Issue 2025-012
Alkymist — UnnDerr
Alkymist emerged in Denmark nearly a decade ago, in 2016, and dropped their first EP in 2018. Two full+length albums followed in 2018 and 2020 respectively, and now UnnDerr comes to us in 2024. With a mutual goal between the four members to create the heaviest music they could, while retaining the atmosphere. Certainly, their previous releases have gathered a bit of buzz about them, so lets see if album three gives us that goal.
The Scent wastes no time in letting you know the album has started. A pounding intro, with fuzzy guitar and harsh, venomous vocals set a scene dripping with poison and aggression. With a sound that can only be described as thick and heavy, like a wall of angry sludge, the band make their presence known. The pace picks up with Digging A Grave, but still retains the rough edge while throwing in some atmospheric bridges. Dark and portentous atmospherics introduce us to the title track, sounding like the sonic embodiment of Nosferatu hunting you through a castle. It only gets more haunting and ominous as it goes on. Peter Bjørneg's vocal talent for creating a climate of anxiety, fear and trepidation are showcased here.
Light of a Lost Star marks the halfway point, feeling like a touch of old school goth, but if it was made of girders. My Sick Part kicks off the second half, with more of the filthy and fuzzy guitar tone reminding you what the album is here for — sludgy doom metal and lots of it. Fire In My Eyes follows that train of thought, although is potentially the weakest track on the album, being a bit repetitive by the end. Finally, we come to the closer of Masters Of Disguise. Like a sledgehammer it hits slowly but with force. Chugs that could fell mountains land before sliding to softer verses, that send shivers down the spine as the track rumbles on like the behemoth it is.
For me, this album hits the mark and smashes it. A fantastic piece of sludge metal that will remain in high rotation for a long time. If you're a fan of bands like Bell Witch, Witch Sorrow, Candlemass, but the aggressive buzzsaw sound of groups like Entombed and Bloodbath then you would be a fool to ignore this release.
Carmine Capasso — Live In Concert
Shortly after the release of Assenza di gravità Carmine Capasso, known for his contributions to projects by Samurai Of Prog and Inner Prospekt, took time out to promote his debut with a small Italian club tour. Visiting places like Gianola, Turin and Milan whilst accompanied by Giuseppe Sarno (piano, keys, Moog), Piero Chiefa (bass) and Jacopo Casadio (drums), it is the digital only release of Live In Concert that marks the faithful representation of these concerts.
The album naturally includes several tracks from Assenza di gravità. And next to a variety of songs that Capasso either composed or collaborated on, also includes a Genesis cover and Capasso's interpretation of the classic PFM composition Impressioni di settembre. Or better said the "Capasso Band" interpretation. Because the tightly operating musical unit together with Capasso's sense to fully efface himself for the bigger picture, makes Live In Concert feel like a genuine band effort.
With every member given ample of opportunity to stand out and musically shine, in combination with Capasso's all-round electrifying guitar work, results in an album replete with highlights. The first one in the form of Sogno pt. 1, which is dressed with wonderful Gilmour-style guitar melodies. The Assenza di gravità title track shows similar comforting attraction with Capasso exhibiting a bit more rawness in his voice when compared to the studio version. A passionately befitting element also found In un posto che non c'è and Neve nera that continue the flow of Assenza di gravità album tracks.
Following Solo spento, a cover song from the Italian rock group Timoria whose singer Sasha Torrisi used the services of Capasso for several years, and the penultimate solo-album track Una valigia di perché, Capasso signals the time has come to dig deep into his progressive rock roots with an exciting trilogy of The Trip songs. Joined for the occasion by The Trip's bassist Tony Alemanno on all three tracks, this kicks of with haunting atmospheres and bombast laced in drama with Acheronte. The 1971 The Trip original Caronte I takes me by surprise massively. Capasso re-recorded this with them for their 2021 Caronte 50 Years Later album.
An explosive prog blast from the past. Everyone pours their heart and soul into the recreation of a mighty impressive heavy prog composition which every vintage-oriented Deep Purple, Argent, Ekseption and E.L.P fan dreams of. It is especially the excellent organ parts and the spectacular guitar intensities by Capasso that impress.
The subsequent Enigma, composed by Capasso and found on The Trip's last album, is of similar brilliance and relentlessly traverses back and forth between 70s Italian prog and a refreshing whirlwind of heavy prog in the finest Deep Purple and E.L.P tradition. To make this song even more attractive, Capasso sprinkles on a magical Focus element which I imagine will see Jan Akkerman take his hat off in appreciation.
Bursting with energy and the pleasure in performance splendidly preserved in the recordings, it is these songs that really beam from the album. But the fantastic experience of PFM's Impressioni di settembre, which Capasso has performed since 2010 in tribute, also impresses. With Sarno seizing the moment to excel through refinement of classical piano and tremendous Moog escapades, this nine minute goosebumps-inducing version is simply a terrific celebration in honour of PFM. And so is the marvelling prog festivity of Firth Of Fifth to Steve Hackett for that matter. It is seamlessly merged with the beauty of Sogno Pt. 2 and finalises the album on a majestic memorable high.
Besides being a fine memento for those who attended the tour, Live In Concert designates a great and highly recommendable retrospective of Capasso's thus far musical career. The delightful selection of Assenza di gravità tracks and the thirty minutes of prog brilliance that finalises proceedings fully warrants exploring. Which is especially true for those not yet acquainted with Capasso's music and/or his band-accomplishments. It may be good to know that up to May 2025 new dates have been announced to further promote Capasso's solo debut. Seeing several of those feature the participation of Giorgio “Fico” Piazza (ex-PFM) I reckon other PFM tracks will pass the revue. I feel a summer holiday destination coming up...
CrowsVsRavens — Revised Reality
Revised Reality is the third album by New Jersey prog-metal band CrowsVsRavens. The band's debut album, We Shall Have To Learn, came out in 2022. Their second release, Within The Depths, followed a year later and was hailed as a dark sci-fi-story concept album. This is the first time I have come across this band.
Information on the band is not prominent online (no website and minimal social media) but as far as I can make out it's more of a project than a band, with nearly all songs written and produced by bassist Rope Ganjee. Here he is working with three guitarists (Rich Grabowsky, Filippo Rosati and Martin Arroyo) and drummer Chris Bohm. There are two vocalists, Ged Cartwright and Trever Laake, and several unnamed keyboardists. I surmise that the aim of using different musicians across the album is to create a diverse sound.
Clearly influenced by a number of big-name metal and prog bands, (Rush, Dream Theater, Queensrÿche, Iron Maiden, Fates Warning), the diverse style here makes comparisons to other bands difficult. At the same time, it offers Ganjee a free-hand to create music without strictly adhering to any specific genre.
The band employs enough shifting soundscapes, odd time signatures, vocal approaches and key changes to give a define prog-metal edge, but always with strong melodies, riffs, grooves and hooks.
I generally seek to avoid track-by-track reviews. However, I shall make an exception here. Such is the diversity, that it'll be the best way to give an idea of what the band has created.
The first four tracks are apparently conceptually/thematically linked. Without a lyric sheet I don't really pick up any connection. For me, every song on this album stands quite happily as an individual track.
Scrape the Sky: A heavy-prog opener with a big stylistic debt to Roll The Bones-era Rush. The sax works well. I'd have liked this song to have been extended and developed further.
The Jump (A World of Halves): An immediate change in direction with some proggy touches before a sudden shift to the avant-garde. Lots of instrumental ideas, reminding me of Psychotic Waltz. The clean vocals make great use of harmonies before we shift to growls and then screams. An alt-rock passage reminds me of Aussie band Cog. It's a lot to digest in just four-and-a-bit minutes.
Sudden Stop: This sees the arrival of some keys to reinforce the heavy-prog vibe. I really love the vocals here. Still plenty of variety with some Voivod-esque riff-mongery. Not sure about the processed vocals. Again a lot has been crammed into four minutes.
Swan Song: A slower pace now, led by the bass and piano behind a pop/soul vocal with light, jazzy strokes to the guitar that trickles behind.
Revised Reality: This should be the opener. A classic slab of epic 90s prog-metal with a strong hook. The vocal here is more of a metal scream. The growls that change to screams is becoming a bit predictable. Love the complex guitar and keyboard duel.
The Terror: More Voivod. More Psychotic Waltz. This time together. The vocals now have a higher pitch in the air-raid siren style. It's a bit too strained. Yet more growls and screams too. For the second half of this song the inundation of metal stylings is too muddled.
The Space Between: This is my fave song with its moody, plucked guitar and lovely plaintive vocal. The track builds coherently before the main riff kicks in. Then it totally changes direction into some speed metal to offer the strongest hook on the album. The growls and screams at the end do at least proclaim the summit of the build. Again I would have liked this track to have been extended to revisit some of the strong melodic ideas.
Red October: An acoustic intro lifted from the Iron Maiden song-book is effective. The distorted, loud-hailer vocals are not. Skip. Same for the strained Agent Steel vocals and more growls. My least fave song.
Fated Day: An acoustic showcase for the vocals that acts as an epilogue for the album.
So overall it reminds me of bands that occupied the US progressive-metal underground scene either side of the turn of the century.
Bands like Reading Zero, Digital Ruin, Soundscape, Dali's Dilemma, Power Of Omens, Cea Serin and of course Psychotic Waltz, who were trying to push the boundaries and offer their own unique take on the fast-evolving genre. Bands that always kept you guessing as to what they would come up with next. It didn't all work, but it was always an interesting listen.
There are parts of Revised Reality that I really enjoy, but as a whole I feel the band is simply trying to cover too many possibilities. I'm all for the criss-crossing of sub-genres, but you don't have to try every single one. Same with the vocals. Most of the styles are performed very well, but it is impossible to settle into a groove with this album.
I really love his soulful mid-range voice as delivered on The Space Between and Sudden Stop. A whole album that uses this as the principal vocal would be a real treat. The voices used on The Terror and Red October are not his strongest and should be avoided in future.
The production here is a bit raw, but acceptable. I'd play around with the track-listing. Revised Reality is a much stronger opener, while I'd lose Fated Day or Swan Song. They are too similar. If CrowsVsRavens wants to grow and reach a wider audience then the whole thing needs a much clearer identity, with better web promotion and presence. That's because there is a talent and some songs here that deserve a wider audience.
I have really enjoyed my encounter with this album. I'd encourage anyone whose tastes veer towards the more experimental, genre-hopping styles of progressive metal to give this a try too. It's on Bandcamp, so you know what to do!
Forgotten Gods — Memories
I first came across Forgotten Gods in October 2023 on their home turf in Abingdon (although I did not realise this at the time) when they were supporting Tiger Moth Tales and was immediately captivated by the sheer quality of their musicianship and by the songs themselves, not the bombastic, portentous ladling of indecipherable gibberish and where-the-sun-doesn't-shine stuff-strutting so vituperatively lambasted in the emetic ramblings of the prog-bashers, but refreshingly accessible and melodious with an instantaneous appeal. Steve Harris on guitar, who invested every ounce of vibrant energy and passion into a brilliant and charismatic performance, and Mark Cunningham so impressive on vocals that I was prompted to reach for my phone to record two songs, Alive and Vigil. I chose these at random and only two because of the constant (and tyrannical) imperative to keep storage space (4K gobbles up memory). The set left me buzzing: why had I not heard of this band before? Fast-forward to 6 October 2024 at Summer's End Festival in Chepstow when, as a confirmed fan, I stood at the front amidst the throng of photographers to capture the eagerly anticipated album launch of Memories, played in full and with new music (Promises) for good measure. It was a triumph.
At the merch desk in Chepstow, I purchased my copy (my personal motto being "Always support the artists", even though I was also very kindly gifted one), with its striking artwork by none other than the multi-talented Huw Lloyd-Jones, co-organiser of Summer's End and vocalist of Also Eden.
Alive opens with birdsong followed by the sound of approaching and passing motorbikes and a full-on jubilant and propulsive rock vibe. This is the perfect introduction, showcasing the deftness of touch with which these superb musicians craft melodies which effortlessly embed themselves in the brain. The mood of the piece joyously evokes the exhilaration of those carefree moments when we revel in our blood coursing, unblinkered by daily routine and truly living in the now.
The lightness of tone is dispelled, with the suddenness of a cloud obscuring the sun, by the brooding and more ominous prelude to the epic Pillars Of Petra, an uncompromising condemnation of the disastrously ignorant and condescending attitude of the West towards the Middle East and the sheer folly of its equally disastrous and unwelcome meddling in the region's affairs, the ongoing legacy of which is laid bare in the shells of bombed-out homes, children tormented by hunger and corpses dusted with sand and debris. To those who do not believe that politics have a place in prog (my immediate rejoinder being Seas Of Change by Galahad), Pillars Of Petra will hopefully provide evidence to the contrary. It simmers with righteous indignation at the callous power play, unafraid to expose the boundless cynicism of the post-war leaders totally indifferent to human fates (individual and collective) and for whom the redrawing of boundaries was nothing more than tinkering with lines on a map to what they perceived as their mutual advantage.
Mark's lyrics are heartfelt and direct, as befits the subject:
Without your knowledge
Your love, your poetry
Where would we be
An inconvenient truth to swallow
So there you lie abused
Stripped of your glorious past
Abandoned and unrecognised by most
For what you really are
With a soundscape redolent of a sunrise already shimmering with a heat haze, melancholy and ethereal chanting greets the listener, Dave Boland's gentle yet insistent keys create an almost dreamlike setting for David Hallett's beautifully restrained drums and Mark's mellifluously flowing vocals tinged with an intensity born of outrage. At 4 minutes 38, Steve's guitar, exquisitely complemented by Michael Kentish's bass, takes centre stage, adding further emotional depth and raw, anguish-steeped urgency. Mark's vocals brim with ire as he excoriates Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin for their imperious carve-up, impervious to the untold misery it would engender, illustrated with an example of the expropriation which followed in its wake.
The pace slows and the acoustic guitar takes over before fading and being displaced by a drumbeat underpinning narration echoing newsreels on the Yalta Conference and quoting from the joint statement of 11 February 1945, cloaked in the sanctimonious language of the victors. Drums and keys (reminiscent of a distress call) take on a more belligerent hue, advancing relentlessly and indefatigably, building momentum with the bass and guitar until the 10-minute mark, when it stops to breathe and expand again, slowing slightly for a magnificent guitar and keyboards collaboration, which yields to the acoustic guitar and the return of the initial, calmer and more introspective theme with the chanting.
This smoothes the way for Mark once again to highlight the cynicism of the Western politicians whose promises amount to nothing and who, having unleashed the calamity and bloodshed with their decisions, blithely absolve themselves of all responsibility and walk away, abandoning the region to its fate. He masterfully delivers this coup de grâce with a hint of world-weariness in his voice, the distress signal of the keys reprised in the fade-out.
Everybody's Hero, Mark's bittersweet tribute to the great Neil Peart is pleasant, warm and melodic, with the strum of the acoustic guitar throughout mirroring Rush's Nobody's Hero, to which the title refers.
Mark's respect and admiration shine through in the lyrics. Indeed, his passion for Rush, and for Neil in particular, inspired him to establish the annual Prog for Peart festival held annually in Abingdon, which does invaluable work in raising funds for cancer research. I can only recommend the event, a permanent fixture in my diary, with its intimate setting, boutique atmosphere and the ever superlative line-up (which always includes Forgotten Gods, the perfect opportunity to experience them live). It is easy to forget that Memories is a debut album, given the ease and self-assurance of its execution.
Peter Jones is a genius, and it was certainly a stroke of genius to invite him to contribute to Vigil, which opens with his haunting solo on the whistle. Although not Scottish himself, Peter flawlessly captures the essence of Celtic melancholy, his arrangement of Amazing Grace certain to tug at the heartstrings. Another deeply personal track, Vigil commemorates Mark's Scottish heritage (of which he is fiercely proud), distilling the bewildering disorientation of grief with searing emotional acuity as he mourns the loss of his mother.
The lyrics are profoundly moving and deceptively simple. Sparse yet beguilingly poetic, their power derives from having been stripped of superfluous adornment, their very understatedness reinforcing their raw sincerity. The music echoes this, Peter's whistle giving way to subdued piano notes hypnotically repeating whilst intertwining with a poignant guitar prefacing Mark's beautiful and tenderly delivered vocals.
Steve Harris once again demonstrates his consummate skill in amplifying the emotional impact further with the precision of a magnifying glass concentrating sunlight into a beam. Mark's final heavenward cry mingling anguish with hope never fails to bring me out in goosebumps.
The two closing tracks of the album are my personal favourites. An indictment of the squandering of potential, Alone summons images of sprawling council estates where crisp packets, used needles and empty gas canisters litter the few patches of green, of mould-stained woodchip wallpaper and the baleful eyes of satellite dishes channelling the sole relief. Leeched of aspiration as well as of opportunity, the bleak surroundings of concrete stairwells and flimsy doors with double locks dull the imagination and cruelly narrow the horizons of those trapped within their unremitting socio-economic embrace, convincing them that they will never amount to anything so should not even bother trying. Perhaps salvation will come in the form of romantic attachment, perhaps in chemical oblivion. Any expedient to relieve the monotony and soul-crushing loneliness. This is no worthy dirge, however. Instead, it offers a clear-sighted and unsentimental observation of real life delivered with a killer melody and incorporating another of Steve's weapons-grade guitar solos. I absolutely love it.
At the album launch, Mark described Rose And Pink as "disco prog" and indeed it allows him to show off his gorgeous higher register like the best of the disco divas. This was the song which grabbed me and refused to let go, with all the tenacity of the proverbial terrier sinking its fierce little teeth into the ankle. Contemporary prog can sometimes be a little staid and overly reluctant to venture outside the comfort zone of the hallowed clichés, and it is precisely the willingness to test the boundaries which set Forgotten Gods apart in my mind with their inventive playfulness and originality here. Bring on the dance mix!
Memories more than earned its place as one of my top ten albums of 2024. It is certain to appeal to everyone who enjoys prog which veers towards classic rock, not devoid of intricacy or flourishes, but which gives precedence to honesty over superficial flashiness or hollow artifice, permeated by compassion and deep empathy, and all the more satisfying for it.
Ixion — Evolution
Ixion have been plumbing the depths of atmospheric doom for 21 years now, blending it with ambience and electronic influences. Having released 4 albums between 2011 and 2020, the band took a short break before returning with not one, not two, but three EPs in 2024. These have now been collected and presented together as Evolution.
Extinction is the first of the three EPs (tracks 1 - 5) featured. Slow, filled with heartache and worry about the future, this EP deals with the concern of mortality when androids rise up. Atmospheric doom paints a picture of a future beset by despair and foreboding. Orchestral movements and acoustic passages provide a backdrop to the heavier areas creating a contrast between the conflicting questions in the lyrics.
Restriction follows next (tracks 6 - 10). Here, androids seek to break free from the laws that they abide by, and move closer to human emotions. Electronics and chugging industrial guitars are met by modulated vocals showcasing the android desire to protect itself and find love. There is still elements of atmosphere laden doom here, but with the backing of the electronic drums, synths and computerised beeps etc, it takes on less of a “doom” sound and ventures more into “age of the atom sci-fi” type vibes. Which considering I've just started another Asimov book, is quite suitable.
And finally, Regeneration (tracks 11 - 16) rounds out the trilogy. Here the question of what would you do if you could transfer to a bio+technical body and become immortal comes to the fore. How would you grasp time or life? While retaining the heavy nature of the previous tracks, it also features some softer areas that provide introspection and reflection. A sum of all that has come before, and with some added time signatures to mix it up – a fitting end to the story and series.
It's a very enjoyable collection and pulls you through a number of emotions. It, along with the story conjure similar thoughts as the plot points through the “I, Robot” series of stories. It's a complex narrative of music and lyrics, with each complimenting the other extremely well with both harsh and clean vocals used alongside extended electronic passages of ambience and synthetic noise, as well as crushing, oppressive and inevitable chord progression.
I'd recommend for fans of CROWN (the French one), Monolithe, Ayreon (for the story telling), or any fan of sci-fi and post-metal.
Unit8 — The Second Arch
Unit8, a progressive rock band from the United Kingdom, presented their second album, The Second Arch last year.
I was curious about the record since it's been a while since I discovered a new neo-prog band that surprised me. Tricky sentence since it's not easy to surprise the audience if you listen to neo-prog, but some bands just have special things that make them special.
However, this is not really the case here. The more I listened to the album, the less it resonated with me. Although the band showcases technical skill and a polished sound, the album ultimately feels underwhelming.
The Second Arch opens with Everything Is Silence, a track that aims to draw listeners in with its atmospheric build-up. However, at over nine minutes long, it struggles to maintain interest and feels overly drawn out. What should have been a powerful opener left me feeling disengaged.
In the notes we received from the band they say the song style and structure is partly influenced by contemporary progressive band such Pineapple Thief, but I can't find that influence at all. Tracks like Driven By The Wind and Loop The Line are more melodic and approachable, but they lack the punch to make them stand out.
While the band's craftsmanship is evident, the compositions feel somewhat safe and predictable. As the album progressed, my attention waned, especially with songs like Movement and Watching Over You. Both fail to create distinct moments of impact.
One recurring issue for me was the vocals. While the singer has a pleasant tone, the delivery feels repetitive across many of the songs. There's a lack of variation in the vocal phrasing, which makes the album feel monotonous over time. This is particularly noticeable in the slower tracks, where I found myself wishing for more emotional depth or dynamic expression. Just a bit more of emotion and some classic cliches of neo-prog would have changed the atmosphere of the album making it more enjoyable.
On the positive side, the production of The Second Arch is very good. The sound is crisp, and each instrument is well-balanced, allowing listeners to appreciate the layers in the music. This polished quality might also be part of the problem since it lacks some raw energy or spontaneity that could make the songs more engaging.
Ultimately, while The Second Arch has its moments, it didn't leave a lasting impression. The band clearly has talent, but this album feels like it's playing it too safe. It's not a bad album, but it's not one I see myself returning to. I hope Unit8 takes more creative risks in the future, as I'm sure they have the potential to deliver something much better.