J-Man A Gem of Modern Prog Metal

Kingcrow is a band that has been around for quite a while, and it's really a shame I haven't discovered them until now. Phlegethon is their fourth album, and if this album is a judge of the quality of their back-catalog, I have a feeling I will be hunting for their first three albums very soon. Phlegethon is a very high-quality modern prog metal release with just about all the right ingredients to make a successful concept album. True, traditional prog metal concept albums have been done many times before, but Kingcrow manages to keep a fresh sound throughout all of Phlegethon. If you're a fan of progressive metal who's in search of a concept album that's not a carbon-copy of Scenes From a Memory, Phlegethon deserves to be in your collection.

Kingcrow has a pretty diverse sound, even though their sound is rooted in traditional progressive metal. I hear Queensrÿche, Fates Warning, and Pain of Salvation influences from the prog metal side of the coin, but there are also distinct Pink Floyd and Marillion influences in Kingcrow's music. Even though they are a prog metal band, there isn't a whole lot of technicality here. Don't expect many guitar and keyboard duals on Phlegethon. Songs like Lullaby for an Innocent are especially soft, and remind me of a Pain of Salvation ballad. There are some heavier tracks like Fading Out Pt. III, however, that give the album some good variation. Strict metalheads may not enjoy the ballads and softer parts of the album, but I personally really enjoy them. I find them to be really beautiful (for the most part), and it rarely enters a notable level of cheesiness.

The musicians in Kingcrow are very capable, and they've successfully proved that shredding isn't the only thing necessary to show your worth. Of all the musicians, I especially have to applaud lead singer Diego Marchesi. He really nails many different styles, and his sound is unique and enjoyable. All of the instrumentalists are highly talented as well.

The production is really good. It's very warm and atmospheric, which fits Kingcrow's sound perfectly.

Conclusion:

Phlegethon is a great album by Kingcrow. I really can't wait to hear more from this band! If you like progressive metal concept albums on the softer and more melodic side, I can highly recommend checking out Phlegethon. My rating is somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars, but I'll go with 4 shiny stars for this gem. Very much recommended for fans of progressive rock/metal!

UMUR Phlegethon is the 4th full-length studio album by Italian progressive rock/ metal act Kingcrow. The album was released in May 2010 by Scarlet Records.

Phlegethon is a 65:53 minute long concept album. The storyline involves love and tragedy as the main ingredients. As such a classic theme. The music on the album is progressive metal with strong ties to neo progressive rock in the vein of post Fish-era Marillion. An act like Porcupine Tree also comes to mind and the bluesy David Gilmour influenced guitar solos gives away a Pink Floyd influence. When the music is most "metal" influenced I´m reminded of the least technical Dream Theater tracks and the music on Phlegethon is overall not that technical in style. There´s an emphasis on pleasant and warm atmosphere instead. The emotional vocal delivery by Diego Marchesi further emphasises this. That´s not to say that the band are not well playing and there are parts on the album that are pretty impressive, so progressive metal fans should not be left too wanting. Tracks like Timeshift Box and the last part of Numb (Incipit, Climax & Coda) are examples of the more technical progressive metal on the album. Just don´t expect this to be a Watchtower clone if you know what I mean. The many soft and mellow parts on the album took me a while to appreciate but the more I listen the more the melodies unfold and the more those parts have become interesting. The fact that all songs are well composed and the musicianship is strong makes up for the most easy listening parts. The latter parts are fortunately few.

The production is warm and professional. A good sound for the music.

Phlegethon is a good release by Kingcrow. I find it to be an enjoyable and pleasant listen. A 3.5 star rating is fully deserved. Fans of progressive metal with a neo progressive rock touch should definitely check this one out. Phlegethon didn´t impress me right away, so this is an album that has grown on me and keeps getting better and better with each spin.