What a surprising evolution… Prior to ‘A Swan By The Edge Of Mandala’, Vorbid made a combination of thrash metal riffs and distinct progressive compositions that made me see them as part of the same scene as all those proggy thrash bands whose name start with a V. You know the drill: Voivod, Vektor, Vexovoid. This new album by the Norwegians just shows they have developed so much that they are truly in a league of their own. While there are familiar elements, Vorbid set out to do something original on ‘A Swan By The Edge Of Mandala’. What’s more impressive is that they actually succeeded.

‘A Swan By The Edge Of Mandala’ sounds like Vektor and Porcupine Tree had a baby that was partly raised by prog era Enslaved. The clean vocals by lead guitarist Daniel Emanuelsen in particular have a lot in common with Steven Wilson and Herbrand Larsen, while rhythm guitarist Michael Briggs went from a high-pitched screech to something more typical of extreme metal. The guitar riffs are still rooted in thrash with plenty of cool harmonies, but they are far more avant-garde and unpredictable this time around. Sonically, they cover all ground between squeakily clean and a grainy distortion, while there are hints of Opeth in the rhythms and chord voicings.

It is truly difficult to describe in words just how unique this mix of influences sounds. Frustrating as it is for me as a music journalist, simply describing ‘A Swan By The Edge Of Mandala’ cannot do it enough justice. What I do know is that once I heard ‘Ex Ante’ develop from an atmospheric progressive rock track to a monstrous prog metal epic with fantastic lead guitar work, I could not get enough of it. Rarely have I heard the adventurous compositions of seventies progressive rock, the arrangements of modern prog and the intensity of thrash metal combined in such a satisfying manner. If ever.

Stylistically, the album runs the gamut between more direct songs focusing on how many dynamics can be squeezed out of a bunch of strong riffs with unpredictable rhythms (‘By The Edge Of Mandala’, ‘Union’, ‘Derealization’) to elaborate prog epics that move from tranquil to intense with ease (‘Paradigm’, the excellent opener ‘Ecotone’, the aforementioned ‘Ex Ante’). It is admirable how drummer Marcus Gullovsen can handle all extremes with ease. A fast double-bass roll sounds just as effective as a subtle part with well-placed ghost notes and his drum sound is surprisingly natural for metal as technical as this.

If I have any complaints about ‘A Swan By The Edge Of Mandala’, it would be that it deserved a more climactic ending. Closing track ‘Self’ is excellent, its seventies Genesis middle section even one of the best moments on the album, but the final minute and a half appears to build towards something that doesn’t come. However, that is a minor complaint about what is truly a fantastic album. Anyone into both progressive rock and thrash metal should give the album a shot. Open-minded fans of progressive death metal will likely enjoy this as well. Probably the most pleasant surprise of the year as far as metal goes.

Recommended tracks: ‘Ex Ante’, ‘Ecotone’, ‘Self’, ‘Derealization’