Redemption had an excellent three album streak that placed the band in a cozy place among progressive metal fans. Their music was heavy and grandiose with introspective lyrics. The Redemption sound the brainchild of Nick van Dyk, who happens to be a central figure in the 1990s boom in independent film distribution, but today he […]
Archive | Progressive Metal
Opeth – Heritage
For their tenth album Opeth has taken a different approach by summoning Mikael Åkerfeldt’s 1970s progressive rock influences. Heritage is an ode and celebration of a time in rock history where technical prowess and grandiose concepts reigned. This overt homage has the signature brand of progressive fusion Opeth had always had, but this time its […]
Haken – Visions
Haken broke on to the progressive metal scene in 2009 with an exceptional debut release and critical hit, Aquarius. Haken returns after only two years to present their second album, Visions. This sophomore effort retains and progresses the fresh and motivated style that will surely give them momentum for the future. The appropriately named “Premonition” […]
Arch/Matheos – Sympathetic Resonance
John Arch’s contribution to Fates Warning and to early American Progressive Metal is unquestionable. A Twist of Fate was a two track EP that reunited Arch with Fates Warning and OSI powerhouse Jim Matheos in 2003. The EP was a wonderful release at the time, merging Matheos’ growth and maturity in guitar work and songwriting […]
Dream Theater – A Dramatic Turn of Events
I have chosen to stay quiet regarding the divorcement between Dream Theater and Mike Portnoy since last Autumn. I am still befuddled by the event as I have been fan for almost 15 years now and it was a difficult moment for me, and I’m sure, many others. At the same time, for several releases […]
The Devin Townsend Project – Deconstruction
Devin Townsend is one of few who can, by himself, truly create sonically perfect heavy metal albums that are unlike anything else. Not to take away from his early collaborations, but his genius seems to be so much more when he does it on his own. After briefly leaving behind the music industry, Townsend announced […]
Soul Killing Female – Landmines
Soul Killing Female’s Landlines is a self-produced work by Michael Lewis that certainly has its influences on its sleeve and attempts to create an atmospheric experience with these influences in mind. The convolution of so many influences and the lack of collaboration leaves this album flat. The album lacks any replay value since each song […]
Kingcrow – Phlegethon
I am always skeptical about reviewing albums submitted to ProgSnobs, but of course the one or two that turn out to be excellent always revives my interest in continuing the blog. Kingcrow‘s Phlegethon is one of those albums, pure progressive metal on their own terms. It is well-composed, well-paced, and the entire album never outlasts […]
Jose Carballido – Requiem
With my Graduate World Cinema course at the Savannah College of Art and design, one of the particular aspects I have been studying is trying to reduce the Eurocentric (often Americentric) vision of the world. For cinema, this is easy as watching films with subtitles, even though the images can tell the story just the […]
Haken – Aquarius
There are few albums that acquire your attention so quickly, and somehow, I missed Haken’s debut release Aquarius in March 2010. As the year draws to a close, this album has had several rotations on my playlist and there is no reason for it to leave any time soon. For a debut album, Aquarius has […]