Style: progressive death metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Fit For an Autopsy, Black Crown Initiate, Fallujah, Gojira
Country: Pennsylvania, United States
Release date: 30 May 2025

When Mastodon formed at the turn of the century, just as the dust from the Y2K non-apocalypse was settling, they had a revolutionary idea that drove the band’s first four albums. Themed around the classical elements of fire, water, earth, and air, Mastodon’s Remission, Leviathan, Blood Mountain, and Crack the Skye each defined tenets of modern metal that remain in place to this day. But when the time came for Mastodon to release their fifth album, the band found itself at an impasse, stuck between the monumental weight of their rise to success and the barrelling momentum of the conceptual opuses they had released. As a result, The Hunter feels stunted, and while it is still enjoyable, there’s no denying it’s a less inspired record than anything that came before it. 

After a few late-aughts deathcore-laden EPs that bore mere hints of their progressive tendencies to come, Rivers of Nihil chose to begin a conceptual album cycle of their own, themed around the four seasons. Spring came with The Conscious Seed of Light, and Monarchy reigned over the summer; Autumn brought the massively successful Where Owls Know My Name, the first album where the band’s progressive elements eclipsed the death metal elements. And finally came winter’s The Work, an album that may well have cost the band as many fans as it gained.

After lineup changes that inevitably altered the band’s core sound and following an album as divisive as The Work, Rivers of Nihil found themselves at an impasse. Like Mastodon before them, Rivers of Nihil’s conceptual cycle brought them acclaim, but also left them at a creative crossroads. With their backs seemingly against the wall, Rivers of Nihil boldly chose to release a self-titled album. So does Rivers of Nihil properly establish the band’s shiny, new identity? Let’s see.

Despite changes in the roster, Rivers of Nihil still sounds more or less like a Rivers of Nihil album; go figure. The band still plays their forward-thinking version of death metal replete with all of the bells and whistles that earn them the “progressive” moniker; along with the chuggy-as-ever riffage and ceaseless bits of synth/spacey guitar ambience that give the tracks their real melodic content, one can catch bits of electronic drum beats spliced in with the acoustic drums, layers of acoustic guitars and banjo, and of course the saxophone. Rivers of Nihil dramatically popularized the saxophone in death metal trend with Where Owls Know My Name, and they keep it up here, integrating sax into choruses on “The Sub-Orbital Blues,” employing it for transitional elements on “Despair Church,” or giving it outright solos on “House of Light.” The saxophone may be a gimmick, but it’s one the band has fully committed to, and it has become a genuine part of their sonic identity.

Rivers of Nihil has never been known to stay in one place for too long and has consistently evolved their sound across albums. There is no denying, however, that their evolutionary trend has steadily been arcing closer to the mainstream. Every track has a clean chorus, and while most flow smoothly, I can’t help but feel that the choruses in “Dustman” and “American Death” were shoehorned in to meet some sort of clean vocal quota and not because the tracks warranted a chorus. And “chorus” is certainly the right word as Rivers of Nihil abandons the unconventional structures that made their previous two albums so compelling, opting instead for more familiar verse-chorus patterns. This clear embracing of the mainstream in conjunction with a self-titled album almost makes me think that Rivers of Nihil saw the conflicted reception that came with the more progressive nature of The Work and chose to redefine themselves by moving in the opposite direction.

Rivers of Nihil remains a band primarily driven by its vocals, as chugs can only carry you so far; Adam Biggs and Andy Thomas have risen to the occasion. Biggs had performed backing vocals for the band since at least WOKMN, but really comes into his own on Rivers of Nihil. He’s expanded his repertoire beyond his signature blackened highs with a powerful and unhinged low end growl that calls to mind James Dorton or Frank Albanese of Hath, particularly on tracks like “Water & Time” or “Rivers of Nihil” where Biggs slips in and out of deep gutturals and a raw semi-clean bellow. Andy Thomas had already proven his vocal chops in his work with Black Crown Initiate, but his cleans on Rivers of Nihil may be his best outing yet. The choruses on “House of Light” and “Despair Church” especially are powerful anthems that I can’t help but sing along to.

Despite the career-defining performances on display from Biggs and Thomas during the sing-along choruses, I find myself reeling at the actual lyrical content when I stop singing and start reading. Overall, the lyrics are a lot more literal and topical than I tend to enjoy in my metal, and there are a few moments that dip into actual cringe. Don’t get me wrong. I agree that the partisan divide is an issue in America, but “Don’t believe a word you say / Do you think you’re better than me? / I’m Kaczynski, Capone and Kennedy / I’m the goddamn American dream // Who is right? / And what is left? / There’s only American death” is just too on the nose. Blessedly, the band chose to not include the single “Hellbirds” on the album, or I’d be lamenting lyrics about priests and pastors being “pricks that rape babies.” At times, Rivers comes off more like a left-wing Five Finger Death Punch, and the jury’s still out on the left-wing part.

There’s no denying that this is a new chapter for Rivers of Nihil; while the music still sounds like the band I know and love in most aspects, the new mainstream ethos of the band leaves the record feeling artistically hollow, despite how much I may enjoy singing along. Combined with the often cringy lyrics and occasional forced chorus, I fear that this shift in sound removes the dark and introspective aspects that I loved from previous albums. It’s a shame that Rivers of Nihil didn’t see the success that they may have hoped for with The Work, but I would have much preferred for this record to have been a refinement of that more progressive sound than a rejection of it.

Regardless, the message behind a self-titled album is clear: this is the shape of Rivers of Nihil to come, and I’m sure that the album will see the band climb to new heights of success. Still, I think of Mastodon, and I can only see this as Rivers of Nihil’s version of The Hunter, a valiant attempt at branching out after a conceptual album cycle but an album that ultimately pales in comparison to its predecessors. If this is truly to be Rivers of Nihil’s version of The Hunter, then I’ll be patiently waiting for a return to form a la Emperor of Sand.

Recommended tracks: Despair Church, Water & Time, House of Light
You may also like: new Warforged, Allegaeon, Subterranean Lava Dragon, Vermillion Dawn
Final verdict: 6/10

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

Label: Metal Blade Records – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Rivers of Nihil is:
– Andy Thomas (guitars, vocals)
– Adam Biggs (bass, vocals)
– Jared Klein (drums)
– Brody Uttley (guitars)

The post Review: Rivers of Nihil – Rivers of Nihil appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: deathgaze, progressive death metal, technical death metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Fallujah, Rivers of Nihil, Devin Townsend, Ne Obliviscaris
Country: Arizona, United States
Release date: 25 April 2025

I’ve been a regular listener of Kardashev since discovering The Almanac back in 2018, when my taste for progressive death metal was still in its fetal stage. The band’s unique blend of deathcore-adjacent breakdowns and effervescent atmospherics that they dubbed “deathgaze” was something new to my ears, and in the time since that release I’ve yet to hear another group achieve a mixture quite so potent. Since that landmark EP, Kardashev has been busy, releasing The Baring of Shadows in 2020 and Liminal Rite in 2022—the latter of which, especially the track “Compost Grave-Song,” became a mainstay in my listening. Now, Kardashev returns with Alunea, a supposed sequel to The Almanac. Do the Arizonans deliver the goods, or is Alunea a deathgaze dud?

If there’s one thing you can always trust Kardashev to nail, it’s their atmosphere. Thanks to the band’s combination of cinematic riffage, heavy-handed production, and the seemingly endless array of guttural techniques at the disposal of vocalist Mark Garrett, each build-up feels like an event. From the symphonic-tinged intro of “A Precipice. A Door.” that begins the album to the reverb and delay-laden climaxes of tracks like “Reunion” and “Below Sun & Soil,” the album delivers frisson-inducing peak after peak. While this is standard fare for any Kardashev release, Alunea continues the trend that began on Liminal Rite and sees the band add even more  technical death metal elements to their already vast sonic territory. Tracks like “Truth to Form” and “We Could Fold the Stars” each have moments that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Fallujah record, and these moments go a long way in diversifying the album’s pacing.

Within the context of progressive death metal, and especially compared to its predecessor Liminal Rite, Alunea is a lean record. Clocking in at forty-two minutes, the album forgoes the genre-typical trappings of atmospheric track transitions and lengthy intro buildups, instead getting right to the meat of each track with next to no downtime. In fact, the only transitional element to be found occurs at the end of “Truth to Form,” but even that only serves to amplify the pounding intro of follow-up track “Edge of Forever.” This no-frills approach is a double-edged sword for Alunea, as I find myself engaging with each new track but struggling to engage with the album’s concept or get invested in the album’s flow. For any normal metal release, this would scarcely be criticism, but I can’t help but want a little more concept in a sequel to a conceptual progressive death metal EP from a band as consistent as Kardashev.

Unfortunately, like many of the inter-track transitions, many of the transitions found within individual tracks on this album are too jarring for me to reconcile as a listener, even after multiple listens. While the reasons for my distaste are undoubtedly multitudinous, I can’t help but see one primary culprit: Mark Garrett’s vocals are too varied. That may seem ridiculous, but before you call bullshit, listen to any track off this album and count how many distinct guttural and clean vocal timbres hit your ears; you’ll need two hands at least. This is almost certainly due to a combination of Kardashev‘s beginnings as a pure deathcore act and the recent push from -core adjacent bands towards what has come to be known as “vocal olympics.” (Thank you, Lorna Shore!) The end result is the same as if the guitarists were dancing on their pedalboard for the entire track, constantly switching distortion sounds in what seems to be the middle of a riff. It’s that kind of thing that once you hear it, cannot be unheard.

If you are already a fan of Kardashev, you will like Alunea; I know I do. But I don’t see this album converting too many new fans. Where Kardashev’s previous releases were just as heavy and atmospheric as Alunea, they also had a much more coherent vibe. I understand that some may have called those previous releases bloated, but Alunea is an overcorrection in my eyes. In trimming the fat, Kardashev may have lost a bit of their soul. Here’s to hoping that this is just a blip in their discography and that the Arizonans once again find their footing on the next release.

Recommended tracks: Reunion, Seed of the Night
You may also like: An Abstract Illusion, Slice the Cake, Iotunn, Caelestra
Final verdict: 7/10

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

Label: Metal Blade Records – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Kardashev is:
– Nico Mirolla (guitars)
– Mark Garrett (vocals)
– Alex Rieth (bass)
– Sean Lang (drums)
With guests:
– Erin Dawson (vocals)
– Pawel JJ Przybysz (duduk)

The post Review: Kardashev – Alunea appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: progressive metal, doom metal, dark ambient (mixed vocals, mostly clean)
Recommended for fans of: Windhand, Chelsea Wolfe, Pijn, Latitudes
Country: Italy
Release date: 11 April 2025

Artistic development always comes at a cost. Individuality and consistency produce inherent tension, demanding that artists find compromise between their unique form of expression and the ability to communicate ideas in a resonant way. The Spin strikes a poised balance between forward progress and steady improvement, not so much an evolution reaching into new territory nor a recapitulation of tired, overly familiar themes as it is a recombination of existing traits developed throughout their prior discography. Underappreciated for far too long, the inventive Italian prog-doom metal outfit Messa have trod the boundary between underground and mainstream, jumping in popularity each time they released a new album or were featured in a roundup article somewhere, but never quite able to maintain that critical mass of fandom long-term. Perhaps they can finally spin ‘round their fortunes and build the audience they deserve.

Messa use their cauldron of influences to brew an otherworldly stew from ingredients including jazz, bluesy hard rock, dark ambient, and bleak doom metal. Longtime prog metal fans have probably already started imagining what this unholy concoction might sound like as if it’s the most normal thing in the world, but I encourage you to take a moment to consider the care required to create it. That they can throw together these alchemical components while maintaining such a high degree of cohesion is absolutely a testament to the musicians’ talents. The Spin pays off almost a decade of refining Messa’s signature blend, now distilled down to a potent spirit of sorrowful ambiance. Messa’s performance isn’t flashy with pretension or extravagance, instead opting for sharp, clean music saturated with emotional sediment drawn from doom metal’s benthic depths. The runtime also supports these shifting priorities—a shorter outing at a mere forty-ish minutes allows for a tighter focus on expressing the central driving anguish at the heart of the album.

Messa have undergone an interesting progression throughout their last few albums as they dial in on which facets of their music to showcase most. Where Feast for Water chose emotional expression as its first priority, Close settled into a more subdued but precise delivery. The Spin combines a bit of both approaches, presenting an immaculate, ethereal atmosphere that inherits the uncertain quietude of Feast while retaining some of Close’s assertive intensity. With all their varied influences, it’s a hefty task to balance the sparser sounds drawn from the ambient space with the thicker sections of blues/doom heartache, but Messa are equal to it. Despite the contrasts, both aspects contribute towards a common core of undefinable passion.

It’s hard to find an adjective more suited to Messa’s music than “haunting.” Every element, from Sara Bianchin’s voice lurking in the dark corners to the reverberating cymbal crashes, conspires to lure unsuspecting listeners close with soft sweetness before leaping into belted sections laden with devastating emotion. Beyond raw vocal power, though, The Spin develops its most compelling textures through the collaboration between Bianchin and the rest of the band. Moments like the choruses in “The Dress” perfectly marry the unique emotionality of the human voice with the inhuman intensity that amplified instruments provide. After an extended instrumental section featuring dueling solos from guitar and muted trumpet, the closing chorus reprise tears open the heavens with its towering display of emotion from both Bianchin and the accompanying guitars.

In contrast, The Spin’s verse sections prove to be its weakest point, often feeling like a means of getting from one point to another. Almost every track shares the same loose structure, usually with a pair of verse-chorus repetitions, an instrumental bridge, and one final chorus to close things out. The noteworthy moments arrive most consistently during those instrumental sections, as well as in individual flourishes and features—and let’s be clear, these are some stellar flourishes. That said, the verses in between feel like a return to the atmospheric but disappointing filler from Feast for Water (like “She Knows”). The Spin adds several layers of polish in both production and composition which help smooth over the listening experience compared to Messa’s earlier days, but it’s not enough to completely eliminate the underlying imperfections that still undercut their songwriting at times. Even with all of the band’s artistic progress uplifting The Spin, the empty verses of “At Races,” “Fire on the Roof,” and “Reveal” remain unfortunate detractors from an otherwise divine experience.

Sometimes, the price of consistency is character; other times, the price of progress is consistency. With their last two albums, Messa have now paid the price in both directions, first ramping up their consistency for a steadier and gentler outing in Close, then trading some of that consistency to hone their distinctive sound to its finest edge yet. While not every track on The Spin displays Messa’s full emotional range, the precision and quality of their musicianship are unquestionable, a testament to their effort and growth as artists. Furthermore, the highlights are truly stunning, enhancing vibrant performances with keen, experienced presentation. While the resulting album has its low points as well, Messa’s overall refinement of their sound and their display of stunning songwriting marks a turning point in their careers.

Recommended tracks: Void Meridian, Immolation, The Dress, Thicker Blood
You may also like: Dreadnought, Maud the Moth, healthyliving, SubRosa (the doom metal one from Utah)
Final verdict: 8/10

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

Label: Metal Blade Records – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Messa is:
– Sara Bianchin (vocals)
– Marco Zanin (bass, synthesizers)
– Alberto Piccolo (guitars, synthesizers, piano)
– Rocco Toaldo (drums, vocals)

The post Review: Messa – The Spin appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Progressive death metal, melodic death metal, technical death metal (mixed vocals, mostly harsh)
Recommended for fans of: Arsis, Revocation, Obscura, Inferi, Shadow of Intent
Country: Colorado, United States
Release date: 04 April 2025

Sometimes, the best ability is dependability. A counterintuitive introduction for a band as technically able as Allegaeon, but it fits my experience. I discovered the band with their third album, Elements of the Infinite, and it clicked immediately. I quickly familiarized myself with their first two efforts—both solid—and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all three releases since. That totals six albums and a decade of fandom without disappointment. None of Allegaeon’s works have topped a year-end list of mine, but they often lurk around the top ten and garner more relistens than I care to admit—in a word, dependable.

Allegaeon mix progressive, melodic, and technical death metal in an accessible formula that’s as catchy as it is impressive. The band doesn’t shy away from hooks or streamlined song structures, but they also showcase blistering instrumental passages and have plenty of progressive epics strewn across their discography. Their latest effort, The Ossuary Lens, comes out of an unusual release cycle: following their 2022 LP, Allegaeon released a single in 2023 and announced the return of the band’s original vocalist, Ezra Haynes, who had left after Elements of the Infinite; they released a second single in 2024; then, at the start of 2025, The Ossuary Lens was announced and contained neither of the two singles. After this bit of release whiplash and a return to a familiar voice, would Allegaeon remain as dependable as always?

Through The Ossuary Lens’s incisive forty-five minutes, Allegaeon offer ten tracks that are very much, well, Allegaeon. “Imperial” nearly captures the band’s entire essence in four action-packed minutes—classical guitar gives way to heavy riffs and fiery leads; a choppy verse carries into a singable (screamable) chorus; and a bridge bounces between frenzied riffing, a chunky breakdown, and virtuosic soloing before returning to the chorus. Lead single “Driftwood” packs an accessible dose of technicality and melody while featuring predominantly clean vocals in its harmonious chorus, not previously an arrow in Haynes’ vocal quiver but a staple of the previous album. Meanwhile, “Dark Matter Dynamics,” successor to the flamenco-heavy 2016 track “Gray Matter Mechanics,” sees the return of flamenco guitar. Whereas flamenco previously felt a tad gimmicky, given its own standalone passages, this time it’s woven more naturally into a mid-paced ripper of a song. 

To be sure, The Ossuary Lens exhibits some stylistic extensions: Gothenburg characteristics are more evident than ever in “Carried by Delusion” and “Wake Circling Above,” deathcore influences are turned up a notch, and the one-two punch of “Dies Irae” and “The Swarm” might be the band’s most aggressive work to date. Conversely, other features are missing, notably the overt moodiness of the preceding release Damnum and the sprawling, progressive compositions that frequently served as album closers. The latter is particularly disappointing, as Allegaeon’s epic closing tracks are some of the best in the business. But by and large, the album isn’t much more than a stone’s throw away from those that came before. The band continues to pack immense talent across all instruments into catchy yet hard-hitting tracks. 

For me at least, the Allegaeon-ness of The Ossuary Lens isn’t unwelcome—I enjoy the familiarity, and just enough new elements keep it from feeling stale. If you’re new to the band, this album is a good starting point, displaying much of what the discography offers within a relatively short runtime. However, if you were hoping for a bigger evolution—whether in composition, atmosphere, or simply a shift away from the reliably brick-walled production—this one probably won’t do it for you. Allegaeon established a distinct sound in their 2010 debut and have spent the last fifteen years modulating and honing it, but never moving beyond it. 

The last 600 or so words can be reduced back to one: dependable. Though slightly on the weaker side of Allegaeon releases, The Ossuary Lens is a rock-solid album that’ll spend plenty of time in my ears. This now seven-album run further solidifies Allegaeon as one of my go-to bands, and more broadly should place them as one of metal’s most consistent acts. At this point, I feel like I have a pretty good sense of what album number eight might sound like, and I’m not upset about it.

Recommended tracks: Driftwood, Dark Matter Dynamics, Wake Circling Above
You may also like: Aversed, Subterranean Lava Dragon, Last Breath, Impureza, Ouroboros
Final verdict: 7/10

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

Label: Metal Blade Records – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Allegaeon is:
– Greg Burgess (guitars)
– Ezra Haynes (vocals)
– Michael Stancel (guitars, vocals)
– Brandon “Booboo” Michael (bass, vocals)
– Jeff Saltzman (drums)

The post Review: Allegaeon – The Ossuary Lens appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: progressive death metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Amorphis, In Mourning, Ne Obliviscaris, Insomnium
Country: Denmark
Release date: 25 October 2024

I claimed Iotunn’s second album to review because I pretend to be a sophisticate with nuanced taste, but I have to admit that I’m a bit more sophomoric than that when it comes to progressive death metal. I like when singer man is melodramatic and double bass goes blast blast blast and solos go weedly. Full disclosure: I’m a bit of a Iotunn fanboy, and my rhapsodic review will reflect that. Iotunn is tailor made for my taste, and their cosmic blend of Opeth, Amorphis, and Insomnium (Winter’s Gate in particular) is breathtaking every time I spin Kinship. 2021’s Access All Worlds was one of the most impressive progressive metal debuts in recent memory, and it’s safe to say Kinship exceeds my hype for a follow up. 

Anybody with a finger on the underground scene’s pulse knows the Faroese vocal juggernaut Jón Aldará (Barren Earth, Hamferð). His belts are bombastic and over-the-top dramatic, and his heavenly softer singing (on full display at the start of opening epic “Kinship Elegiac” or “I Feel the Night”) could lull a restless baby to sleep. Despite the standard progressive metal-length tracks and extended instrumental solo sections, Kinship always returns to an Aldará chorus, striking spoken word section (“Twilight”), or Akerfeldtian growl. He’s a golden talent, and Iotunn flaunt him. Even with a wicked instrumental contingent, the standout moments are nearly all choruses, an obvious rarity in death-tinged metal, but the hook of “Earth to Sky” hasn’t left my brain in a week.

I don’t mean to diminish the remarkable talents of the rest of the band, particularly brother guitar duo Jesper and Jens Nicolai Gräs. Their leads are as blazingly triumphant as Aldará’s, and their atmosphere building is in the upper echelon of metal bands. At 4:00 into lead single “Mistland,” for example, the two segue the chorus into an epic lead melody before blazing up a scale with heavy metal swagger—the solo in “The Coming End” is another stellar one. As for atmosphere building, the two often trading off with one brother playing spacious open chords, the other skating his way through tremolos or other little ornamentations. “Kinship Elegiac” has a Floydian edge near the end, and the transition to the slick prog rock influence is frisson-inducing. Similarly, closer “The Anguished Ethereal” takes a bit longer to get started than it needs to, but once it does its blackened edge makes it a fascinating closer and the most sinister work the band has done to date. 

As I mentioned, Iotunn utilizes a longform songwriting style that just screams “Opethian prog!” yet they don’t forget lovely choruses or motifs, never drift aimlessly through their cosmic creations. Whereas my biggest criticism for Access All Worlds was that some songs didn’t earn their extended lengths, every song but “The Anguished Ethereal” and the pretty-but-with-little-substance ballad “Iridescent Way” DEMANDS its length on Kinship—the album earns its hour plus runtime. However, as on Access All Worlds, Kinship can come across as formulaic. Every song but “Iridescent Way” is a consistent mix of the blast beat-laden almost-power-metal choruses, the chiller Insomnium-esque death metal sections, and the rad solos. I never grow tired of them personally since every single time I have an eargasm and leave my body, but the repetition bears a mention. The easiest fix I can think of is to avoid the slower-paced 4/4 march in every track; Bjørn Wind Andersen is a talented drummer, whose fills and blast beats are impeccable, so surely he can play around in more interesting rhythms. Variation in time signatures may make Iotunn’s third album flawless.  

It was exceedingly difficult to write this review because every sentence I wanted to write some onomatopoeia for a moaning sound. While I can step back and be a little critical, I truly adore everything about Kinship. In a year where few albums have truly wowed me, Iotunn saved the day, providing me with an absolutely awesome soundtrack for the final two months of 2024. Kinship is prog death at its finest, simply sublime.

Recommended tracks: Kinship Elegiac, Mistland, Twilight, Earth to Sky
You may also like: Barren Earth, Hamferð, Sunless Dawn, In Vain, Descend, Wilderun
Final verdict: 9/10

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

Label: Metal Blade Records – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Iotunn is:
– Jón Aldará (vocals)
– Jesper Gräs (guitars)
– Jens Nicolai Gräs (guitars)
– Bjørn Wind Andersen (drums)
– Eskil Rask (bass)

The post Review: Iotunn – Kinship appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Tech Death (mixed vocals)
Review by: Evan
Country: France
Release date: June 25th, 2021

At the rate at which I am reviewing tech death albums, I am going to have no material left for my introduction, and the originality of my quips will fade faster than that of the genre’s new releases. This is quite facetious, as while it may often hold true, I have been reasonably, and in some cases more than reasonably, pleased by the recent output. After spending my last few evenings with The Impassable Horizon, I am once again, in fact, more than reasonably pleased.

Having never listened to Fractal Universe’s prior albums, the most immediately obvious stylistic comparison to their newest release is Alkaloid. For those familiar with Alkaloid (as everyone should be), this indicates a sound substantially more on the prog side than the pure tech side, which is always a positive. Fractal Universe has other parts to their recipe as well: an emphasis on clean vocals, including a few genuine choruses, and jazzy interludes almost reminiscent of Cynic. There is also a saxophone at certain times, but it is used sparingly and tastefully, fitting the music and never seeming too much like a gimmick. The music is, overall, far more melodic than one would typically expect in the genre.

Fractal Universe’s vision is ultimately well executed. Firstly, the riffing is, in general, excellent. It is technical without succumbing to tech excess or wankery, and demonstrates a clear variety of influences, old and new. The sheer abundance of clean vocals is quite rare for the genre, but they are nicely varied, and fit the music better than one might expect. The audible techy bass and diverse, but always form-fitting, percussion show the rhythm section pulling its weight. As for songwriting, the songs are, more similar to older tech death, in general quite short, and very tightly written. Well-executed soft-loud dynamic shifts abound. 

There is not much to criticize in this album. The only sticking criticism, is that, like is so common for modern bands in the genre, the album outstayed its welcome by, perhaps 5 or 10 minutes. Fractal Universe and other modern tech bands would do well to look back to old prog/tech death masters and keep their albums closer to 30 minutes, especially since the ideas feel a tad recycled towards the center of the album. 

Overall, Fractal Universe demonstrates a deep knowledge and command of the genre and produces tightly written, surprisingly catchy tracks with impressive performances that make this album essential listening for prog/tech death fans.

Recommended tracks: Autopoiesis, A Clockwork Expectation, Godless Machinists
Recommended for fans of: Alkaloid, Gorod, Rivers of Nihil
Final verdict: 8/10

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

Label: Metal Blade Records – Bandcamp | Website | Facebook

Fractal Universe is:
– Vince Wilquin (vocals/guitars/saxophone)
– Hugo Florimond (guitars)
– Valentin Pelletier (bass)
– Clément Denys (drums)

The post Review: Fractal Universe – The Impassable Horizon appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: melodeath/power (mixed vocals)
Review by: Dylan
Country: Denmark
Release date: February 26th, 2021

Okay, there’s an elephant in the room we have to address: If you closely follow prog releases on your own, you probably already know about this album. Truth is, thanks to a release on Metal Blade and highly rated reviews on popular sites, only a few weeks into its release Access all Worlds has surpassed our maximum listeners on Spotify criteria (Currently at 16k as I write this). However, this happened after the album was preemptively bookmarked by our staff and I decided to review it, so that’s why this review exists

But fear not, as this is not a wasted space on a mediocre band that has found sudden success out of sheer luck or an algorithm, but rather by being delightfully unique and masters of their craft.

Unpacking this album is quite a challenge, considering there’s very little about IOTUNN that can be considered straightforward. Its structure warrants longer tracks, with a blend of melodic death, power, and even a bit of epic doom that pockets influences out of a ridiculous amount of bands in the metal sphere (seriously, take a look at the FFO, it’s as varied as it gets). Against all odds this insane salad of genres works thanks to an outstanding commitment from every band member to not only nail every style present, but to also properly structure a song (and album) around it. A massive shoutout has to go to the vocalist Jón Aldará, who might as well sing for any type of metal band and fit right in. He’s got pipes for everything: anthemic power metal hooks, low gutturals, shrieks, and even a sort of melodic harsh style that’s perfect for those mid-intensity moments. This goes without saying, but of course the rest of the band has pulled it off. The album has a sheer abundance of intricate yet catchy riffs, an intelligent use of blast beats of various kinds to elevate the scale and grandiosity of it all, and a great sense of identity. They acknowledge the artists that they’re being influenced by whilst pushing boundaries with them through songwriting methods that they can be proud to consider their own.

Do I have any complaints about this album? Yes, but it is a small nitpick: I feel like listening to this album separated or as a whole is the same. All 7 tracks are excellent, but I feel like there’s unused potential to make them more interconnected with some sort of call back or full-circle like referencing that truly satisfies my desire to listen to this front to back. That being said, it really is a very small inconvenience that didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the album at all. Access all Worlds is grand, gorgeous and expertly crafted. If you’ve yet to check this album out, I implore you to do so.

Recommended tracks: Access all Worlds, Laihem’s Golden Pits, The Weaver System
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Insomnium, Nevermore, Amon Amarth, Candlemass, Dan Swano
Final verdict: 9.2/10

Related links: Bandcamp| Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | metal-archives

Label: Metal Blade – Bandcamp | Website | Facebook

IOTUNN is:
– Jón Aldará (Vocals)
– Jens Nicolai Gräs (Guitars)
– Jesper Gräs (Guitars)
– Eskil Rask (Bass)
– Bjørn Wind Andersen (Drums)

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