The Second-to-Last Releases of the Week 2021 for you!

Canadian prog sludge/death trio Ashbreather have been quite busy since the completion of their self-titled debut album that they were finally able to release last year. Two more full lengths fully composed, only waiting to be recorded, they decided to come up with three brand new songs for a little interim EP to mark the change to the new three-piece line-up with all of them sharing vocal duties after the departure of their lead vocalist. What started out as an experiment turned into a fully fledged 25-minute 3-track EP that sees Ashbreather explore and incorporate more diverse influences as ever before, a huge step-up both songwriting and production-wise. If this is any indication of the things to come, Ashbreather are poised for great things. Don’t miss out on our new Progtalks Episode with the whole band for a further glimpse into Ashbreather world! Dario

After premiering the last single leading up to shi album a week ago with us here at The Progspace, Connecticut based heavy proggers of Shagohod are finally presenting their second album, entitled “Tin, Gold, Lead & Blood”. As to be expected with a release that goes by that descriptive title, it’s a concept piece, “a narrative concept album that uses the backdrop of the American West to reflect on the empty promises offered by violence, as well as the personal and larger social circumstances that lead us to perpetuate it” according to the band. Musically, the leading duo of Dave Coffey and Drew Bligh are mixing heavy rock guitars with proggy elements, piano breakdowns and will even throw in some 8-bit for good measure! Conceptually, they are mixing deep and thoughtful narratives with some more light-hearted melodies, which makes for quite an interesting contrast. After many twists and turns, the final ‘Repeater (or For All Is Dark Where Thou Art Not)’ welcomes us with a familiar Verbal Delirium-esque beautiful sadness. This album definitely stands out among all those sleek-sounding djenty modern prog productions, as it has preserved a certain rawness to its sound, perfectly befitting the Western setting in which the story takes place. Highly recommended if you’re looking for something fresh and different, yet not too out there and avant-garde. Dario

One-Man Bands (or projects) are not entirely unheard of in the metal scene, especially when it comes to Black Metal. When it comes to “Bellum I” though, the sophomore full length of Australian project Aquilus, it almost beggars belief that all of this was perceived and recorded by just one guy (except for some percussion, violins, operatic vocals and flutes). But then again, this is so much more than ‘just’ some punkish garage black metal cassette release. And it is so much more than ‘just’ black metal. Dubbed as Atmospheric Metal on their Facebook page, the music of Aquilus is as much metal (black or otherwise) as it’s symphonic/orchestral, all the while staying clear of any standard cheesy symphonic metal tropes. Harmonically, it evokes the magic of early Opeth, or also Wilderun more lately (ok yeah, that type of cheese maybe here and there…). “Bellum I”, as the title suggests, is only the first part of this epic ‘war’, and as much as I’m a pacifist, this war is awesome and I can’t wait for it’s second installment! Dario

For a little counterpoint to all the extreme stuff that’s going on in my other highlighted selections this week, Bergen based Professor Tip-Top has just the right antidote: their seventh album, “Lanes of Time”. Dreamy, delicate, beautiful, slow-paced psychedelic/prog rock, drawing its influences directly from the 60s and 70s. The main of the longest track, ‘Isle of Sirens’ would certainly not sound so out of place on a new Opeth album, albeit with a much lighter feel overall of course. Mid-era Pink Floyd would be a better reference point overall though (“Dark Side of the Moon” anyone? Looking at you, first half of ‘Past Forever’). Hints of Paatos and Renaissance can be heard in ‘Shallow Shadow’, hinting at a wider array of influences than the coherent sound might suggest at first. In any case, this is a wonderful album and any fan of progressive rock should give it a listen. Dario