Band: Hashshashin | Album: Śaraṇaṃ | Genre: Post-rock, Afghan folk | Bandcamp
The latest release from this Australian act draws upon the Central Asian folk-meets-progressive metal flavors of their last release and hones them even more. Here, much of the focus is on an Afghan instrument, the rubab. It lends a distinct folky and esoteric character to these three songs. This EP is both meditative and impactful, drawing from Afghan folk traditions and modern progressive and post-rock scenes.
Score: 74/100
Band: Mellow Beast | Album: Reactor | Genre: Space rock, Progressive rock | Bandcamp
Mellow Beast’s third release of the year is their strongest of the bunch. Many of this band’s releases are interconnected and tell the story of the land of Hyperion. As such, this release focuses on the story of a gnome trying to save Hyperion after a great cataclysm. The music is psychedelic and awash in effects-laden guitar lines. There’s a fine line being tread here between tight, focused, melodic passages and a desire to stretch things out and jam. It all works together excellently, and I love the way musical themes are occasionally repeated to give everything a sense of continuity.
Score: 83/100
Band: Rëlisp | Album: Aktïw1 | Genre: Zeuhl | Bandcamp
The debut EP from this Mexican band (featuring ex-Magma and Weidorje keyboardist Patrick Gauthier) is a solid 22 minutes of zeuhl. It draws heavily from Magma (as zeuhl bands almost have to do, by definition), but they’ve got some of their own character as well. The three songs feature a nice combination of moods, colors, and textures, and none of them linger beyond what feels like a reasonable length. It’s energetic, jazzy, and just the right amount of chaotic.
Score: 81/100
Band: Structural | Album: Decrowned | Genre: Progressive metal, Death metal | Bandcamp
This Israeli band’s brand of progressive metal is of a tight, technical, scourging variety. The riffs blast you in the face with raw aggression, but they’re smartly counterbalanced with lush synth pads and the occasional quiet moment. Some songs can be surprisingly melodic and catchy for a tech-death act. While there’s plenty of flashy instrumentalism, it never feels masturbatory or excessive.
Score: 76/100
Band: Tryo | Album: Suramérica | Genre: Progressive rock | Bandcamp
Tryo is a Chilean progressive rock band that has been releasing music since the mid-1990s. Suramérica is mostly in the vein of modern-sounding progressive rock. It’s melodic with a nice balance of heaviness and light moments. The band also occasionally incorporates Andean folk music, much like the best-known Chilean prog band, Los Jaivas. The production is great here, and I also really like the band’s guitar and synthesizer tones. My one serious gripe is that many of the songs here feel one or two minutes too long. It’s a common issue in progressive rock, and unfortunately, Tryo was unable to avoid it. Suramérica is still a decent overall album, otherwise.
Score: 71/100
Band: Ulthar | Album: Helionomicon | Genre: Death metal, Avant-garde metal | Bandcamp
Ulthar put out two albums concurrently earlier this year. Helionomicon, consisting of a pair of 20-minute opuses, is my preferred release of these two. As I’ve come to expect from Ulthar, the riffs are twisting, blistering, and dizzying. There’s a good amount of variation in each cut, despite the consistently anxious atmosphere. Each of these songs can feel a little bit long at points, but it’s nothing egregious.
Score: 77/100