The New Release Spotlight is a roundup of new and recently released albums.
Blood Incantation – Absolute Elsewhere (October 4th, 2024)
American death metal band Blood Incantation has been around since 2011 yet somehow have managed to make some waves in the prog arena with their latest release Absolute Elsewhere. The 45-minute album is essentially 2 long songs, The Stargate and The Message, each divided into 3 parts. The result is unlike anything you’re likely to hear elsewhere. The band combines their extreme brand of metal with all of the 70s prog tropes and does it convincingly, so much so that many prog sites, including this one, have started to pay attention. For many proggers, the vocals might be too much, but there is no denying some of the musical passages are outstanding. One minute is super heavy, the next minute psychedelic. You can hear Pink Floyd all over this, like in The Message (Table II), which sounds like it is coming straight from Animals. This leads right into The Message (Tablet III) which kicks off with some of the most brutal metal you could hear. It’s quite a dynamic they have created here. Is it for you, well, check it out and decide for yourself.
Order here: https://bloodincantation.bandcamp.com/album/absolute-elsewhere
Tracks Listing
1.The Stargate [Tablet I] 08:20
2.The Stargate [Tablet II] 05:08
3.The Stargate [Tablet III] 06:50
4.The Message [Tablet I] 05:56
5.The Message [Tablet II] 05:58
6.The Message [Tablet III] 11:27
Paul Riedl – guitars, Vvcals
Isaac Faulk – drums
Morris Kolontyrsky – guitars
Jeff Barrett – fretless bass
Kite Parade – Disparity (October 4th, 2024)
Last we saw Kite Parade and the mastermind behind it Andy Foster, he was releasing the surprisingly brilliant Retro, one of our favorite albums from a couple of years ago. He is back with the 3rd Kite Parade album Disparity. This time around he has mixed things up. There is an overlying concept here about inequality and the tracks offer varying views of the economic spectrum. But musically is where things really are a bit different. Foster utilizes a few different lead vocalists, namely Christina Booth (Magenta) and Lynsey Ward (Exploring Birdsong). He also incorporates more versatility in the styles throughout the album. Where Retro was firmly in the 80s AOR Prog world, here Foster brings a bit more symphonic prog and even jazzy elements. The result is not as immediate as his previous albums but repeated listens bring more to offer each time and are worth the payoff.
Order here: https://kiteparade.bandcamp.com/album/disparity
Tracklisting
1.Fraternal Angels 05:29
2.Open Your Heart 01:36
3.Is This All There Is? 02:14
4.This World Is Mine 03:03
5.Broken 07:27
6.Forgotten Youth 05:13
7.Is There Hope? 04:02
8.Make It Beautiful 07:32
9.Listen To The Angels 03:38
Line-up / Musicians
Andy Foster / vocals, backing vocals, guitars, bass, saxophone, keyboards, keyboard programming
With:
Jimmy Pallagrosi / drums
Marcin Palider / bass
Christina Booth / vocals (3)
Lynsey Ward / vocals (5)
London Lawhon / backing vocals (1,4,8,9)
Krysta Staboulis / backing vocals (4)
Anthony Cooper / Hammond solo (4)
Ron Vint / congas, bongos (4)
Oddleaf – Where Ideal and Denial Collide (Oct. 11th, 2024)
Oddleaf is a new band from France. They have just released their debut album Where Ideal and Denial Collide. If you didn’t know any better, you would think you were transported to 1972. This is a pure classic 70s prog album with flutes, harps, strings, synths, and everything else that era represents. But it is done so rather brilliantly. Vocalist Adeline Gurtner has a beautiful voice and she carries the melodies along wonderfully, shining on tracks like “Ethereal Melodies.” This is followed by the 14-minute epic “Back in Time” which allows the band to stretch their musical chops. This is a very solid debut album. For any fans of other classic-sounding symphonic prog like Kaipa or Magenta, this is certainly a band you need to check out.
Order here: https://oddleaf.bandcamp.com/album/where-ideal-and-denial-collide
1.The Eternal Tree 02:06
2.Life 11:31
3.Ethereal Melodies 07:55
4.Back in Time 14:24
5.Prelude 01:04
6.Coexistence – Part I 11:20
7.Ethereal Melodies (Clip Edit) 07:35
Olivier Orlando / Bass, guitar, backing vocals
Carina Taurer / keys, backing vocals
Adeline Gurtner / Lead vocals
Mathieu Rossi / Flute, e-flute, backing vocals
Clément Curaudeau /Drums
