Style: folk black metal, progressive black metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Panopticon, Agalloch, Primordial, Wolves in the Throne Room
Country: United Kingdom
Release date: 7 February 2025

Romanticism breeds nationalism. The Romantic focus on emotion, individualism, and mysticism directly fomented a sense of collective cultural heritage to form the basis of the nation as we know it. I have long argued that black metal is a form of modern Romanticism (although that take is certainly not unique to me), and, thus, it is clearer why folk music and black metal have such a synergistic fusion. Black metal’s philosophy centers around individualism, yes, but also around pride for one’s cultural and national identity: if you look at any but the most remote corners of the globe, there will be a black metal band, and the odds are if they aren’t mediocre second-wave worship, they somehow inject their local music traditions into their sound. Black metal functions as a template for folk music of any kind to be amplified, indiscriminate and accessible. If we turn to Scotland, the nation’s traditions cry of bagpipes and of whistles, and on Andy Marshall’s sixth album over a decade into his career as Saor, the sounds of the Scots mix with stunning atmospheric black metal to become the Caledonian black metal band. 

Each track on Amidst the Ruins is a meandering journey, covering Lowlands and Highlands, isles and farmland. Apart from the folk piece “The Sylvan Embrace,” the songs all top the 11:30 mark, and they fly by despite their length. Saor’s had a consistent formula for songwriting that’s worked since 2013, and he hasn’t changed it much this time—if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Three of the four black metal tracks begin with a similar deluge of tremeloes and blast beats, exploding in vibrant sylvan shades of green. Underpinning the triumphant black metal and the oft Celtic guitar melodies is resonant bass and, this time around, a full string trio of violin, viola, and cello. The metallic core of Amidst the Ruins is epic and melodic, but the true magic happens in the perennial shifts from tumbling black metal to Caledonian folk music—or similarly when the guitar trades off from the lead melody, allowing the tin whistle, low whistle, or Uilleann pipes to conduct the song. Those moments constitute the hallmark of Saor’s sound, and all four tracks are chock full of them.

Lyrically, Amidst the Ruins is a tale of hope, of rising from the ashes and rebuilding. Performed through a mix of standard melodic black metal rasps—I think a good touchstone is Malo Civelli of Cân Bardd—with powerfully belted clean, often dueted, choruses, the message of Amidst the Ruins is powerful, and the music’s swelling climaxes and fatherland aesthetics complement the defiance in the face of ruin. Saor aren’t afraid to get pensive, though, and the extended neofolk track “The Sylvan Embrace” is heartfelt and much moodier than the surrounding metal’s saccharine chord progressions and sweet sweet melodies. Featuring whispered vocals, cello, and gentle acoustic guitars that scream “Agalloch!,” the song is essential to Amidst the Ruins, and I almost wish it were up one more spot in the tracklist to bisect the album since the four black metal tracks all play to a similar mood.  

While the pastoral epics like bookending tracks “Amidst the Ruins” and “Rebirth” are thoughtfully composed, stunning, and easy to listen to, I have to mention that the Caledonian aesthetic isn’t as fundamental to the sound as it is to the band’s identity. Rather than incorporating traditional Scottish melodies and technique into the composition itself, it’s superimposed onto a folk black metal blueprint (a damn good one, at least). If I changed the whistles and pipes to bluegrass, I’d have middle-era Panopticon; to dungeon-synthy keys and flutes I’d get Summoning; and to a more simple, sparse woodsiness, I’d have a great Cascadian black metal band. Andy Marshall is an excellent composer and neither gimmicky nor derivative, but I long for a deeper Scottish-ness to the music: Amidst the Ruins is top-shelf atmospheric black metal with entertaining folk inclusions, but for a band positioning itself as so steeped in tradition, I’d like to see that as a more integral part of the sound from the very beginning of the process.

At this point, Saor are a folk black metal institution, and you know each new album will be quality stuff, the winding, progressive tracks easy to get swept away in. Although not the most ground-breaking release in his catalog, Saor’s sixth album is magnificent and foreboding. Amidst the Ruins is so wonderfully evocative with its musical storytelling even the English will find something to love here.

Recommended tracks: Amidst the Ruins, The Sylvan Embrace, Rebirth
You may also like: Gallowbraid, Cân Bardd, Thrawsunblat, Fellwarden
Final verdict: 7.5/10

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

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

Saor is:
Andy Marshall (everything)
Ella Zlotos – Female Vocals, Tin Whistles, Low Whistles, Uilleann Pipes
Carlos Vivas – Drums
Jo Quail – Cello & FX on “The Sylvan Embrace”
Àngela Moya Serrat – Violin on “Amidst the Ruins”, “Echoes of the Ancient Land” & “Rebirth”
Miguel Izquierdo – Viola on “Amidst the Ruins”, “Echoes of the Ancient Land” & “Rebirth”
Samuel C. Ledesma – Cello on “Amidst the Ruins”, “Echoes of the Ancient Land” & “Rebirth”

The post Review: Saor – Amidst the Ruins appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: progressive rock, post-rock, alternative rock (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Maybeshewill, Suldusk, A.A. Williams, Messa
Country: UK
Release date: 8 March, 2024

Do you ever feel like there’s a monster inside you that you have to suppress? Like you’ve let down everyone around you and they would be better off having never met you? Like your life is going nowhere and you’re powerless to steer it in the direction you want? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be a fan of Sad Alternative Music. If you or a loved one listens to Sad Alternative Music, reach out to trusted members of your community who can get you back on the path to positive, uplifting music instead; it’s not too late to get help. Unfortunately, today’s review won’t help you at all with that particular malady.

Originally formed as a duo of omni-instrumentalists Elizabeth Heaton and Rowan Burn but featuring a variety of other contributors over the years, Midas Fall definitely play Sad Alternative Music. And to be clear, I’m poking fun at all of this, but I mean it with nothing less than a deep appreciation for touching, somber music and the emotions it inspires within its listeners. Cold Waves Divide Us, with its gorgeous, melancholy lyrics evoking personal struggles with self-image, intrusive thoughts, and understanding the passage of one’s life so far, feels capital-S Sad in the best possible way. Whether it’s from the poetic, personally meaningful lyrics of “Monsters” or the pained, emotive, cracking vocal performance found on “Atrophy,” I have no doubt this album will make you feel things.

Midas Fall flirt frequently with the spaced-out, distorted, and obfuscated aesthetic profile of post-rock without ever wholly settling into it. While percussion most often defines the standard post-rock ambiance, the eclectic mix of instrumentation from Midas Fall gives their music a much more active feeling as guitars, strings, and keyboards handle small rhythm parts and simple melodies in the background. This lets them blend the becalmed atmosphere of post-rock with occasional crushing heaviness reminiscent of doom metal, but without ever quite crossing the nebulous boundary from rock into metal. Each track offers a peek at a slightly different facet of this blended sound, like the slow, gentle buildup and harsh climax which features in “Salt,” or “In This Avalanche” which focuses fully on the lighter sounds of guitar and keyboard, but it’s the title track that brings everything together and shows definitively what the band can do. Heaton’s truly beautiful vocals shine in all their glory, supported by roughly equal bits of cinematic strings, alt-rock keyboards, and light guitars, all covered in atmospheric layers of reverb and impeccably mixed. Although “Cold Waves Divide Us” features it most prominently, this soundscape highlights the musical commonalities all across the album and ties together the sometimes contrasting pieces which make up each individual track. Of course, you can’t escape into the soft, airy ether forever; moments like the two-minute mark of the title track or the endings of “Salt” and “Mute” still occasionally haul you out of those depths just to growl in your face for a little bit with their hefty almost-metal guitars and hammering drums.

In moments where Heaton’s vocals drop out or fade from prominence, like most of the opener “In the Morning We’ll Be Someone Else” or the quiet middle section of the followup “I Am Wrong,” there’s precious little to take the place of the cathartically downer lyrics. While there’s always a touch of quiet but insistent motion in the backing instrumentals, only rarely do they settle into a nice unified groove or soundscape befitting Midal Fall’s post-rock origins; their lesser focus on percussion relative to other post-rockers, without setting up their other instrumentation to fade into the background quite so smoothly, robs the ambiance of a certain substance which would normally aid greatly in allowing the music to build momentum and reach a satisfying climax. Similarly, where the vocals and lyrical writing don’t land with as much gravitas, such as on “Little Wooden Boxes” before its instrumental closing with hefty distorted guitars, it can be hard to pick out the direction or any guiding influence that the composition follows, leaving it feeling a bit lost when I know the band can produce so much more compelling music. While there are still plenty of beautiful moments in their own right, providing more of a chamber music vibe with strings and quiet guitar, the division holds Cold Waves Divide Us back from ever quite finding its core sound or feeling like a cohesive presentation.

For all the challenges to categorization which they present, Midas Fall pretty much nail one aspect: that of “mournful female vocalist sings about sad things with strings and plinky guitars in the background.” Although all contributors add their own elements to this eclectic stew of beautiful moments, Elizabeth Heaton’s vocals steal the show, elevating lyric-heavy pieces like the title track and “Monsters” and offering a grand buffet of tragic messages to sink your depressed little teeth into. While not every song can be so lucky when it comes to having properly compelling lyrics, and the instrumental backing falters a little in the absence of their vocal leader (with the exception of the all-instrumental “Point of Diminishing Return”), there’s a lot to love, and a lot of feelings to experience in the full composition. So remember: talk to your kids about Sad Alternative Music. Before someone else does.

Recommended tracks: Salt, Point of Diminishing Return, Monsters, Cold Waves Divide Us
You may also like: Sermon, Iamthemorning, whyohwhy, Cavern, healthyliving
Final verdict: 7/10

Related links: Spotify | Official Website | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram
Label: Monotreme Records – Website | Facebook

Midas Fall is:
– Elizabeth Heaton (vocals, guitars, strings, synths, piano, drums)
– Rowan Burn (guitars, synths, piano, drums)
– Michael Hamilton (bass, synths, drums)

The post Review: Midas Fall – Cold Waves Divide Us appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Post-metal, Progressive Metal, Power Metal (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Alcest, Cloudkicker, Sylvaine, Lantlôs
Review by: Dave
Country: Scotland
Release date: 19 January 2024

Progressive metal can easily be considered the domain of dorky nerds, and similar to metal and dorky nerds, metal and adventure go hand-in-hand: countless beloved metal albums explore fantasy adventure themes of the past, present, and future. For example, I showed a friend of mine First Fragment the other day and his first remark was that it reminded him of the soundtrack to a Dungeons & Dragons campaign, a fitting assessment of their brand of intergalactic fantasy metal.

My initial reaction to Sgàile’s sophomore album, Traverse the Bealach, was remarkably similar: from the cover art to the song names to the Hävitetty vibes in the opening moments, I could tell that Traverse is an album about adventure. Featured in many roles across bands like Saor, Cnoc An Tursa, and Falloch, Sgàile explores a unique combination of post-metal tinged with progressive metal on his solo debut Ideals & Morality, sowing the seeds of his “adventurous” sound. The compositions on Traverse are a natural evolution to those on Ideals with songs now allowed to fully stretch out their legs, reaching anywhere from 8 to 12 minutes long. Sgàile is committed to his ideas here and is unafraid to bask in them, allowing each track to explore to their logical conclusion, an approach that pays off immensely given his knack for creating songs with impeccable flow and triumphant atmosphere.

“Triumphant” is a key word on Traverse the Bealach: many post-metal acts conjure an air of gloominess and seriousness with their music, but Traverse stands in opposition as a grand adventure across the Scottish highlands. Where, for example, The Mantle is a dour trek through snowy Oregon landscapes, Traverse the Bealach is an exhilarating climb to the summit of Ben Nevis. Despite the occasionally gloomy lyrical content, a grand atmosphere permeates every song and at times nearly creeps into power metal territory. Songs like “Lamentations by the Lochan” feature speedy kick drums and tremolo picks that are aided by a powerful vocal delivery á la early Circus Maximus or The Detached-era Anubis Gate.

As with most post-metal, the holistic experience paints a more complete picture than individual songs, but every piece has a moment that stands out. “Silence” is a perfect embodiment of what makes Sgàile’s sound work so well by unrelentingly slamming down riffs underneath powerful layered vocal moments, all leading to a TesseracT-style ambient guitar section that explodes into a monstrous djenty climax. Other notable moments include the last half of “Psalms to Shout at the Void” where Sgàile introduces the first of many soaring vocal moments, the chorus of “Lamentations by the Lochan” which intertwines huge sustained vocal patterns and gliding guitar arpeggios, and the deep rumbling tremolo guitars that cap off “The Ptarmigan’s Cry.”

If I had to get nitpicky, I would like to see slightly grander finales deserving of these tracks. Songs will build themselves up in elation for 10 minutes only to end with more of a whimper than a bang. This is certainly not enough to deter my enjoyment, though, as I am more than happy to sit through 30 seconds of an okay ending in exchange for 10 minutes of elation at the hands of these grand and imposing epics. The biggest exceptions are “The Ptarmigan’s Cry” and “The Brocken Spectre,” which end with appropriately grand riffs that leave an impression well after the song ends.

Sgàile has graced us with an incredible album that uniquely incorporates progressive and power metal into a post-metal soundscape, his sense of melody and song flow making for an unequivocally rewarding and fun listen. I urge you to check out Traverse the Bealach for yourself, as Sgàile’s gorgeous, energetic, and idiosyncratic brand of post-metal will have you running to the highlands in anticipation of your own adventure by its end.

Recommended tracks: Psalms to Shout at the Void, Lamentations by the Lochan, Silence
You may also like: Falloch, Show Me A Dinosaur, Hypno5e, Dawnwalker
Final verdict: 8/10

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

Label: Avantgarde Music – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Sgàile is:
– Tony Dunn (everything)

The post Review: Sgàile – Traverse the Bealach appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Progressive Metal, Groove Metal (Mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: early Devin Townsend, Gojira, Strapping Young Lad
Review by: Christopher
Country: UK
Release date: 27 October, 2023

Dark Side of the Moon—often cited as the best album ever made—is just forty-three minutes long. Thriller? Forty-two minutes. Revolver? A mere thirty-five minutes. These shorter runtimes were mostly a byproduct of technological limitations, and nowadays such brevity is unnecessary and, therefore, rarer. But perhaps we’re worse off for that; such constraints on length forced bands to be more discerning about their finished product and save their weaker compositions for the inevitable expanded remaster four decades later. 

Humanity’s Last End is the fourth full-length from Edinburgh-based progressive metal group Ramage Inc., named after founder, vocalist and guitarist Bryan Ramage (the same logic could’ve given us Knopfler & Co., or Harrison, Lennon, McCartney & Starr: Rock Musicians & LSD Enthusiasts Ltd. I’m kind of coming around to this naming convention). Clearly influenced by Devin Townsend, with a strong injection of Gojira, strong vocals, thudding grooves and headbanging riffs are the sound du jour here.

That Townsendian influence is most present in the vocals. When Ramage lets loose with more belting cleans and fry screams, it’s like you’re listening to Terria or Accelerated Evolution for the first time again. At other junctures he goes for a more nu metal delivery, oddly redolent of Korn’s Jonathan Davis, as on “Barriers”—often he manages both at once (see “Barriers” again). Instrumentally, the Devy vibe remains but refracted through a groovier and somewhat deathier lens, a là Gojira and, let’s face it, Strapping Young Lad; the addition of symphonic—mostly brass—accompaniment helps refine those more obvious influences into a well-defined sound.

The Townsendian parallels multiply: guest vocalists Lisa Mari Lathwell and Donna Easton lighten proceedings on a number of tracks, Ramage’s answer to Anneke and Che; “Nothing to Fear” is overtly Strapping Young Lad influenced, “Unbalanced” is a choral Devy vibe filtered through a prog death lens, and “Live Each Day” takes me back to “Canada” from Terria. Ramage Inc. are one of the more interesting Devin-inspired bands out there, and they offer more than mere worship: the frequent use of harmonics and pick scrapes is pure Gojira as is the lyrical focus on ecological issues; a few moments of folky Phrygian scales and world music standards (“Dune Future” and “Time Won’t Heal”) recall the likes of Orphaned Land.

The British film critic Mark Kermode is fond of pointing out that Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi masterwork 2001: A Space Odyssey takes you from the dawn of mankind to the birth of a new species in one-hundred-and-forty minutes, and so more frivolous films like Sex and the City 2 have no excuse for running equally as long. That’s right, we’re pulling the trigger on the intro theme: Humanity Has Failed is seventy-seven minutes long—that’s longer than Devin Townsend’s magnum opus Deconstruction. Hell, it’s nearly double the length of Dark Side of the Moon. 

Simply put, you have to be making something truly special to justify such a runtime, and I don’t think Ramage Inc. will object to me saying that Humanity Has Failed doesn’t rub shoulders alongside Deconstruction. Realistically, Humanity Has Failed should end with the epic ten minute track “When All The Lights Go Out”, but there are four more songs after this and they feel a touch superfluous. Indeed, there are a number of shorter tracks—”Heat Waves”, “Unbalanced” and “Call of the Wild”—that feel more like interludes than fully realised songs, and it’s here that some of the excess should be excised. 

With strong compositions, a great sense of groove, and truly brilliant vocal performances, there’s a fantastic album buried within Humanity Has Failed but unfortunately it’s diminished by enough bloat to keep Pepto-Bismol producers in business for a month. Ramage Inc.’s sound may not be the most original but they’re better than mere imitators, and the only real fix I can recommend is the confidence to self-edit, and that’s an issue they share with their, and my, favourite musician.

Recommended tracks: Humanity Has Failed, Time Won’t Heal, When All The Lights Go Out
You may also like: Charlie Griffiths, Omnerod, Monolith Zero, The Offering
Final verdict: 7/10

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

Label: Layered Reality Productions – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Ramage Inc. is:
– Bryan Ramage (vocals, guitars)
– Allan Forsyth (guitars)
– Marcin Buczek (bass)
– Paul Hameed (drums)

The post Review: Ramage Inc. – Humanity Has Failed appeared first on The Progressive Subway.