Style: djent, progressive metal (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Black Peaks, Periphery, Native Construct
Review by: Matt
Country: Indiana, United States
Release date: 30 April 2020
[EDITOR’S NOTE: This review was originally published in the April 2020 Part 2 issue of The Progressive Subway.]
Oh man, I don’t think I’m the right guy for this review… There are a lot of things about Koronus that rub me the wrong way, but I’m pretty sure this is a good album that will be a hit with modern prog fans. I’ve definitely given out some reamings here before, but in this case I’m not quite comfortable dismissing the album based on my own feelings.
To get my gripes out of the way: It’s djent. We’ve been through this before, but I can’t count the number of cool keyboard intros that have given way to some monotonous 8-string non-riff and pissed me off. It is mature here, but I don’t agree with the “fake heaviness” of the style in general, so there’s that. There are a couple solid riffs – “Monolith”, “Wrath” – but the metal component of the album isn’t that noteworthy to me. My other point of contention is the vocals, which are capable but artificial-sounding, both tuning-wise and emotionally. They have that slightly whiny, commercial strain, reminding me of somebody from nu metal who I can’t quite put my finger on. For some people, these are features rather than bugs. In my case, they’re dealbreakers, which sucks because everything else about the album is great.
Right from the intro, you can tell this is an ambitious band. The synth textures, bongos and chanting samples on “Discovery” aren’t quite like anything I’ve heard in metal. All the keyboards on the album are impressive, densely layered and original. The melodies are excellent, and the writing is just powerful sometimes. Check the somber outro on “Monolith”, or the buildup in the more ballad-esque “The Deep”, which brings in vibrant latin percussion and acoustics. Sometimes you catch a whiff of power metal epicness, like the triumphant end of “Exiled”, and other times it skews into jazz territory. This album just sounds fresh, and is composed with real skill.
Basically, I love everything here that isn’t the riffs and vocals. Those are kind of important on a metal album, but I still find the overall package pretty good. Imagine what you’ll think if you actually like them!
Recommended tracks: Discovery, Monolith, The Deep
You may also like: Stellar Circuits, Ihlo, Gloe, Effuse
Final verdict: 5-6/10 (personally), 9/10 (if you like djent and poppy vocals)
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | RYM page
Label: Independent
Koronus is:
– Kyle McGinley (vocals, guitars, drums)
– Vishnu Vijayan (bass)
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