Three EPs that will make your jaw drop!

Instrumental Prog fusion #1: Scottish guitar prodigy Liam McLaughlin aka Loam, whom some modern prog metal experts might remember from Orynthia’s stellar 2017 EP “Immersed in Lucidity”, as second guitarist for the Sithu Aye live band or more recently from his appearance with iamthemorning and Mariana Semkina at Prognosis NL and UK, just dropped his debut solo EP “Featherbrained”, and the music you’ll find thereon is neither the modern hybrid prog metal that Orynthia played nor the semi-acoustic chamber folk prog of iamthemorning. Sithu Aye’s modern djent fusion prog style might come closest out of these three, including influences from gaming music and playful electronic bits, however there’s barely any metal guitar sounds (or djent for that matter) on “Featherbrained”. It’s 21 and a half minutes, 5 songs of non-stop feelgood music, with a huge emphasis on jazz and fusion influences. Now whether you’re gonna listen in awe at all the flawless performances from Loam himself, but also drummers Clark McMenemy (Ihlo) & Andrew Scott (Leviathan Owl), keyboard/synth guests Rohan Sharma (RO1) & Lucas de la Rosa (Archætype), guitar guests Sithu Aye & Scias and more, or you’re just gonna bob along to the infectious melodies with a bright grin – or both – is up to you of course. As long as you listen to “Featherbrained”. Like right now. Do it! I mean it! Dario

Instrumental Prog fusion #2: turning up both the jazz and the metal factor by a good measure is this next EP from Turin based trio Asymmetric Universe. “The Sun Would Disappear As I Imagined The Stars” is 30 minutes of pure musical ecstasy for anyone susceptible to the wonders of jazz and fusion. If you were still grinning from ear to ear courtesy of Loam, your jaw is bound to drop below floor level within the first few bars of the opening track ‘Extrospection’, right after the soothing piano intro. Brothers Federico and Nicolò Vese on guitars and bass respectively together with drummer Gabriele Bullita are joined by a real string quartet plus trumpet and saxophone on occasion and the EP just keeps on giving musical perfection throughout its entire runtime of 30 and a half minutes. And if there’s any righteousness beneath this proggy sun, these three masters should dominate the 2023 The Progspace Awards performance categories together with Loam and The Resonance Project. Unless The Aristocrats decide to release something quickly before the end of the year, but I guess they’re too busy touring the world (which is also a great thing of course)… Dario

Ok, that’s it. I quit. Or rather: any band or artist who planned to release another EP this year: don’t do it. The top three best EPs of the year have been released this week, on April 28. There, I said it. Add to that Exploring Birdsong, A.C.T, Ihsahn, Poh Hock & BRUIT ≤, the Top 8 EPs of 2023 have been set pretty much in stone here and now. Oh, what’s that eighth EP you ask? It’s called “Shambhallic Vibrations” and it’s the debut EP of Lunar Chamber, a brand new Extreme Prog trio that apparently features two members of Tomarúm, who released the Album of the Year 2022,  at least according to my esteemed RotW-Colleague & Ashbreather drummer Colin MacAndrew. While I have to admit that Tomarúm’s debut “Ash In Realms of Stone Icons” didn’t manage to fully convert me to their cause, “Shambhallic Vibrations” sounds nothing short of a revelation to these ears. Halfway between The Artisan Era’s usual almost clinic perfection and I, Voidhanger’s more raw extreme avant-garde underground, with Cynic’s feel for mysticism and an aura of esoteric, umm vibrations, these ”Shambhallic Vibrations” are released through 20 Buck Spin and I have to say the Pittsburgh based label had their bucks right on the money. Hold on, I’m gonna give it another spin and vibrate some more. And so should you. Dario