I guess anyone who spends time at band rehearsals for any substantial measure of time is likely to have their delicate ears exposed not only to peculiar strains of dark humor, but also to nothing short of picturesque musical jargon overall. Musicians are a different breed, that’s for sure. The press kit from the Tampere-based prog squad, EVERWAVE, proved quite a treasure trove in this respect, what with dedicating a whole paragraph to the band’s signature terminology used during the recording sessions for their independently-to-be-released sophomore album, “Another Lifetime,” due out on December 1st, 2023. I mean, it doesn’t happen every day that you come across musical terms such as meat slide, mid-sausage, or riff granules. Obviously, I’m going to steal these for my personal use! What’s even better, the lasting impression these proggers made with this effort sure didn’t stem merely from matters of linguistics. This 9-track selection of progressive grooves makes for a worthy addition to the wish list you’re no doubt penning for Santa right now. Paraphrasing their own words, the band blends their Nordic metal heritage with prog and alt-rock flourishes, taking the listener on a voyage across eccentric rhythms and soaring melodies.
Opening the album, “Sleepless Engine” rolls out just that; riffs-wise the song could be the lovechild of early LEPROUS and Devin Townsend, while the atmospherics are strongly reminiscent of TESSERACT and the melodies traverse somewhat HAKEN-like sonic terrain. If you regard yourself as a devout prog-metal connoisseur, what more could you ask for, really? As it turns out, EVERWAVE released their debut album, “So Called Home,” already in 2018. How come they had not popped up on my radar until now?! Well, better late than never. This year has proved quite a cornucopia of quality prog and these ruffians managed to deliver yet one more pleasant surprise before the year gets wrapped up altogether. What further puzzles me is the fact that this bunch has not been picked up by any prog-oriented major label yet. With a calling card of this caliber, it shouldn’t be but a matter of time. We’re looking at you, Mascot Label Group!
After a few spins with this beauty, it becomes crystal clear that the progressive force is really strong with this bunch. These folks blend their off-kilter riffs unashamedly with almost pop-flavored, big choruses and, by doing so, prove kindred spirits to acts such as VOLA or VOYAGER – perhaps most prominently on tracks “Invitation” and “Still Here,” albeit djenty polyrhythms are not served with just as reckless abandon as with those great progressive Danes. Then, the atmospheric school of prog-metal has certainly influenced these guys, with tracks such as “Lo-Res City” being more than slightly reminiscent of TESSERACT‘s ambient prog-metal side. The interplay of cinematic, ambient, and post-rockish textures against the backdrop of quantum-prog riffs once again reminds us how the beauty lies in the contrasts. Then, the electronic elements come off as so finely crafted overall that I cannot help but think that, perhaps, the band’s name has been derived from the title of a song by the Belgian ambient act, CARBON BASED LIFEFORMS. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the band members were listening to music of this sort as their guilty pleasure.
There is even a bit of melodeath flavor on the album. “Kármán Line” tiptoes the fine line between synth-heavy prog and melodeath rather nicely. Vocalist Tuomas Välimaa (whose name you may recognize from EMBER FALLS before they called it quits earlier this year) delivers both clean and harsh vocals with flying colors. There are some harsh vocals on other tracks too but this one is the most melodeath of them all. And speaking of vocals, Välimaa can drop some wicked falsetto singing as well! His vocal dexterity shines through in the album closer, “Trails in Time,” in particular.
The prog aesthetic of EVERWAVE is world-class in every aspect – songwriting, production, and execution. Almost as though further pronouncing the international feel, “Alternate Ending,” featuring cool saxophone licks by Mikko Aaltio, is nicely reminiscent of the fractal riffs of this one Aussie-prog act, BREAKING ORBIT, here and there. As per the contemporary prog conventions, in addition to Aaltio‘s sax work, the album features a few more guest musicians: Anna Lampela contributes all sorts of vocals on multiple tracks, Iivu Saarinen features additional synths on a few, and Olli Heino (also formerly from EMBER FALLS) is responsible for the orchestrations, as well as some additional synths and programming. This young bunch obviously aren’t fooling around with their craft. They say that money can’t buy happiness – but it sure can buy you new music, which is practically the same thing. So, there’s still plenty of time to make edits to Santa’s wish list and I’m strongly suggesting you put this album on it – you’ll thank me later.
Oh, and about those peculiar terms these fellows coined for their recording sessions… it turns out that “meat slide” merely stands for an ordinary slide you can perform with your finger on the guitar fretboard. “Mid-sausage” refers to those beefy middle frequencies. Lastly, riff granules stand for cottage cheese. Of course, they sound much funnier in Finnish but I’m going to start using these in English too!
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Sleepless Engine
- Invitation
- Still Here
- Lo-Res City
- Alternate Ending
- Rainkiller
- Kármán Line
- Smaller Talk
- Trails in Time
Lineup
Paavo Ceder – drums, synths, programming, percussion
Tuomas Välimaa – vocals
Joona Niemi – guitar, bass, synths, vocals, programming
Oskari Koponen – vocals, guitars
Joose Koponen – guitars
Label
Independent
