It’s a pleasure to watch some bands get better with each release. I’ve been following Feather Mountain since 2019’s Nidus, which was good but rough around the edges; was thrilled when they reinvented themselves with 2022’s To Exit a Maelstrom; and I’m even happier with their new album A Liminal Step. It released on November 27th.
Feather Mountain comes to us from Denmark. They’ve welcomed a new guitarist since their last album, which definitely has had an impact. The current lineup is Andreas Dahl-Blumenberg on bass and vocals, Christian Dahl-Blumenberg on drums, Christoffer Warming on guitars, and Mikkel Aaen Lohmann on vocals and keys.
The band plays an alternative rock-leaning progressive metal. They have a raw side to them, more so in the vocals than I recall on their earlier works. I wouldn’t say they have death metal vocals, but certainly alternative, sweaty, emotional vox. The music is a bit heavier this time, but the band also utilizes synth and keyboard melodies in sweeping, slicing ways that balance everything very well. The album has some electronic character, too, which means the album feels more varied.
A Liminal Step is remarkably consistent, though the first few tracks took some time for me. Without a doubt, though, when track four hits, the album becomes something completely enthralling, almost hypnotic. It is a trip that is equal parts raw emotion and gorgeous vistas, and I immediately took to it.
So, the first three tracks are fairly standard songs for this band. The opener “Sigil” has a great chorus that has really grown on me. “Rope Me In” has more melody in it, I think, but the heavier instrumental in the second half is what gets me. Then “Lantern” shines a little light on where the album is going with its subtle keys and its transition from pensive to explosive.
The next five tracks are a journey. It starts with “Realignment”, an electronica-soaked shorter piece that is so damn cool. It leads directly into my favorite song on the album (and one of my favorites this year), called “Prayer Wall”. This piece is filled with searing light through spiraling synth melodies, yet also an exploration of texture in contrasting innocent and harsh vocals so closely together. The second half is a cinematic, rising heartbeat that never fails to send electricity down my spine.
The final three tracks continue this arc. “The Grid” again has a suave electronic character, almost reminding me slightly of “The Grid” from Daft Punk’s Tron: Legacy score, and just like that track, it’s all about getting deeper. “Sunder” follows and is quite raw, as if some inner emotional tide has broken upon the shores of the mind. I love how it transitions to a beautifully melodic finale. The closer “The Hedonist” hits the ground running with a sweet riff, but it’s the powerful, nerve-bending vocals that really power it into my brain. I love how the album closes with electronica, introspective and warm.
Feather Mountain have taken another step up with A Liminal Step. They are blending and mixing styles immaculately, balancing walls of emotion with musical prowess, and composing songs with highly effective structures. I’ve always liked them, but after this album, this is the first time I’m extremely excited to see where they go next.
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