Some more albums you might want to check out (read should check out). The artwork alone of all three should be reason enough to buy the albums.
Haken - Fauna
A new Haken album is always a matter of let's wait and see what they come up with this time. For me the double Vector/Virus was a clear step back up from their The Mountain / Affinity dip. When I read trusted sources reviewing this album (Matt manofmuchmetal and Andrew at Ave Noctem), both mentioned this album needs time. I only received my copy a few days after release and thus after a few hundred reviews. Haken we all look at from another angle so what did I find? Well a first spin at the background was slightly disappointing. Then I played the album with headphones reading along with lyrics. Well that meant a major improvement. Now a few plays further I still didnot get everything, but can safely say it is a great album. Diverse as always and enough songs to make me happy. The artwork is also a joy, with animals appearing all over the fauna cover. I saw pictures of Haken on stage in Hawaiian shirts with the wallpaper design. If that is available at the merch stand I might need to go to 013 after all next week.
EBB- Mad & Killing Time
For this discovery all credits go to DPRP. I encountered the name EBB before, but never checked out this album. And then DPRP went raving mad on it. Reason enough to go to bandcamp and guess what I got their enthusiams. What a great discovery this is. The label quoted a comparison as bastard daughters of Heart and King Crimson. I see where that came from, but it is too simple. Five women and one man play an alternative kind of prog, with a dirty edge at times. Brass instruments can pass by, but darkness reigns in this story about a war veteran who lives with a sex worker. Unlike DPRP I do love the cover as well and artwork in general. My CD came in a small booklet with some backgroud information on the story, lyrics and photographs. I would love to see this band at Complexity 2024, as I gues sthey would go down fine there.
Insomnium - 1696
Insomnium take us back to 1696, when witchhunts were going on and the church had far too much to say in the world (so what changed?). This all packed in already the best package of 2023. A short story tells us the tale of the album in both English and finnish. Further some great drawings make all clearer as well. Lots of options for nice merch here. And most important of all the music is as good as what I came to expect from Insomnium. I came late to the insomnium party when Shadows of a Dying Sun was their best album. Winter's Gate gave us also a story and my first live show by them. Heart Like a Grave had a beautifull Nordic large picturebook and now it combines all three in one album. Insomnium's Melodic Death Metal is possibly my favorite one in this style. So much to enjoy here the special edition is a must, you even get a bonus disk with 3 extra songs keeping you another 22 minutes far from sleeping.
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