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

Roman Khrustalev – Contemplating the Beksinski (Kazakhstan)
Style: Ambient (instrumental)
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Review by: Matt

Alright, another ambient album snuck into the queue. These are both a blessing and a curse for me… It’s easier to figure out your thoughts on them, but sometimes there’s not much to specifically discuss. Kinda weird, listening to music with rests in it. Anyway, I’m sure I can come up with a few topics of discussion for this, the latest from Roman Khrustalev.

Beksinski is a far cry from Roman’s earlier power metal stuff, instead focusing on hazy drones, ominous piano, and old western slide guitars. See the desert and the skeletal horns in the cover painting? The visuals precede the music, and this album does a great job of translating Zdzisław Beksiński’s surreal hellscapes to sound. Whether it’s good standalone music, well… I prefer my ambient to have some “hooks” – it’s possible, even if they’re just a couple notes – and this is mostly reverb-soaked noodling. There is a bit of a recurring theme, but it doesn’t draw attention to itself. The overall atmosphere is a winner, though, extremely dark and moody. I have to say, as far as raw enjoyment goes, this is one of the better things I’ve listened to for the blog. I dig it. It feels like what it is – an accompaniment to something – but if you have some time, why not throw it on and actually do what the album says: Contemplate the Beksinski?

Recommended tracks: I, III, V
Recommended for fans of: Mark Morgan (Fallout 2 soundtrack,) Steve Roach (the less melodic 2000s stuff – Midnight Moon, Early Man)
Final verdict: 8/10

Hạc San – Hồn – Trăng – Máu (Vietnam)
Style: Traditional (clean, Vietnamese vocals)
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Review by: Sam

Surely this is the best last minute find ever? I was bored and started browsing albums from a random month we haven’t covered. I ended up checking November 2015 albums and a band from Vietnam called Hạc San caught my eye. And lucky for me, it appeared they had a new album out precisely in the month I was reviewing (aka April 2020). Now I have never heard any music from Vietnam, and most certainly not any prog metal, so I’m just as surprised as you are that I can already say that this will likely be my album of the year. Yes you read that correctly.

Hồn – Trăng – Máu consists of one 29 minute song, which already hints at the ambition of this band. And hot DAMN do they pull it off. This band just does everything right. The melodies are just beautiful and instantly grabbing, both musically and vocally (which is an even bigger feat considering the lyrics are in Vietnamese and I don’t know a single word in that language). They have an excellent grasp of themes required to make such a long song work. It’s like Dream Theater were actually tasteful composers. The music is very warm and romantic. The vocals are sweet and the synths constantly surround you like a cosy blanket. It’s barely even a metal song, but man are the guitars good. The atmosphere they do is amazing, the riffs (when they exist) are great and MAN the solos. This band can do it all. The only thing preventing me from slapping a 10/10 on this outright is that the snare tone is really jarring and doesn’t mix well at all with the rest of the music. But for the rest, man, album of the year. If you have any love for melodic prog metal, go listen to this. You will not regret it.

Recommended tracks: it’s one song
Recommended for fans of: 90s Dream Theater, Haken, Frost*, Camel
Final verdict: 9.5/10

Abysslooker – Burden (Russia)
Style: Post/Doom (mixed vocals)
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Review by: Jonah

I’m such a sucker for unique vocals in metal. They always grab my attention right away and force me into really paying attention to a band. Even if I come away underwhelmed by the band as a whole, I’m always glad I gave it a shot because of that original hook. Well the vocals for Abysslooker had that effect on me. The combination of resonating deep cleans and manic harshes that sound right out of a A Forest of Stars album was just sublime and I couldn’t stop listening. Is this a perfect album? Definitely not, but I’m incredibly glad I got to review it.

This album is a fusion of gothic, post, and doom metal sounds into a beautiful cocktail of intense heaviness and oppressive atmosphere. The riffs are crushing, the leans are excellent and soaring when used, and the bass and drumming just repeatedly pummel the listener into submission. This isn’t a pretty album nor is it an explicitly easy listen due to the length and nature of the songwriting. These tracks aren’t filled with the twists and turns expected of a prog epic but are instead exercises in patience and restraint that reward a careful listen.

This album also sounds fantastic. While the production isn’t the cleanest it serves the style well, adding to the oppressive and crushing atmosphere. This is an absolutely excellent album and well worth a listen for any fans of the style, and is definitely one of my favorites I’ve reviewed so far this year.

Recommended tracks: No More Light in the Lighthouse, Distant Calling, Welcome Home
Recommended for fans of: A Forest of Stars, Inter Arma, Katatonia
Final verdict: 8/10

Ignea – The Realms of Fire and Death (Ukraine)
Style: Symphonic (mixed vocals)
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Review by: Andrew

Back around when The Realms of Fire and Death first came out, a friend had recommended it to me so I gave it a listen. I don’t remember much from that first listen. There were female vocals. Mostly clean, occasionally harsh. Strong symphonic elements. Folky, oriental influences here and there. On its first impression, the album seemed to me as another melodic metal album that’s good but doesn’t do anything new and isn’t particularly memorable. However, something about the album stuck with me and I remembered the name. When it came to pick albums to review for April, I saw Ignea on the list and I immediately knew I wanted to give it another chance. 

I am certainly very glad I did. On the surface, The Realms of Fire and Death may seem like just another melodic metal band, but there’s a lot more than meets the eye here. The obvious standout are the excellent vocals performed by vocalist Helle Bogdanova. Bogdanova, who sings the harsh vocals as well as the cleans, displays excellent intonation and control throughout each passage, be it a soaring clean melody or a brutal harsh line. The lyrics are primarily in Ukrainian, so I am not able to comment on the lyrical content at all. 

While Ignea play their fair share of less-than-interesting, mid tempo riffs typical of this style, there are plenty of moments where they flex their riff muscles and blow my mind with something really cool. Ivan Kholmogorov on drums backs up every single moment with his very tasteful drumming – not too flashy but also eternally present. The entire album is rooted in melodic metal but Ignea are clearly influenced by many other styles. “Too Late to Be Born” could almost be black metal with its roaring vocals and insane riffage. Immediately following is “What For,” a strongly medieval/oriental influenced track all the way through. Bogdanova’s vocals especially shine on this track as they flow effortlessly throughout each melody. 

Ignea has managed to escape the fate of all too many symphonic metal bands. The Realms of Fire and Death contains plenty for fans of almost any metal subgenre while never straying too far from its roots. I think my biggest complaint with this album is the repetition throughout each individual track. When a third verse has the exact same structure as the first two, or the chorus repeats the exact same way, it begins to drag. Fortunately, this only happens a couple times throughout the album but when it does, it is absolutely noticeable. I won’t fault them too much for this though, since it is wildly common among most genres of music. Either way, The Realms of Fire and Death has something for everybody.

Recommended tracks: Queen Dies, Too Late to Be Born, Gods of Fire
Recommended for fans of: Epica, Seven Spires, Visions of Atlantis
Final verdict: 8/10

Keep Rockin’ – Seismic Shift (Poland)
Style: Traditional (clean vocals)
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Review by: Matt

“Keep Rockin’…” Sure thing, pal! Oddly, this band sounds a lot more intricate and nerdy than its goofy name would suggest… More influenced by latter-day Fates Warning than, say, Zeppelin. Works for me… I hate rockin’.

While this album’s proggy character is unmistakable, the writing is actually fairly modest. There’s a lot of elements at play, from slightly chuggy modern riffs to acoustics and jazzy piano breaks, but nothing in particular seems to define the band’s sound, except perhaps the pleasant aura of background synths. Some sections are creative and quirky, while others are generic ballad material. The songs are good as a whole, but don’t tend to have big climaxes or changes in mood or tempo. If anything stands out, it’s the powerful-yet-aloof vocals of Michalina Domanska-Krawiec. There’s something novel about her style, which is forceful enough for metal, but cold and lacking most of the usual theatricality. It gives Seismic Shift a slightly downcast, introspective feel even in its more upbeat moments.

Unfortunately, those upbeat moments are a bit too rare – most of the album is loose and jam-y, stuck in a midtempo groove without much in the way of flash or drama, despite good composition. “Freeze the Day” is an exception here, with addictive layers of melodic sequencers and strong vocals over a lurching 7-string riff. Nothing approaches “fast,” but this and “Slaves to the Valley” are easily the most energetic songs here. The last three tracks drag, though, and I wish they’d step on the gas a little.

Seismic Shift is a tough thing to nail down, with some elements that will appeal to 90s prog fans and others that borrow from djent without really committing to it. It’s good, but perhaps a little forgettable at times… At least it avoided the two-word “Seismic Shit” review every reviewer wants to give.

Recommended tracks: Freeze the Day, Slaves to the Valley
Recommended for fans of: later Savatage, Fates Warning, Shadow Gallery, 90s prog metal
Final verdict: 6/10