For those who don’t know, Evergrey is one of those good yet not “famous” Prog bands that have a good career and a unique style. “Hymns for the Broken” is their 9th release and a cool modern take on the “standard” Evergrey sound. Expect great riffs, cool symphonic parts (of course with piano) and the trademark vocals of frontman Tom S. Englund (who happens to be a kickass guitarist)! This is Evergrey’s comeback!
For fans of: Symphonic Prog, Swedish Metal.
The Contortionist – Language
Recommended tracks: Language I: Intuition.
Here’s a cool new find for you Prog/Experimental fans. Cynic fans will love this album, the vocals are chill, the music itself is very fresh sounding with focus on harmony, melody and song composing! Heavy Metal fans keep out, this is for patient music listeners who enjoy moods, ambient/atmospheric and amazing buildups.
“Language” could be a contender for my top releases of 2014.
Falloch hails from the numinous highlands of Scotland, a nation that has recently given birth to several seriously talented atmospheric folk and black metal bands such as Saor (previously Arsaidh) and Alestorm (some interesting Pirate Metal).
On September 22, 2014 “This Island, Our Future” became Falloch’s second studio release, a naturally flowing continuation of their debut album “Where Distant Spirits Remain” in 2011.
Through ‘This Island, Our Future” Falloch deliver a strikingly melancholic and gloomy ode to their Scottish heritage, representing ancient themes lyrically as well as weaving them in atmospherically. Every single one of the seven tracks on this album is tragically beautiful with its slow tempo lulling you along, begging you to wander through the distant landscapes of your mind. There are several moments where Falloch use acoustic guitars that serve to create a particularly dark folksy soundscape and when coupled with distorted echoes of electric guitars in the background, an occasional hint of piano, and Tony Dunn’s yearning vocals it all meddles together to create an intensely emotional/reflexive atmosphere that gives the album a distinct feel that not many bands can successfully pull off. This album will definitely be getting a lot of use out of me and will be a delightfully good companion on those fast approaching rainy winter nights.
