Born during the “lockdown era”, London’s Perpetual Paradox are a band who instinctively know their way around a heavy riff. Blending metalcore, prog metal, groove metal and thrash, their core sound lurches between different styles of extreme heaviness – often within the same song – but as demonstrated throughout ‘Deathwish’, the first Perpetual Paradox full length, following a couple of EP releases, their complex sound really works for them. The musicians are insanely tight players; so tight that it doesn’t really matter that there are points where the listener might find themselves playing “spot the influence”. The end results are rarely less than stunning.
Tag Archives: progressive metal
HOPE IS A LIE – Hope Is A Lie
By naming their band Hope Is A Lie, there’s no disguising the fact that this Finnish trio veer towards the darker side of the musical spectrum. That said, this self-titled debut isn’t your run of the mill doom fest. Its best material takes a world of heavy riffs and works them in a slow, but prog-infused manner, creating a more cerebral brand of post metal. The core sound is less Sabbath and Sleep, and more in keeping with a slower and heavier Haven, without the scratchy vocals and with an obviously Scandinavian flair.
Watch: HollowKin release new video for ‘Leech’
A new arrival on the metal scene in 2023, Bath based metalcore act HollowKin’s have a sound that doesn’t pull any punches, and their current track ‘Leech’ finds them applying a very aggressive sound to an interesting, complex arrangement which pushes their chosen genre forward.
LOWER 13 – Deception EP
By mixing elements of thrash and prog metal, Lower 13 have always taken a more interesting approach to constructing huge riffs than a lot of bands, but on their ‘Deception’ EP, their aggressive style takes a giant leap forward.
Watch the new video from Vertex
French band Vertex have often been reliable when it comes to a heavy riff, but their current single ‘Leviathan’ really raises the bar in terms of a brilliantly intense sound.