Reports from the Underground: March 2020 prog reviewed (part 2)

Hello! Introduction. Yes. Many prog musics in here. I’ll just ramble a bit to keep you occupied (though feel free to skip this paragraph, it’ll make absolutely no sense I promise). I am a craftsman of words, bringing development to your mind of twisted corners of fantasy left unexplored for fright of extreme weirdness and social awkwardness. As predators roam the land to feast on these fears you must strengthen your gutter by doing 666 squats per week. Less will make thee weak, but more is not allowed either. Tis only in restrictions that thou willst know true strength. To strike thine enemy one needs to be smart, but also stronk!! Bit by bitcoin thou shalt mine away at thine’s enemy confidence and monetary possessions, and then when they’re down, launch an all out assault to smack the motherfucker like that one meteor hit the dinosaurs.

…ok that’s enough rambling. Back to talking about prog. March 2 is a really good edition actually. We have more than a couple of albums that will likely end up on our eventual album of the year list. I don’t have much more to say than that, so we’ll just get to the reviews (if you haven’t already lol). I’m really running out of things to say on these introductions lol. Here’s the Spotify playlist with all recommended tracks from albums featured on this edition and I’ll be off. Enjoy reading!

New here? Check our About page and take a look at our social media accounts (links in the sidebar). In short what we do is that we search for promising underground prog metal (and related) bands through Metal-Archives advanced search, Bandcamp and other sources, group them together by the month they were released in, and then write a review on them. Do you want your band reviewed? Send us an email at theprogressivesubway@gmail.com. Just make sure it’s from a month we haven’t covered yet and that the release is over 20 minutes long.

Novena – Eleventh Hour (UK)
Style: Traditional/Heavy Prog (mixed vocals)
Related links: Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page
Review by: Andrew

Way back in 2016, a little band called Novena released an EP, Secondary Genesis. I first listened to Secondary Genesis sometime around 2018, and it kind of blew my mind. Let me start by saying Novena is something of a prog metal supergroup, featuring vocals from not only Gareth Mason of Slice the Cake, but also Ross Jennings of Haken. Also including members from several other big prog names like Slugdge, Novena’s lineup is pretty damn stacked. So when I first discovered them a couple years ago, I was flabbergasted that they weren’t more well-known.

After years of radio silence, last year I heard the news that Novena had a full-length LP fully written and recorded. That full-length, which we now know as Eleventh Hour, became my most anticipated release of 2020 by a long shot. When it finally released in early March, it basically became the only thing I listened to for a good couple of weeks. And for very good reason.

Eleventh Hour epitomizes everything I love about progressive music. There is such a wide array of musical territory covered in Eleventh Hour’s 72-minute runtime that you might think it is more than one album. Despite the huge variety of genres and ideas, there is never a dull moment or a passage that feels out of place. 

Harrison White, the primary songwriter for Novena, has a strong musical theater influence, and it is on full display throughout the album. From the solemn spoken-word poetry on “Sail Away” and “Lucidity” to the eruption of emotion present in several of the later tracks, Eleventh Hour simply oozes feeling, meaning, and purpose. Gareth Mason provides harsh vocals throughout the album – he only briefly appears early in the album, showing up more frequently as it progresses. His fantastic harsh vocals serve as a counterpoint to the soothing timbre of Ross Jennings; he is the darkness to contrast Ross’s lightness. Gareth’s dark and looming presence comes to an explosive head in the final track “Prison Walls” with a roaringly emotional and heartbreaking monologue before a devastatingly heavy breakdown. 

I don’t want to go into any other specifics of the album – I want you, the readers, to discover it for your own. Eleventh Hour has so much to offer, so much replayability, so much nuance, that I am fairly certain there is something here for any person on the planet to enjoy. Novena is undoubtedly one of the greatest new bands to hit the progressive music scene. Anything else I could write here would be superfluous; simply a rephrase of the same three words: Listen to it!

[Editor’s note: also check out our interview with Harrison White from earlier here]

Recommended tracks: 22:59, Lucidity, Corazón, The Tyrant, Prison Walls (just listen to the whole thing ok)
Recommended for fans of: Haken, Slice the Cake, Artificial Silence
Final verdict: 10/10

Bury the Rod – Crisis (US-TE)
Style: Deathcore (Harsh vocals)
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | RYM page
Review by: Jonah

Every once in a while when I’m looking for music I just really want something that’s going to completely kick my teeth in. Something that’s so god damn heavy that listening to it feels like my skull is exploding, my organs are melting, and my body is being dissolved into a pulp by the roars and the riffs. Well, if you ever find yourself in moods like that, this is the album for you, because god DAMN Bury the Rod is heavy.

Deathcore gets maligned for being a really samey and repetitive genre more often than not, and there are multitudes of bands that prove that right. However, this isn’t one of them. Much like Fit for an Autopsy did last year, Bury the Rod proves that deathcore can be dynamic and exciting even while maintaining the trademark chugs and oppressive heaviness. This is done in a couple ways. First, the short runtime is an absolute boon here, because everything is crammed into such a small space that it has no opportunity to feel boring. Second, there are symphonic elements scattered around the album that add a huge amount of the sonic variety. Finally, the performances here are just so damn tight that I can’t help but go back to listen to it time and again.

The guitarists riff like there’s no tomorrow, the bass playing is both audible, and engaging, plugging along besides but not directly copying the riffs, the drumming is punchy and rhythmically interesting, and really provides a strong basis for the rest of the music, and finally the vocals. Woah man the vocals. It has been a long while since I’ve heard harsh vocals with this much pure disgusting venom, pestilent vitriol, and unrelenting rage. Every single vocal line feels like it’s drilling directly through your skull and into your brain, and they alone motivate me to come back to this album over and over again.

While I wouldn’t go so far as to call this a “progressive” album per-se, I do think the experimentation in the synth and symphonic elements warrant inclusion here, as well as the pure, unabashed quality of this album. This is some top-shelf deathcore and I cannot recommend it enough.

Recommended tracks: Crisis, Vile, Crux
Recommended for fans of: Fit for an Autopsy, Born of Osiris, After the Burial
Final verdict: 9/10

Mindtech – Omnipresence (Norway)
Style: Traditional/Power (clean vocals)
Related links: Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page
Review by: Stephen

When I see a traditional prog-metal album come our way, I tend to instantly claim them and hope that it’s something that is both familiar and fresh at the same time. One of those things is present with Omnipresence, unfortunately it is only the familiarity. I discussed Omnipresence with a few of the other reviewers on the team because I feel like I have reviewed albums like this more frequently in 2020. 

Omnipresence isn’t a bad album by any means, don’t get me wrong, but the album felt very uninspiring to me. The album is produced well, there are some very technical riffs, and solid vocals, but overall there was nothing that grabbed me. The best way I could describe the album is that it’s an 80s power metal album, with hair-metal choruses, and some modern prog-metal riffing sprinkled in. If that sounds like your cup of tea, give this album a spin because you can tell these musicians have their chops, especially the guitar player. There are some very technical riffs on the album and some pretty tasty solos as well. 

Overall, if you are a sucker for traditional prog-metal that walks that fine line between power metal, check the album out. With that said, Omnipresence really didn’t do much for me personally. You could tell there were a lot of talented individuals involved with the album, but unfortunately it didn’t translate to something that was refreshing. It was one of the more “vanilla” or “cookie cutter” albums I’ve heard recently. 

Recommended tracks: Unity
Recommended for fans of: 80s power metal, 80s hair metal
Final verdict: 6/10

Sweven – The Eternal Resonance (Sweven Sweden)
Style: Atmospheric/Psychedelic Death (harsh vocals)
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Metal-Archives page
Review by: Sam

One thing I always look for but almost always fail to satisfy is my itch for Opeth-type music. Bands that can weave extreme metal with melodic passages and do so well are extremely rare.  And so, this is the zillionth installment of that search. Long term readers can probably remember my frustrations at bands like Piah Mater or Stormhaven who only copied the Swedes.

Comparing this to Opeth is unfair though. This band is the continuation of the once successful Morbus Chron, named after their last album Sweven, and surprising exactly no one, sounds like them. This album is an atmospheric adventure. It’s a highly melodic and soothing piece of death metal, as contradictory as that sounds. I imagine this is the kind of album you put on during a trip (not that I do drugs myself though). It’s easy to just close yourself and lose yourself in the hypnotic chords and spaced-out songwriting. Even as the tortured screams enter the fray it doesn’t distract at all from the relaxed atmosphere. It’s weird. And as proggy and chopped up as the rhythms are and as many changeups as the songs go through, not once does any of it take me out of the state of complete immersion that this record sucks me into. It all sounds incredibly warm. From the guitar tones to the full sounds of the toms to the trippy bass playing, the production feels like a warm blanket enveloping you in the cosiest way possible.

I have to give huge credit for the instrumental performance on this album. For instance, for an atmospheric album the drumming is surprisingly intricate, going through many different rhythms per song and making very frequent use of fills. None of it feels like showing off though. Every note he hits beats you further into a trance. He often makes the guitar playing more impactful than it already is with his playing. Speaking of which, I’m in love. The harmonies are just incredible, ranging from acoustic chords to tremolo strumming to classic heavy metal ones, and everything in between, all while maintaining the hypnotic feeling. They also frequently combine with piano to hammer in the psychedelics even further. 

As good as this album is though, it’s not without its flaws. Circling back to the Opeth comparisons, much like with Morbus Chron, what I’m missing in this is a sense of peaking. The album feels much like reading a long paragraph with lots of great arguments but little to no interpunction. It’s a gigantic stream of consciousness that begins and then just… ends after a while. There’s no sense of conflict being resolved like in a story with ups and downs (like Opeth does so well). It’s rather a long dream of vivid imagery flowing into each other. In that sense it’s an amazing achievement of course, transporting you to a different plane like that, but I can’t help but find myself longing for some clear moments of emotional peaking and general structure. Some ideas just don’t get resolved enough or float in the ether too much. I can’t quite put my finger on it. 

That said though, this is still a magnificent album, and certainly one of the most original things I’ve heard in a while for this blog. It hit me in a completely different way than most prog metal in this vein does. While listening I kept wondering about where the climax was, but then at the end they finish the album with some lovely ritualistic chanting, I feel weirdly fulfilled and wonder what the fuck just happened. 

Recommended tracks: By Virtue of a Promise, Mycelia, Sanctum Sanctorum
Recommended for fans of: Morbus Chron, Opeth, Agalloch, The Chasm
Final verdict: 8/10

PostHumanBigBang – Jungle Eyes (Switzerland)
Style: Groove/Prog (mixed vocals)
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page
Review by: Tyler

I find myself very conflicted with Jungle Eyes. There are a lot of things to appreciate and admire about this album. The sound is unique, songs are written incredibly well, the production is squeaky clean. Praise comes with criticism however. I’m not sure if I have ever listened to a more homogenized album, or one that fails to differentiate any of the songs from each other (aside from that first TesseracT album maybe).

Jungle Eyes was admittedly quick to grab my attention. Cycles’ use of Middle Eastern timbres and melodies made me think that this was going to be something that I would need to find a way to fasten my socks to my feet, lest they’d be knocked off. The bombastic verse and catchy chorus had given me even more hope. The larger-than-life sound that PHBB was going for was certainly working. There was even a quiet break with a gorgeous piano motif that I just fell in love with. It was like someone got a hold of Haken and put some meat on those bones. Things were rocking, and they might have even been rolling. I was excited to start the next song to see what else they had in store…

…and it sounded the same. Thick, nasty verse, catchy chorus, a quiet break that cleanses the palette. It was all there. Obviously, they were different riffs, instruments, and melodies, but the formula was there. Some songs mix it up and have a quiet verse and heavy chorus, but no matter what, I couldn’t help but feel that no matter what happened, I was listening to a band that found their pocket and was very comfortable in it. The first time that I heard something that sounded truly new and that pleasantly surprised me was on the penultimate track “Driftwood”. That song’s verses are very light, and have an energy that of a sea shanty, that made me grin like a doofus. It sounded like a group of pirates that are all big Rush fans, and were ready for their next big adventure. Had more of those oddities been sprinkled in, this would be a different review.

The other massive part of this album I have to mention is the intros, outros, and interludes. I hope you like them, because Jungle Eyes is littered with them. And some of them are actually really well done and set expectations. The very intro to the album? Banger. The intense build up in the title track? Spooky. It worked. But golly gee, there are some that overstay their welcome by a wide margin. The outro to “Bitter Tears” goes on for two and a half minutes, followed by the Jungle Eyes intro, which is almost just as long. That means that there is almost five minutes of what some could say is fluff between the two songs. The outro to the whole album, while spooky and ominous, features the same motif for 4 and a half minutes, and it doesn’t have a real pay off, it just ends. I’m all for adding atmospherics where it makes sense, but this album  could have easily stood to have been trimmed down a bit

I was so blown away by my first impression that “Cycles” gave that when I heard it for the rest of the album, I realized once again that there can be too much of a good thing. Nothing here sounds bad in any way, it definitely deserves at least a listen or two There is a LOT of promise here. The parts that stood out, stood head and shoulders above everything else, and hopefully PHBB can take that even further.

Recommended tracks: Cycles, Driftwood
Recommended for fans of: Haken, TesseracT, Tool?
Final verdict: 6.5/10

Virocracy – Irradiation (Germany)
Style: Tech Death (harsh vocals)
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page
Review by: Josh

In my reviews, I tend towards a hooky intro paragraph, as most of the albums I get are either remarkable or so unremarkable they loop back around into being unremarkable. Not this time. Irradiation isn’t doing anything too crazy, but what it does, it does very well.

I’ll just put it all on the table now. This is a tech death album. There isn’t really anything new here, but it’s definitely not boring either. In fact, what I’ve noticed about this album is there’s always something interesting going on. The riffs are generally very solid, but when they get boring, the drummer’s there to spice them up. When they’re not doing that, the bassist takes center stage. Everyone in the band gets a chance in the spotlight, and in doing so they demonstrate the instrumental skill of everyone involved here. Everyone involved is excellent, and their contributions result in an album where there’s never really much to be cut.

The vocals are the weakest part, though by no means bad at all. They’re similar to that of Chuck Schuldiner’s, that same high shrieking style, except a tad lower and more airy. The only section I can point to as definitely weak would be the intro spoken word section to “Rane”, but even that’s almost entertaining based on how bizarre it is. It sounds like a half-asleep, stoned Dracula reading a fourteen-year-old’s Instagram rant.

Besides that moment, though, this is an extremely fine album overall. There’s basically no filler and any fans of tech death will likely enjoy this. There’s nothing crazy here, but what it does, it generally does well.

Recommended tracks: Walking Ghost, Solitude, Dysplasia
Recommended for fans of: Death, Between the Buried and Me
Final verdict: 7/10

Lamentari – Missa Pro Defunctis (Denmark) [EP]
Style: Symphonic Black (mixed vocals)
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page
Review by: Andrew

I am no stranger when it comes to completely over-the-top, bombastic, symphonic excess. 

Lamentari takes this two steps further.

Missa Pro Defunctis is the debut release from Danish symphonic blackened death metal band Lamentari. Self-described as “a ritualistic grand mass,” Missa Pro Defunctis truly is a grand ritual, and a sight to behold. Featuring a live ensemble of strings and trumpets, as well as fantastically clear production, Lamentari undoubtedly pulled out all the stops for their debut. Coming in at a mere 26 minutes, Missa Pro Defunctis is a relatively short venture; however, Lamentari packed the 26 minutes with more than most bands can fit in an hour. 

The first track, “Introitus,” serves as an introduction to the EP. Despite being calm and orchestral, it provides a glimpse of the onslaught of symphonic goodness to come. Then, “Dies Irae” wastes no time getting started. Beginning with an epic choral/orchestral introduction, the track quickly becomes an assault on the senses, but in the best possible way. There’s no doubt here – Lamentari is a black metal band. Insanely fast tremolo riffing and harsh vocals typical of black metal demonstrate Lamentari’s metal prowess. Throughout changing tempos and riffs, the symphonic backbone never once leaves the scene. Horns, strings, and choral vocals are present throughout the chaos in the foreground.

The next track, “Lacrimosa”, continues the trend set in motion by the previous track. Kicking with a riff heavy enough to crush basically anything and more brutal vocals, “Lacrimosa” briefly calms down to let the orchestration take the forefront before the metal returns with a vengeance. This is a common theme throughout the album – a brief calm before the storm. The frequent contrast between light and heavy absolutely highlights Lamentari’s uncanny ability to produce not only ball-blasting black metal, but also beautiful orchestral music in an almost classical style. A brief piano interlude appears halfway through before the riff from the start returns behind a fantastic guitar solo. This might be one of my favorite sections on the release, just because of how absolutely bombastic it feels. 

“Lacrimosa” leads directly into the closing track, “Confutatis.” Coming in at well over 12 minutes, “Confutatis” is epic in every sense of the word. The closer continues the trend of hard-hitting black metal over epic orchestration. I must admit, it begins to blend together at times. But there are plenty of sections that change things up – tempo switches, mood switches, new riffs – that it still feels fresh despite the formula remaining the same. “Confutatis” especially demonstrates this with the very calm section halfway through. The strings impart an ominous mood that comes to head when the metal kicks back in. 

Despite only lasting 26 minutes, Missa Pro Defunctis definitely feels like a complete piece of music. My only qualms with the EP are the occasional feelings of sameness, but these feelings are fleeting and quickly replaced by something new. Missa Pro Defunctis is a fantastic debut and I can’t wait to see what Lamentari does next. 

Recommended tracks: Dies Irae, Lacrimosa, Confutatis
Recommended for fans of: Carach Angren, Fleshgod Apocalypse, over-the-top insanity
Final verdict: 9/10

Enzo and the Glory Ensemble – In the Name of the World Spirit (Italy)
Style: Traditional/Folk (clean vocals)
Related links: Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Metal-Archives page
Review by: Dylan

So to open up this review I just wanna let you guys know straight out of the gate; My knowledge in folk is extremely poor. The only reason I took this album to review was because it was tagged (by whoever was in charge that day to bookmark albums for the album) as ‘’Classic Prog/DT Wank’’. But as you can see by the genre up there, this was far from it. Now even though Folk is far from my comfort zone, I never hated the few things I had heard from the genre. But past Ensiferum and Orphaned Land (a band that our folk guy, Sam, has played 1000’s of times), I guess I just never took the time to dive deeper into the scene.

The problem I’m most likely to have during this review is actually having to explain what type of folk is this, and cultures are they influenced by. So I’m going to try to avoid this, but as far as I’m aware, there’s no folk here that’s not at least European based. 

With this said, one thing is very clear about this release; it’s grand. This album breathes a sense of an epic quest, a concept larger than life, an amazing tale. And this atmosphere is not lost throughout it’s rather large duration. Enzo are full of interesting ideas and melodies; their mix of female and male vocals, traditional folk instruments and songwriting elements, mashed in with pure traditional prog metal is something that’s very pleasing to listen to. 

The album kicks off with “Nothingness” after a small opener and it’s a damn fine way to start, with it’s interesting use of percussion, layered vocals, and catchy chorus. It feels like the amazing overture to an epic journey. The album still goes on strong for quite a fair bit, with some absolute bangers along the way, my personal favorite being “Try to Put in Pit the Fear”. It’s just very captivating in it’s grandness, and you’d be an idiot for not paying attention. 

Had this release ended at halfway-ish it’s length, say, after “Just in my Heart the Blame”, I would’ve probably given this album a straight 10. But… it kept going and it just kinda got flat. I don’t know if this is because the structure got repetitive, if they lost focus, or the magic died, but the second half of this felt nowhere near as magical as what came before it aside from the track that reprised said half, “Psalm 13”. 

This is honestly something very weird, I don’t know if I’m missing a few more listens for the songs to grow on me, but as it is right now, there’s half of an album that’s sensational, and another half that I get bored at. Enzo shows great potential and ambition. Some of the songs are simply perfect. So I’d absolutely recommend that you listen to the first half of this album, and keep this band in your radar if you like what you’re listening to. A masterpiece by these guys may be coming sooner than later. 

Recommended tracks: Nothingness, Try to Put in Pit the Fear, Just in my Heart the Blame, Psalm 13
Recommended for fans of: Ayreon, Shadow Gallery, Orphaned Land
Final verdict: 7/10

TAR – As If We Were Never Here (Sweden)
Style: Alternative Metal (mixed vocals)
Related links: Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page
Review by: Chris

Whoever put this on our personal master list of things to review (was it you Jonah? Sam?) originally listed this as Hardcore from Sweden which really piqued my interest since I am very vocal about my love for Refused. After listening to it, it isn’t really a Hardcore album but I could see where that idea would come in. Honestly this is a really interesting album that is a bit hard to place because it sits in the in betweens of a few genres (so fair warning for a kinda weird FFO). I did do a little digging and found they were originally a black metal band called Eldrimner, and while a bit of that flair is still there this is by no means a black metal band.

This album pretty much begins with “My Obscure Place” punching you in the face and not apologizing. An immediate riff hits you before a relentless scream enters your ears. Seconds later the guitars drop low for a punk style snare beat with harsh vocals over it, before the guitars continue to riff around and tease breakdowns before suddenly dropping you into a chorus that could really belong on a Deftones record. And this is a formula TAR uses throughout the record: riffs reminiscent of Norma Jean or Dillinger Escape Plan bookending nice melancholic choruses with a lot of atmosphere. Honestly, I found myself waiting for and anticipating these clean moments because a lot of them are just that good. 

Something really unique in this record that begins on the track “Glömd” is an interspersal of Nordic style high pitched womans vocals which I really had a hard time describing until I landed on “Imagine if Sigur Ros high notes were on top of a hardcore or death riff along with the main harsh vocalist.” I really like this flavor added to the music, it really gives it a unique feel and something kinda special to look for in a lot of the parts. I never felt like this album overstayed its welcome, and I definitely felt the emotion in the music. Perhaps my favorite part of the record came 2 minutes into “Embrace”, where a real Melodic Death or Metalcore esque riff starts happening along with the harsh, clean, and female vocals all coming together nicely. 

The main knocks I would give this record are the production, with the vocals feeling a bit disconnected in the mix sometimes and the guitars feeling a bit sterile at times in the distorted realm, though the clean tones feel really nice. Additionally, I think some of the heavier breakdown riffs feel a little predictable or familiar in a way I personally don’t like. Definitely looking forward to more coming from these guys.

Recommended tracks: My Obscure Place, Glömd, Embrace
Recommended for fans of: Norma Jean, Dillinger Escape Plan, Deftones choruses
Final verdict: 7.5/10

Dakesis – Fractures (UK)
Style: Power (clean, female vocals)
Related links: Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page
Review by: Matt

Alright, this is more like it… We’ve had some lean times, but here’s an album I can really shill. Fractures is both a huge leap forward for an underground band, and a reminder of a time when you could play heroic power metal without hiding behind a bullshit gimmick. It’s deep, it’s accessible, and it really should put Dakesis on the map of important players in the power-prog genre. 

The first thing you notice is that the composition is just vital, somehow. You can slap a bunch of orchestra on anything and make it “epic,” but the choices here are particularly flavorful. The orchestra is a persistent presence, but doesn’t overshadow the guitars, which are masterfully played by Matt Jones. I think this is the finest power metal soloist I’ve heard since, I don’t know, Gus G or something. Listen to the solo on “Overthrown” for some wankery that’s as striking compositionally as it is technically. Vocals are handled by Gemma Lawler, who sounds fittingly metal rather than operatic, and has excellent melodies to work with.

Fractures is enjoyable in the traditional speedy power sense – check out the awesome chorus on “Kairos” or “Ends of Time Part 1” – but it displays a lot of depth and variety as well. This is especially true on the epic-length title track, which overshadows the rest of the songs as an epic should. The electronic intro is an impressive bit of sound design, and the proggy parts are more intricate than elsewhere on the album. Most importantly, there’s always a clear sense of momentum and purpose, and the climax is awesome. This is definitely worthy of being placed alongside epics like Through the Looking Glass or Witness.

If I had to nitpick, I’d say that the vocals are a little “plain” on some calmer parts – compare the first song’s talky verse to its belted chorus, for instance – and the bass is played really lightly, preventing it from ever cutting through a mix. “Ends of Time Pt 2” and “Surrender Your Fears” are less exciting than the rest of the songs, though not without their merits. Fractures is still my favorite album for at least a couple weeks, but a 10 is the nuclear option, and after repeat listens I had to admit this wasn’t quite there. Still, a great album.

Recommended tracks: Fractures, Ends of Time Pt 1, Kairos
Recommended for fans of: Tanagra, DGM, prog power in general
Final verdict: 9/10