Category: news

Though the initially announced Twisted Sister 50th Anniversary Celebration Tour was met with a brief cancellation based on the exit of longtime member and frontman Dee Snider (seen HERE), a … Continue reading Twisted Sister To Continue 50th Anniversary Tour with Sebastian Bach Fronting →

Bach and roll.

The post Twisted Sister Recruit Sebastian Bach For Their Upcoming 50th Anniversary Shows appeared first on Theprp.com.

Once upon a time, before I was a battle-jacket-wearing, corpse-paint-adorned, trve-metal warrior of the highest order, I was a high-school prog nerd. The djent wave was cresting just as I began to really delve deeper into music, and the hordes of technical, djenty bands with ultra-modern production and surprising amounts of melody still sit near and dear to my heart, even if I rarely reach back into the Sumerian-scented pile in my regular listening habits. ¹ That’s why when I saw the promo for Hiraeth, the 2nd album by Brazilian prog metallers Abstracted, with comparisons to The Contortionist, The Human Abstract, and Between the Buried and Me, I couldn’t help but get a little excited at the prospect of newer music tapping into those formative sounds. Abstracted have been a band since 2013, and their long-gestating debut record, 2022’s Atma Conflux, was an effective and varied slab of djenty progressive death metal, marred by tepid production and less-than-stellar clean vocals. More than anything, though, it showed potential as a record brimming with ideas that was so close to being great. With Hiraeth, can the Brazilian group finally unify their influences into something more than the sum of their parts?

On Hiraeth, Abstracted demonstrates a thorough understanding of contemporary progressive metal styles and integrates them into something all their own. The band’s main sound is a djent-fueled take on modern progressive death metal, closest to early-era The Contortionist in its blending of odd-meter riffery, post-rock-influenced textures, and an enticing contrast between melancholic space-age cleans and technical 6-string chugs. Abstracted balance this with more traditional Haken-esque classic prog turnarounds and jazz breaks (“Sirens”), fast-paced Between the Buried and Me riff marathons (“To Quench This Insatiable Thirst”), and harmonic nuance within darker moments à la Persefone (“Requiem”). The result is a varied and dynamic set of tunes that glide effortlessly between impressive riff-fueled aggression and cathartic melodies. Songs like “The Utter End” and “The Barren Grave of God” demonstrate the band’s ability to naturally move from strength to strength without missing a beat, unfolding across expansive guitar arpeggios, delightfully off-kilter breakdowns, virtuosic solos, and powerful musical climaxes.

This level of fluidity and genre cohesion on Hiraeth is only made possible by the high level of musicianship Abstracted display. Guitarists José Consani and Leonardo Brito give varied performances that successfully meld more djent-centric playing with classic death metal sensibilities and demonstrate keen melodic ears with dense jazz chords and powerful lead lines. Drummer Fernando Pollen blends Latin grooves with acrobatic modern metal flourishes, and the production’s more natural drum tone allows his dynamic nuances to guide several songs. ² On bass, Riverton Alves turns in a thoroughly warm and jazz-based, Cynic-flavored performance that shines during quieter moments, while keyboardist Carol Lynn supplies plenty of atmosphere through subtle synth textures and steps to the forefront a few times with quirky, but effective synth lines reminiscent of Diego Tejeida. Together, this ensemble breathes plenty of life into a style of music that can often feel over-processed, and their performances help to unify this collection of songs into a cohesive whole.The only elements of Hiraeth that aren’t immediately impressive are the vocals and the production. Rosano Pedro Matiussi delivers an impassioned performance, and his vocal lines often fit the songs well, but his clean singing lacks a certain impact or personality to elevate good moments into great ones. Initially, this was enough to deter me from really digging deeper and appreciating the songcraft on display, but the singing grew on me quite a bit with time. Similarly, his death growls are solid, if not one-note, and they feel like they exist more so to fill a role than to accent particular sections. This could potentially be the production’s fault, as Hiraeth sounds generally good and more natural than the swaths of overproduced modern prog ³ but lacks a certain sonic clarity, occasionally making especially dense sections harder to parse. There’s a distinct lack of reverb on the harsh vocals, and I can’t help but wonder if a stronger mix could fit the layered clean singing a bit better. Matiussi’s vocals are far from bad, and there are parts like the somber intro to “Requiem” where he sounds great, but when everything else is operating at such a high level, they feel like a weak link.

With Hiraeth, Abstracted have delivered an impressive piece of modern progressive metal. This record is a grower for sure, with dense and layered compositions often revealing their clever construction and intense interconnectedness only after repeated spins. Even if the vocals leave a little to be desired, the Brazilian group has successfully combined the sounds of several of the best modern prog bands into something exciting and nuanced.

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Rating: Good
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: M-Theory Audio
Websites: abstractedmetal.bandcamp | facebook.com/abstractedbr
Releases Worldwide: February 20, 2026

The post Abstracted – Hiraeth Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

New York has had a long, cold winter of never-ending snow. Our critic Jon Caramanica is coping with the last of the season by taking you sledding and sharing these five ebullient songs.

Since forming in 2019, the trio Rhododendron have been a regular fixture in the live music scene of their native Portland, Oregon, earning a reputation for prog-y, big-swinging experimental rock. They’ll be bringing that sound to the masses this spring with Ascent Effort, their latest LP and first for new label home the Flesner. Today…

The post Rhododendron Announce New Album <em>Ascent Effort</em>: Hear “Firmament” appeared first on Stereogum.

Australia and New Zealand, get ready! Two indisputable rock icons will join forces in 2026, with American chart-toppers SHINEDOWN and British alternative legends BUSH teaming up for a massive co-headline tour this September, with the tour also marking SHINEDOWN’s first performances down under in over 15 years. Commencing on Thursday 17 September in Auckland, this […]

Dee Snider previously had to bow out of the scheduled tour. Continue reading…

Butcher Babies return with their powerful new single Lost In Your Touch, produced by Howard Benson, this marks the second release from their forthcoming album via Judge & Jury Records. Blending emotional vulnerability with crushing intensity, the track serves as a key chapter in an album that functions as a deeply personal love letter to […]

Guest spots from members of Trivium & Sylosis appear on the EP.

The post Life Cycles Premiere “Fatal Path” Music Video, New EP “No One Escape Death” Set For March Release appeared first on Theprp.com.

We’ve covered D.C. death dealers CrusHuman a few times at Decibel and always keep coming back for more. Over the course of three years, the trio have locked in a style of brutal, grind-influenced death metal that values brutality and compact songwriting above all else, a trait very apparent on their second full-length album, Imperial.

Featuring a slew of guest vocalists throughout, including grindcore legend Richard Johnson on the opening track, Imperial hits like someone put Obituary’s stomping riffs in a blender with Terrorizer and mid-period Napalm Death, providing speed, mosh parts and ripping breakdowns in equal measure.

Speaking about the album, CrushHuman (referring to the band in the third person) said:

“In the aftermath of their self-titled record, CrushHuman return with a soundtrack to society’s demise. The end begins.”

You can listen below and purchase the album via Horror Pain Gore Death.

The post Full Album Stream: CrusHuman – “Imperial” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.