8 Highlights, 80(!) Releases for the last Release Week of August 2023!

I’m a sucker for fretless bass tones! Psychedelic electronic vibes? Sure why not, when in the right mood, absolutely! Was I expecting the surprise solo debut album from Evergrey low-ender Johan Niemann to sound exactly like that? Not at all! But I’m vibing so hard with the Tony Levin meets Ozric Tentacles meets Psychotic Waltz’s electronic Dark Millennium bits on “Karnivore”! And so should you! Dario

2021’s “The Turning Wheel” by Californian experimental art pop sensation SPELLLING aka Chrystia “Tia” Cabral was a true revelation, so the prospect of an album that would feature new arrangements of songs from all of her releases so far, newly recorded together with the musicians of her live band, sounded very intriguing to say the least. “SPELLLING & The Mystery School” delivers on all fronts, with Tia’s spellbinding vocals still front and center, but the intricate arrangements and masterful songwriting both contribute immensely to the triumphant sonic success of the album. So if you can get excited at the prospect of an album full of heartfelt, real experimental chamber art pop, there’s absolutely no way around “SPELLLING & The Mystery School” this year! Dario

Launched in 2015 as a solo project from guitarist Michael Ball, San Francisco based cosmic extreme prog outfit Tegmentum has since evolved into a full fledged band, one might even say supergroup with members also active in bands like Dawn of Ouroboros, Narcotic Wasteland or Fallujah. While technically not the Tegmentum debut, “Evolvement” surely is the debut as a band effort and it shows on all levels be it songwriting, performance or production. Stuff like a jazzy trumpet solo in ‘I Remain’ or a guest appearance of covet mastermind Yvette Young on violin in ‘Accolades’ are the icing on the cake of an engaging listen and strong first band outing. Put Tegmentum on your radar if you like your deathcore proggy and your prog metal extreme! Dario

I still remember that WOW! moment when I came across Noveria’s mighty song ‘Broken’ back in 2019, and their third album “Aequilibrium” easily ended up in my Top 3 that year. Now the Italian powermetal band open “The Gates of the Underworld” for us, lyrically getting on a very personal level with each song including real life stories from the band and their fans.

Their music clearly deserves the tag “power” in the description: The drums play along fast and pushing, supported by the bass with a rather hard-hitting, dry sound. Guitar and keyboards add their parts in best powermetal manner to build up marvelous harmonic layers, but also offer incredible, virtuosic solos, naturally woven into the overall context. The vocals impress with a great performance and wide range, laying wonderful melody lines over the mighty soundscapes. The songs that stand out for me are ‘Overlord’ (earworm warning), ‘Origins’, and the epic title track.

If you’re new to the Noveria party, there are surely some of the earlier mentioned WOW! moments waiting for you. In case you’re already familiar with their previous work, you’ll quickly recognize melody patterns and stylistic elements. Nevertheless, this album has the potential to grow, and after having spent several days within “The Gates of the Underworld”, I’m happy to report that they deliver another genre highlight. Welcome to step in! Katha

Almost 30 years into their career, French atmospheric avantgarde black metal occultists Blut Aus Nord are still conjuring up Lovecraftian abysses like no other on their 15th full length album “Disharmonium – Nahab”. Dissonant yet soothingly atmospheric, they have honed their craft to eerie perfection. For the younger generation: imagine the Mindflayer has taken over our world. And he has invited all of his friends from the Upside Down. And from other dark dimensions too. That’s how this album sounds. And it’s almost impossible to withstand its maelstrom-like undertow. The darkness is beckoning. And its call is irresistible. Dario

For anyone who was just overwhelmed by the 120 minutes of music on the latest album by the United Progressive Fraternity, or, to put it the other way around, for anyone who can’t get enough of this type of prog rock: Australia’s Unitopia are back after 11 years with a new album. “Seven Chambers”.  More of a band effort compared to the personnel that contributed to “Planetary Overload – Part 2: Hope” by the United Progressive Fraternity (40 musicians all in all), the core sextet of Unitopia knows exactly how to capture my undivided attention when they’re really progging out. While I have to admit that this type of prog is not exactly my favorite style, it does have its moments (see above) and I know there’s a lot of prog fans who’ve been waiting for this album for a long time, so I don’t see a reason why we shouldn’t count it among this week’s highlights. Dario

February 24, 2022. Ukrainian families suddenly fear for their lives as their houses are bombed, rockets explode around them and Russian tanks drive into their communities. It’s one of the darkest days in the history of Europe and the start of a devastating war that has already killed more than half a million people, leaving millions to mourn their loved ones. As I write this, atrocities are still being committed against innocent civilians every day and it looks like this nightmare will not be ending anytime soon.

The brutal invasion of Ukraine has also caused a shockwave of outrage in the rest of Europe, with many people willing to help and support the Ukrainian people in their dire circumstances. One of these people is Jerome Reuter, known for his neofolk project Rome. As a very productive man, Reuter has built a vast musical catalogue over the last two decades, with a strong focus on European culture and unity. So, when the war started, he immediately started supporting Ukraine by charity concerts and even risking his own life by being the first foreign artist to play in the war-torn country.

As a next step, Rome is now releasing its new album, called “Gates of Europe”, which is completely centered around the war. Starting with media samples from the day the invasion started, it paints a bleak picture of hopelessness, despair, anger and a faint glimmer of hope. Compared to its predecessor, “Hegemonikon”, which flirted with synthpop for a rather upbeat vibe, “Gates of Europe” is darker, more melancholic and firmly invested into Rome’s neofolk roots. The album marks the resilience of the Ukrainian people and is a fierce statement against violent oppression. Carried by Reuter’s deep, dark vocals, the songs are excellently crafted, delivering a deep sense of emotion. With its heavy theme, “Gates of Europe” may not be something to listen to every day, but it certainly is a beautiful piece of melancholy that resonates deeply into our hearts. Lykle

While we’re waiting for new music from the Paatos camp, one of Sweden’s most mesmerizing art rock bands that have been teasing their comeback for a couple of years now, here’s a cute little EP called “The Lost EP”,  released under the name Flicker and Fall. Music by ex-Paatos keyboardist Johan Wallén and Per Lindblom who invited the Paatos core duo of Petronella and Huxflux Nettermalm. New Paatos music is desperately needed and hopefully imminent, until then we can always revisit their flawless discography as well as this EP as a reminder of their collective excellence. Flicker and Fall is more in line with the more acoustic parts of their latest effort “V” (2012) than with expansive psychedelic post trip hop art rock masterpieces, something calm, small and humble in between all the grandiose stuff of big gestures and unrelenting riffage. Dario