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Dream a View are back with their second offering of 2025. That’s right, this is their second record of the year. The band is a duo comprised of Bill Smith (synth, drums, programming) and Eric Hov (vocals, guitars, synth). I basically have the same feelings about Golden Quest as I did about Always.
The band plays something akin to progressive New Wave with its heavy 80s elements. There are synthwave and dreamcore elements, too, but the basic gist of their style is weighty synth, hyper melodic atmospheres, and misty ambience. I really like that kind of sound, so I instantly feel familiar.
Golden Quest is just as good as Always, at times rising slightly above it. My favorites are “Winter Window”, full of kinetic energy and a sweet guitar solo that hits just right, “Your Adventure”, a beautiful piece with this burning rhythmic tone, and “Rush of Waves”, an incredibly cool instrumental track with bubbling 80s energy and sweet keys. Overall, the album is pretty satisfying and I’m excited to see where the guys take their sound next.
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Kuiper come to us from Australia. The lineup is Dion Zisos on synth, piano, bass, and sampling; Jack Bolingbroke on bass, guitar, and synth; Beni Falanga on drums, and Theo Theodorakopoulos on guitar. Their new album is called Be Here Now, and that simply oozes the emotions you will find in the album.
They play post-rock primarily, but with plenty of prog rock and ambient portions to fill in the gaps. They don’t rely on the crescendo as much as other post-rock bands, and I condone them for that. No, their songs tend to go through layers and transitions instead of simply building to a climactic segment. I think this serves their “Be Here Now” message, too, as existing in the moment, even the quieter ones, is exactly what this world needs right now.
My favorite tracks are “Waves” with its sparkling and colorful motions, “Gomorra” with its darker side and leering transitions, “Afterglow” with its shorter length and casual gait, “Lullaby” with its guitar-forward power, and “Kinetics” with its almost alien sound and ambient personality. All the songs are good, though, and you will find yourself floating into a beautiful void as you listen.
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Radiant Thought is the one-man project from multi-instrumentalist Valter Abreu of Portugal. He sings and plays everything except drums, which are performed by Baard Kolstad of Leprous. Right out the gate, you know that Transcendence will be worth hearing, I suspect.
The music here is progressive metal doused in emotion. I detect some Tool influence, which is par for the course with one-man metal projects, honestly. The drums are obviously a huge highlight, but so are the roaring guitars. There is a hint of alternative rock/metal in the vocals that give me nostalgia for my high school music, I must admit, but there are plenty of pensive and ambient segments that add flavor and depth.
I’ve been listening to this album on and off since I received the promo some time ago, and I still feel like it deserves to be heard in one sitting. Great care has been taken in making this an album experience. That said, my favorites are “Transcending” with its huge hook and terrific guitars, “An Endless Cycle” with its spunky little keyboard accents and lumbering sound, and “Coherence” with its instrumental style and burning energy. I also love the combo of “Descending”, an ambient electronic track, as it leads into “Prisoner”, a darker and layered piece with sinister guitars and sparks of electronica that make it feel quite bold. Overall, the album is introspective but still rocks.
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Find the bands online:
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The PROG Mind 