25 Yard Screamer: Nemesis

I first became familiar with Wales progressive rock band 25 Yard Screamer upon hearing their 2011 release titled Until All Are One. A couple more reviews later the band reached out and asked if I would like to review their last couple of CDs and of course I was more than happy to accommodate. The three albums I have thus far heard all had earned 4 stars, not too shabby in my book. Let us first start with their 2022 album titled Nemesis, but first a little history refresher.

The band formed in 2002 by Nick James who needed a few musicians to perform at a special gig. They got along well and clicked musically so why not just form a band, and that is exactly what they did with their debut coming just a year later. And as they say, the rest is history. Should also mention newest member Tony Bennett (keys) joined the band in 2023.

Starting off the disc is “Adrift�, showcasing the band’s excellence at changing moods and textures, very atmospheric, but also venturing into heavier progressive rock, with emotional lead vocals, this being a unique attribute of the band. With “Incidence�, the sound is at times brooding with a dense sound palette and cool use of keyboards, at times having a spacey feel. “Incident� is faster paced right out the gate before the band weave a darker sound, very moody with the vocals almost having a Radiohead feel, more in terms of style rather than timber and tone. Heavy riffs enter, the band easily transitions between lighter and heavier atmospheres. One of the coolest tracks has to be “The Vibrations Of Speech� where the use of electronics is quite inventive and is followed by the dramatic prog rock of “Eye To I� with an inspired guitar solo near song’s end.

Overall, Nemesis is a superb slice of modern progressive rock, with heavy atmospheres, strong melodies, and fine musicianship. An album I strongly recommend!

Released on White Knight Records.

Band members:
Nick James (vocals)
Matt Clarke (bass)
Donal Owen (drums)
Tom Bennett (keyboards)
Guests:
Abbi James (vocals)
John Davies (slide guitar)

Track Listing:
1. Adrift (8:56)
2. Incidence (3:30)
3. Incident (6:08)
4. The Vibrations Of Speech (4:57)
5. Eye To I (5:11)
6. Gravity (4:24)
7. Breathe (4:46)
8. Giving Away My Last Secret (5:37)
9. Fragility Of Angels (6:45)

Added: June 20th 2024
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 231
Language: english

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