J-Man The U.K. has had a pretty impressive prog metal scene lately - with budding young acts like Haken, TesseracT, Fen, and Xerath, as well as seasoned veterans like Threshold and Anathema, the British metal scene is arguably at its highest peak since the New Wave of British Heavy Metal in the early eighties. Oxford-based group Prospekt is a welcome addition to this legion of prog metal acts, seeing that their self-titled debut EP is a truly impressive effort! And, like so many bands seeking exposure in the internet day and age, Prospekt has generously released it for free from their bandcamp page. Fans of prog metal better take notice to this excellent young band from England!

If you take a look at Prospekt's bandcamp page, they say their music is "in the vein (hopefully!) of bands such as Symphony X, Dream Theater and Circus Maximus". If that was their goal, you could say that Prospekt has missed the mark a bit - their debut EP sounds very little like any of the above-mentioned acts. I hear a bit of Dream Theater in their sound, but for the most part Prospekt is a very original and adventurous act. This may be detrimental to some, but I'm quite happy to hear a new prog metal band that doesn't rely on cloning the genre's golden age. Prospekt sounds like a mix of TesseracT (those djenty riffs are just irresistible!), Dream Theater, and Rush to these ears. Speaking of TesseracT, the band's own Acle Kahney produced Prospekt. The production is crisp, sharp, and powerful - just like the music itself!

I've heard a lot of great free releases so far this year, but Prospekt is surely towards the top of that list. This young act is technically advanced, compositionally skillful, and innovative in approach - not much more I can ask for from a prog metal band! I simply can't wait to hear what these guys have cooking up for their full-length debut (due out in late 2011). 4 stars are deserved for this promising and highly impressive EP.