Style: Technical death metal, progressive death metal (mostly harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: The Faceless, Obscura, Beyond Creation, The Zenith Passage
Country: Colorado, United States
Release date: 22 November 2024

I love extreme music, sure. But I still get a slight urge to roll my eyes when met with yet another sci-fi-themed tech death band—especially one whose debut album runs nearly an hour and is part one of what will evidently be a series. In a saturated subgenre of a subgenre, could it possibly live up to its intended musical grandeur? Well, actually, yeah… I’d say it does.

Exuvial is a Denver-based progressive and technical death metal band, and we know Denver is a breeding ground for boundary-pushing music: Blood Incantation’s spacey old-school death metal, Wayfarer’s Western-tinged black metal, tech death veterans Vale of Pnath, and so many others. Exuvial’s debut album, The Hive Mind Chronicles, Pt. 1: Parasitica (we’ll call it Hive Mind Pt. 1), fits right into the scene. Hive Mind Pt. 1 has a beefy, progressive metal frame—a generous runtime, space for instrumental and dynamic passages, and an ambitious concept and vision—that’s filled out with well-executed tech death.

Beginning with a four-part track spanning just short of twenty minutes, Hive Mind Pt. 1 reels you in with a few piano flourishes and chords, and then bashes you over the head with big, chunky riffing. Exuvial seems hellbent on touching every corner of the current tech death landscape. In short order, the band checks off modern tropes like glitchy rhythms, off-kilter riffs with a huge bottom end, noodly leads with complementing bass fills, and obligatory, heavily-effected clean vocals scattered along the way. But Hive Mind Pt. 1 doesn’t sound like a collection of songs that just enthusiastically emulate what’s in vogue. Each track, and indeed the album as a whole, unfolds in a way that sounds deliberate and coherent, even if sometimes predictable. 

As the four-part opener progresses, Exuvial shows off the band’s dynamic songwriting: frenetic riffs winding their way to massive, head-bangable resolutions (the final minute and a half of “Convergent Evolution”); a slower, atmospheric bridge driven by a locked-in rhythm section (the center of “Advent of Segmentation”); and, generally, a deft mixture of elements that makes the music both overtly melodic and crushingly heavy (evident in all of “Neural Convolution”). The rest of the album follows suit, never straying far from the opener’s formula or venturing much beyond the bounds of modern tech death. But it’s a formula that works—and the stellar performances and few surprises peppered throughout are enough to keep engagement high. The album’s top-notch production, being bright but not sterile and heavy but not muddy, helps further ensnare the listener.

As strong as it is, Hive Mind Pt. 1 doesn’t escape some of tech death’s common pitfalls. The album is not terribly unique or innovative, especially vocally; and the tracks aren’t always easy to distinguish from one another. While all enjoyable in their own right, much of “Holometabolous,” “Parasitica,” and the first half of “Necrotic Dissolution” lack a distinct identity. But the album does deliver some true stand-out moments: a highlight is the infectiously groovy riff smack in the middle of “Autonomic Awakening,” which the band builds upon and then exits perfectly into a fantastic set of melodic passages. The progressive, almost doomy “Subterranean Swarm” is another welcome change-up—although the track spends some of its time in territory that’s maybe too familiar. 

Defying my knee-jerk expectations, Exuvial’s debut justifies its runtime and ambitious concept. The album might not set the progressive or tech death worlds on fire, but Hive Mind Pt. 1 is crafted and produced excellently, positioning it as an undeniably strong entry in an undeniably strong year in extreme metal. Compositionally and instrumentally, the band simply does so many things right—a particularly impressive feat for a first record. Exuvial’s musicianship is tight, and they offer a robust collection of compelling musical ideas. If you like the modern brand of tech death, and if you like progressive death metal generally, do yourself a favor and join the hive mind.

Recommended tracks: the entire Hive Mind suite, Autonomic Awakening, Subterranean Swarm
You may also like: Blighted Eye, Vale of Pnath, Hath
Final verdict: 7.5/10

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

Label: Silent Pendulum Records – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Exuvial is:
– Ibrahim Jimenez (bass)
– Fernando del Valle III (guitars, vocals)
– Ethan Walden (guitars, vocals)
– Andrew Baird (drums)

The post Missed Album Review: Exuvial – The Hive Mind Chronicles, Pt. 1: Parasitica appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Artwork and Design by Sara-Jane Swettenham

Style: Stoner doom metal, progressive metal, hard rock (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Green Lung, Elephant Tree, Khemmis
Country: United Kingdom
Release date: 15 November 2024

There are a few characteristics an album can have that signal it was meant for my ears. The Ghost of Badon Hill checked a few of those boxes before I even pressed play: A beautiful medieval art nouveau cover? Check. Connections to Arthurian and Celtic myth and history? Check. The album title itself calling out by name the place where Sir Robin–the not quite so brave as Sir Lancelot–personally wet himself? Hard check.

Badon Hill‘s flavor of stoner rock—at once different and the same to many of the genre’s standard bearers—is heady, ethereal, and mystic. You’ll certainly hear things that bring in an undeniable atmosphere on this album versus the straight tried and true style of say, a Red Fang release. That is to say, Sergeant Thunderhoof are not entirely focused on the bottom-heavy power chords; rather, Badon Hill features ample flowing guitar motifs that paint an audible picture for you, like in the quasi-title track and opener, “Badon,” which starts off with an eerie, melancholic acoustic dirge plucked under the tree of a whistled melody that brings in a little old-west solitude on top of this intro’s old-world spiritualism. On the other end, being true to its genre and laden with bluesy pentatonic sensibilities, some of the tracks on this forty-five minute six-shooter like “Salvation for the Soul” wouldn’t sound out of place coming from the jukebox of a mountain west biker bar.

The “ghost” of Badon Hill is, undoubtedly, vocalist Dan Flitcroft’s haunting and somber sense of melody. I’m the kind of listener that likes to attempt a sing or hum-along even on my first go-through (if I’m loving the vocals enough—which I was), and Flitcroft threw off my wonderful accompaniment by taking it in directions I didn’t expect in the tiniest of moments such as the bridge of “Blood Moon” or those vocal slides in “The Orb of Octavia.” And no doom infused album would be complete without some chunky down-tuned riffs, which this album most certainly isn’t lacking. Although my favorite guitar bits here actually come in the arpeggiated passages that bring in the psychedelic and moody elements to the aural realm we’re journeying through, like in “Sentinel” or the aforementioned “Blood Moon.”

Another aspect Ghost deserves credit for is its top-notch mastering and engineering. I listened to this album a few times for this review–with earbuds, with my over-the-ear headphones, and through my office stereo setup. Through each medium the sound was full and rich, like my favorite cups of coffee. I only have one nit to pick here, and it’s that at times the cymbals in the percussion aren’t as forward in the sound as I’d prefer. Sometimes I’m not even sure which type of cymbal is being hit. With only the prior exception, each element in the soundscape is almost perfectly leveled. Want to focus on the bass? Easy. The mid tom on the drum kit? That’s a little weird (and rarely makes an appearance) but go ahead, it’s there. As with any rock album worth its salt, the crunchy guitars and soaring vocals are the focal point of the mix, and like the finest of those albums they don’t bury everything else.

In all of Sergeant Thunderhoof’s full-length releases Ghost has the second quickest runtime. The shortest track on here is a quart short of six minutes. And on the whole I’d say a lot of these songs don’t have enough material to justify their individual lengths. With little exception they frequently run, progress, and end exactly where they started in terms of tempo, melody, and rhythm. That’s not to say they don’t change in some way. Badon Hill does not lack sonic texture—a track might get louder or quieter or more or less distorted by the end. But the building blocks of the songs stay a little too firmly planted. I was often checking the track progress bar to see how much time was left and wondering if something different was going to be thrown my way. Honestly, the closing track “Beyond the Hill” is a bit beyond the pale and feels like it goes on forever because of this despite the loveliness of the tune itself.

On the whole I absolutely enjoy what we get here; though, if we’re not going to be treated to much variety within the songs themselves, I’d almost rather the Hoof take a punk approach and give us twice as many songs at half the length. However, in my experience that’s not the stoner or doom rock style (nor the band’s, apparently) and in that sense The Ghost of Badon Hill adheres to the genre’s hallmarks.

Recommended tracks: “Blood Moon,” “Sentinel,” “Badon”
You may also like: The Once and Future King by T.H. White, Monolord, Sundrifter
Final verdict: 7/10

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

Label: Pale Wizard – Bandcamp | Website

Sergeant Thunderhoof is:
Mark Sayer – Guitars
Josh Gallop – Guitars and Backing Vocals
Darren Ashman – Drums
Dan Flitcroft – Vocals
Jim Camp – Bass

The post Missed Album Review: Sergeant Thunderhoof – The Ghost of Badon Hill appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: progressive death metal, melodic death metal (mostly harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Persefone, Between the Buried and Me, Allegaeon, Mors Principium Est
Country: Mexico
Release date: 20 November 2024

Despite their tenure as one of the best prog bands of the last decade, Persefone’s new direction after losing lead vocalist of twenty years Marc Martins Pia was, frankly, disappointing, the end result an uninspired prog metalcore EP. I hold out hope that they’ll return to the explosive progressive melodeath that made them a staple in my listening rotation, but I’m not holding my breath, meaning it’s time to search for their next stylistic protégé. And as the year comes to its final breaths, Mexico’s Last Breath, who, on their debut no less, have captured the frenetic riffs and exciting twists-and-turns of Persefone’s writing without ever sounding too derivative of the Andorran legends. Could Last Breath be a breath of fresh air in a time post-Lingua Ignota?

What impresses me most about Echoes of Human Decay is the youthful yet mature songwriting, exemplified by the intro track “Letharsis” and the interlude “Ethereal Ascension.” At least ninety percent of the time bands throw those suckers on out of some weird stylistic obligation—accordingly, they usually sound half-assed—but not so with Last Breath. Echoes begins with rich cello and violin swells that give way to a choral melody, a hype-builder for the “Obsessive Perfection” to come. It’s a very start-and-stop-on-a-dime style of melodeath, with jagged, technical riffs and vocals alternating between the throat-eviscerating highs of Tommy Giles (Between the Buried and Me) and the marbles-in-the-mouth lows of deathcore. The song evolves the natural prog metal way, and after an extended guitar solo section, we’re treated to a mid-track orchestral break into a clean vocal chorus. A more interesting recurrent theme across the album is the never-ending transition between noodly neoclassical riffs (inspired by Mors Principium Est, no doubt) and more rhythmic, tech-y riffs like a more stuttery Allegaeon. Last Breath rarely, if ever, misses the mark when seamlessly transitioning between the endless string of riffs. Other highlights in the songwriting include the front half of “Noesis Dissection”—which builds from the incredibly addictive riffs at 2:40 into an amazing release in the solo section—and the intro riffs of “Inner Desolation.”

Skillful songwriting is nothing without the performances to back it up, and the boys from Culiacán are maestros on their instruments, particularly axemen Adrián Urías and Iván García. They drop filthily shreddy solos all over the place with tech death dexterity— Martin Laija is equally as skilled on bass. The three of them scorch their fretboards, and I find myself anticipating the solo sections more than anything else. Each track has at least a pair of solos from a mix-and-match of the trio, but highlights include those in “No One Else” and “Obsessive Perfection.” Underpinning the strings is Aldo Hernández on drums, and he also does a great job, though he’s a little bit heavy on the blast beats even for me. When he changes it up to more subtle drumming and intricate patterns, he better matches the progressive nature of the composition, though his balls-to-the-wall approach works in more explosive moments like the start of “Echoes of Remembrance.”   

While undoubtedly impressive for a debut album, Echoes of Human Decay inevitably falls into the pitfalls most new bands do. Most notably, the production needs some alterations: while the instruments are bright and crisp, especially that bass, everything is incredibly loud, and the elegant progressions get lost in the wall of noise, indicating a need for more restraint. Next, while a couple songs have clean vocals, we need considerably more! The belted choruses work extremely well, redolent of Persefone, but the majority of the album relies on the guitars for melody while the harsh vocals screech and growl away. What old Persefone has that these guys are missing are those amazing sing-along choruses. Guitar solos like these will always be highlights on any project like this, but Echoes of Human Decay is lacking a melodic aspect that I think more clean vocals would provide.    

Last Breath have released their album at just the right time to poach new fans, and these guys have the potential to be the best prog band active in Mexico with some fine-tuning. Too loud and a little too acerbic for the melodic force it could be, Echoes of Human Decay is still composed quite well and with a couple virtuosic talents in the making, the stratosphere is these guys’ limit.

Recommended tracks: Obsessive Perfection, Noesis Dissection
You may also like: Indepth, Aeternam, Hell:On, Omnivide, Stortregn
Final verdict: 7/10

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

Label: Concreto Records – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Last Breath is:
– Adrián Urías (guitars)
– Aldo Hernández (drums)
– Iván García (guitars, vocals)
– Martin Laija (bass, vocals)

The post Review: Last Breath – Echoes of Human Decay appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Label: No Sun Records – Bandcamp | Official Website

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

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

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

i Häxa – i Häxa 
Recommended for fans of: Chelsea Wolfe, Massive Attack, Radiohead, Björk
Picked by: Christopher

The debut work from Rebecca Need-Menear and Peter Miles is an arrestingly unique and genre-traversing work that marries dark folk, trip-hop, art rock, ambient, and electronica influences together into a strange and arresting yet consummate brew. Sojourning into an eerie lyrical underworld, ominous strings, dread monologues, and explosive backbeats plunge the listener into a sonic black lodge where doppelgangers lurk and malign forces beckon. i Häxa sounds like it emanated out of an ancient forest and possessed its makers as conduits to its message. The crystalline production is unimpeachable rendering both voice and instruments crisp as a frosty autumn morning. An utterly unique listening experience, an astounding debut, and an album that has obsessed me, i Häxa reveals new depths with every successive listen, pulling the listener ever further into an emotive soundscape from which they may never escape.

You may also like: Ophelia Sullivan, Marjana Semkina, Mingjia
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Ungfell – De Ghörnt
Recommended for fans of: Dissection, Windir, Ulver, Immortal
Picked by: Dave

Ungfell’s De Ghörnt are a last-minute upset to my year-end list, forging a hideous, decrepit, and undeniably compelling package from meloblack, second wave, and idiosyncratic folk. Ungfell are at their best when they incorporate musical ideas which are left field for black metal, be it the myriad bass solos to be found across its runtime, the soft atmospheric keyboard breakdowns, or the occasional organ backdrop; you can rest assured that whatever the idea, it’s integrated with absolute ease. However, their execution of more standard black metal ideas deserves just as much attention, whether it be staccato riffs crashing into the listener, deft and energetic transitions between ideas, or beautiful contemplative folk interludes.

Additionally, I’d like to take a minute to discuss the album’s concept, which revolves around a hubristic hunter who climbs a mountain and encounters the Rollibock, a fearsome goat cryptid. Much to my dismay, there are no lyrics available, so it’s impossible for me to dive much deeper into the story than that. Ungfell (and any other artist reading this), if you’re going to write a concept album, I’m begging you to make the lyrics available! We’re always eager to take a deeper dive into a concept album if the lyrics are available.

You may also like: Havukruunu, Thrawsunblat, Hyperion
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

M​ú​r – M​ú​r
Recommended for fans of: Gojira, Cult of Luna, The Ocean, Textures
Picked by: Christopher

Debuts rarely come along that sound so assured and mature (the other one that came out this month that I wrote up earlier in this post and that is also a self-titled work by a band with a diacritic in their name notwithstanding), but Icelandic progressive post metal quintet M​ú​r prove their sense of vision and weight deftly enough to secure a Century Media Records signing pre-release. It’s easy to see how they managed such a coup: combining the crushing grooves of early Gojira with the layered atmospheres of Cult of Luna-esque post metal, and adding a soupçon of synths and keytar, M​ú​r come storming out the gates with a sound all of their own and a record that’ll keep you headbanging through the final stretch of 2024.

You may also like: Hippotraktor, Seyr
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Bedsore – Dreaming the Strife for Love
Recommended for fans of: Opeth (Watershed/The Last Will and Testament), Blood Incantation, Edge of Sanity
Picked by: Andy

I normally disagree with the old adage that you can’t judge a book by its cover; I find it’s a pretty reasonable way to judge a book. You can’t judge a band by its name, though, or else you’d never listen to anything. Who would have thought a band called Septicflesh would write really nice symphonic death metal? Well Bedsore, despite the disgusting images the name conjures up, perform very regal progressive death metal. Where similar contemporaries like Opeth (scroll down for my take on their latest one) and Blood Incantation actually have fun with their retro aesthetic, Dreaming the Strife for Love is much more mature with its progressive meanderings, and I find it’s absolutely delightful, from the charming blackened vocals to the gorgeous organ bits, Bedsore aren’t what you’d expect but nonetheless a must listen for prog death fans. 

You may also like: Perihelion Ship, The Anchoret, Mefitis, Sweven
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Anarchÿ – Xenötech and the Cosmic Anarchÿ
Recommended for fans of: Coroner, Annihilator, Vektor, Exmortus
Picked by: Francesco

There’s a new Anarchÿ concept album in town and this time we’re ditching Shakespeare for Space Jesus. Xenötech and the Cosmic Anarchÿ is an aggressive, progressive, and even a little bit neoclassical thrash metal album that is replete with the kinds of riffs that are sure to give you whiplash. It’s an excellent continuation of the melodic, technical sound they’ve established over the last two albums, and in my opinion, as good an album as any to start with if you’re unfamiliar with the band. With a little bit of experimentation in the acoustic landscape of Xenötech, Anarchÿ hone a listening experience that is provocative and thrilling; their distinctive sound becoming many-faceted and refined. Their lyrics are always thought-provoking even if I found the narrative idea of the album wasn’t all that interesting as a whole. But I digress; there aren’t many thrash outfits these days that are doing what Anarchÿ does on Xenötech. Certainly one of the most unique thrash metal albums released all year.

You may also like: Vexovoid, Quasarborn, VENUS
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Dragoncorpse – The Fall of House Abbarath
For fans of: Dragonforce, Inferi, Unleash the Archers, Worm Shephard, Brojob
Picked by: Cooper

I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t the biggest fan of Dragoncorpse’s last major output, The Drakketh Saga; after all, I gave it a 6.5 citing its clunky pacing and uncomfortable limbo between the worlds of deathcore and power metal. But with The Fall of House Abbarath, Dragoncorpse have fixed nearly every qualm I had with its predecessor all while further strengthening their uniquely quirky identity. Each track on this release is a surprise; pummeling breakdowns hide behind every corner, hand in hand with melodic choruses as catchy as the heavier moments are backbreaking. From the singalong choruses to the headbanging refrains, The Fall of House Abbarath is just a whole lot of fun. And with each track come new additions to the Dragoncorpse mythos if you’re into that sort of thing.

You might also like: Obsidious, Demonic Resurrection
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Non-Subway Picks

Opeth – The Last Will and Testament [progressive metal] THEY’RE BACK. You know what I’m talking about, and it’s glorious. Beyond Mikael’s silkily gritty growls, TLWAT is Opeth near their best and is extraordinarily inspired for a band entering their thirtieth year of existence. From Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull supplying flute and spoken word for the loony concept to new drummer Waltteri Väyrynen (who’s the same age as Opeth!!) absolutely killing it on his first studio album with the band, there’s a reason this album got so much buzz. [pick by: Andy]

Ulver – Liminal Animals [synth-pop] Another reliable collection of synth-pop bops from Norway’s most genre-fluid band, completed shortly after the tragic passing of Tore Ylwizaker, the keyboardist and sound architect who became a pivotal driver of Ulver’s ever-changing sound. Spin the album and raise a glass. [pick by: Christopher, seconded by Andy]

The post Our November 2024 Albums of the Month! appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: power metal, deathcore (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Dragonforce, Inferi, Unleash the Archers, Worm Shephard, Brojob
Country: International
Release date: 1 November 2024

“My liege, the great dragon Xerdym has been spotted at the edge of our border. Reports claim that he has somehow gained access to The Profane Tomb of Nefren’kah and in it found the artifact known to humans as simply the Deathcore.”

I turned, the crest upon my chest plate gleaming ruby red in the waning sunlight, a stark reminder of my Abbarathian royal bloodline and of my holy duty to my people. Beneath its sheathe, the sword at my hip, Heartseeker, held a long unquenched thirst for the blood of a mighty beast. Forged from the legendary power metal, no sword dared match its sheen or cutting edge. The mere sight of it had inspired generations of bards to belt and strum away at ludicrous speeds. But long days in the castle had left me haggard, and yet I shed that visage like a lizard’s skin at the prospect of adventure. As the waning rays of the crimson sun met the tears in my eyes, my gruff, commanding—yet sensual—voice spoke, “Rally the men. Tonight we feast on Dragoncorpse.”

Not since The Drakketh Saga, had I left the castle walls. My nostrils, long too accustomed to the dank and musty odors of Medieval life, drank the fresh air eagerly and I broke my steed into a familiar gallop. Past fields and forests my company sped, the wind at our backs guiding me and my power metal blade towards adventure. But we quickly realized all was not all as it seems.

The taint of the Deathcore had begun to take hold of the land, and cataclysmically heavy breakdowns in reality were present at every turn. From those breakdowns, emerged vicious harpies that shrieked and pounded their awful drums at every given opportunity. Thankfully, my bard is quite adept with his lute, and was able to match each moment of the harpy’s ferocity with equal moments of catchy melodicism. He’s also quite the songbird, with a falsetto to make even the choirboys blush. At that moment, I knew this quest would long be recalled at feasts and campfires alike. 

Still, “A Quest For Truth” had only just begun, so I soldiered on. Perhaps the notion was merely a “Whisper on the Wind,” but in my heart I already knew the truth. While I was pontificating, my company and I covered vast distances, careful when we came upon more breakdowns and yet growing more daring with each step. Finally, we came upon him, the great dragon Xerdym, mighty Deathcore in hand. 

With naught but a whip of the beast’s tail, great swathes of my company were slain. Unable to hear my bard’s inspiring songs, men cried, broken underneath the weight of their armor and steeds. And still I stood facing Xerdym, his great maw rumbling with the makings of balefire. I bared Heartseeker, the power metal blade glinting the dawnlight and reverberating with the memories of adventures passed. At that moment, the dragon Xerdym knew only two things: “Fear and Hunger.”

I rushed the beast with vigor casting down Deathcore harpy’s with naught but suggestions from Heartseeker. Between each pounding of my heart I could hear my bard wailing and strumming away over the din of the harpy’s screams. I dodged columns of flame and scales and slowly but surely closed the distance towards Xerdym. He writhed in the light of the power metal blade, but so did I amongst the taint of the Deathcore. As the blade earned its moniker, so did Xerdym claim another victim. Would this tale be known as The Fall of House Abbarath. It would so seem, and yet I had produced a Dragoncorpse.

Recommended tracks: A Quest for Truth, Fear and Hunger
You may also like: Obsidious, Demonic Resurrection
Final verdict: 8/10

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

Label: Shattered Earth Records – Facebook | Official Website

Dragoncorpse is:
– Noah Nikolas Laidlaw (bass)
– Justin Gogan (drums)
– Kris Chayer (guitars)
– Mardy Leith (vocals)
– Mark Marin (orchestrations)

The post Review: Dragoncorpse – The Fall of House Abbarath appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Progressive death metal, progressive rock, black metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Opeth (Watershed/The Last Will and Testament), Blood Incantation, Edge of Sanity
Country: Italy
Release date: 29 November 2024

One of the most successful species in the world—certainly the most successful mammal—is the one that shares its name with one of the few truly great punk albums. I speak, of course, of Rattus norvegicus: the brown rat. It’s a species that has defined human existence as both a vector for plagues and as a guinea pig for our scientific advances in medicine; common wisdom has it that you’re never more than an average of six feet from a rat. The second most successful mammalian species is the Opeth clone; you’re never more than one week away from hearing one again.

They come in many shapes and sizes, eras and combinations, and apparently if you lay down an Opeth worship band long enough, they’ll get a Bedsore¹. Now “worship” is a slightly pejorative phrase and “Opeth” is a rather broad one, so let’s pin down what we mean. Capturing the synth-centric ‘70s throwback/metal fusion of Opeth from Watershed onwards, Bedsore throw in a shot of blackened influences and up the jazzy chaos, cultivating a multi-layered approach entirely their own. The use of fretless bass and 12-string guitar add a jam band sensibility which increases the off-kilter sensibility. Indeed, Bedsore sound less like Opeth than a band who were influenced by the same bands as Opeth and came to a similar yet unique sound organically; denizens of the prog death underground may be reminded of Finnish project Perihelion Ship in this regard. 

Opening track “Minerva’s Obelisque” demonstrates this well: an instrumental work (other than the atmospheric vocalise² of guest vocalist Kariti) that builds on its endlessly repeating eight chord motif with subtle variations, doling out thick layers of synth. Frequently, Bedsore inject the compositions with striking flourishes: “Realm of Eleuterillide” dissolves into a gorgeous jazz break and when the metal returns the trumpets give a sense of car chase drama to the music. “Fanfare for a Heartfelt Love” opens like a Bach fugue with strident organ work, while on closing number “Fountain of Venus” when the synths arrive they sound like they’ve time warped out of an Emerson, Lake & Palmer record. Occasionally, guest saxophone and trumpet are utilised in ways that eschew the bombastic guest solos employed by many bands, instead weaved into the songs in texturally satisfying ways; subtle brushstrokes rather than globs of Pollock-y jizzum.

The twelve minute epic “A Colossus, an Elephant, a Winged Horse; the Dragon Rendezvous” sees Bedsore at their best: a portentous build of ambient synths sets the scene for what starts to feel like it might be an atonal Stravinsky romp before the band settle into a groove. Climactic sections ebb and flow—whether they be led by a lascivious entanglement of guitar and sax or romping through a lamentary carnivalesque waltz—and chaos continually perforates proceedings, the rhythm section working away stalwartly while keys and sax make ruthless plays for power.

However, observant readers will have noticed I haven’t mentioned one crucial element of Dreaming the Strife for Love, and it’s the vocals. Regrettably, these constitute the only real weak link in Bedsore’s defences, a slew of melodramatic, kvlty shouting, totally lacking in the finesse of the instrumental accompaniment. One yearns for some mellifluous crooning to break up the onslaught of Italian yelling³, or even just serviceable harshes, but no such respite comes and it’s a relief that Bedsore tend to indulge in long and layered instrumental sections so peak enjoyment comes often. For what it’s worth, my fellow reviewer Andy disagrees with me on the vocals⁴ and lovers of black metal will be more amenable to the somewhat post-punky blackened shrieking, but music lovers of a more Opethian melody-loving stripe will likely be left disappointed by the contrast.

Instrumentally speaking, Bedsore are something of a revelation, a mad scientist blend of glimmering synthesiser layers and idiosyncratic guitar work with a gorgeous jazz influenced sense of intricacy. Were it not for the blunt force barks that do such a disservice to the compositional tapestry, we might be talking about a potential album of the year. Nevertheless, Dreaming the Strife for Love demands the attention of any adventurous prog fan by sheer dint of its compositional boldness.

Recommended tracks: Scars of Light | Fountain of Venus | A Colossus, an Elephant, a Winged Horse; the Dragon Rendezvous
You may also like: Perihelion Ship, The Anchoret, Mefitis, Sweven
Final verdict: 7/10

1. Sometimes we at The Progressive Subway we try to predict a band’s genre by their name alone (we’re cool that way) and Bedsore is a textbook grindcore band name. Dreaming the Strife for Love, meanwhile, sounds like an 80s arena metal chorus. ︎
2. Entry 1,041,823 into the canon of Reasons Why English is Dumb: vocalise (pronounced vocal-ease) is any type of singing without words. Why they couldn’t just spell it ‘vocalease’ to distinguish it from the verb form is beyond me. ︎
3. We have enough of that at The Progressive Subway when Francesco goes off on one about insufficiently Italian power metal bands and folk metal with harsh vocals. ︎
4. A timely reminder that a review is only ever one person’s opinion and that Andy’s is invariably wrong. ︎

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

Label: 20 Buck Spin – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Bedsore is:
– Jacopo Gianmaria Pepe (vocals, electric guitar, 12-string guitar)
– Stefano Allegretti (classical guitar, synthesizers, Mellotron, organ, keyboards)
– Giulio Rimoli (fretless bass, bass pedals)
– Davide Itri (drums, percussion)

The post Review: Bedsore – Dreaming the Strife for Love appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Thrash metal, progressive metal (mixed vocals; primarily harsh)
Recommended for fans of: Coroner, Vektor, Annihilator
Review by: Francesco
Country: USA
Release date: 28 November 2024

Anarchÿ is a thrash duo from St. Louis, Missouri, releasing their third full-length in as many years, Xenötech and the Cosmic Anarchÿ. This sci-fi concept album details the efforts of an ambassador of humanity to a technologically-advanced extraterrestrial race as they try and unify all existence. Neat. Their last works have been exceptional examples of a rather eclectic style of thrash metal, and Xenötech doesn’t stray too far from the mould they’ve created but it does incorporate certain elements that this reviewer might call… experimental. They don’t always land. I would say that Xenötech and the Cosmic Anarchÿ starts off strong then begins to stumble off a ledge somewhere in the middle and catches its footing for the second half – but for the most part, the album is another release that the two guys can pat themselves on the back for. 

Overall, the album is chock-full of pretty well balls-to-the-wall thrash terrorizers: the classic Anarchÿ compositional style we’ve come to love over the last few releases has its foundation firmly cemented on this album as well. They’ve developed a recognizable style that often features half-time melodic measures that introduce leitmotifs, then lead into a more traditional double-time section with highly complicated riffing that leads back into the previously introduced motifs. I’m a sucker for call-and-answer musical themes, so anytime Anarchÿ injects a melody line that comes back later, oftentimes more furious, it never fails to bring me great joy. Still, as I stated earlier, there are some moments of questionable merit on this release.

At certain points in the middle of Xenötech, Anarchÿ decide to experiment with particular elements that tend to interrupt the flow a little bit (or a lot bit) and leave me scratching my head or reaching for the fast-forward button. I know it’s progressive metal, but certainly not every idea is a good one, and congruence is important, lest it all devolve into, well… anarchy. On “Vivisection / Salvation” a soft female vocal accompanies the moody acoustic guitar intro, then is brought back at the end in kind of a half-time, marching polka feel – a jarring inclusion that really took me out of the track. There is a passage in “A.M.F.” that introduces a very-aggressively-MIDI string quartet playing in mutating time signatures. I wonder if the sound was a deliberate choice, considering the plethora of available VSTs (software instrument plugins) that might be able to produce a better, more realistic reproduction of the strings. And in “Extraterrestrial Collaboration” they inject a drum and bass-style breakbeat to transition into the latter-half of the track, and then end the track with a longer breakbeat section. It’s all very subversive, but I don’t know if I’d call it progressive.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of redeeming qualities on this album, and some classic Anarchÿ moments that really stand out. I particularly enjoyed the second half of “The Gallery of Quantum Carrion”; the way they transition out of the solo into three separate and distinct movements including an acoustic guitar break and a harmonized twin-guitar lead that fades into a beautiful, Romantic piano piece demonstrates perfectly well the duo’s meticulously-honed technical ability and compositional skill. Another standout moment for me was the neoclassical-inspired “Entangled / Enlightened” that samples from Chopin’s “Marche Funèbre” and some others. And I feel I’d be remiss without mentioning the 12-minute album closer “I Am the Universe,” which contains some of the most melodic riffing on the whole release; possibly the catchiest refrains; a very moody, Ravi Shankar-y, pensive middle-section with clean female vocals, and more Chopin worship. 

Xenötech and the Cosmic Anarchÿ is more of what I’ve come to love from Anarchÿ, with some minor pitfalls that did somewhat curb my enjoyment of the release, but that didn’t detract too much from the overall experience. I probably wouldn’t go back-to-front on this one again, but there are certainly moments I’m eager to revisit, riffs I’d love to learn, and likely some “A-ha!” musical references that I feel I’m on the verge of divining. Another worthwhile listen from the St. Louis duo. One small request for the team: I’d love to see Bouzikov make a return for the next cover art.

Recommended tracks: Nelson’s Cosmos of Thought, Entangled / Enlightened, The Gallery of Quantum Carrion
You may also like: VENUS, Quasarborn, Vexovoid
Final verdict: 8/10

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

Label: Independent

Anarchÿ is:
– Fionn McAuliffe (vocals, bass, breakbeats)
– Reese Tiller (guitars, bass, keyboards, sitar)

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Style: Progressive metal, black metal, deathcore, post metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: The Ocean, Carnifex, Whitechapel, Lorna Shore, Kardashev
Country: UK
Release date: 29 November 2024

In the last month of the year, we tend to start thinking about the year in retrospect, the events, achievements and things that happened, whether those are big—new starts, profound losses, smashed goals—or small—reading enough books, growing a plant, irritating a neighbour. Completing an album is a pretty big deal, so, y’know, kudos to every band who released an album this year. Which means triple kudos to Monolith: the Devon-based band have released three concept albums in 2024 all set in the same universe and combining to create a mini sonic universe of narrative-driven concept albums exploring cosmic horror and environmental themes. The first two, Hornets Nest and Lord of the Insect Order, accorded with the band’s established punchy deathcore aesthetic, but on their third offering they veer off into territories proggy, posty, blackened, and leviathanic. The Black Cradle is named for the submarine in the album’s story, in which a lone person escapes from an anthropogenic apocalypse in search of the purest isolation at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. 

Monolith subject The Black Cradle to increasing atmospheres of pressure. The first couple of tracks heavily feature Elise Cook providing eerie, gossamer cleans vocals over languid post-metal cultivating an atmosphere similar to that of Dreadnought—when the blackened screams come in, that similarity is reinforced. But as Monolith delve further trenchward, their heft and intensity increasingly suffocate the listener with lower tunings and increasing deathcore influence; by the time we end up at “Hadalpelagic: Life Oblivion / Terra Calamity (19686 – 36000ft¹)” the riffs have reached Meshuggah levels of intensity and benthiccness. The textbook crushing riffs, frenetic drumming and unrelenting screams of Monolith’s native deathcore form the sonic backdrop within which The Black Cradle unfolds and their mastery of their instruments is unquestionable. Can they pivot successfully to proggier and blackened abodes?

Well, yes. Monolith demonstrate an impressive knowledge of the tropes and techniques of their newly adopted genres. Samples tell us of unidentified flying objects and astrophysical anomalies unfolding upon the surface, the heavily synthesised voices of lamenting whales on “Bathypelagic: Blood Throne Ascension (3821ft – 13124ft)” talk of their grief as one of their own falls to the bottom of the ocean to feed the seafloor—the cetaceans embarked upon their own “aimless dance” to parallel that of the human race—and we’re, of course, treated to some spoken word (from Cook); it wouldn’t be prog without it! Moments of orchestral accompaniment breakthrough, notably closing out the final three minutes of “Mesopelagic: Inquest of the Apparitions (656ft – 3281ft)”, adding an extra layer of portent to an already inordinately grandiloquent work. 

Indeed, lyrically, The Black Cradle shows off an aptitude for storytelling and a Thesaurus-level vocabulary. I don’t think I’ve ever heard any band use terms like “truculent”, “decorticate,” or “jejune”, arguably for good reason; there’s a line between evocatively intellectual lyric writing and try-hard pretension, and Monolith straddle it with onanistically “Parklife”-esque abandon. For the most part, this is a dense and intelligent evocation of descent into a pitiless abyss, but the tendency towards excess is notable because it exists in the compositions, too. At sixty-five minutes and with their shortest track running to nearly ten minutes, The Black Cradle is undeniably self-indulgent. The aforementioned whale vocoder part is cool as hell, but it’s also the product of a band that left nothing on the cutting room floor—sometimes such a songwriting ethos breeds brilliance, sometimes it breeds turgidity.

The other main issue is the blackened screams which are always employed with the same rhythmic pattern which begins to grate when employed for an extended period—their home turf Whitechapel-esque deathcore growls are the stronger performance by far. The weakness of these higher screams also highlights the production; while Monolith’s mixing and mastering have improved over the course of their year’s output, the high end can nevertheless become tinny, washing out those screams and some of the higher atmospheres and orchestral work. The low end is well served, except in the most cataclysmically heavy and layered moments at which the sound can get a little muddy. But that these issues remain minor is testament to how powerful Monolith’s core vision is; the listener can’t help but succumb to the depths.

The Black Cradle is an overwhelming work, perhaps to a fault, but it certainly proves Monolith’s chops as a versatile and exploratory band able to turn their hand to genres outside their usual scope. Certainly, if you enjoy intricate and challenging concept albums with a strong sense of narrative and setting—think Echoes by Wills Dissolve, Hivemind by Ashbreather, and, of course, Pelagial by The Ocean—then The Black Cradle offers a whole ocean to explore and possibly be crushed by.

Recommended tracks: Bathypelagic: Blood Throne Ascension (3821ft – 13124ft), Mesopelagic: Inquest of the Apparitions (656ft – 3281ft)
You may also like: Wills Dissolve, Ashbreather
Final verdict: 7/10

1. I had to copy the song titles as they were written on Monolith’s Bandcamp, but, yes, the lack of a comma to denote a thousand upset me too. ︎

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

Label: Independent

Monolith is:
– Luke (vocals)
– Rob (guitars)
– Lewis (bass/whispers)
– Dan (drums)

The post Review: Monolith – The Black Cradle appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Progressive rock, synth-pop (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Frost*, poppy Devin Townsend, early Haken, ‘80s Rush and Yes
Country: United Kingdom
Release date: 22 November 2024

If you missed Kyros’ fourth album Mannequin when it was released earlier this year, the first thing you should do is read my review of it, stick it on, and then continue reading. Go on, it’s okay, you won’t miss anything, I’ll just be reading this old copy of Playboy I found in a bush. 

… [Subvocalising]: What’s with all these naked women? Where’s Norman Mailer’s column?… 

Oh, you’re back, I didn’t realise! [throws the magazine out of a window] Where were we? The British group have cultivated a niche of their own, an unexpectedly brilliant blend of 80s synth pop and new wave with the neo-progressive rock of bands like Frost*. Their latest ‘mini-EP’, Fear & Love, an addendum to Mannequin, is a svelte package of two new songs, poppy banger “Fear & Love” and the more sprawling ten minute epic “Duchess Desire”, with an instrumental version of each in tow. 

“Fear & Love”¹ somehow manages to contain the glitz and groove of Duran Duran with noodly bass riffs and charming 80s synth chimes, and yet playing with some insanely thicc riffs, guitarist Joey Frevola and bassist Charlie Cawood positively djenting VOLA-style at times. The composition is an exercise in controlled chaos, random little guitar and synth licks interspersing themselves judiciously, a lively kaleidoscope of sounds, but without becoming busy. Some of its more chaotic moments recall “The End in Mind” from Mannequin, and both tracks, in the annals of Kyrosian history, throwback to the complexity of the Four of Fear EP. Are Kyros EPs destined to be the place where they explore their more metal inclinations, or is this a new paradigm for the band going forward?

“Duchess Desire” reprises a variety of motifs from Mannequin and perhaps beyond: both the lyrics of “Esoterica” and the vocal melodies, finds themselves transformed, remixed and renewed culminating in an epic lead guitar lick, and I’m sure there’s a subtle nod to “Liminal Space” in there. The sweeping scope of the track, continually building and evolving, recalls the lengthier tracks found on Celexa Dreams, and it sojourns through calmer moments, quiet lead guitar licks, and bombastic hooks; eventually the track explodes into frenetic shred and an enormous brassy-synth propulsed crescendo. 

Every aspect of Kyros is sounding refreshed and renewed; Mannequin remains one of the year’s best releases, but Fear & Love take things a step further, the production in particular possessing a little more lustre as Shelby’s already skilled mixing continues to improve; this particular benefits the vocals which sit a touch more organically in the composition here, and the low end which has a little more weight than it did on tracks like “The End in Mind” and “Have Hope”. Kyros’ continued evolution has been fascinating to watch. Go back to “Cloudburst” and you’re hardly listening to amateur hour, but the band keep going from strength to strength; Celexa Dreams smuggled a New Order sensibility into prog rock, while Mannequin felt like the energy of Frost* and Haken applied to the groove of 80s new wave.

The instrumental versions of the two tracks speak for themselves, but I confess to having become a little more enamoured of such bonuses recently. Disillusion released an instrumental version of their monstrous 2022 album Ayam this month and it was fascinating to be able to hear the little flourishes that become buried beneath the vocals. The same applies to Fear & Love; Kyros like to layer their mix with a lot of elements in a Townsendian fashion, and all the bells and whistles you notice here and there are more obvious sans vocals, testament to the intricacy of the compositions. And if that wasn’t enough, you can also do your own abysmal karaoke version over the instrumentals and who doesn’t want that²?

As a coda to Mannequin, Fear & Love showcases the band at their very best, and as a transitional step between albums it’s an exciting snippet of things to come. The star of Kyros, this unique entry into the annals of prog, just keeps rising thanks to a persistence of vision, to always keeping in motion, and to having hope. 

Recommended tracks: There’s two of them, pick one, then listen to the other
You may also like: Joey Frevola, Cheeto’s Magazine, Azure, Moron Police
Final verdict: same as Mannequin as I basically consider this an addendum to it. Yeah, now you wish you’d read the review I hyperlinked at the beginning, don’t you?!

1.  Am I crazy or can you sort of hear “Driving in My Car” by Madness in the intro riff? Replace it all with car horns and door slams and I swear to god they’d be similar. ︎
2. Me. I’m the one who doesn’t want that. Please send your abysmal karaoke versions to Kyros and not me. ︎

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

Label: Independent

Kyros is:
– Shelby Logan Warne (keys and vocals)
– Joey Frevola (guitars)
– Charlie Cawood (bass)
– Robin Johnson (drums/percussion)

With:
– Peter Episcopo (backing vocals)
– Canyo Hearmichael (saxophone)

The post Review: Kyros – Fear & Love appeared first on The Progressive Subway.