Never heard of Oxford progressive metal act Prospekt? Not to worry, I'm sure most fans of the genre haven't either, but that's about to change with the debut Sensory Records release of The Colourless Sunrise. Comprised of guitarist Lee Luland, drummer
Blake Richardson, bassist Phil Wicker, and lead vocalist/keyboard player Richard Marshall, Prospekt have managed to put the 'guitar hero' and 'killer vocals' back into progressive metal, as The Colourless Sunrise is going to instantly wow a lot of people and drive this band to the forefront of the genre.
Produced by the band and mixed by Jens Bogren (who has worked with Opeth, Katatonia, Daylight Dies, Amon Amarth, Symphony X) and Adam 'Nolly' Getgood (of Periphery), this is just a huge sounding album in every way. The guitars of Luland are enormous, with thick, precision riffing and blazing technical yet melodic leads firing off in every direction, and the keyboards of Marshall providing plenty of colors and atmosphere. You can definitely hear that Richardson and Wicker have studied their prog & jazz-fusion, as tunes such as "Shroud" and "A Desolate Kingdom" contain some seriously complex rhythms yet still manage to hold everything together despite how intricate they are. The title track is just a soaring example of epic progressive metal, the band coming up with challenging, yet memorable arrangements and Marshall just dazzling with his extremely powerful and melodic vocals. Check out his tender side on the short "Visions", and he soars over some thunderous riffs & rhythms on the heavy "The Great Awakening". Through it all, the commanding chops of Luland are hard to ignore; listen to those blazing classical styled leads on "Shutter Asylum" or the tasty melodic runs on the 12-minute "Hunting Poseidon". This guy can shred with class, and any fan of John Petrucci or Michael Romeo needs to check him out immediately.
The band lists their influences as Symphony X, Dream Theater, Opeth, Meshuggah, Adagio, Circus Maximus, and Planet X, and though you can clearly hear some of those influences in spots, The Colourless Sunrise is not a carbon copy of any of them thankfully. Great heavy progressive songs, killer guitars & vocals, catchy melodies, and rock solid rhythms all make up this stellar album, and Prospekt are without a doubt a band that we are all going to be talking a lot about in the months and years ahead. This is essential listening for any fan of the genre!
Track Listing
1. A Desolate Kingdom
2. Dissident Priests
3. Eternal Memories
4. Shroud
5. The Colourless Sunrise
6. Visions
7. The Great Awakening
8. Shutter Asylum
9. Hunting Poseidon
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