Subterranean Masquerade - The Great Bazaar (2015)

Relive the Feeling, Welcome to This Reanimated Masquerade:

During my progressive rock/metal phase back in 2006-07 I came across Subterranean Masquerade's debut full-length Suspended Animation Dreams and

as soon as I gave it a spin I knew it was definitely not your run-of-the-mill prog-metal album because this thing doesn't let technical gibberish take hold of the songwriting. Yes, that's the key aspect of Subterranean Masquerade and that's why I love them to this day when my taste hardly runs parallel with contemporary prog-metal, well, at least what's in the bigger picture anyway.

For those who aren't acquainted with the background of this supergroup, it's the brainchild of Israel-based multi-instrumentalist Tomer Pink and Paul Kuhr (Novembers Doom) is also a principal member as he's been lending his voice since the inception of their first recording Temporary Psychotic State. Although Kjetil Nordhus (Green Carnation) has taken over most of the clean vocal duties this time around Paul is still available to provide his adept death-growls and also some clean parts during the harmonized sections.

The middle-eastern salvo of the opener "Early Morning Mantra" is just a glimpse of what's ahead in this sublime excursion to The Great Bazaar. By the time you reach the jazzy climax of the track after a palette of tastefully incorporated styles you'll realize that it's every bit of worth the ten years wait. Next in line, "Reliving the Feeling" drips with catchy tempos and invigorating grooves which leads to the wah-laden bridge and peaks with an orgasmic outro. The bittersweet melancholy of "Blanket of Longing" sharply contrasts with the overall uplifting vibe of the first-half. The oriental panache and the heavier metallic edge returns with the penultimate track "Specter". The grand closure "Father

and Son" (featuring guest vocals from Orphaned Land frontman Kobi Farhi)  reinstates the fact that Sub-Masq is back with a major statement.

The Great Bazaar is driven by free-flowing hooks and cohesive songwriting yet minutely complex enough for prog-rock/metal fans. From Rush, Genesis to King's X, Anathema and even Mastodon, each and every fan of the aforementioned acts will be highly satisfied with this record. And for me it's already a strong contender for album of the year category.

Rating - ★★★★1/2 (95% on Metal-Archives)

Opeth - Pale Communion (2014)

Eternal 70's Prog Homage Comes Forth:

When the much beloved Swedish progressive metal titans opted to discard their death metal roots for their tenth album Heritage as a fan of both the band and 70's prog rock music I was much curious to see how things will work out. It was definitely not an easy decision to make a sudden departure from their original much appreciated sound that has influenced a generation of underground metal bands. But I've always liked Opeth for their brazen creativity. Alas, it didn't click that well for Heritage as it did for Damnation.

While it wasn't something appaling it wasn't exactly decent either. The result was a set of folk-jazz-progressive rock fusion tunes which sounded rather 'dull' than 'innovative', a word much associated with the band prior to this album. While the band gained some new followers old fans were alienated regarding their opinion.

Pale Communion attempts to rectify the errors of its predecessor by making the sound much tight and balanced. The long time associate of the band and Mikael Akerfeldt's soulmate Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree, Blackfield) is back again for mixing duties and Travis Smith demonstrates a gorgeous piece of artwork yet again.

The record kicks-off with "Eternal Rains Will Come", with organs trembling all over, a few moments of acoustic calmness to slow things down, soon after the organs come pumping again leading to Akerfeldt, Akesson and Svalberg's multi-tracked vocal harmonies. The solo is quite well executed as well. "Cusp of Eternity" is full of melodrama with a cheesy chorus and blurry rhythm section. Also the solo is overdone like Steve Vai or Buckethead noodling and didn't seem to complement the song. "Moon Above, Sun Below" begins with a jazzy pace but all of a sudden gets surprisingly heavy with the burst of Blackwater Park territory riffing and even a glimpse of Akerfeldt's good ol' growl (although it sounds more like howling than growling) during "....They will eat from your head" but he holds back. Then it gradually delves into a progressive epic. Definitely the best song the band has churned out in recent years with a shade of old Opethian brilliance that we all love and crave.

The instrumental "Goblin" is a tribute to the namesake Italian prog rockers and it wouldn't seem out of place in their Roller record. The drumming of Axenrot and synth playing of Svalberg are clear highlights on this one. "River" is a catchy tune, while mostly acoustic ventures into heavier territory during

closing minutes. The album concludes with plodding, gentle and rather unexciting "Faith in Others" which harks back the dull moments of Heritage.

Pale Communion is certainly a step up from its predecessor but overall it doesn't sound 'innovative' and 'fresh' as words like these used to be synonymous with Opeth. While a much better homage to 70's prog rock than Heritage the basic body of work found here has been done before a million times by bands like Spock's Beard, King's X, Unitopia and Karmakanic. Buy it if you're a die-hard fan or for Travis Smith's brilliant artwork, otherwise download "Eternal Rains..", "Moon Above, Sun Below" and "River" from iTunes.

Rating - ★★★ (64% on Metal-Archives)