Best of Prog – January & February 2019

Welcome to the first (and much delayed) blog post of the year! Things were very busy in January and a lot albums to be covered spilled over to the following month, so I decided to combine the two in one post instead. It worked out conveniently because January was quite underwhelming while February had many more interesting albums. Special mention to avant-garde / progressive band Dronte who came out with one of the most original and unique albums I’ve heard in a while, but missed the list by fine margins.

Before we begin, here are a few changes I’m implementing this year:

• At some point in the near future I would like to start reviewing full albums again, which means more detailed introductions, a more track-by-track approach and perhaps track ratings, something I do elsewhere for the moment. Hence, I will keep things relatively short here: Focus on the best tracks, talk about the overall sound of a band and finish with strengths in production and execution and, where applicable, a couple of drawbacks.
• The only albums you’ll see on this list are if they’re ‘very good’ in my eyes, or a score of 7/10. I’ll continue to give a breakdown of the score so it doesn’t seem just a number out there, but everything is undoubtedly subjective. Do check out the ‘almost missed’ lists at the bottom, these are the ones I found ‘good’ or a 6 – 6.5 / 10 score, they’re largely greater in number, understandably.
• I will dig extremely deep this year, listening to almost every album on this list. That means lesser time to listen to more albums outside of the genre, and possible delays in the list (and possibly combined ones like this), because life. I’ve also become more strict with the ratings, which might be evident here as both the months combined had just 11 albums that made the list.
• At some point in the summer I intend to upgrade the site and make it better to look at and read, and possibly even monetize as the reader base continues to grow. I will post a few updates on social media. Thank you all for the support.

I can be contacted on Facebook, Instagram and Email (pdsprogblog@gmail.com). I’ve not done pre-release reviews / interviews yet for the blog, but it’s something I’d like to once I’ve more time in my hands. For the moment, keep your eyes out on these blog posts.

I’m active on the r/progmetal Discord for a quick chat whenever, and have a rateyourmusic and lastfm account for users on these sites.

Enjoy the read!

 

⊕ BEST OF JANUARY 2019⊕

Joey Frevola – Gone

Genre (RYM) – Progressive Rock, Art Rock (Clean Vocals)

Label – Edge of Reality Productions

Joey Frevola, the guitarist well-known for his work on Edge of Reality and Kyros, released an ambitious solo album at the very start of the new year. It features a thought-provoking and mysterious lyrical concept, cinematic grandiose and a large ensemble – In addition to Joey who is on the guitars, bass and keys, the album includes members on the drums, cello, violin, trumpet, flute, horn, and four(!) vocalists. The opening tracks introduce several of the recurring melodies on the album, and “Footsteps” in particular has a lovely, tropical nature thanks to the flute and beats. “Silence I Know” has nice vocal layering during the initial verses and the tone of the keys is a highlight, on this track and the album on the whole, which boasts an excellent sound. The recurring, and rather unnerving melodies mentioned earlier mostly converge on “Find Him” which is heavier in nature. “The Tree in the Park” is the most accessible track, with a goofy riff and heavier bridges and even a short video-game passage. The album slightly suffers from indulgence and could use some editing, in particular for the longer tracks like “Empty”, “Silence I Know” and to an extent “Rooftops”. Since these lie in the middle of the album, one’s patience could be tested. While the four vocalist concept in cool on paper, the execution is not so perfect save for a few moments. The occasional high note (“Empty” for example) comes off as slightly abrupt and jarring, but they are also used very rarely.

Rating – 7 /  10 (Songwriting: 6, Originality: 7, Execution: 7, Production: 9)

Notable Tracks – “Find Him”, “The Tree in the Park”, “Ransom Note”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube // Bandcamp

 

The Neal Morse Band – The Great Adventure

Genre – Progressive Rock (Clean Vocals)

Label – Radiant Records

Getting hands on a copy of the new The Neal Morse Band album was very hard, but after hearing good opinions about it from a few others I thought it was worth taking the effort. They were vindicated, I believe,  as the double LP ‘The Great Adventure’ has a lot going for it. The lyrics and themes of Neal Morse albums involve Christianity, but as a neutral I wasn‘t overtly bothered by the lyrics and they didn’t seem so preachy to me. The first half opens with  “Overture” and, as the name says, is a beautiful intro to several ideas and sequences on the album. Neal Morse‘s opening vocals are warm and the instrumentals take from classical music, while the guitar-work and drumming have a youthful zest thanks to Eric Gillette (guitar) and, of course, Mike Portnoy. There is a very strong string of songs soon into the first half from “A Momentary Change” to “I Got to Run”. Delicate guitar and piano melodies float around and the bass riffs are well written on the former, and “Dark, Melody” has beautiful piano lines. “I Got the Run” is a slight departure from the rest, featuring a prominent electronic beat during the verses, followed by a fantastic guitar solo. The second half isn’t as consistent as the first but still has its moments. “Fighting with Destiny” has a gorgeous keys solo and “Vanity Fair” is among my favorites in the whole album for its vocal harmonies, poppy chorus and overall carnival mood. “The Great Despair” has an epic finale vibe to it, and further great work on the guitar. I’m well aware that Neal Morse has close to a legend status in prog rock circles but his vocals are the least impressive part of the album. His lower, emotive moments are well achieved but the higher notes sound strained and his energy is questionable. The length is another issue. For the fear of being classified as a millennial (which is true so :shrug:), I do not have the patience to sit through double LPs unless the quality is consistent through the entirety of its 70+ minutes, which is obviously incredibly hard to achieve. In this sense, I judge longer albums even more strictly than the shorter ones.

Rating – 7 /  10 (Songwriting: 7, Originality: 5, Execution: 8, Production: 8)

Notable Tracks – “I Got to Run”, “Vanity Fair”, “Dark Melody”

Links (Album): The band has their own streaming service called waterfall, but aren’t on the usual ones. Amazon?

 

Jinjer – Micro (EP)

Genre – Metalcore, Progressive Metal (Mixed Vocals)

Label – Napalm Records

Jinjer are a growing name in the progressive metal-core scene, a good part thanks to front-woman Tatiana Shmailyuk‘s striking mixed vocals, and they’re back with a new LP titled ‘Micro’. It showcases what the band is really good at: Seamless transitions from core screams to powerful cleans, hard-hitting riffs and polished production. “Dreadful Moments” has her straining the cleans to the maximum, while these riffs are aplenty. “Teacher, teacher!” has a very cool mixed phrase delivery that layer over the riffs, and the drums go on blast beats mode to add to the heaviness. “Perennial” is a more traditional core song with clean verses and a harsh chorus complemented by a soothing bass-line. “Micro” ends the short EP with a pleasant acoustic outro. The band don’t break new ground on ‘Micro’ but continue perfecting what they do very well.

Rating – 7 /  10 (Songwriting: 6, Originality: 6, Execution: 8, Production: 9)

Notable Tracks – “Teacher, Teacher!”, “Perennial”, “Micro”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube // Bandcamp

 

⊗ ALBUM OF THE MONTH – January 2019⊗

My Diligence – Sun Rose

Genre – Stoner Rock, Progressive Rock (Clean Vocals)

Label – Mottow Soundz

Belgian band My Diligence put out my favourite album in January: It’s disappointing that so many people are sleeping on this one, if numbers on streaming websites are to go by. They write stoner rock material with a few progressive nuances such as tempo changes. They cite Elder as an influence, but their compositions seem relatively straightforward compared to the slightly more freestyle nature of the latter band. The album can be characterized by its heavy, drony riffs. In general, the guitar-work is very consistent: the material sounds familiar yet not completely ripped off. “Hunt the Hunter” has an intro that might as well be a genre basic, but it switch things soon into a lovely meditative sequence on the guitar. “Backstabber” is a more traditional song in its verse delivery and “Backstabber! I’m coming home” chant. “An Asteroidal Arrow” has more of a post- twist with its resonant drums and soft melody, while “Flying Poney” has a catchy chorus and shifting time signatures. The album is short but could use more variation (outside of “An Asteroidal Arrow”). The mix is uneven: the riffs coming off as too loud and the vocals are very muffled, even if they are not the constituent one focuses much on in the genre.

Rating – 7 /  10 (Songwriting: 8, Originality: 5, Execution: 7, Production: 6)

Notable Tracks – “Backstabber”, “Hunt the Hunter”, “Flying Poney”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // Bandcamp

 

⊕ BEST OF FEBRUARY 2019⊕

Herod – Sombre Dessein

Genre – Progressive Metal, Atmospheric Sludge Metal (Mixed Vocals)

Label – Pelagic Records

It is of little surprise that the Swiss progressive sludge band Herod are signed to Pelagic Records seeing as one of the label’s biggest names, The Ocean, is a clear influence for them. They even now have The Ocean’s former vocalist Mike Pilat behind the mic for their new album ‘Sombre Dessein’. In signature style of the genre, “Fork Tongue” has an overwhelming intro and a slow build-up, the guitar tone and harsh vocals being the highlights. The drums are booming in the mix as the build-up intensifies further for the last few minutes before transitioning into one of the album’s best tracks, “Reckoning”. It throws thick riffs at you right from the first few seconds, and well-timed breaks introducing a few cleans. “Don’t Speak Last” and  “There Will Be Gods”, the longest tracks on the album, both have elaborate build-ups, though the former slightly loses its way with a few minutes to spare. The latter is takes its time too, but the final wall of sound that emerges out of it is chaotic and formidable. If you’ve heard The Ocean or a few other progressive atmo-sludge albums, this one doesn’t do too much new. However it does more than enough to keep your attention, with the great production job capturing the massive atmosphere created through very solid execution. 

Rating – 7 / 10 (Songwriting: 6, Originality: 6, Execution: 8, Production: 8)

Notable Tracks – “Reckoning”, “There Will be Gods”, “Fork Tongue”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music// YouTube // Bandcamp

 

 

Sawce – Bedtime Stories (EP)

Genre – Progressive Rock, Math Rock (Instrumental / Clean Vocals)

Label – Independant

If ‘Bedtime Stories’ is anything to go by, Sawce seem to write math rock meets Plini and Chon melodies. “Sweet Dreams”, for example has the mystifying time signature of the former with the enchanting melodies that the latter artist/band are so good at. “Good Morning” is more shred-filled, while “Mouth Noises” has soothing jiggles from an instrument that sounds like a xylophone, and includes a few clean vocals that don’t particularly stand out. “Good Set” is my favourite and the one where the Plini comparison is strong. A fast and catchy math riff plays off with a softer string one expertly. While it is quite evident that the band has a knack of writing good tunes, they don’t always fill up the minutes so well, often getting distracted in less engaging riffs and sequences.

Rating – 7 /  10 (Songwriting: 6, Originality: 7, Execution: 7, Production: 8)

Notable Tracks – “Good Set”, “Sweet Dreams”, “Mouth Noises”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music// YouTube // Bandcamp

 

Cabinets of Curiosity – The Chaos Game

Genre – Progressive Rock (Clean Vocals)

Label – DM Sound Studio Recordings

Cabinets of Curiosity is an ensemble with more members than what you can count on one hand. They take inspiration form a wide variety of classic progressive acts, with the most apparent ones being King Crimson and Yes, but have their unique sound. Opener “Death, She Walks On” introduces the vocalist, Nat Hornyak, and her incredible vibrato alongside a gentle acapella surround. A good comparison for the vocals would be with Courtney Swain of Bent Knee, though instrumentally the two bands are nothing alike. The music has an avant-prog flair to it with grumbling saxophones and soft flutes. Song highlights include “Fractals & Coastlines”, the longest track, whose second half is a gleeful breakdown of all the instruments, with the bass and keys / synth ones shining through. “Doomsday Algorithm” is a slower song with a curious tune on the piano and soft vocals, followed by eerie instrumentals that deliver a dark noir mood. “Fractometer” has verse delivery very similar to Ross Jennings on ‘Visions’ and ‘The Mountain’. Lyrically, ‘The Chaos Game’ is a wacky concept album about a young paralegal and her escapades, so it is worth having the bandcamp lyrics open on a tab while checking this one out. While the album as a whole has plenty of gratifying moments, I do think the vocals are sometime a bit too out there and do not fit the instrumentation so well. This could also be because the vocals are much more in the spotlight in the mix. Speaking of the mix, the production could also use more finesse, with the drums sounding flat. These minor flaws don’t detract from the fact that ‘The Chaos Game’ is an engaging album with plenty of surprises and fresh writing.

Rating – 7 / 10 (Songwriting: 7, Originality: 8, Execution: 7, Production: 6)

Notable Tracks – “Fractals & Coastlines”, “Doomsday Algorithm”, “Nowhere Near the Blade”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music// YouTube // Bandcamp

Cheeto’s Magazine – Amazingous

Genre (RYM) – Progressive Rock (Clean Vocals)

Label – Independant

If the band’s name is anything to go by, the members of Cheeto’s Magazine seem to be have a blast producing the goofy music that they do, and their joy is infectious to the listener. Piano and synth melodies (fantastic work by Matias Lizana) support most songs while crisp riffs are abound, with Rush being an obvious influence on the guitar. Esteban Navarro’s playful vocals come off as surprisingly varied, with the virile intro to “Chili Guillermo” changes soon to a stirring, softer voice sure to tug the listeners’ heart. “Cheese Cheater” has a short reggae passage. “Outflow” is my favourite: Delightful key passages strew the song, with the wacky intro and the softer ballad-like bridge. I can see a few comparisons with Coheed and Cambria vocalist Claudio Sanchez, especially on “Close your Eyes”. “Scum” is an instrumental with a slightly djenty sound, while the album closer “Big boy” is a massive 25 minute epic with guest female vocals, plenty of call-backs and even an appearance of the sitar. While this jolly ride is without doubt worth checking out, I felt the final epic was more of a miss than a hit, lacking sufficient regular hooks to keep one engaged, which is a pretty big black mark on the album considering its length.

Rating – 7 /  10 (Songwriting: 7, Originality: 6, Execution: 8, Production: 7)

Notable Tracks – “Outflow”, “Chili Guillermo”, “Close Your Eyes”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music// YouTube // Bandcamp

Dream Theater – Distance over Time

Genre – Progressive Metal (Clean Vocals)

Label – InsideOut Music

Quite comfortably the biggest release of the year so far, Dream Theater‘s ‘Distance over Time’ impressed me more than I ever expected. Without listening to any of the singles beforehand, I dived into “Untethered Angel”, which I was and still am hooked to. Featuring opening strings that remind one of ‘Systematic Chaos’, it has a catchy chorus, fun riffs and a bridge sequence that sounds straight out of Haken‘s ‘Visions’ followed by two sensational solos on the guitars and keys, announcing the band’s return to form. “Barstool Warrior” is another favourite but for another reason entirely:  For all stick that James Labrie gets, his vocal lines are delivered beautifully on it along with a lovely primary melody. While his higher notes on the album are still drawn a little too often, on this one the balance is achieved to perfection, with the “Where do I belong” lines hitting the mark bang dead center. Other highlights include a fun bass intro to “S2N”, which also has the best Mike Mangini performance I’ve heard till date. I’m a fan of his cymbal distribution in particular, and it helps that the instrument is much more dynamic in the mix than in the previous efforts. “At Wit’s End” has fun bridges and a gorgeous outro with the “Don’t leave me now” phrase echoing in the ears as John Petrucci closes with beautiful solo after solo. “Paralyzed” and “Room 137” are relatively unmemorable, though the former boasts a good riff. I would’ve largely preferred the bonus track, “Viper King”, in the latter’s place. ‘Distance over Time’ is hardly groundbreaking work but if the band can continue making enjoyable albums like this one, I won’t have many complaints.

Rating – 7.5 /  10 (Songwriting: 7, Originality: 5, Execution: 8, Production: 9)

Notable Tracks – “Untethered Angel”, “Barstool Prophet”, “S2N”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube

 

A Novelist – Folie

Genre – Progressive Metal, Technical Death Metal (Mixed Vocals)

Label – Independant

A Novelist consist of two primary members, Ben Nugent, who performs most instruments and vocals except drumming, which is performed by Alex Babineaux. They write music with a technical death metal core, especially on the guitars, and sprinkles of jazz and progressive flair throughout. Mixed vocals are used to great effect both as standalone features and when superimposed over each other. The cleans are slightly nasally but soaring and powerful, while the harshes are throaty and piercing. Most songs have saxophones crying in the surround, lending a somber edge to the music. The drumming is heavy and very involved. “Exteriors” and “Tombeau” are good introductory songs to the album, showing the tapped riffs and shred-heavy writing that are all over it. They are followed by “Apparitions”, one of my favourites for its sinister intro with whispers and a low sax drone. The soaring vocal lines on the chorus and crisp blast beats that support it work beautifully. Another favourite is “Caveat Lector” whose false jazzy build-up collapses into a sweeping riff and booming harshes, while the bridge, with its bass and drums breakdown, give your neck muscles a solid workout. The following track, “Stockholm Blues” is another fun listen for its catchy riff during the verses. The album is helped by an excellent mix and production job by Jamie King, best known for his work on Between the Buried and Me. For those looking for a fresh take on technical and progressive death metal, ‘Folie’ should be right up your alley. 

Rating – 8 / 10 (Songwriting: 7, Originality: 9, Execution: 7, Production: 9)

Notable Tracks – “Apparitions”, “Caveat Lector”, “Stockholm Blues”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music// YouTube // Bandcamp

 

⊗ ALBUM OF THE MONTH – February 2019⊗

Soen – Lotus

Genre – Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock (Clean Vocals)

Label – Silver Lining Music

I was a huge fan of ‘Lykaia’, the Swedish supergroup’s previous effort and hence ‘Lotus’ was a release that I was very much looking forward to. I received a pre-release and wrote a detailed review a while back, so I will keep my thoughts much shorter here: In one sentence: ‘Lotus’ isn’t as addictive as ‘Lykaia’ was for me, but it has other redeeming features that kept my lofty expectations satisfied. For starters, I have to talk about the title track. The band has done a softer track before, “Lucidity”, but this one hits so much harder and deeper. New guitarist Cody Ford has magic in his fingers that David Gilmour would be proud of; his bluesy bends and stirring solo completely elevate the song to one of the band’s best tracks altogether. The ‘trad’ Soen songs are of course aplenty, with my favourites being the other two singles, “Rival” and “Martyrs”. On the latter, Martin Lopez sets the pace on the drums as heavy, groovy riffs ring around. The second verse collapses into a wonderful piano melody, as it slowly intensifies into the chorus with a magnificent scream; Vocalist Joel Ekelöf seems to get better and more bold with every album. His lines are compelling, and phrases often are stuck in my head for days in a row, case in point ‘Go back to the shadows, back to the shadows’ in the first verse and ‘In my head, it ain’t over’ on the chorus of album closer “Lunacy”. The biggest issue with ‘Lykaia’ was its production and particularly its dated master, but ‘Lotus’ does better in every sound department. Details such as the harmonies provided by the soft keys are very audible. Soen have been very consistent for a while now, perfecting their sound with every album, which makes the ignorant ‘Soen are just a Tool rip-off band’ comments even more annoying. Even if they continue doing the same, experimenting one step at a time but giving the fans what they like, they will go places.

Rating – 8 / 10 (Songwriting: 7, Originality: 6, Execution: 10, Production: 8)

Notable Tracks – “Lotus”, “Martyrs”, “Rival”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube

 

⊕ Spotify Playlist – Best of Jan / Feb 2018⊕

 

 

⊕ Albums Close to Making the Cut⊕

 

January 2019

Thousand Sun Sky  – The Aurora Complex

Lillake – Mask

Mendel – The Blood, the Sin and the Djinn EP

Phlebotomized – Deformation of Humanity

Steve Hackett – At the Edge of Light

Antarticus – Antarcticus

Brave – The Calm / The Storm

Phil Keaggy, Tony Levin, Jerry Marotta – The Bucket List

Mad Fellaz – III

Cosmic Rain – Seekers

Colonel Chloroform – Colonel Chloroform

Numidia – Numidia

Protomythos – Heavy Crowns

 

February 2019

Tyler Kamen – Transformation

Quantum Pig – Songs of Industry and Sunshine

Eminence Ensemble – Real Hours

Karfagen – Echoes from within Dragon Island

Kaleikr – Heart of Lead

Motorpsycho – The Crucible

Wheel – Moving Backwards

The Chemical Mind – Beneath the Shadow It Casts

Aenimus – Dreamcatcher

Dronte – Quelque Part Entre la Guerre et la Lâchet

The Claypool Lennon Delirium – South of Reality

Disen Gage – The Big Adventure

Marco Sfogli – Homeland

The Room – Caught by the Machine

The Wrong Object – Into the Herd

 

Cheers, and see you again in a couple of months with the next list!