Band: Humming Whale | Album: Chasing Rabbits | Genre: Progressive metal | Bandcamp
The debut album from this Finnish quartet is a highly melodic brand of proggy alt-metal. The riffs are powerful, and the vocals are strong. The band demonstrates a strong ear for catchy melodies. There are a few moments in the second half of the album I’m not nuts about; the overly-pop-infused “Ocular” and the butt-rock influenced “Rover” are the main culprits. Overall, though, this is an enjoyable record. The musicianship is top-notch without being needlessly flashy, and there are plenty of great structural twists.
Score: 74/100
Band: Khan | Album: That Fair and Warlike Form/Return to Dust | Genre: Heavy psych, Post-metal | Bandcamp
The latest release from Khan, an Australian trio, consists of just two massive tracks. The first is the overall heavier of the two, providing a cavalcade of evolving musical themes that weave prog rock, psychedelia, alternative metal, and post-metal. “Return to Dust” features more contrasts with quieter, cleaner passages. Both epics hold together very well and have lots of small things that reveal themselves on subsequent listens.
Score: 78/100
Band: Oasis Bloom | Album: Cactus Bus | Genre: Progressive rock | Bandcamp
The debut record from this French duo takes a sound rooted in the desert and adds exotic touches to it. Classic prog, krautrock, psychedelia, math rock, and even some tropical flavors sneak in. There are some fun ideas here, but the record is a bit long for my taste. It makes for decent background music while you’re doing something else, but at least for me, it doesn’t really hold up under closer listening. The experience could have been improved by tightening up some of the longer tracks.
Score: 68/100
Band: Prophet Isaiah | Album: Zion | Genre: Post-metal, Black metal | Bandcamp
Across this album, Prophet Isaiah lays down four sprawling tracks of forward-thinking post-black metal. They channel the best elements of bands like Panopticon, fusing hoary guitar lines with moments of warmth and hope. Clean passages are sprinkled in just often enough to break things up, but these interludes never truly interrupt the momentum of these songs. Rather, these are carefully-planned stops along the way.
Score: 81/100
Band: Raat | Album: White Fire | Genre: Post-metal | Bandcamp
Raat hails from India, but their music sounds like it comes straight from some frostbitten Norwegian forest. The 10-minute title track on this EP is a wonderful example of proggy post-black metal. Guitars are layered in an enveloping wall, the drumming is insistent, and abstract shrieks swirl about, cultivating an otherworldly air. The other long song on this EP, “Crystal Dream”, slows things down. The atmosphere has a sense of dread and foreboding. Distorted guitars buzz menacingly in the distance as brighter clean tones strum out morose melodies.
Score: 82/100
Band: Zeitgeiber | Album: Fellow Prisoners of the Splendour and Travail of the Earth – Part 2 | Genre: Jazz-fusion, Progressive rock | Bandcamp
Acoustic sounds dominate on this record. Piano in particular often leads things, though brass, reed, wind, and string instruments all get some time in the spotlight. There’s a real sense of drama to the way these compositions unfold, channeling classical composers right alongside jazz greats. This album is definitely primarily a jazz release, but its spirit makes it right at home on this site.
Score: 84/100
The Elite Extremophile 