Progressive Metal Reviews
Although I have a somewhat conflicted relationship with the progressive metal genre, the bands that tackle the style well tend to do so exceptionally well. If you like your time signatures odd and often changing, your song structures unpredictable, your chords and harmonies sophisticated, and your songs long, make sure to check up on Kevy Metal’s progressive metal reviews from time to time. You can find all my progressive metal Album of the Week reviews right here.
However, I did not start properly tagging my reviews until a couple of years in. If you are looking for something that doesn’t show up, it might still be there. I recommend using the search bar at the bottom of the page if you are looking for something specific.
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Album of the Week 27-2022: Chun Qiu – Spring And Autumn
Folk metal theoretically is an interesting genre. Being European, however, the folk metal I am exposed to often consists of the lowest common denominators of both styles. For truly interesting folk metal, I have to look a little further from home. Chun Qiu hails from China and sadly only released…
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Album of the Week 24-2022: Dir En Grey – Phalaris
Usually, a Dir En Grey album is something to look forward to. However, with ‘The Insulated World’ being a borderline unlistenable barrage of noise that completely forsakes the band’s trademark dynamic songwriting, particularly during its first half, I was a bit apprehensive about ‘Phalaris’. Fortunately, ‘Phalaris’ puts Dir En Grey…
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Album of the Week 23-2022: Dream Theater – Falling Into Infinity
‘Falling Into Infinity’ is arguably Dream Theater’s most controversial album. Allegedly, Elektra Records demanded a more radio-friendly album. In all honesty, it is difficult to picture any mid-nineties radio station having most of the material on ‘Falling Into Infinity’ on heavy rotation, with all the odd meters on display. There…
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Album of the Week 06-2022: Voivod – Synchro Anarchy
Three albums into the rebirth of Voivod after the untimely death of Denis ‘Piggy’ D’Amour, it is safe to say that the band is truly in their prime. I honestly think their current work is every bit as good as the likes of ‘Dimension Hatröss’ and ‘Nothingface’ and the brand…
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Album of the Week 05-2022: Nevermore – The Obsidian Conspiracy
When Nevermore’s best albums are discussed, their swansong ‘The Obsidian Conspiracy’ almost never comes up. This may have something to do with their rather unceremonious split less than a year after its release, because of which the album was never properly promoted in some parts of the world. But while…
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Album of the Week 01-2022: Gonin-Ish – Shinin Sanka
Let’s start off the year with a challenge by reviewing an album which I really like, but is a nightmare to describe. Even by Japanese standards, Gonin-Ish is a strange band. Comparisons can be drawn to the likes of Sigh, but despite Anoji Matsuoka’s occasionally harsh vocals, Gonin-Ish is not…
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Album of the Week 49-2021: Edu Falaschi – Vera Cruz
There is something ridiculously ambitious about ‘Vera Cruz’, the new solo album by former Angra singer Edu Falaschi. For starters, it is a concept album and despite the story being fictional, quite a bit of research has been done to make sure the circumstances are historically correct. Musically, ‘Vera Cruz’…
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Album of the Week 40-2021: Enslaved – Utgard
Enslaved is one of the most interesting bands in the contemporary landscape of extreme and progressive metal. And yet, my interest in them waned a little when keyboard player Herbrand Larsen left the band five years ago. His warm, soothing voice was an important part of what made their latter…
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Album of the Week 28-2021: Rakshasa – Hyakka Sousei
Rakshasa came to my attention while searching for bands that sound like Onmyo-za. They don’t really; both bands have an approach that combines heavy metal with traditional Japanese elements in their sound and aesthetics, as well as an emphasis on female vocals – pretty much exclusively in Rakshasa’s case –…
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