Odds & Ends: December 4, 2023

Band: Antisoph | Album: non satis | Genre: Progressive metal | Bandcamp

This German band’s latest release is a pretty neat 3-song EP. The riffs are inventive, weird, and abstract, and the vocal performance is pretty strong as well. I like the bits of jazz and post-metal influence they included in this release. The one downside is that not all of these songs needed to exceed seven minutes. 

Score: 72/100

Band: The Flood | Album: Tail of the Whale | Genre: Progressive rock | Bandcamp

I like this album a lot; probably more than most folks, and for pretty specific-to-me reasons. The music here is solid, even tossing aside my own specific fondness. It’s often slow-moving, lush, and impassioned. Jazz and classical touches are incorporated quite nicely. The vocals are a bit weak though, and I could see them grating on some people. But that’s honestly part of the reason why I like this album. When I was first really getting into progressive rock, I did it primarily through a number of now-long-dead-or-defunct Blogspot sites with links to Mediafire or Rapidshare. And The Flood reminds me a lot of the bands I discovered through those sites: rich, symphonic prog from mainland Europe with slightly-rough production and a vocalist with a noticeable accent. (For a few examples of bands like this, check out Prof. Wolfff, P2O5, Womega, or Phylter.) It’s a very specific sort of nostalgia from my high school and college years that I don’t expect many to relate to. But this is my site, and you’re here to read my opinion.

Score: 81/100

Band: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard | Album: The Silver Cord | Genre: Progressive electronic | Bandcamp

I’m always a bit out of my depth when talking about electronic music. I’m aware of various subgenres, but I’m not necessarily sure what’s what when I hear it. The Gizz’s new album is an electronic outing, being about as synth-heavy as Butterfly 3000. But where that had a dreamier, more psychedelic atmosphere, this record has a much tenser feel and a more insistent pulse. There are some great, inventive instrumental passages, and the vocal performances are strong overall. (Though the few rap sections are a bit clunky, I must admit.) 

They’d said this album would be a yin to PetroDragonic’s yang, and this is pretty far from thrash metal. It’s a fairly short album, and I think that works in its favor. I’m left feeling satisfied after 28 minutes, though the actual conclusion feels a bit weak. 

Or at least I thought 28 minutes was enough until I heard the extended, 88-minute version of this album. The 20-minute version of “Theia” flies by, and the other songs are all 10-12 minutes long. The instrumental excursions presented here suit the electronic nature of this album very well, and there are both lyrical and instrumental callbacks to PetroDragonic Apocalypse. It’s hypnotic, driving, and great for both background and active listening. That’s not to say there’s no bloat, but I wasn’t expecting the version of the album that’s three times longer than the standard release to be this much better.

Score (standard edition): 71/100

Score (extended edition): 80/100

Band: Moundrag | Album: Hic Sunt Moundrages | Genre: Progressive rock, Heavy psych | Bandcamp

Moundrag is a French organ-and-drums duo, and their sound strongly evokes some of the earliest prog acts. They’re in the same vein as bands like Quatermass and Rare Bird, and they’re fairly similar to the modern act Ring Van Möbius. The five songs on this album are effective and dramatic. They do a great job utilizing their limited sound palette; that sonic limitation seems to have inspired them to be very creative with what few tools they have at their disposal. If you’re in the mood for some early ‘70s-style, organ-powered prog, this oughtta be up your alley.

Score: 78/100

Band:  Nospūn | Album: Opus | Genre: Progressive metal | Bandcamp

Do you like Haken’s Visions? Like, a lot? As in, you just want to listen to it a second time? Then this is for you! The music is very skillfully played, the songs are intricately structured, and the production is on-point, too. However, there’s just not anything distinctive about this record. I don’t want to disparage musicians who have clearly spent a lot of time honing their craft, but they’re about 12-15 years late making this record. (Plus, at 71 minutes, this album is quite a bit longer than it needs to be.)

Score: 70, I guess? This is a tough one for me to rate. 

Band: Ring Van Möbius | Album: Commissioned Works Pt II – Six Drops of Poison | Genre: Progressive rock | Bandcamp

RVM’s latest album is something of a step down from their 2020 release, The 3rd Majesty. The keyboard tones are still rich and powerful and do a great job of scratching that Hammond organ itch, but the songwriting feels uninspired at moments. Certain passages and melodies sound just a bit too much like ELP or VdGG. It crosses the line from “inspired by” to “derivative of” at times. It’s an overall enjoyable record, but it lacks the oomph and originality of their previous work. If you’re looking for grandiose, classic-sounding prog, this ain’t a bad choice.

Score: 66/100