Time Signature Whispers from inner space...

Genre: progressive metal

After a very long hiatus, the Italian progressive metal act Helreidh released their second full-length album in 2012 on Pure Prog Records. And, well, the album has been well worth waiting for.

Rather than hurling odd time signatures, syncopated riffs, shreddy solos and hour-long songs at the listener, Helreidh are progressive in the same fashion that Royal Hunt, Savatage, and Queensrÿche are. That is, their music is incredibly accessible, but still very sophisticated, and, lyrically, they explore concepts that provide food for thought - in this case, a set of fragments of narratives as of yet untold.

Moreover, while neither technical nor blatantly self-indulgent, the songs on this album are definitely still complex, with Helreidh exploring various textures and, drawing on classic progressive rock, make use of spacey keyboards and power metal-esque larger than life melodies, which also generate a slightly epic feel. Just check out a track like 'Zed Tepi' which actually does feature some odd time signatures without making it totally inaccessible, and which also nods both in the direction of early Genesis, Fish-era Marillion and 80s Yes, as well as Savatage and Queensrÿche. Actually, this is a brilliant track!

Fans of accessible, yet progressive, metal along the lines of Touchstone, Queensrÿche, Savatage, and Anubis Gate should not miss out on this album.