I think this album might be a unicorn, but I'm gonna put this out there anyway. Please suggest more prog/avant black metal that is this good. I've done a few cursory google searches, but the only thing I've found that even comes close is The Sham Mirrors by Arcturus. Maybe Beneath the Lights by Enslaved too.

IS is just such a masterpiece. I love the keyboards, the clear but muddy sound, the guitar work. It's just so god damned good. Please give me some more good albums to check out in the same general space.

My love for progmetal, djent, and related genres has recently been rekindled by an appreciation of the depth, complexity, and even runtimes of progmetal pieces in a world where most music made today (more generally) consists of relatively simple 1.5 minutes long tracks.

I'm out of the loop. I've kept up with Periphery over the years (listened to them in highschool) and not much else. I recently saw Animals as Leaders, Devin Townsend, and Dream Theater live and had a good time.

Bands I've been listening to:

• Periphery
• Erra
• Animals as Leaders
• TesseracT
• Devin Townsend

What else should I be listening to? What should I know about progmetal; both historically and today? What shows have you been to, which were your favorite? Just a general thread about a genre I've rediscovered.

Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/album/snowblood/1525855907?i=1525855910
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/album/393HU6oEXQybzous3p0NC5
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruGgo1MkUj8

New track from one of the pioneers of progressive metalcore, Erra. The band is known for its crunching hardcore riffs combined with singer/songwriter Jesse Cash's technically impressive lead guitar work that feels more like traditional metal. The band has been often praised for great live performances and song writing, but many feel they haven't had the best engineering and mixing in their recordings.

Snowblood is their first album with new label UNFD and it seems to have unlocked the last piece of the puzzle, in my opinion. This track feels grand and open in a way Erra hasn't yet in studio. Drums feel like they are failing from the sky, JT Carvey's snarling unclean vox punch through the insanely busy guitar and bass lines. Cash's vocals still feel a little thin, in my opinion, but they seem free of over digitization, which is an OK trade off.

Apple Music
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Spotify

Progressive metalcore outfit Silent Planet has finally released their third studio outing after teasing with almost half a dozen singles released. Like their previous efforts, the album is drenched pathos.

Garrett Russell's lyrics continue to impress and be the thing that truly sets Silent Planet apart from other heavy rock outfits on the scene right now. His employment of footnotes in his lyrics to help the listener know his purpose in word choice has become a hallmark of the band's output. But while Russell's lyrics have always been good, When the End Began marks a new level in his delivery. His guttural lows are booming and intense in songs like Northern Fires, while his understanding of timing and beat helps punctuate his words much better than he's ever done before, really shown off on Share the Body. Not to be content with that, he even attempts some clean vocals on the albums with a fair amount of success.

This is all complimented by guitarist Mitch Stark's djenty riffs on the guitar. While Silent Planet has been known for their emotional aesthetic, Stark sneaks in a bit of catchy riffs in tracks like Firstborn. Planet has always straddled the line between ambient and heavy, and they continue to in When the End Began, as guitars will effortlessly switch from chunky riffs to fleeting noises.

If there is a better heavy rock album coming out this year, I'd like to hear it, because I honestly want the feeling of being blown away that When the End Began gave me a second time.

New release today, Erra's Neon.

Apple Music
Spotify
YouTube

Currently the number one metal album on iTunes' chart, Erra's Neon is the latest release from the underground metalcore act. While they've attracted a cult following, Erra rarely gets headlining tours. Neon is their newest attempt at reaching the next step.

My personal opinion is that this is the perfection of the sound the band switched to with their last release, Drift. Just as atmospheric, with little less of the chug-chug-chug of most metalcore outfits, Erra may have finally found out how to make what some call "progressive metalcore" a bit more accessible. I personally enjoy how present the bass is in the mix. Metal and hardcore both seem to forget about the instrument and put it low in the mix as an after thought. The clean vocals have always been reminiscent of post-hardcore's darling Anthony Green, and Neon is no different.

It's a little bit of a shame that we have to wait until track three to really hear some of the noodling guitar solos they are known for. In a genre more punctuated by breakdowns, Erra is a breath of fresh air when it comes to lead guitar work. But when it does happen, it is up to the standard they've put out for themselves. They seemed to have moved even further away from the djent sound of their earlier work here. I don't mind that, even if I do like djenty sounds, as I think this crisper sound is better overall for Erra. While the uncleans do hit like a truck on first listen, they stay in a mid-range throughout most of the album and it would have been nice to see them go low, as JT has been known to do live.

Overall, I gotta say this is one my favorite albums of the year so far. Every song slaps a bit, gets the head bopping along at the very least.