“After two full years, almost to the day, I finally received my first return customer. Puerto Rican prog collective Avandra come back to me with their third full-length record Skylighting. A year and a half feels like forever ago, and I guess thanks to the pandemic that time span probably allowed Avandra the same opportunity to write and record a new album properly as they would have within three years of normal band operation. Therefore, the only consideration left is whether or not they put out something worth my time.” Sky or sell?
Avandra
Scaphoid – Absent Passages Review
“Somehow, a disproportionate number of the promos I selected so far are debut records. I’m not sure if it’s coincidence or if I have some kind of n00b magnet in my brain somewhere, but one way or another fresh meat keeps passing through. The latest cut of which comes from Austin, Texas, and he calls himself Scaphoid. That’s right, this is a one-man project, courtesy of Matt Hobart. But it’s not raw atmo-black, no. This guy specializes in a post-rock prog-metal hybrid. With only a short EP under his belt, how fares his new, hour-long debut Absent Passages?” Scap metal.
Lonely Robot – Feelings Are Good Review
“Weathering the never-ending beat-down of 2020, at some point you realize you just need a break. I opted to take a breather from writing reviews this month—and I put down my 3D work and drastically limited my time on social media for the month as well—since I finally recognized that extended burnout which I refused to acknowledge for years. To further recuperate, I decided to dive into other genres of music that I rarely explore. But when I saw Lonely Robot hit our promo sump I couldn’t resist.” Touch your feelings.
Astrosaur – Obscuroscope Review
“Much like my need to take the infrequent day off from work, I occasionally require a break from the never-ending storm that is extreme metal. When I require such dalliances with lighter fare, I generally choose prog-metal or something bumping shoulders with post-whatever. Established bands like Voyager, Dreadnought or Fair to Midland are my go-to’s. Hailing from Norway, Astrosaur get their foot in the door with their sophomore full-length Obscuroscope, an instrumental post/prog/jazz album that promises to satisfy my Chillaxoproxin™ fix.” Relaxosaur.
Avandra – Descender Review
“There are some excellent metal records out there—Voyager’s Ghost Mile comes to mind, along with Wishfield’s self-titled release from earlier this month—that I find quite relaxing. These kinds of records sneak up on you. You might not think much of them at first, but as time passes you crave them more and more. Which brings us to the band of the day: Avandra. ” Prog for pondering.