Style: Melodic black metal, folk metal, dark folk (Mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Agalloch, Panopticon, Ulver, Saor
Country: Utah, United States
Release date: 17 September 2010

The Cascadian black metal movement birthed many artists who reflect on nature through a Romantic framework. Agalloch traverse snowy landscapes, looking on at modern society through sorrowful eyes and a yearning for ancient mythologies; Wolves in the Throne Room bring these mythologies to life through incantation and reflective rituals; and Ash Borer cling on to the natural world as they anticipate our impending doom. Being from Salt Lake City, Utah, multi-instrumentalist Jake Rogers’ Gallowbraid project is geographically removed from the Cascadian black metal scene, but his heart is planted firmly in the scene’s aesthetics, style, and ideals. Singular opus Ashen Eidolon evokes the same heartbreak as Agalloch, taps into the same desire to ‘just become one with the moss’ as WITTR, and ruminates on the same fears of death as Ash Borer, all in a concise and urgent folk/black metal package.

Ashen Eidolon follows in the footsteps of Agalloch‘s landmark debut, Pale Folklore: mournful arpeggiation meets mid-paced crunchy guitars, melodic tremolos, and a raspy, world-weary vocal delivery. Intertwining the gravelly and heavy sensibilities are much lighter elements, like acoustic guitar, flute, and clean group vocals. The quieter moments carved out by folk instruments not only work as contrast against the black metal ideas, but are a force unto their own, acting as a springboard for explosive climaxes on the two extended tracks and leading along the pensive “Autumn” interludes. Compositions are nonlinear in structure, stringing along a series of contemplations that build into a larger narrative. Filtered through the lens of a golden Autumn forest, a Gothic Romanticism seeps through the album’s painful recollections of loved ones past (“Ashen Eidolon”) and the unease of coming to terms with one’s own death (“Oak and Aspen”).

Though undoubtedly imposing in scope, Ashen Eidolon dials back the cinematic approach of its predecessors in exchange for additional heft in its compositions. Each piece exudes a weighty kineticism through powerful, forward drum work and an uptempo punch; the end result is a masterful balance of plaintive heartbreak and fervent chthonic energy. “Ashen Eidolon” in particular opens with a roiling and hypnotic wall of distorted guitars, tearing through flaxen canopy while remaining grounded by wistful melodic accents. “Oak and Aspen” features soaring arpeggios, chunky drum grooves, and stunning walls of black metal trems, but leans into more melancholy ideas in its climax: the instrumental intensity is dialed back and room is given for Rogers to proclaim a quiet river as his final resting place among the aspen.

The use of folk instrumentation contributes greatly to Ashen Eidolon‘s grandeur, both in the longer tracks and the palate-cleansing acoustic pieces. “Autumn I” bridges the title track and “Oak and Aspen”, offering space to sit and process the opener’s intensity through gentle guitar work, dirging group vocals, and lingering flutes. “Autumn II” acts as an epilogue, its mournful guitars intertwining with warm flutes that hint at the sense of closure brought by the narrator’s death at the end of “Oak and Aspen”. However, Ashen Eidolon‘s most effective use of folk ideas comes about two-thirds through the title track, as ferocious tremolos rip and roar through the forest until they’re given pause by fast-paced, staccato acoustic strumming. The electric guitars and drums respond in kind, mimicking the acoustics and soaring high above the trees in ascendant splendor before gently gliding back into the woods on the backs of doomy chords and haunting clean vocals.

Adorning these arboreal peaks and valleys are reflections on the elegance of Autumn and contemplations on the nature of death. The title track takes a stream-of-consciousness approach to its lyricism, lines like ‘Gold and ochre / behold the tapestry of the Fall / There is a beauty, a certain subtle grandeur / In the withering that consumes us all’ ruminate on the ephemeral qualities of life through the lens of changing seasons. “Oak and Aspen”, on the other hand, is more story-driven, Rogers at first frustrated by his grief but ultimately accepting and even embracing it by the track’s end. Unable to define his sorrow as he watches the seasons pass, he contemplates how the trees that surround him experience death: ‘Do the oaks feel this distant pain? Can the pines offer me relief? / Have the aspens wept with the rain? Does the forest know this untouchable grief?’ The track concludes by finding solace in how death and change are are fundamental connectors of all things and that, even through heartache and suffering, not all is lost: ‘Through words of wind and verse of falling leaves / Its song is one of sorrow and days long past / The time is gone but the memories always last.’

Ashen Eidolon is a testament to death and the myriad ways it manifests as an agent of change. Through high-energy songwriting, evocative Romantic imagery, and earthen folk instrumentation, Rogers reminds us that there is beauty to be found in small moments, in nature’s inevitable decay, and in how our lives and bodies continue on in ways anew after our passing. The added heaviness in Gallowbraid‘s approach gives extra impact to its sentiments and establishes a stunning contrast for both its quieter moments and its climaxes. Even in the most barren of deserts, the spirit of black metal and the misty Cascades live on.

Recommended tracks: Ashen Eidolon, Oak and Aspen, Autumn I
You may also like: Fellwarden, Thrawsunblat, Cân Bardd

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

Label: Northern Silence Productions – Bandcamp | Facebook

Gallowbraid is:
– Jake Rogers (everything)

The post Lost in Time: Gallowbraid – Ashen Eidolon appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Progressive metal, avant-garde (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Arcturus, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Leprous’s first two albums
Country: Norway
Release date: 27 September 2013

In the fall of 2013, two newly released albums—both coincidentally named after symbolic, elevated landmarks—filled my headphones incessantly and etched their way into my brain forever: Haken’s monumental The Mountain, and Vulture Industries’ lesser-known The Tower. The former launched Haken into prog royalty and has stood proudly as one of the genre’s modern peaks, while the latter created some short-lived cult buzz and has since remained all but abandoned. I won’t cry ‘Injustice!’ or argue here that The Tower deserves the same exalted fate as The Mountain, but a dozen years ago I held them in the same regard—and to this day, I still do. 

The Tower is a work that simultaneously sounds like everything else and nothing else out there—to me, that’s what makes it so magnetic. To use a needlessly pretentious analogy, replace a wine connoisseur tasting a complex red with a seasoned listener sampling this release: ‘Ah, yes, a full Arcturus body with strong notes of Tom Waits and Nick Cave theatrics; oh, some hints of Devil Doll and Faith No More, perhaps with early Leprous undertones as well…’ You get the point. But The Tower is much more than its influences. Vulture Industries spun whatever inspiration they had gathered into a work that is distinctly their own, striking a delicate balance between fresh and familiar. Accessible, but never bland.

The Tower’s titular opening track perfectly depicts the album’s ‘like everything else and nothing else’ sound. Beginning with rapid double bass drumming, accompanying guitar, and a drooping saxophone accentuating the melody, Vulture Industries appear to fit in neatly with other Norwegian metal and avant-garde artists of the period. Bjørnar Nilsen’s baritone voice belts out over a well-written and somewhat standard verse and chorus, and then the real fun begins:

‘Rule number one!’ Nilsen shouts, in a demented, authoritative tone. ‘Each man is what he owns. Whether or not one truly exists is a question of having things.’ ‘Rule number two!’ he continues, still with a deranged yell. ‘Things have purpose while the only purpose of flesh is to possess them.’

Nilsen goes on to manically list five rules of the authoritarian, hyper-consumerist and decaying society that The Tower brings to life, before the band switches abruptly yet naturally into a smooth, groovy bridge carried by a sax lead. Not long after, Nilsen gives what sounds like his best Gollum impression in another bridge that’s sandwiched between two melodic choruses—and somehow it all works. We’re hardly three minutes into the album and the scope of the quirky ride we’re in for is already clear. 

Nilsen’s theatrical vocals focus just as much (or more) on dramatic storytelling as on technical delivery, and his vocal ingenuity plays a large part in separating The Tower from the endless other releases that spend a shorter time living between my ears. Two particular moments grabbed me on my very first listen and haven’t let go in the twelve intervening years: the collection of spirited calls and militaristic responses toward the end of “Divine – Appalling,” and the way Nilsen bursts out into the chorus of “The Pulse of Bliss” following his subdued, raspy verses—‘Blood upon stone! Consecrate, unify!’ (Goosebumps every time.) The whole album is chock full of such moments, adding up to a vocal performance that, in my case, I can describe as ‘unforgettable’ without being hyperbolic.

As instrumentalists and composers, Vulture Industries are no slouches either. “Blood on the Trail” is a prime example of just how well the band carries out its more standard metal fare, and the tightly composed “Divine – Appalling” and “The Pulse of Bliss” each showcase a strong rhythm section and an array of infectious riffs. Meanwhile, waltzy bars of 3/4 carry the epic “The Hound” on an eclectic and brooding journey through several of The Tower’s dynamics. There’s the eccentric, twisted ballad “The Dead Won’t Mind,” which could be at home on Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ Murder Ballads, and there’s the lush, emotional cut “Lost Among Liars” providing delightful contrast a few tracks later. Whether throwing down heavy riffage or wandering off on cabaret-inspired diversions replete with bouncy keys, Vulture Industries do it with grace. The ‘like everything else’ and ‘like nothing else’ aspects of The Tower’s sound coalesce masterfully into a work that has aged like a fine… no, not this analogy again!

Ultimately, The Tower’s effect as a complete package is what makes it worth profiling all these years later. Maybe once in a career (or, like seven times if you’re Death or Iron Maiden) a band will formulate a vision or concept that transcends other works of its ilk and execute each detail with intent. Between the dark, sardonic artwork adorning the album’s cover and the colorful lyrical metaphors of each track—breathing new life into tired topics like the dangers of authoritarianism and consumerism—Vulture Industries craft a thick, alluring atmosphere; they then materialize it artfully with diverse yet harmonious compositions and performances never lacking in character. Cliché as this praise may be, The Tower is not just a collection of excellent songs but also an immersive plunge into the evocative world Vulture Industries have created. 

*                                        *                                        *

Witnessing an album you love catapult a band to (very relative) stardom is one of the great joys of following music outside the mainstream, and since the fall of 2013 I’ve felt a certain connection to Haken and The Mountain because of this. But there’s also a satisfying ‘in the know’ feeling that comes with taking another listen through Vulture Industries’ little-known contemporary counterpart and thinking, ‘Man, folks out there don’t know what they’re missing.’ Of course, here at The Subway, we’re selflessly willing to sacrifice some hipster-esque satisfaction and shine a light on gems buried deep in the underground—or, in The Tower’s case, an obscure peak off in the distance. Vulture Industries’ cult classic has quietly accompanied me through over a decade of sweeping life changes,¹ and our modest platform is a fitting place to heap some well-deserved recognition upon it.

Recommended tracks: The Tower, Divine – Appalling, The Hound, The Pulse of Bliss, Lost Among Liars
You may also like: Hail Spirit Noir, Unexpect, OMB, Dog Fashion Disco, Dissona

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

Label: Season of Mist – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Vulture Industries is:
– Kyrre Teigen (bass)
– Tor Helge Gjengedal (drums, percussion)
– Eivind Huse (guitars)
– Øyvind Madsen (guitars, keyboards)
– Bjørnar Nilsen (vocals, keyboards, percussion, additional guitars)

1. Speaking of life changes, I’m getting married this summer and we’re beginning our honeymoon with a day at Hellfest (romantic, I know). As fate would have it, guess who’s playing—Vulture Industries. ︎

The post Lost In Time: Vulture Industries – The Tower appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Avant-Garde Metal, Dissonant Death Metal (Harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Deathspell Omega, Wormed, Warforged, demented Jazz Fusion
Country: Germany
Release date: 27 September 2024

Ingurgitating Oblivion is a band with a long, tumultuous history. Throughout the band’s course, they have changed their moniker once, altered their fundamental sound twice, and have gone through so many lineup changes that Florian Engelke is the only remaining original member of the band. It’s taken a long time for them to truly come into their own, with a good number of middling albums in their wake that didn’t quite touch greatness, but this album, with no fewer than six session musicians, can be aptly described as their greatest moment so far with Florian truly coming into his own.

Ontology of Naught presents you with long epics that divide pulverising, demented chaos with moments of dark, twisted serenity. The end product sounds quite a bit like a technical death metal take on Fas – Ite, maledicti, in ignem aeternum by Deathspell Omega, mixed with a bit of I: Voice by Warforged, and a healthy dose of the darker strains of jazz fusion with some occasional classical leanings. Dark Ambient aesthetics are also present, with a bit of spoken word elements sprinkled in. The style of harsh vocals Florian Engelke employs on the album is adjacent to that of Deathspell Omega’s, and it holds a candle up to their work.

Polarization defines Florian’s vision on Ontology of Naught. For instance, the guitar tone is an almost divisive choice; it’s as if the tone chosen was designed to sound as massive, incoherent, and noisy as possible. Ingurgitating Oblivion isn’t really going for a clear, distinct, and precise sound, but more of a jagged, abrasive wall-of-noise that completely overwhelms the listener. Beyond that, everything else feels mixed reasonably well: the drums feel well balanced and they don’t sit too far forward or behind things, and the same can be said for the vocals, which don’t overpower the riffs while still being powerful in their own right.

To make an album grappling with seriously unconventional forms and usages of dissonance, a variety of non-metal influences, and song lengths whose minimum starts at the ten minute mark is a deeply ambitious endeavor. However, what ultimately matters is whether or not what you are trying to do constitutes something that actually works—ambitions as lofty as these often fail at this step. The crux of what Florian is going for here is multifaceted, partly in how the chaos that is built into and granted reprieve from is justified, if the components of the chaos have enough of a diverse vocabulary in their insanity to not become monotonous or indistinct, and if they are balanced with more memorable motifs. Another important aspect is if the softer styles that contrast with the chaos are properly executed in a way that doesn’t feel cheap or amateur, and if the whole epic flows in a way that doesn’t feel completely incoherent or weak.

Florian takes a lot of risks in Ontology of Naught, and some of them do pay off. “Uncreation’s Whirring Loom You Ply With Crippled Fingers” is a great example, starting with an eerie ambience which introduces a simple motif that is expanded upon and returned to in the ensuing chaos. In “To Weave The Tapestry of Nought”, a great example of breakdown and buildup is shown at the midway point: A delirious gloom of vaguely jazzy harmonies swirl around a spoken word passage, which is followed by intricate rhythms below a choral accompaniment with a simple, soaring lead that serves as a bit of a motif. A solo builds before metal cacophony erupts and the solo explodes into almost atonal convulsions, after which the metal becomes much more brutal and rhythmic, like a machine gun being fired at your face.

Ontology of Naught is not without flaws and failed attempts, however. One of my biggest gripes with the album is its usage of spoken word elements, which while not inherently bad, are notoriously difficult to get right. Classic examples would be in death metal à la Carcass, who uses them to paint a gory scene, or Deathspell Omega, who employed them to great effect, staging them as if they were some kind of demonic, biblical sermon. On Ontology of Naught, however, the narration teeters on the precipice of pretension. Florian wants to evoke a sense of radical rebellion in these elements, as if you were listening to the ideologues that served as the vanguard of a revolution, but the effect isn’t quite as profound as he believes it to be.

In addition, there are questionable decisions in terms of flow at times. “The Blossoms of Your Tomorrow Shall Unfold in My Heart” is the biggest offender of this, with the track jumping into chaos that doesn’t really follow any intuitive sense, and then abruptly cuts to Florian’s take on jazz fusion. Following that is more chaos, which isn’t balanced by any motif nor coherently differentiated by other distinctions, as well as an attempt at choral intrigue followed by an ambient outro, none of which really work as a whole song.

Ontology of Naught is ultimately a noteworthy addition to the dissonant death metal genre. Questionable aesthetic and design choices do hold the album back to an extent, with a production job that is divisive, though not objectively bad. However, Florian manages to take on the difficult mantle of making unbridled bedlam into something memorable and distinct, and succeeds to a very commendable degree, with each epic balanced by their own unique aspects in both the extreme and the tranquil.

Recommended tracks: Uncreation’s Whirring Loom You Ply With Crippled Fingers, The Barren Earth Oozes Blood, and Shakes and Moans, to Drink Her Children’s Gore
You may also like: Ceremony of Silence, Mitochondrion, Acausal Intrusion, Defacement
Final verdict: 8/10

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

Label: Willowtip – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Ingurgitating Oblivion is:
– Florian Engelke (guitars, vocals)
– Norbert Müller (guitars)
– Lille Gruber (session drums)
– Chris Zoukas (session bass)

The post Missed Album Review: Ingurgitating Oblivion – Ontology of Nought appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Melodic death metal, symphonic metal, progressive metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Septicflesh, Orphaned Land, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Haggard
Review by: Francesco
Country: England, UK
Release date: 1 September 2024

Immaterial Eden is the debut release from Melehan, a solo project of UK-native Charles Phillip Withall. An incredibly ambitious first offering, Immaterial Eden blends influences from symphonic metal and melodic death metal with intricate musicianship and engaging compositional structure to create an immense sound. From ecclesiastical choirs and lonesome trombone, to reverberant timpani and haunting, rich piano, this album takes you on a journey through massive soundscapes. Glue it all together with tight riffing and furious drumming, and you have one of the most interesting releases of the year.

Withall’s musicianship can in no way be overstated. He is credited as performing everything on the album, and he competently navigates his way around glockenspiels, synthesizers, strings, horns, drums; you get the idea. The man’s some type of savant—like Rain Man, but for metal songwriting. Immaterial Eden has so many standout moments in its forty-seven minute runtime I can hardly remember them all – but some of my favourites are the trance synth lead in “The Cost of Being Alive” (an element which is sadly never reintroduced), the Italian canto in “The Dark Prince”, and the melancholy solo horn section in “The Giants’ Gaze, Pt. I”. 

The album flows from straight-forward melodic death metal sections, to flamenco-inspired classical guitar passages, to more symphonic metal crescendos and codas without ever breaking a stride – I’m reminded a lot of an Orphaned Land or Septicflesh with more of a western classical sensibility, maybe similar to but not as frenetic as Fleshgod Apocalypse. The compositions are riveting, and the symphony instruments add a layer of complexity and sound amazing – no terrible MIDI patches detected here. And the horns are played so well that one struggles to tell if it’s an expression controller or the real thing. I also commend the lyricism, which for the most part is thought-provoking and esoteric. Thematically very introspective, Immaterial Eden touches on despair and apathy in the human condition with rather cryptic prose, but sometimes delves into the more mythological or even theological, as in the Latin responsory “O vos omnes” quoted in “The Dark Prince”. 

Still, no great album is without fault. One of the qualms I had with Immaterial Eden was with the inclusion of an overabundance of melodrama when sometimes the clean vocals are allowed to take precedence. The clean singing (which reminds me somewhat of Borknagar and ex-Dimmu Borgir vocalist ICS Vortex¹) might be the weakest part of this album as some of the harmonies are pitchy to the point of being wildly discordant², and I wonder if for all his merit Withall wouldn’t benefit from someone else taking over the clean vocal duties. On a similar note, the intro to “The Cathedral in the Sand” breaks the flow of what is overall a very strongly paced album with solo reverberant piano and lamenting vocals singing about haunted cemeteries of the mind and shrivelled leaves… Maybe it’s just me who doesn’t like emotional ballads in his death metal, but I always found myself skipping to the heavy part. And then there’s the inaudible bass playing. Not to say that this is an album where the bass is meant to shine, but it does become kind of a trope at this point. 

In spite of that, Immaterial Eden is a super impressive one-man endeavour, and I think I would struggle to find other solo projects of this caliber. The blending of genres is expertly accomplished in a way that seems almost effortless. I would love to know if our man Withall has a background in music because this is such an impeccably well put-together work that juggles so many moving parts it’s like a circus act. This album runs better than my city’s transit system, voted Best Transit System in North America in 2017³. A worthwhile listen for any lover of progressive metal and melodic death or symphonic metal. 

Recommended tracks: “The Cost of Being Alive”, “The Dark Prince”, “The Giants Gaze, Pt. II”
You may also like: Godiva, Sakis Tollis, Mencea
Final verdict: 9/10

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

Label: Independent / Unsigned

band in question is:
– Charles Phillip Withall (everything)

1. Can’t stand him ︎
2. See the 1:51 mark of “The Product of the Masterflesh” ︎
3. Which was a complete farce but this IS a great album ︎

The post Missed Album Review: Melehan – Immaterial Eden appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Dark Folk, Atmospheric Black Metal (Mixed vocals, mostly clean)
Recommended for fans of: Empyrium, Summoning, Agalloch
Country: Germany
Release date: 27 September 2024

Have you ever come across something and felt like it’s bait? Like someone smarter than you set up a trap that’s just a bit suspicious in how perfect it is for you but it’s also way too enticing to turn up? Well, the Dave trap has been laid down, and its name is Helja Kor, the debut of Germany’s Liljevars Brann: from the creature that stalks the sepia-drenched forest on the album cover to the promise of hypnotic dark folk and black metal, I’m about two feet away from grabbing the proverbial carrot under the box that is this album. Will I be rewarded justly by my insatiable desire for the carrot, or will I be trapped under the box like the silly gullible mammal I am?

Well, the trap seems convincing enough at first glance. Liljevars Brann compose a mix of dark folk and atmospheric black metal, establishing subdued ideas that meditate on themselves through extended pieces. Don’t let my description fool you, though—Helja Kor offers very little in terms of peace, as in its very first moment, a pained scream reverberates through a forest, quickly establishing the misery that seeps into every facet of the album. Save for maybe the Uaral album where the guy literally cries over folk instrumentation, this is likely one of the saddest folk/black albums I’ve ever heard, conjuring imagery of a forest that slowly drains the energy of all who pass underneath its canopies. Even the vocal performances sound rotted: this is not a commentary on technique or polish, but the vocals truly sound like the aches and creaks of a decaying forest floor.

Compounding the oppressive mood is the extensive repetition baked into these tracks—Helja Kor stays steadfast to its ideas, for better or for worse, as most tracks reach upward of ten minutes with little variation. The opening title track, for example, establishes an intertwining acoustic and electric guitar motif, iterating on themselves and staying with the listener for the entirety of its eleven-minute duration while drums plod along in the background. This atmosphere remains throughout the entirety of Helja Kor, save for the singular blast beat that makes itself known near the end of “Brannstjerningen,” which sounds enervated to the point of exhaustion, lurching forward for only a couple of seconds before capitulating to weighty folk instrumentation. The execution is remarkable here, but it’s a formula that can’t quite hold across its entirety, as the extended contemplations become disorienting and difficult to listen to at times due to their unrelenting persistence. Nothing here is bad by any means, but tracks like “Krieglande” way overstay their welcome when I’ve been gently and delicately beaten into submission by everything that came before it.

Despite Helja Kor’s immense anguish, There are brief moments of beauty that peek through: “Danse Mej Brodar I Fyre” opens with a delicate acoustic guitar that effuses peace, and moments of “Sjelvind” evoke calm pastoral feelings through carefree acoustic arpeggiation. Moreover, the vocal performance, despite its contorted and ugly exterior, is quite interesting in that it’s sung in a constructed language that sits somewhere between North and West Germanic, so speakers of German or Norwegian may be able to make out certain phrases and ideas. I would love if Liljevars Brann offered lyrics and their translations to get a better idea of their point of view.

Content to wallow in mournful moods in a forest that seemingly stretches on forever, Helja Kor wasn’t the trap I expected it to be, but the carrot I got in the process was a bit overcooked and mushy. Liljevars Brann succeed greatly at establishing a woeful and anguished atmosphere in Helja Kor’s opening pieces, but the overlong length brings the listening experience close to actual woe and anguish at times. If you can stomach the excessive repetition and the overwhelming oppression, then Helja Kor should be mandatory contemplative fall listening. If that sounds like too much for you, stick with something that features a bit more bombast and grandeur.

Recommended Tracks: Helja Kor, Dansa Mej Brodar I Fyre, Brannstjerningen
You may also like: Caladan Brood, The Flight of Sleipnir, The 3rd and the Mortal, October Falls, Dreams of Nature
Final verdict: 6/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Octopus Rising Records

Liljevars Brann is:
– Sjelvindur (vocals, composition)
– Kristjan (drums)

The post Review: Liljevars Brann – Helja Kor appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Progressive metal, djent (Mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Jinjer, Tesseract, new Haken, Seven Spires
Country: Chile
Release date: 27 September 2024

My old phone had a bunch of problems: the battery had to be replaced, I dropped it and cracked the screen so badly it had to have a new front, the charger port shorted out and had to be replaced in its totality, and on another occasion I dropped it and broke the camera which also had to be replaced. I started to call my phone ‘The Ship of Theseus’ in reference to the old philosophical conundrum: if Theseus kept taking his boat out on adventures and kept having repairs and replacements done at dock and a time came when none of the original parts remained, could it still be called the same boat? 

Delta haven’t yet fully Ship of Theseus’d, but keyboardist Nicolás Quinteros is the only member to have been with the group since their founding in Chile in 2003. Gemini is the group’s seventh outing, and the second album to feature latest vocalist Paula Loza. With a new guitarist, Victor Quezada, in tow, and longtime mainstays Marcos Sánchez (bass) and Andrés Rojas (drums) making up the rhythm section, Delta are a band who have existed in many guises, with a range of experience. Does a history of repairs and replacements add up to a tightened unit or a clattering wreck?

Delta’s foundational style is the bombast of modern trad prog with that anthemic, djenty gloss—thick riffs and clamorous synth solos—coupled with something more melodic and reigned in, suffusing synthwave influences, melodic piano and more vulnerable vocal performances. Loza’s powerful delivery is key to Delta’s success, “The Tower” providing a great showcase of her skills, from ominous half-whispered vocals, belting hooks, and aggressive growls. Loza joined on 2021’s Fears, a strong album and my introduction to the band, but one which opted more for speed and aggression. Loza’s vocals have become even stronger somehow, and the entire band’s songwriting approach has matured into something more progressive and considered; grandiose in its atmospheres yet willing to show restraint in order to get the most out of the climaxes and crescendos.

While fundamentally a band firmly rooted in the progressive metal and djent sphere, building on the tradition of such disparate groups as Haken, Jinjer and Tesseract, Delta avoid becoming hemmed in by stylistic tropes. The strong emphasis on interactions between synth and lead guitar remind me of Frost*, symphonic flourishes here and there nod to the influence of groups like Seven Spires and Unleash the Archers, while the combination of major key soloing, a belting vocalist, and hook-forward writing frequently takes me back to my Alter Bridge days. There are even some vocal performances befitting the realms of nu metal, as on “At Last” and “The Great Dilemma”. Delta manage to distil a lot of different subgenre influences successfully, blending them into a contiguous whole that manages to be a distinct and unabashedly progressive sound in its own right.  

Take “At Last” by way of example, a track built on a simple yet massive synth hook from the annals of power metal but which also features a nu metal section, staccato djent with thrumming bass, and intricate progressive riffing in the climactic outro. In lesser hands, such genre hopping would feel like whiplash, but as much as “At Last” frequently surprises, it never feels like a succession of bits; the whole track flows and every section sits logically within the composition. Gemini consistently pull off this trick: “The Tower” has forays into metalcore, “Gemini” and “Cosmic Reverie” contain synths that are positively 80s in their waveyness, and “The Humanest” leans rather magnificently into full-blown opera. Closing duo “Cosmic Reverie” and “Cosmic Voyager” comprise Gemini’s two-part finale, an instrumental spectacle suffused with rock opera grandiosity and spacey intrigue that allows the members to stretch out, not that they weren’t already doing that. It’s a gamble to exclude Loza from the final ten minutes of the album, but she’s already more than earned her keep, and the instrumental bestows a conclusive overture/ending credits quality which proves enjoyable. 

I could list a ton more standout moments (the solo section in “So Wrong!” with that funky bass work underneath deserves mention as does the softer character of “To Find the End” which sees Loza and Quinteros interplay beautifully), but what makes Gemini work is a fantastic mix: the bass thunders metallically with barely any distortion, thrumming as a perfect tonal counterpoint to the distorted guitar work; the synth glimmers and Loza, of course, sounds fantastic—every element is fantastically cared for, every build up feels earned. Indeed, everything about Gemini sounds great, which makes it all the more surprising to have to say that some of those belting anthemic choruses and introductory riffs start to blend into one by the album’s latter stretches—you can sing-along in the moment but when you have so many earworms cut from the same cloth, it’s hard for any single one to stick in your head. It’s a bizarre problem to have because ninety percent of the time Delta are creative dynamos, deftly weaving subgenre influences and cohering as an admirably tight unit, and yet the hooks holding all this together become the least engaging part of their sound.

Nevertheless, Gemini showcases a group who’ve found exactly the right performers to get the best out of their sound, a single unit focused on laser tight compositions, massive atmospheres, and virtuosic performances; this incarnation of the band might be dramatically different from their original form, but they’re so much more for all those changes. Delta having found the wind in their sails, a bold captain, a billowing mizzen, a— [drops phone on the floor]. 

Recommended tracks: At Last, So Wrong!, The Humanest
You may also like: Scardust, Temic, The Stranger
Final verdict: 8/10

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

Label: Iged Records – Facebook | Official Website

Delta is:
– Nicolás Quinteros (keyboards)
– Paula Loza (vocals)
– Victor Quezada (guitars)
– Marcos Sánchez (bass)
– Andrés Rojas (drums)

The post Review: Delta – Gemini appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Album art by Detestor Graphics

Style: Post-black metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Deafhaven, Heretoir
Country: Sweden
Release date: 6 September 2024

I’ve had a soft spot for the type of black metal that’s watered down by other subgenres for as long as I’ve been reviewing music, so my love affair with post-black metal/blackgaze should be of little surprise. The manner in which it blends the raw intensity of black metal with ethereal and emotional flavours is akin to a cathartic ray of light—a way to show hope within the darkness. That combination is something that routinely plucks at my heartstrings like Nero fiddling away while Rome burns.

Together to the Stars is no exception—I was already familiar with their entire catalog, and admittedly very excited coming into this third release. Their previous two LPs had showcased the two sides to this band which I’ve grown to really like: a by-the-numbers, climax heavy post-black side on An Oblivion Above that delivered on long build ups and harrowingly beautiful production, and a rawer, crunchier blackgaze side with a bigger focus on standard songs and a heftier punch on As We Wither. However, the wide disconnect between both releases left me wondering what direction they’d take for their third release; would they create another completely different sound? Would they just repeat one of their previous sounds? Would they mix them both? In any case, if there’s one thing I can say, it’s that Together to the Stars did not disappoint. 

The Fragile Silence maintains the core songwriting process present in their debut and its heavenly atmosphere with some of the rawer, deeply emotional sections found in their sophomore. This creates an album that is at an all time high in terms of theatrics and angst; the guitar melodies accompanying the black metal blueprint feel grand and sweeping. Meanwhile, vocalist Franco Fuentes pulls off a performance that drowns you in anguish, building on grand melodies and climaxes, the few quieter sections that occur post climax haunted by this feeling of grief-stricken nostalgia. Add multiple orchestral breaks on top of all that and you’ve got an album that aims straight for your heart. 

Such a specific sound can be very hit or miss, but it definitely hits for me. I connected with The Fragile Silence the second that incredible first riff in “Mercurius” hit; a simple yet effective way to open an album with a beautiful, haunting melody that sends you back in time to a memory that feels both so close yet so distant’ it’s as if the dreampop soundscapes of Deafheaven blended itself with the cathartic combination of heavy riffs and strong melodies of subgenre mainstays like Heretoir. The shrieks join in shortly after while it straps in your belt and sends you down a typical black-metal soundscape of blast beats and tremolo riffs all the while maintaining strong major chord melodies with orchestral undertones. The tune then masterfully balances the grim atmosphere and hopeful melodies with the help of a few brief acoustic interludes that help space out the riff-fest present throughout the second half of the song. This core formula doesn’t change at all throughout the record, but clocking it at just over forty minutes means that Together to the Stars get the most out of this musical landscape without causing any ear fatigue.

While there are few apparent flaws to break The Fragile Silence, the production value isn’t quite as good as it could be. Together to the Stars thrive in their grandiosity and even manage to include some trickier instruments like violins without ruining the entire sound of a song. but some sections, particularly in the drums have an unnecessary rawness to try to enhance the emotions on display; this leads to the rhythm section disappearing into the background washing them out in an otherwise clear, crisp mix.

But even then, that’s only a very small issue in a general experience that connected with me on a level that little music has done in a while. The Fragile Silence is a marvelous display of how to do emotionally charged extreme metal, and while it might not bring anything you haven’t already heard to the table, it’ll make a fine addition to your collection of post-black albums for those times you need to be hit straight in the feels.

Recommended tracks: Mercurius, The Last Glacier
You may also like: Constellatia, Ba’al, Evergarden
Final verdict: 8/10

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

Label: Northern Silence Productions – Bandcamp | Facebook

Together to the Stars is:
– David Steinmarck (keyboards, guitars, vocals)
– William Zackrisson (keyboards, guitars)
– Sebastian Ryderberg (bass)
– Magnus Brolin Stjärne (drums)

The post Review: Together to the Stars – The Fragile Silence appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Cover art by Alexander Goulet

Style: Heavy metal, progressive metal (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Dio, Iron Maiden, Ningen Isu
Country: Illinois, United States
Release date: 6 September 2024

Ever since discovering progressive metal, it has been my number one favorite genre by a wide margin. However for a brief period around 2018, classic heavy metal came awfully close, particularly the US power metal style (don’t let the name fool you) which was nearly all I listened to for a while—Iron Maiden, early Mercyful Fate, and Black Sabbath’s Paranoid, too, had me in a chokehold. Going into the 2020s, the obsession has largely waned, but I still have a soft spot for the style. Sadly, crossovers with prog rarely work from what I’ve encountered for the blog (a “heavy/progressive metal” tag on Metallum is almost a guaranteed dud), yet amidst all the rubbish, there has been one band who has consistently made it work. Of course, this is none other than today’s Chicago based, pig-burning subject of review, Black Sites. 

Heavy metal over the years has developed a reputation for being the least heavy metal subgenre, which might very well be true, but that doesn’t stop guitarists Mark Sugar and Ryan Bruchert from penning yet another masterclass in riffology. Indeed, The Promised Riffs? delivers in spades—from the groovy thrashers of “Descent” or “Chasing Eternity”, to the speedy triplets galore that borders on power metal of “Dread Tomorrow”, to the occasional bursts of Sabbathian doom, to Maiden-esque harmonies—Black Sites are ever eager to show off their riffing credentials. But what makes Black Sites truly stand out in this regard is just how damn cool their riffs sound. I can easily imagine just about any of these songs featuring as a soundtrack to a car chase in an 80s or 90s American action film—“World on Fire”’s main riff being especially badass, and “Dread Tomorrow” just embodies adrenaline. 

But it’s not like Black Sites are one-trick ponies either with good riffs and nothing else: the guitar solos are a wonderful homage to all your favorite 80s heavy metal shredders, expertly combining melody, technicality, and feel while always staying in service of the song and keeping the length short but sweet. The drumming is excellent, too, new recruit Bradon White dictates the tempo and lays down some really tasty fills, his work in “World on Fire” being particularly strong. Band leader Mark Sugar’s voice is easily recognizable, his gruff yet operatic timbre somewhat sounding as if prime Matt Barlow (Iced Earth) smoked a joint before entering the studio, and he lays down a charismatic performance, showing a solid sense of melody and belting ability. Perhaps not every chorus is a major earworm (“Dread Tomorrow” being the major exception—what a banger), but given the album’s progressive song structures (more on that later), that hardly impedes his performance. As far as heavy metal is concerned, The Promised Land? is another major success from Sugar and co.

When it comes to the progressive department, however, I’m a bit mixed. Most of the album’s progressivisms lie in the adventurous song structures utilized, but on occasion Black Sites will also dabble into the genre of progressive metal by way of odd-time rhythms, drastic mood changes, and atmospheric arrangements. On “Descent” and “World on Fire” they incorporate these aspects really well, making the songs extra dynamic, but on other tracks I wished they committed more. The twelve minute title track for instance has a mesmerizing progressive opening act, but during the middle part they just revert to standard heavy metal fare. It’s good heavy metal, but given the progressive parts surrounding the section, it is also a bit of a letdown. Similarly, the melancholic power ballad “Gideon” has good vocal writing, but instrumentally the song screams for more atmospheric development, and closer “Many Turn to None” has a godly transition from guitar solo to acoustic, but instead of using that for an epic progressive finish, they go back to the riffage like nothing happened and eventually finish the album with an awkward fade-out. 

On the whole, though, The Promised Land? is another successful record. Sugar and co gave a masterclass in riff-writing, and continue to show that you don’t need to innovate to write great music. My only complaint is that I wished that Black Sites would lean harder into the prog aspect at times (we are on a prog blog, after all), but otherwise, The Promised Land? fulfilled all my needs for classic heavy metal, and I highly recommend any other fan of the genre to pick it up.

Recommended tracks: Dread Tomorrow, World on Fire
You may also like: Dead Kosmonaut, Hammers of Misfortune, Vicious Rumors
Final verdict: 7.5/10

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

Label: Independent

Black Sites is:
– Mark Sugar (vocals, guitar)
– Ryan Bruchert (guitars)
– Greg Bruchert (bass)
– Brandon White (drums)

The post Review: Black Sites – The Promised Land? appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Pyrrhon – Exhaust
For fans of: Imperial Triumphant, Gorguts, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Chat Pile, Car Bomb, Frontierer
Picked by: Andy

After taking some shrooms to the woods, Pyrrhon are back as acerbic and even more focused than ever for their fifth LP. It is violent, socially critical, unsubtle, and sick as hell. From Moore’s sewer-y gutturals and caustic screams to one of the tightest rhythm sections in tech death to the Scarcity-influenced guitar parts, Pyrrhon fire on every cylinder. Don’t miss this.

You might also like: Scarcity, Aseitas, Ad Nauseam, Weeping Sores
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Papangu – Lampi​ã​o Rei
Recommended for fans of: Magma, Sun-Ra’s Arkestra, Mastodon, Gentle Giant
Picked by: Zach

Do you like weird shit? Of course you do, you’re reading a prog blog. Papangu are back for their second offering, and continue to rocket themselves into becoming one of the many blog darlings. This time, they’re helped by a full, six-piece lineup of musicians that cover at least seventeen different genres. There’s plenty of jazzy freakouts to be found, but what propels Lampi​ã​o Rei forward is the strong use of dynamics and expertly done songwriting. You aren’t gonna want to miss out on this one, because it’s gonna end up on many an end of year list. 

You might also like: Subterranean Masquerade, Seven Impale
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Ubiquity – The Ascendant Travels Among the Stars
For fans of: old Opeth, In Mourning
Picked by: Chris

Anthony Deneyer of Omnerod takes the lead on this progressive death metal project, this time in the more Opethian vein, bringing along two of his bandmates to help put together a dense and intense concept album about Jack the Ripper. Maintaining that oppressive Omnerod atmosphere but taking it down a more traditional progressive death metal route, Ubiquity have crafted an impressive record that manages to capture and contain a sense of pervasive evil, while consistently wowing on a technical level, suffusing everything with a powerful sense of dread. Certainly, Ubiquity will tide you over until the new Opeth drops in November, and it may just stay with you thereafter. 

You might also like: Omnerod, Wills Dissolve, Piah Mater
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Toby Driver – Raven, I Know That You Can Give Me Anything
For fans of: Soen, David Gilmour / Quieter Pink Floyd, Ulver
Picked by: Dave

Toby Driver’s Raven, I Know That You Can Give Me Anything is a peaceful and contemplative mood piece, indulging in tranquil and shimmering instrumentation that gently underlies Driver’s soul-bearing vocal performance. Tracks like “Someday There’ll Be An Avalanche” push themselves along with lightly coaxing drumwork and a flute solo while “Antinous in the Nile” is slower, mournful, and heavily atmospheric. Title track “Raven, I Know That You Can Give Me Anything” offers a satisfying climax as Driver delivers Raven’s most full-throated vocal performance. It’s the beginning of Fall in the northern hemisphere, and Raven couldn’t have come at a better time: it’s the perfect soundtrack to watching the bees gather the last of the goldenrod pollen, particularly when paired with the natural lyrical imagery of opener “Ticking Timebomb.”

You might also like: Fjieri, Kayo Dot, Good NightOwl, i Häxa
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Consider the Source – The Stare
For fans of: The Aristocrats, Snarky Puppy, Thank You Scientist, Mahavishnu Orchestra
Picked by: Ian

After this gig exposed me to so many incredible underground artists I never would have checked out otherwise, it seems almost like cheating to cover a band I actually know and enjoy from beforehand, but The Stare is a strong enough album to stand on its own. It’s a brilliantly unique melding of jazz fusion, progressive metal, Balkan folk, and spacey psychedelia that somehow manages to be both virtuosically self-indulgent and tightly focused. The performances are top-notch throughout, and each track offers a new, mind-bending set of twists and turns for the trio to gleefully romp through. Its turn toward heavier sounds may not be quite as bold as I would like, but this is still a phenomenally executed iteration of the band’s sound. Also, I highly recommend checking these guys out live if you can– they shred unbelievably hard.

You might also like: Matt Darriau, Elephant9, Marbin
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Fen – Dear Mouse
For fans of: Pearl Jam, 311, Foo Fighters, Fair to Midland
Picked by: Dave

Fen’s Dear Mouse is a grab-bag of well-executed alt rock, taking only the best from popular 90s styles and fully exploring ideas across a range of diverse tracks. More importantly, though, these tracks are just fun: opener “Ritual Lite” carries a bouncy-yet-chunky guitar riff throughout its runtime while Doug Harrison fires off lyrics at 100 miles an hour; “The Password is I Believe” is carefree pop-punk to blast while riding around windows down with your friends; and “The Seam of the Heart” powerfully mixes a touching vocal performance with some Dear Mouse’s more chaotic and progressive instrumentation. I was a little disappointed to hear that Fen are likely done for a while, but I am so grateful that we got this anthology of tracks from the last decade or so.

You might also like: Mile Marker Zero, Orion, Advent Horizon
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Non-Subway Picks

Sometimes when sniffing around in the progressive underground, we come across a manhole cover and escape into the harsh light of the surface world blinking myopically at what they’re listening to outside the scope of our blog and sometimes it’s pretty good stuff.

Kalandra – A Frame of Mind [alternative folk rock] The Nordic group’s sophomore delivers another collection of effortlessly pretty compositions, evocative of Scandinavian forests and existential melancholy but with a greater sense of bite than on their debut, pushing into heavier territory and some enormous crescendos. [pick by: Chris]

Nubya Garcia – Odyssey [spiritual jazz] I love Kamasi Washington’s style, but his albums are too damn long. Nubya Garcia fixes that, crafting an easily listenable but gigantically lush and vibrant spiritual jazz album for the ages. [pick by: Andy]

Lady Blackbird – Slang Spirituals [soul] With an extraordinary voice and bluesy grooves, Lady Blackbird’s sophomore Slang Spirituals is a modern love letter to seventies black music, refracted through soul’s prism and flirting with folk, psychedelic, and even progressive flavours. [pick by: Chris, Sam]

The post Our September 2024 Albums of the Month! 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.