Style: progressive rock, neo-prog, AOR (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Marillion, Genesis, IQ, Arena
Review by: Sam
Country: Germany
Release date: 25 May, 2018
[EDITOR’S NOTE: This review was originally published in the May 2018 edition of The Progressive Subway. If you think the writing’s shit, that’s because it is LOL. My writing’s come a long way since then.]
Neo prog is a term which I hadn’t heard of until I was told about it on the discord server. Some call it “happy prog”, but beyond that I really have no real idea what it sounds like. Apparently this is what neo-prog sounds like, and it certainly is happy sounding. But most of all, the music is excellent! Subsignal actually is a radar that has been on my band from before I started this series (just like Goddess of Fate and Dreyelands), but I hadn’t listened to it until now. You can imagine I’ve been eager to review this.
The first thing I always check when picking albums is how it sounds. You can have amazing musical ideas, but if your production sounds off it can drag your music down hard (hello, Goddess of Fate, I’m still salty). Subsignal does not fall to this trap, because La Muerta sounds terrific. It’s a light, but very clear and organic mix. Subsignal is clearly a band that knows what they’re doing. It’s a carefully put together soundscape in which every element has its place. There are no sonic gaps or other jarring elements. If I should compare it with anything, this is the sonic equivalent of going for a walk in the forest on a slightly chilly spring morning with the sun still low at the horizon gently warming you. The fresh smells of the plants waking up from their winter sleeps and soft bird chirping fills you up with life.
The music is like this too. Despite its name La Muerta (meaning “the death”) the record feels like Spring. All the pleasant guitar and keyboard melodies and energetic singing give the impression of new life popping at every corner. This record is very energetic in general, and they manage to do so in a very natural way. The writing is subtle and intricate. For example the gradual development in the keyboards in Every Able Hand is simply a sight to behold. There are many more of these sort of cool moments in the album. Their compositions are very organic. Likewise this album has a very natural flow from one song (section) to the next, with peaks and valleys, a clear beginning and a clear end.
However a clear end won’t be given to my review (and with that, this post), as I’m really out of inspiration right here. I know, I’m a shitty reviewer. Sometimes I wish I had more musical vocabulary to discuss these things, as this is also a really shitty cop-out. Anyways, for those who don’t like big power metal theatrics but still want something happy and upbeat, this could be for you. I really liked this record, and so will you.
Recommended tracks: La Muerta, The Bells of Lyonesse, As Birds on Pinions Free, Some Kind of Drowning
You may also like: late Sieges Even, Beardfish, Gungfly
Final verdict: 8/10
Related links: Spotify | Official website | Facebook | Metal-Archives page
Label: Gentle Art of Music – Facebook | Official Website
Subsignal is:
– Arno Menses (vocals)
– Markus Steffen (guitars)
– Markus Maichel (keyboards)
– Ralf Schwager (bass)
– Dirk Brand (drums)
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