Issue 2025-016
Aoidos — Oizys
Aoidos come to the world from Portugal, and with them comes their own unique brand of blackened death metal, mixed with a healthy dose of prog, groove and Greek mythology to boot. Starting back in 2019, they have released four singles and a live album before completing their debut studio album Oizys, which dropped at the end of 2024.
After a short clean intro, we are introduced to some blistering riffs and intense musicianship. Thrall is a grand piece of blackened death metal, and sets the tone for subsequent tracks. Tremolos, thick rhythms and a meaty bass help to create a solid and ever present sense of the music. Going through heavy chugs and emotive and rapid passages, the songs showcase a strong understanding of blackened death and give a sometimes evil, sometimes despairing, always heavy atmosphere.
However, it feels at times more like an homage to old school black metal, rather than something exciting and new. It is well produced and written, and the songs are all of good quality. But it is missing something to make it stand out from all the other Mayhem tributes out there. I hear a group who know where they want to go, but are still focusing on who they look up to rather than their own talents (and there is definitely talent here). Considering it is the debut album, this maybe is not surprising.
I'd say to them to keep at it, there isn't anything wrong with this album at all. It is heavier, dark, foreboding and raw without sounding cheesy and badly made. There is absolutely potential for the follow-up to be a crushing piece of blackened death brilliance.
I'd recommend for fans of Mayhem, Immortal, Belzebubs and other such similar acts.
The Aurora Project — EVOS12
It would still be an over-exaggeration to say that the album format in music industry is dead, but, no doubt, along with the flow of time, more and more musicians tend to experiment with the way they release new music. The relatively new fashion emerging to attention is to release a miniseries of EPs instead of an album or a dilogy with a time gap between the two parts. As a proghead, I unreservedly support such experiments, as an occasional reviewer I am once in a while left in a dire condition of having to review a piece of puzzle instead of a coherent picture. These were precisely my feelings when I figured out the concept behind the new Aurora Project release.
A historic note first: The Aurora Project is a band which plays truly great music and relaxedly sits in my Top 10 of this century's Dutch musicians, if not Top 5. The brand of neo-prog that they master is heavy, atmospheric, utterly melodic and deeply rooted in storytelling. Think of Riverside trying to make a concept album in the vein of Ayreon and you more or less grasp the essence. Whereas Riverside's songs are emotional in an introspective way, The Aurora Project is equally emotional in its narrative and lore. Lyrics poignantly deal with near future strives, catastrophes and grim prognoses of mankind's decline because of mutual hatred, digitalization and ecological problems. Not the most original focus, but believe me, The Aurora Project can paint you a vivid picture or two with their music. The band has been lamentably silent since the release of World of Grey in 2016 (see Edwin's review to which I have zero to add), and I was absolutely happy to know they are back., ).
Indeed, in the line of their own sci-fi inspirations, it seems like the team has been well-kept in cryogenic cells, and today they hit straight from where they ended nine years ago. While the opener Slave City is a bit chaotic and mostly focused on delivering the story setting to the listener, The Movement with its funky licks and groovy rhythm features a better balance between rock-opera lyrics and a structured song. It reminds me a bit of Sylvan in the middle of their career.
The 11-minutes centerpiece Have Some Tea starting with a sublime pop rock swing, shifts to a dramatic build-up which surprisingly comes to a serene Floyd-ian ambient plateau, and only once it's over the composition jumps to heavier muted riffs and soaring soloing. The Traveller continues the thread with atmospheric neo-prog evoking RPWL, and is probably the most structured, integral composition on EVOS12. And for those who grew sick of “integral compositions” long ago, the band offers Freedom Of Thoughts, a vast, breathing track, slowly rising from calmness to emotional climax. The slow headbanging groove of its finale will leave more than one proghead in a sense of awe.
To sum up the impression, while the music is very much to my personal liking, I still perceive EVOS12 as the "side one" of a larger long-play, as “heads” without the “tails”. A listener is left half-way through the story, with a sort of cliffhanger of a last track. If a pinch of criticism is appropriate, unlike the previous albums, this one at times takes too many directions at one time, losing a sense of wholesomeness. If you're new to the band run and check their previous releases first. As soon as the second part is released, I feel myself obliged to revisit and revise EVOS12
Black Aleph — Apsides
Discovering Apsides, the debut album from Australian band Black Aleph, was an interesting experience. Right from the first listen, it felt different—familiar in its post-metal weight yet fresh with its hypnotic Middle Eastern influences. There's something deeply immersive about it, as if the music is pulling you into a world of ancient rituals wrapped in layers of distortion and atmosphere.
What stands out the most is the way Black Aleph merges heavy, brooding metal with sounds that I feel almost spiritual. The use of the Iranian daf drum gives the rhythms an organic and primal energy, making the music feel alive rather than just heavy. I didn't know this instrument but in fact its sound clearly resonates with South and Central Asia popular music and classic music. The cello also adds a haunting, emotional depth that elevates the compositions beyond just riffs and percussion.
Tracks like Ambit I (Ascension) immediately set the mood with droning, meditative melodies, while Occultation builds tension beautifully, mixing aggression with an almost cinematic style. But one thing is clear, this is not an album you can just listen at any time or while doing some other things. Apsides is not casual background music; it demands attention and a certain state of mind. This is the kind of album best experienced alone, maybe at night, or in moments of deep thought. Its weight and intensity don't make it an easy listen, and to be honest, I found it difficult to fully connect with at times. The album creates a strong atmosphere, but it doesn't always catch my attention in the way I hoped.
The biggest issue for me is that, at around 30 minutes, Apsides feels like it never fully reaches its potential. Some ideas could have been explored further, giving the songs more room to evolve and grow. While the compositions are well crafted, they sometimes feel like they end just as they are starting to build something truly powerful, in the vein of the best post-rock bands.
As a debut, Apsides is still a solid effort. Black Aleph has a unique approach, blending different influences in a way that makes them stand out. But while I admire the concept, the execution didn't satisfy me. There's plenty of potential here, and I'd be curious to see how they develop their sound in future releases. With more refinement and a stronger sense of direction, I think, and I hope, they can create something much better. For now, Apsides is an intriguing but somewhat uneven debut album. It's an interesting listen, but not one I'll be returning to often.
Kyros — Fear & Love
Kyros emerged as Synaesthesia back in 2012, and after a few line up changes and tours, settled on the new name of Kyros a few months after opening for Marillion in America. The first album under the new name came in 2016, with several other albums and Eps coming after, The most recent, Fear & Love, dropped at the end of November 2024.
The EP consists of only two tracks, the title and Duchess Desire - one from the Mannequin era (their 2024 album), and then followed by the same ones but instrumental.
So we start with Fear & Love. Sounding somewhere between synth-pop and old school prog, but “chunkier” and heavier. There is a nice blend of 80s pop ideals, providing a catchy and grooving atmosphere, and the modern prog metal guitar chugs. Many have compared them to Duran Duran mixed with groups like Vola, and I have to say I agree.
10-minute epic Duchess Desire comes next. Reminding me a bit of a more pop oriented Gary Numan (compared to the more industrial style he favours in modern iterations). This track goes through a number of changes in pace and style, with the later half sounding quite similar to the sound of recent Ayreon works. Rising and falling, with emotive vocals flowing over intricate bass work and keyboard solos.
It is quite an enjoyable mini EP, and one I am glad to have come across. Fun, catchy, entertaining and with a lot of groove and funk to it. Definitely one for fans of synth-pop like Duran Duran or Depeche Mode, but like it with some heavier chugs to it. Fans of modern prog like Ayreon, or Kamelot and Riverside would probably enjoy this too.
Peter Lawson — The Witchfinder
Peter Lawson is a new name to DPRP.net, as is the duo he is part of called Venus Loon. Together, there have been 10 albums under these monikers since 2021 already. But his musical history already started in 1970! Time we got to know his music.
The Witchfinder is a mostly instrumental album in a style that will not surprise a lot, but has some interesting rare features. To start with the reference that stayed with me every time I heard the album: Nash The Slash. Nash was part of Canadian electronic prog band FM for a while but made a lot of solo albums that featured mainly mandolin (never guitar!) and keyboards. The way Lawson uses the keys and mandolin and several of the arrangements just remind me of Nash's sound quite a bit. I've not come across an album that reminded me of Nash this much.
But it's not all that. There is a strong folk influence in the music, fitting the mediaeval story of the witch finder. Folky melodies on acoustic guitar open the album. Lawson builds a gloomy atmosphere, unsettling and dark. The music overall is interesting. A lot of diversity in the compositions, with the style being on the darker side of prog rock. And I like the darker side in music.
Lawson plays guitars, mandolin, keyboards and bass. There are no credits for drums, and his drumming partner in Venus Loon would have been credited. This is marked as a solo album, so I assume the drums are programmed. I often have a problem with programmed drums and although it didn't annoy me on this album, the drums were also not very present, like forgetting an ingredient of the recipe.
Doing everything alone means the creative mind is alone without bouncing ideas off other creative energy. A lot of the music is building the atmosphere and telling the story, which works. But listening to the album as a piece of music, I am missing some power that the more rocking parts are trying to fill.
The track 1542 for example has several sections in different styles that do not really flow but in a stop/start kind of way are just patched together. I love the crunchy guitar riffs and the beautiful melodies on keyboards, or the nasty solo on electric guitar. But it does not feel as a unit. The busier sections have sparse and simple drumming, offering a rather bland background to some excellent melodies.
Steven Wilson — The Overview
Steven Wilson's The Overview is being touted as his return to progressive rock. Though it is fair to say that he never left the genre, even the structure of this release is quintessentially prog. A concept album with two side long pieces, it is based on the infinity of space and the profound impact felt by astronauts that experienced it. It is a theme tailor-made for this genre. The template used here may not be revolutionary, but the substance of the end result continues Wilson's streak of innovative and challenging releases.
With the space theme in focus, there is a sparseness to much of this work that allows for airy vocals, sweeping electronics and Fripp/Eno like guitar flourishes. One of which, at the end of Objects Outlive Us, is memorably blistering. Wilson's admiration for Pink Floyd is certainly evident and there are moments that harken back to early Porcupine Tree releases such as 'The Sky Moves Sideways'. Essential with any long form material, the musical flow of this album is impeccable. Though musically diverse, there is a consistent tone that is appropriate to the conceptual theme.
Though this is significantly a solo work, Wilson's musical stalwarts Adam Holzman, Randy McStine and Craig Blundell are spotlighted in highlight instrumental moments. Also, XTC's Andy Partridge provides lyrics on Objects:Meanwhile, which adds an alternate dynamic to the narrative. Steven's recent penchant for including spoken word segments continues. This time in the form of his wife Rotem rendering numbers associated with space over an electronic seascape.
Like much of his recent work, this album is likely to thrill some fans while alienating others. Though certainly more traditionally progressive, it feels like a logical companion to 2023's Harmony Codex. If you vehemently bemoan Wilson's departure from the guitar-heavy rock of later Porcupine Tree, this might not be your cup of tea. That said, The Overview is an album that could have only been made by Steven Wilson. His musical approach is embedded in every note as is his drive to be multidimensional and experimental. Isn't that in itself a textbook definition of progression? Never predictable, this is another highly entertaining release from one of the top names in progressive music.