This time I have three albums to discuss that I haven’t really mentioned all that much on the social media accounts. All three are pretty solid, but I have some brief thoughts. Read on to find out about Ghost on Mars, Living in Shadows, and Hourglass.
_______________
Certain bands should appeal to me on paper, and Italy’s Ghost of Mars is one of them. Some say they are a combination of Evergrey and Pain of Salvation, two of my favorite bands. Their new album Out of Time and Space released on May 3rd. The lineup includes Moreno Sangermano on vocals, Fabio Valentini and Andrea Mataloni on guitars, Valerio Lippera on bass, and Andrea Alberati on drums.
The band plays progressive metal in the classic sense. It does have a spacey appeal, and there are some harsh vox, though the balance is tipped towards clean vocals. I guess I can hear the Evergrey similarity in the way they compose their riffs and transitions, and the PoS similiarity in their more abstract and ambient moments, but I wouldn’t put too much stock in those comparisons. The band has their own sound, and it is highlighted by strong guitar work and some great vocal melodies, plus orchestrations.
The band can write some great songs, period. The opening to the album is the weakest part of the whole record, I will warn you, but get through the first couple minutes, and the band really gains momentum. Honestly, they ride that wave all the way through the end of the album.
My favorites are probably “Quarantine” for its dark and heavy vibe, “They” for its well-paced and earnest sound, and “Under a Crescent Moon” for its transition from ballad to rock that is handled so well and so beautifully. The guitar work across the board is fantastic, especially the solos, and so I think the band has true potential. Prog metal fans should certainly take a look.
_______________
I really mused over this one. This is Living in Shadows, and they are a different sort of band. They released their debut album Neon Burning on June 7th. The lineup includes Zoe Gilby on vocals and Andy Champion on guitar, bass, keys, drums, and programming.
They play a mix between prog rock, jazz, and alternative pop. So, you’ll hear plenty of guitar solos and that sort of thing, but also odd pop choruses and an overall jazz and blues kind of chamber vibe, like you’d see them at a club. Zoe is an award-winning vocalist, as she was named the Parliamentary Jazz Vocalist of the Year back in 2019, and her voice really is the major strength here. She bends and manipulates it masterfully.
I had to muse over this album mainly because it has so many good elements, but it feels like it is missing something still. Zoe’s voice is great, but the composition isn’t always up to her level. The bluesy gait of the record is nice, but it doesn’t feel entirely authentic, almost like injecting another member might help. Most of the record sounds nice and quite beautiful, even, but it rarely becomes deeply interesting, especially with a cool title like Neon Burning.
I will say that I absolutely adore the song “Who Are You?”. That song has the best, most creative chorus on the album, and the whole song just feels produced and conceived extremely well. The rest of the album is fine. I think the band does have potential. This album is pleasant, but ultimately unconvincing, even though “Who Are You?” might become one of my favorite songs of the year.
_______________
This review breaks my heart to write. Honestly, it does. Hourglass created one of my favorite prog metal albums ever in their 2009 opus Oblivious to the Obvious. Their albums before that were good to excellent, as well. The band hasn’t produced an album in 15 years, but they are back with a new lineup and a new album called Voids and Visions. It released on June 28th, and the lineup includes Yahosh Bonner on vocals, Brick Williams on guitars, Eric Robertson on synths, Brian Hancock on bass, and John Dunston on drums.
If you are a fan of the band, you’ll notice that only Brick and John are back from the previous album, though Eric has played on two of their past albums, as well. The band still plays an expansive, long-format progressive metal—seriously, the shortest song is 13 minutes long. Brick’s guitars are still fantastic, and John’s drums still have that recognizable rolling and blast beat mastering sound I love so well. I’d also mention Eric’s synth is very cool, though there isn’t enough of it, or maybe there just aren’t that many moments where it gets to be the center of attention.
The band is definitely playing a softer metal than before, though. The lumbering, bass-heavy sound is mostly gone, which is a shame since the bass on Oblivious to the Obvious is one of my favorite bass performances ever. Still, Brian does a good job on bass, but it isn’t the highlight it once was. The four songs on the album are like long journeys, and there are some truly spellbinding instrumental portions, though I’d say that none of it ever matches what they’ve done in the past.
Now I come to the elephant in the room. What is it with prog bands who want to come back so badly that they settle for mediocre vocals? I feel awful just saying that. Yahosh, unfortunately, simply does not have a good voice for this type of music. Some of his lower octave portions sound okay, even soulful, but this album forces him outside of his comfort zone constantly to sing melodies and hit notes that he cannot. The vocals are honestly excruciating and destroy the entire album.
I’m not sure I can truly discuss the tracks individually. I liked parts of all of them, but that’s all I’ll say. Hourglass has never kept the same vocals, but the new singer has always sounded great. This time, I’m afraid, that isn’t the case. Diehard fans might squeak some enjoyment out of this, especially in the admittedly lengthy instrumental portions (which are solid), but the whole journey is ruined right out of the gate.
_______________
Find the bands online:
_______________
The PROG Mind 