Although billed as a prog metal band, Greece’s Fragment Soul are a world away from the genre’s typical Dream Theater and Threshold wannabes. On their 2024 EP ‘Galois Paradox’ they share a metal based sound that’s atmospheric and gloomy; a sound that shares parallels with a few of prog metal’s moodier traits, but at the same time, dares to be quite different. Although the release is short at just twenty seven minutes, the material still finds time to focus on various themes that link the tracks together as a whole: hope, love, loss, and “the chaos of thought” – although in this case, the shared concepts do not necessarily make this an obvious “concept” piece with a narrative flow. The songs can be enjoyed individually, and in some ways, are actually better when approached in such a way.
Tag Archives: prog metal
HOLLOWKIN – Confessions & Failures EP
A new arrival on the metal scene in 2023, Bath based HollowKin have a sound that doesn’t pull any punches. They’re an impressively heavy unit, but unlike some of their would-be peers, they’re not just content with exploring a perfect metalcore sound, or driving forth with a world of thrash riffs which pay homage to their heroes and influences. The five tracks which make up their 2024 debut draw from a broad array of metallic fare, taking in intensive prog metal, groove metal and a pinch of doom and hardcore, along with a whole world of metalcore, creating something that’s sometimes familiar, but always without compromise.
Watch: Skye unveil new video for ‘Last Memory’
In 2022, British metal act Skye released their ‘Foundations’ EP, which shared three contemporary sounding tracks, blending a pleasingly heavy tone with a melodic core that advertised them as the kind of band who’d have a crossover appeal.
PARADIS – Paradis EP
Metalcore outfit Paradis pull no punches on their self-titled debut EP. From about thirty seconds into the opening number ‘Boneyard’, the London based band truly go for the throat in terms of riffs. Following a lengthy synth based intro, the number crashes into a heavy groove where the rhythms mix metalcore anger with the kind of complexity you’d expect to hear from a prog metal band like Periphery, combined with the dirty guitar tones to match.
AVNEYA – Road To I
As guitarist and vocalist with progressive metal band Obsidian Tide, Oz Avneya is no stranger to crushing riffs and complex time signatures, but on his solo debut ‘Road To I’, the Israeli musician stretches his musical boundaries just a little further. The occasional nods to melodic death metal within his band’s work sometimes take a bigger role here, but to balance out any pure aggression, this album also explores a couple of far more interesting musical avenues. When not cranking the riffs, Avneya can be found teasing the listener with elements of world music, and there’s also a much bigger concession to melodic prog.