The Swedish quartet delve deeper into their very own niche of dreamy and cinematic instrumental music on the new album. Throughout ‘Hilma’, psychedelic rock intertwines with post-rock, and Scandinavian gloominess melts into colorful moments of bliss.
Pershagen returns with a set of 9 new cuts. Constantly moving between darkness and light, ‘Hilma’ throws the listener on a journey of both improvised jams as well as elegantly arranged compositions. Elements of Nordic folk music meet fuzzy, overdriven grinding, experimental psych rock, and guitar driven indie on the new album. Decorated with the colorful sounds of guitar, pedal steel and organ, ‘Hilma’ captivates throughout the 40 minutes of running time, constantly introducing new soundscapes and musical components.
...this album is a mesmerising addition to a highly reviewed body of work. Tony and Peter take us yet again into a conceptual and imaginative world full of beauty and passion with songs that move from melodic and symphonic to intense prog rock, creating an unforgettable offering to the ESP Project catalogue.
At the opening we find the version of “Starless” proposed here in a modern key and with Alex’s personal touch, managing to impress his own brand with modern sounds, while remaining close to the original. The following “Kiss And Fly” was proposed as a single to present the album, characterized by a solid and tight rhythm session and good guitar work. The melodic vocal fits well into the context of the piece, enriched by the tempo changes and the wind inserts that intertwine in the melodies. Energetic and in pure Prog style, it alternates vocal and instrumental parts, involving the listener with refined plots.Read the full review by Jacopo Vigezzi at progrockjournal.com
... an experimental wall of sound that is heavy and guitar-driven, but orchestral in arrangement. The music is an amalgam of experimental, progressive, and math rock where finding a 4/4 time signature is like a scavenger hunt. There is a balance between structured parts and improvisation, control and chaos that toes the line; listening is a lot like playing the songs, there is a sense of barely being able to hang on. Stylistic touchpoints can be varied and classic like 60s Pink Floyd and Beach Boys and Mahavishnu Orchestra, often within the same song, or more akin to young progressives black midi, Squid, and Young Jesus.Media/Samples
Musically, Adventure is still exploring the golden era of 70ies symphonic hard rock, mixing in proggy and folky elements. The guitar and Hammond organ drive is still there, so is the multipart harmony vocals, and it’s all underpinned by a solid foundation of bass and drums.
Way back in 2010 Soniq Circus started to write for their third full length album. It was to be a full blown concept album about a gathering of people meeting by a card table at a cruise ship, and different events taking place from there. Twelve years later Soniq Circus starts releasing this recently recorded music.
Chapter One: The Game Begins” is the first of three releases to follow within the next years, thus eventually completing the concept.
Deep Reef Dream brings in horns, 3-part vocal harmonies, electronic elements, and 100% more violin than previous releases. With modern production, DRD hints at progressive 70's rock while pushing the envelope on musical textures with highly memorable melodies.
The debut album of the Strange Pop "Ten Years Gone" is primarily a tribute to the 1970s. Only analog synthesizers, a minimal, natural recording methods and the abandonment of modern studio solutions made the final effect really take us into that magical era. Inspirations: Pink Floyd, Soft Machine, George Benson, Jean Michel Jarre.Media/Samples
Scott Reed's String Theory is about heavy and fast progressive metal, so the former Dream Theater keyboard player is a welcome addition. Derek also played on Scott's debut album Revolution so on the second album the conditions are the same. Just like his debut the new release, Regenesis, is filled with heavy guitar music, fast soloing by guitar and keyboard, and difficult progressive metal rhythm structures.
The majority of the material here is atmospheric in sound, spirit and execution, with floating keyboard and Mellotron sounding textures provided in liberal amounts with classical symphonic oriented arrangements making quite a few appearances too. The guitars adds depth and darkness in places and is also the provider of some fine, secondary harmonies throughout. While accessible and generally open and appealing in nature, some of the songs gets additional flavor by the inclusion of effects that can be harsh, quirky and at times truly dramatic in nature, which does add quite a bit of flavor to the proceedings. By and large this is more of an atmospheric laden creation however, and while there are songs here that probably are closer to symphonic progressive rock in nature I would suggest those with an interest in neo-progressive rock might be the audience that will find this album most appealing. (Olav M Bjornsen at progressor.net.facebook)Media/Samples
Centered around themes of fear and phobias, Naturealism is an emotional whirlwind of a concept album. Genre-wise, Naturealism can best be described as cosmic progressive metal with a hefty dose of pop elements. There’s driving riffs and catchy hooks aplenty here, as the tight songwriting ensures that every track holds the right balance of direction and surprise. The album’s 10 tracks all seamlessly flow into one another, yet are all strong enough to stand alone as singles as well.
Country: Multinational
Genre(s): Progressive Alternative Rock
Label: Kscope
Format: CD, digital, vinyl
Release date: April 8, 2022
Tracklist
Total Time 41:45
Credits
Links:
Web page
Proggnosis
This collection of fresh tracks allows the listener to emerge in a brand new realm soaked in mystery and retro-rock atmosphere - key features of HÄLLAS’ fantasy and sci-fi driven auditory aesthetic. The album starts with synthesizer-laden “Birth Into Darkness”, with an incredibly clever topline featuring the unique vocals of singer and bassist Tommy Alexandersson. The musical journey continues with the mystical single “Earl’s Theme”, embellished by choral voices, and proceeds with exceptional “Elusion’s Gate” - a piece that, by giving space to the guitar lines of Alexander Moraitis and Marcus Petersson, underlines the overall epic and mysterious atmosphere of the album. Comprised of eight bold opuses, Isle Of Wisdom is a deft new step in the noteworthy sonic trajectory of HÄLLAS, cementing them as a band to watch!Media/Samples
