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I’ve been having a difficult time writing something about the new Thy Catafalque album XII: A Gyönyörü Álmok Ezután Jönnek, which released back on November 15th. I do like the album quite a bit, especially more than last year’s Alföld, but not quite as much as 2021’s Vadak.
Thy Catafalque is the creation of Tamás Kátai, and he plays guitar, bass, and keys, and also offers vocals. There is a huge list of guest musicians here, too, ranging from vocals to woodwinds to brass to stringed accompaniment. It’s a dense album of progressive metal that is more than a little bit submerged within folk, black, and experimental metal.
What I like about this album is the return of the diversity in sound. Alföld lost most of that, choosing to stay mostly within one aspect of the project’s sound. What makes this album better, and more like Vadak, is that adherence to loud/soft dynamics, segments spiced with electronica, metal, rock, and a great balance of harsh and crystal clear vox. The album feels cinematic and eventful.
The reason why I’ve been having difficulty in writing a review is simply because the album offers so much, and with the obvious language barrier I have with it, I find it difficult to pinpoint tracks and so on. Every track seems to have memorable transitions and beautiful atmospheric touches, such as “Mindenevö”. The album is worth every minute, and I’m sure I’ll be able to process it more with time.
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Hollingshead’s Trail is the second album released in 2024 from Carl Westholm of Carptree, Jupiter Society, Avatarium, and Candlemass fame. You’ll also find John Niemann of Evergrey on bass, Fredrik Haake on drums, and Gidon Tannenbaum on vocals. The record released on December 6th.
Back in 2020, the band debuted with the excellent Stay Dead, a dynamic and even slightly terrifying record that has stayed with me—-“The Valley” is still one of my favorite songs from that year. With Trail, I feel the music is a little safer and less diverse, and has definitely lost the slight horror angle. There aren’t many highs or lows in the doomy, meaty sound they’ve created. Carl’s keys slice through the bulk sometimes, but not as often as I’d like, and so what we have here is a lumbering album that sounds really cool, but also feels a bit monotonous.
It’s not a bad album, per se. It has plenty of gothic flair sprinkled throughout, such as on “Drink the Teardrops” or “She”, and Johan’s bass is fantastic, as always. But I’ve been having difficulty wanting to finish the album each time I start it. I do really like “The Ride”, having a bit more spunk and electricity than the other songs, and “Room of the Others” is an ambient yet gritty soundscape that I enjoy. I mean, the album is a good listen, but I don’t think it ever achieves the greatness or the highs of the debut.
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Anubis hails from Australia and includes Robert James Moulding on vocals, guitars, and percussion; David Eaton on keys, 12 string, and bass pedals; Douglas Skene (of Hemina) on guitars; Dean Bennison on guitars; Anthony Stewart on bass; and Steven Eaton on drums. Their new album The Unforgivable released on September 6th.
The band plays a cinematic progressive rock that feels like a fresh breeze. The vocals are clear and expressive, the guitars are zippy and often visit the heavier side of the genre, and the album offers a unified concept and story. You’ll notice that the tracks are labeled as “parts”, and the story concerns murder and escape from religion.
This is one of those albums that I really enjoy, but doesn’t leave me with much to say. The story is emotional enough. The album has plenty of shades of light and darkness, melody and heaviness, and even catchy choruses here and there. It’s a smooth and wonderful listen, but breaking it down more than that would be impossible for me, I think. I’d probably point to “The Mark of Cain” and “Alone” as a favorite segment, and then maybe “The End of the Age”, which sounds a bit like Haken at times. Overall, though, it’s high quality music across the board. Fans of modern progressive rock will love it.
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Find the bands online:
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The PROG Mind 