Vokonis - Vola - Dordeduh - Terra Odium

Four different forms of progmetal all highly recommended

Vokonis - Odyssey

With cover artwork like this I had to start with Vokonis as the cover appears when posted on FB. During last May's Progfiles show this band was played and the talks were mostly about this same cover. Pity the T-shirts are not printed on a yellow background. And the music? well this progmetal is mostly in the vein of Mastodon. Actually this trio reminds me of last year's album by Red//Shift, which made it to my top 20. I say trio but they get some help on keyboards from Per Wiberg (Spiritual Beggars, Opeth). Six songs of which the last two are the long ones. While those are the more epic prog songs I especially like their shorter songs with a bite. Strange enough this is already their 4th full lenght since 2016 and I never heard of them before. Lots to discover therefore and who knows they even tour now that seems possible again. 

Vola - Witness

Vola slowly seem to be marching on towards headliner status of major summer festivals. I was early at their party when in 2015 Progmetalzone tipped them on one of their lists. After buying their album I could see them perform it live opening PPE 2015. That was no disappointment. Their next full lenght Applause From a Distant Crowd I did not buy upon release in 2018, but only after seeing them giving a very strong show in Patronaat. And now Witness comes to us with nine songs all having chorusses of the extremely catchy side and overall a grandioso sound. This music should please many, if only they can get the deserved exposure. One attempt to reach that is inviting a rapper Shahmen. I hate rap and songs which hold Feat. in the band name, so it remains the low on this album even if the rap is over fast and the chorus wonderful. Knowing how good they are live I can see them headlining summer festivals in 2023, when everyone had the chance to discover them. Then in Holland I am talking about Pinkpop or Lowlands, since their djenty poppy progmetal might not be heavy enough for metal festivals.  

Dordeduh - Har

February 2017 and metal came to town. I did a very Dutch thing that night cycling through the snow. This for bands I did not know yet, but what I checked on the internet in advance sounded promising. Dordeduh from Roumania and three quarter same mebers Transceatla in a more prog death metal outfit. Dordeduh was one interesting experience with long wooden horns blazing and a wooden guillotine as percussion instrument. The music was atmospheric and moody. And than it went quiet for them to come back with a new album this spring. Har seems to be even more cohesive than debut album Dardeduh. Yes complicating names and titles as they sing in Roumanian. In this case it suits their music  perfectly. Maybe Dordeduh is not for every summer evening, but when you feel like having some moody background music for your darker nights this might be the perfect soundtrack.

Terra Odium - Ne Plus Ultra

Saving best for last, the debut album of Terra Odium. Maybe a new band, but no new musicians. Members having a past in bands like Manitou and Scariot and probably most interesting Spiral Architect. Those who remember their one and only album A Sceptic's Universe know we are in for some top class progressive metal. Maybe not as adventurous the album mentioned above, Ne Plus Ultra gives the fan of old school progmetal everything we love. This starting with Oyvind Haegeland one of the best voices in metal. This also since he reminds us of Devon Graves. Actually the band still reminds me of Psychotic Waltz as well. Asgeir Mickelson on drums is the other man with a past in Spiral Architect and Scariot. On guitars an ex Manitou man Bollie Fredriksen is here and spare keyboards are played by John Phipps. Finally there is Steve DiGiorgio on bass, but he doesn't count as he played with every metal band on the planet.  The album holds seven songs lasting 52:24 If you like any of the bands mentioned above you can buy the album in the blind.  Heavier varied progmetal songs with doomyundertones, an epic, a dark ballad and overall just good music I can't recommend Ne Plus Ultra highly enough.