Style: Progressive Metal, Post Metal (Clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: The Ocean, Cult of Luna, Hypno5e
Review by: Christopher
Country: Austria
Release date: 2 June, 2023
The titans of progressive post-metal, The Ocean, recently released their hotly anticipated ninth album, Holocene, and it was something of an experimental work—certainly progressive—but it’s proved controversial here at the Subway. I’m one of Holocene’s defenders even if it isn’t my favourite The Ocean album, but perhaps my disappointed fellow writers should be looking to the underground for up and coming progressive post-metal? How about, for example, the sophomore work from Austrian trio Hills Like White Lions?
Meander consists of seven parts, but it is, essentially, one long song and journey. The album does what it says on the tin: meandering through an ocean of sounds, swelling and retreating through stillness and turbidity. The Ocean’s Pelagial is a clear influence here, particularly in the style of the instrumental work and the heavier emphasis on post metal influences utilised to progressive ends; the jangling clean guitars, the flowing lead lines, and punishing drum work which changes up constantly.
Singer, Florian Wagner, has a rather unique baritone, with a pleasingly nasal quality to it and a mournfulness to its timbre—overall the effect isn’t a million miles away from a more polished Brent Hinds of Mastodon with a bit of Peter Steele’s full-bodied depth—which puts in the emotional work, as on the sustained climactic chorus of “Pt. IV: Black Tide”. Meander is all clean vocals, a rarity in this corner of the genre, and yet Hills Like White Lions consistently manage to sound crushingly heavy.
While Hills Like White Lions err on the side of the post-metal more than the prog, there are some flourishes of creativity that prove satisfying, such as the brass accompaniment in the bridge of “Pt. V: Cataract” (which leads into an explosive finale), or the short but sweet key change on Pt. II: Maelstrom as Wagner sings “and I will come with blazing suns”, as well as some playing in 3/4. Meanwhile, they utilise the swollen chords and pregnant build-ups of post-metal to elevate the emotion, with calm breaks of ambience acting like calm waters between tempests.
However, the transitions between songs are ruthless on Meander, which does rather cut through the meandering quality. You’d imagine an album divided into parts like this to flow seamlessly, but the cuts between songs are distractingly choppy. One would expect the interlude “Pt. III: Acedia” to gracefully segue into “Pt. IV: Black Tide”, but it feels almost as though we skipped two seconds and cut the changeover off. And “Pt. IV: Black Tide” hasn’t even truly concluded when “Pt. V: Cataract” interrupts it. It feels a great shame to undermine the totality of the finished product with this odd choppiness. Hills Like White Lions are consummate professionals in most regards, so either this is a conscious choice completely at odds with Meanders’ tone or it’s uncharacteristic sloppiness.
Progressive post metal can be somewhat formulaic at times, and while Hills Like White Lions refusal to deviate far from the usual course means they aren’t soon going to dethrone the likes of The Ocean. Nevertheless, Meander offers a dynamic and emotive take on post-metal’s well-worn tropes that has full sincerity and talent behind it, aided strongly by Florian Wagner’s powerful vocal performance. I’d love to see a little more innovation from these guys, and Meander showcases the resolve and aptitude necessary to do just that in future.
Recommended tracks: Meander Pt. II: Maelstrom, Meander Pt. IV: Black Tide, Meander Pt. V: Cataract
You may also like: Sikasa, Athemon, Seyr, East of the Wall
Final verdict: 7/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives Page
Label: Independent
Hills Like White Lions is:
– Florian Wagner (vocals, guitars)
– Alexander Augustin (bass)
– Hannes Lettner (drums)
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