes of Fire” or “Maestro” on this album.

To further dwell in nagging mode, the production has some severe issues. It’s too compressed, leaving not enough empty space to give the right emphasis at the right moment. The drums and orchestral aspects are punchy and properly majestic, but then the riffs and harsh vocals make it overbearing. What’s even worse though is the clean vocals which are drowned out in a sea of instrumental violence. When Kobi Farhi (Orphaned Land) and Davidavi Dolev (Subterranean Masquerade, OMB, among others) came in for their respective guest spots I can hardly hear them, which is a shame because I could tell they were there to give some color to the songs. I think Neptunian could have benefited from a more airy, spacious mix.

I don’t know what it is about this year but I keep running into albums that I wish I liked more than I did from bands that show the potential to make a masterpiece, but seem to be stuck at “great.” I had it with The Anchoret, Nospun, Fjoergyn, and now Winterhorde. I was stupidly excited when I got my hands on the promo for Neptunian, and while I’m largely satisfied, I’m also left with an annoying aftertaste that it could have been better. Nevertheless, Winterhorde are an extremely talented band, and so my critique is borne of the high expectations I had. The issues are fixable, and Neptunian remains a record I can wholeheartedly recommend to any of our readers with an affinity for mixed vocals prog.

Recommended tracks: Amphibia, Neptunian (As Trident Strikes the Ice), Alone in the Ocean
You may also like: Dordeduh, Fjoergyn, Lamentari, Wilderun, Xanthochroid
Final verdict: 7.5/10

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

Label: Noble Demon – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Winterhorde is:
– Zed Destructive (vocals)
– Yoni “Oblivion” Oren (vocals)
– Omer “Noir” Naveh (electric/acoustic guitars)
– Moshe Benofel (electric/acoustic guitars)
– Oleg “Olgerd” Rubanov (keyboards)
– Sascha “Celestial” Latman (bass)
– Alex Zaitsev (drums)

With guests:
– Kobi Farhi (vocals on “Angels in Disguise”)
– Davidavi “Vidi” Dolev (vocals on “A Harvester of Stars”)

The post Review: Winterhorde – Neptunian appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Progressive death metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Ne Obliviscaris, Enslaved, Black Crown Initiate
Review by: Zach
Country: Israel
Release date: 29 September, 2023

A new prog-death album is like unwrapping a present on Christmas (or in my case, Hanukkah) morning. The vaguely PS5 shaped box is, in fact, a PS5, and I’m gonna get excited about it anyway. I know what I’m getting into when I review prog-death, and I also know in most cases, I’m really going to enjoy it. Am I a little biased? Yeah. See the score if you don’t want to read the ramblings of someone who’s unwrapping his next present. 

Obsidian Tide are a band that needs no introduction, seeing as they’re one of r/rpogmetal’s darlings. While my Subway compatriots probably have their debut, Pillars of Creation, sitting at around the range of a 7, I’ve got it slightly higher. However, time showed Pillars’ flaws as being less of a stellar masterwork than I remember, and more of just a really good album. Pillars is the sum of its influences, drawing from equal parts Opeth and Tool, and lacked identity as a result. The creative songwriting and Shachar Bieber’s incredible lyricism were there, but it began to fall just a little flatter with time.

Now, with nearly four more years of experience under their belts, Obsidian Tide have graced us with their newest release, and what an improvement it is. Clocking in at a massive sixty-two minutes, the Israelis lull you into this behemoth of an album with opener ‘Clandestine Calamities’. The ‘peth influences are still there, and they are always welcome, but this shows signs of a band who’ve finally found their sound. The riffs are unique to say the least, each counteracted by post-rock atmospherics that make each heavy riff hit harder. ‘Beyond’ is probably the best example of this, switching between a driving, chuggy riff and a simple, effective clean section. 

Obsidian Tide are a rhythm heavy band. Not a ton of wankery, and what little is on this album is much appreciated. ‘HALO CRVSHER’ opens with something not entirely out of place on Deliverance, with a much more bouncy attitude to it, and mutates throughout the song’s heavy sections. Beiber’s short solo makes use of the song’s chorus melody right before jumping right into a staccato acoustic rhythm. It’s surprises and unpredictable songwriting like these that I praise the most on this album. There’s always something interesting going on in every song, even if it’s one of the more simple riffs on display. 

I would be remiss to not mention how fantastic the lead work is on this album. Prog death is typically known for more emotive, slower solos than its brother genre, tech death. However, there are some absolutely RIPPING solos on this album. Oz Avneya’s mastery of the fretboard makes itself apparent on just about every track, barring the short outro track, with the standout being ‘The Undying Flames’. But once again, that unpredictability plays into effect as the rhythm section seems to completely decouple from the solo, leaving my attention drawn between the two in the best way possible. 

Speaking of instrumentals, the bass is (thankfully) present in the mix, and Bieber’s [editor’s notes: Sam says hi] lines never devolve into pure wankery. Reminiscent of Martin Mendez in his approach, the bass fills just enough space between riffs to beef them up, and he never overplays for the sake of technicality. Like his fellow brother in rhythm, drummer Erez Nalder, all their parts are restrained and incredibly classy. 

That being said, there’s no doubt that these three guys are ridiculously talented, and can go off the hook the moment they want to. Their songwriting has matured since Pillars, and despite the massive runtime, I wouldn’t take much off to shorten it. The closer ‘The Field of Reeds’, is a bit lengthy at 13 minutes, but I can’t really pinpoint what I’d take off.  I listened to this album a fair bit of times upon first receiving the promo, and I was always shocked at how quickly it flew by. This album has so many highlights that I find it downright impossible to list this many in my short review. 

So, I’d say these guys have done a pretty great job, all things considered. Am I probably biased in this rating too? Yeah, but you’re getting it from a prog death expert. It’s always nice to see a band shed their influences and become the best they can be. Obsidian Tide is probably going to read this review, so I’ll speak directly to them. You should feel proud of your achievement here, the sophomore slump clearly missed this band, and you’re all the better for it. Can’t wait for the next one.

Recommended tracks: Beyond, HALO CRVUSHER, The Undying Flames
You may also like: Dessiderium, Disillusion, The Anchoret, literally every other prog death band ever
Final verdict: 8.5/10

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

Label: Independent

Obisidan Tide is:
– Shachar Bieber (Harsh vocals, bass)
– Erez Nadler (Drums)
– Oz Avneya (Clean vocals, guitar)

The post Review: Obsidian Tide – The Grand Crescendo appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: progressive folk rock/metal (mixed vocals)
Review by: Sam
Country: Israel
Release date: 14 May, 2021

Back in 2019 I went into a concert blindly. Orphaned Land was headlining a tour through Europe, and they were supported by Subterranean Masquerade. Both were bands I had been interested in checking out, so the curious me went to a concert. I was absolutely flabbergasted by the energy of both bands, but what especially stood out to me was Subterranean Masquerade singer Davidavi Dolev (or ‘Vidi’ as he prefers to call himself). He was everywhere on stage! He was dancing and doing all sorts of crazy acrobatics. I expected metal, but their music was actually very melodic and very danceable! I went crazy during that show. I had no idea what my body was doing (it probably looked ridiculous), but I didn’t care. Apparently I had so much energy Vidi found it worthy to single me out and call me ‘Marathon Man’ during the show (sorry but that’s my dad, he’s already at 130 marathons or whatever nonsense). We chatted a bit afterwards and added each other on Facebook. I got not just two new favorite bands from the show, but also a friend! Two years later he was kind enough to send me a promo of their new album, so here we are, and I couldn’t be happier, because this album fucks.

The album opens in a very typical fashion for the band with very folky percussion and acoustics. It then goes into a very trademark Tomer Pink riff. The first verse also sounds a lot still like something that could have appeared on Vagabond, but it’s with the chorus that the differences start becoming apparent. Vidi is a much more theatrical presence vocally than Kjetil Nordhus (from Green Carnation) ever was, and his dramatic flair really brings the music to live more. Subterranean Masquerade is a very fun, upbeat, very eclectic band, and Vidi’s more expressive delivery really adds to the versatility of their sound. He’s not dramatic in a non-stop vibrato power metal way, but rather akin to Daniel Gildenlow of Pain of Salvation in that he really puts his everything into each emotion. I do kinda miss Kjetil’s guttural vocals, but Vidi’s madman screams are highly entertaining as well and just as expressive as his other vocals.

The music is just as varied as Vidi’s vocals. Some songs make you wanna dance, others feel like a Broadway musical, and others connect on a very visceral emotional level. Or, in some cases, all in the same song. And everything’s coated in a delicious layer of Israeli folk music in a completely natural way, giving a ton of personality to the music. They use a couple of horn instruments as well, and frequently use effects on the guitars to give them a very folky feel. It’s a generally mellow album, but the band isn’t shy to bring out parts of near death metal intensity levels. What’s impressive about it for me is how natural it all sounds. Not once does it feel avant-garde for the sake of it. The songwriting is just incredibly tight. All these elements are just natural parts of the band’s sound, and if you took any of them away it would feel as if there was something missing. It’s very rare that I find a band that can mesh so many different sounds into something entirely cohesive and unique.

An issue which heavily plagued the last two albums The Great Bazaar and Vagabond was how inconsistent they tended to be, trading tracks of brilliance with less interesting ones that didn’t add much new to the table. I’m happy to report that that issue has thoroughly been resolved with Mountain Fever. Each track has a distinct personality with plenty of memorable moments to make it easy to distinguish between them. I can easily cite an amazing moment for every song. It’s a real feat. They all tell a story individually, but they also feel interconnected. I don’t have a lyric sheet (not that it’d matter anyway – I suck at poetry), but the album feels like a big journey.

I don’t think there’s much more I can add to this review besides diving into the individual tracks, but I don’t like doing that too much as it spoils too much. The production is excellent of course, which is to be expected for a group this talented. I’m incredibly impressed with this album. It’s one of the most fun prog metal albums I’ve heard in quite some time. If you ever get the opportunity to see this band live in a post-covid world, absolutely do not miss the opportunity, because the energy of this band is just next level. In the meantime though, Mountain Fever is an excellent replacement drug. Get on it!

Recommended tracks: Diaspora, My Love; Inwards, Ya Shema Evyonecha, Mangata
Recommended for fans of: Orphaned Land, Pain of Salvation, Haken, OMB, Cheeto’s Magazine
Final verdict: 9/10

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

Label: Laser’s Edge – Bandcamp | Website | Facebook

Subterranean Masquerade is:
– Davidavi Dolev (vocals)
– Tomer Pink (guitars)
– Omer Fishbein (guitars)
– Golan Farhi (bass)
– Jonathan Amar (drums)
– Shai Yallin (keyboard)

The post Review: Subterranean Masquerade – Mountain Fever appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Progressive/Symphonic (clean vocals)
Review by: Matt
Country: Israel
Release date: October 30th, 2020

Who’s got two thumbs and loves Scardust? I lost my thumbs after missing the page view quota, but otherwise… Well, come to think of it, I don’t like the band that much either. Why did I write that?

Scardust has often been described as “Epica plus Dream Theater,” and it really is exactly that, including a double dose of cheese. Here’s a litmus test: If you were able to listen to The Astonishing without a sense of irony, go get this, because you’ll probably love it. Everyone in this band is on top of their game and plays a ton of notes, especially Yanai Avnet, who gets some Hibria-esque bass arpeggios to dazzle the senses. Noa Gruman is a fantastic singer, right up there with Floor Jansen or Brittney Slayes, and maybe beyond. She can do the operatic soprano parts, but I’ve rarely heard someone also display so much power and aggression. This is a band that has thoroughly mastered “Can I,” and, one hopes, will someday whittle it down to “Should I.”

I won’t say the songwriting is clumsy, but it is a lot to swallow. The composition reaches for the stars, alternately taking turns at melodeath, prog rock, jazz, folk, and pop, while covering everything with a big-budget orchestral veneer. The album isn’t bizarre to the degree of, say, Native Construct, but it is possibly trying to be too smart for its own good, with some spastic tonal shifts and a zillion key changes that give songs the feeling of just barely holding together until the chorus. There’s something a little irritating about how earnest Strangers is, not helped by the faux-insightful “people are isolated!” shtick, delivered with all the sincerity of showtunes. Don’t get me wrong, the album is kind of genius, but I’d still be embarrassed to play it in public. The ultimate moment of cringe came during “Gone,” whose verses are simultaneously as sickeningly saccharine as the worst pop song, and as frustratingly disjointed as the most stapled-on prog afterthought. While I listened to far worse things this year, the first minute of “Gone” is my most hated chunk of music for 2020.

Nevertheless, there’s a ton of talent on display here, and Scardust have done a better job than most at the “everything 1000% all the time” approach. If you like your prog with a side of wank, you might as well check them out now, because I imagine they’ll be A Big Deal in the next few years. The signs are all there, including me being lukewarm on them… Strangers we are, indeed.

Recommended tracks: Addicted, Huts
Recommended for fans of: Epica, Dream Theater, Seventh Wonder, Ayreon
Final verdict: 7/10

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

Label: M-Theory Audio – Bandcamp | Facebook

Scardust is:
– Noa Gruman (vocals)
– Yadin Moyal (guitars)
– Yoav Weinberg (drums)
– Yanai Avnet (bass)
– Itai Portugaly (keyboards)

The post Review: Scardust – Strangers appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: progressive metal, symphonic death metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Fleshgod Apocalypse, Scar Symmetry, Children of Bodom
Review by: Andrew
Country: Israel
Release date: 4 January 2020

[EDITOR’S NOTE: This review was originally published in the January 2020 Part 1 issue of The Progressive Subway.]

Not much information is available about Future Indefinite. They are a progressive death metal band from Haifa, Israel and seem to only have two members. They have one EP from 2012 in addition to their debut album, Oculus. They don’t really seem to have an online presence at all either. So I’m going into this knowing basically nothing. Anyway, let’s get started. 

At over an hour long and with 17 tracks, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Oculus opens with “Chapter I: Entropy”, an orchestral overture that sets the scene for the next hour of music as well as introducing the album’s storyline. I’ll get back to the story in a bit – for now I want to focus on the music. The next track, “Impact”, is a spoken word piece in the style of a radio broadcast, meant to further introduce the plot and build suspense for what’s to come. If you were wondering when the metal would kick in, “Mayday” immediately answers that question with heavy-hitting harsh vocals over some chunky riffing. Radio broadcasts and orchestral interludes are scattered throughout the album, providing exposition and plot progression. “Mayday” is a perfect foreshadow of the rest of the album – brutal screams, soft cleans, and everything from blast beats to slow, clean guitar –  it’s a true potpourri of sounds that come together excellently. 

The next couple of tracks follow this trend, with more radio broadcasts and orchestral interludes interspersed throughout. The centerpiece of the album is track 9, “Virres’val.” Coming in at over 11 minutes long, this behemoth demonstrates everything Future Indefinite is capable of. However, some of the riffs start to blend together which hinders the sense of progression throughout the song. This is a repeated issue in Oculus (as well as a lot of melodic death metal in general) which detracts from the listening experience slightly. Despite this lack of uniqueness among riffs, the symphonic backing tracks and ripping guitar solos provide a sense of separation that the riffs themselves fail to provide. 

“Taste of Freedom” is the last true metal song on the album – the remaining four songs are instrumental orchestral pieces to close it out. I was disappointed that there was no true closer – the album ends in a very unsatisfactory fashion. “Taste of Freedom” is great for what it is though. Earlier, I said I’d get back to the story. If you haven’t guessed by now, this is a concept album through-and-through. From what I have been able to surmise, (no lyrics are available online) the story revolves around a group of comets impacting the Earth, causing what remains of humanity to leave the planet on a spaceship called The Valkyrie. There is then an uprising on the ship causing a group to take over and enslave the remaining humans. The now-enslaved people then rise up against their rulers and take back their freedom. Don’t quote me on this because it might be completely wrong. I think the story is really unique and the music is well-suited to tell it.

Despite its shortcomings, Oculus is a fantastic symphonic progressive death metal album and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it for this review. I wish more information on Future Indefinite was available so I could know more about what I am listening to. Oculus is a very solid debut album and it’s clear that a ton of work has been put into it by the band. Go listen to it. 

Recommended tracks: Fall of the Valkyrie, Virres’val, Symbiosis
You may also like: Warforged, Winterhorde
Final verdict: 8/10

Related links: Spotify | Facebook | Metal-Archives page

Label: Independent

Future Indefinite is:
– Samond Doe (clean vocals, lead guitars)
– Matt Fox (rhythm guitars)

With maybe also:
– Daniel White (harsh vocals, bass)
– Matthew Feldman (drums)

The post Review: Future Indefinite – Oculus appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: progressive metal, death metal, folk (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, King Crimson, Orphaned Land, Tool
Review by: Sam
Country: Israel
Release date: 29 August, 2019

NOTE: This album was originally included in the August 2019 issue of The Progressive Subway

Not many of you know this, but Israel has a really good underground prog metal scene. On the more well-known side you have Orphaned Land, Subterranean Masquerade and Distorted Harmony, but beneath that there’s a good plethora of very good bands. Among others you have Stormy Atmosphere, Orpheus Blade, Scardust and my runner-up album of the year 2018 makers Venus in Fear. So when I saw there was this band from Israel among the list, my interest piqued and I immediately screamed at Jonah: “MIIIIIIINNNNNNNNEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!” 

My first impression of this album told me two things: observation one is that these guys have a real talent for songwriting, and observation two is that they really like Opeth, a lot. Now I absolutely adore bands that channel Opeth in their own sound (see: Hands of Despair, Disillusion), but if a band tends to get more into copying territory I tend to get Disillusioned (pun intended). The Piah Mater flashbacks were strong with my first listen. However, as I kept coming back to the album, I began to notice it’s not just worshipping of the Swedes. Instead of going full Bad Salad to their Dream Theater, these guys rather go for the Circus Maximus approach. So yes, it has a worship element, but it’s definitely it’s own thing.

But now enough about Opeth, we’re talking about Obsidian Tide here. The album opens with a lovely Middle Eastern-folk tinged acoustic melody that immediately immerses you as a listener. Then the vocals come in and BAM you’re sold. Oz Avneya has an absolutely lovely singing voice. It’s soothing like a campfire song, yet it has a very subdued strength about it. These oriental elements and the singing remain a high-point about the album in general. The percussion transitioning the opening track into Seven for example is just brilliant if you ask me. After this they go into the growly bits supported by some excellent riffage. The growls are a lot weaker than the singing, but they get the point across well enough. They’ve got the gastly thing going well for them, but it misses power and general demonic gutturalness that makes someone like Mikael Akerfeldt so great.

I should note that this is a concept album. From what my absolutely horrific lyrical analysis skills have managed to gather, it tells a story about someone trying to reach enlightenment (thanks other reviews). I do not know whether the story is any good (proof is left as an exercise for the reader), but the music has plenty of twists and turns, making it feel like a real journey. The album has an incredibly good song flow, making it feel much shorter than the 55 minutes it actually is. Overtly long outro in track 6 and worship elements aside, there’s nothing detracting from the experience. The songs are just very well-written. Each of them is filled with great guitar work, clever vocal lines, creative rhythms and tastefully incorporated elements of oriental folk (excuse the general term, I don’t know enough about the subtleties of the region’s music to make the proper distinctions). And most importantly, they all have their own identity. Along with really crisp production, it’s just a very pleasant listening experience.

Overall, Pillars of Creation is a great achievement. The only thing that’s holding this band back is that they tend to steer dangerously close to Opeth at times (and there’s also a flute motif in Magnanimous blatantly stolen from ORwarriOR by Orphaned Land never mind my memory sucks). This is the sound of a very talented band that hasn’t found its own sound just quite yet. That said, I’m super excited to see what these guys will come up with in the future and I highly recommend this to any Opeth fan out there.

Recommended tracks: Pillars of Creation, Seven, Hireath
You may also like: Hands of Despair, Loneshore, Ahl Sina, Subterranean Masquerade (bandcamp)
Final verdict: 8/10

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

Label: Independent

Obsidian Tide is:
– Oz Avneya (guitar, vocals)
– Erez Nadler (drums)
– Shachar Bieber (bass, vocals)

The post Review: Obsidian Tide – Pillars of Creation appeared first on The Progressive Subway.