DAY AND AGE

Frost* are back... you scum! Neo-progressive and pop rock supergroup Frost*'s fourth studio album was released in May of 2021, some five years after the unusual but very successful 'Falling Satellites'. It has to be said from the get-go that every new Frost* release is a big event in the world of prog, and there are good reasons for this: the British master musicians have been one of the best collectives to come from the UK last decade, and their discography up to that point is nothing less than groundbreaking.

With high expectations, a lot of time on their hands, and crazy times to be living in, these people have certainly crafted one of the finest prog rock albums not only of this year, but certainly of this decade. The big change with the previous albums is that Frost* parted ways with drumming extraordinaire Craig Blundell, known also as part of the Steven Wilson live band; And his replacements are three different people coming from different bands playing different music, which are Pat Mastelotto, Kaz Rodriguez, and Darby Todd - this is an interesting move for sure, but there are moments where it feels like the involvement in the writing process that a regular band member has, is gone.

Properly naming the album 'Day and Age', this record seems to continue the thematic explorations of 'Falling Satellites', which some may recall, was described by Jem Godfrey as his 'mid-life crisis album'. On this new release, Frost* take a critical look upon our wicked times and comment on the grim reality, contrasting with the little girl (later a male narrator) telling the listeners to enjoy themselves, while living in this day and age; A message that seems to be not too far away from the lyrical content of the latest Steven Wilson release. John Mitchell, Jem Godfrey, and Nathan King are, as usual, very elegantly playing, masterfully in charge of the music, depicting every bit of their imagination with graceful musical prowess. All this makes up for a pretty impressive album and another really good installment in this band's catalogue.

A great return to form, 'Day and Age' is, in my humble opinion, a sort of continuation of their previous, third studio album. The album is quite different from 'Milliontown', for example, but it manages to deliver that same vital energy. The songs are quite atmospheric, pretty mature, well-composed and certainly not standard when compared to the music of Frost*'s peers. A very peculiar decision by the band is to leave off all soloing that they are usually so fond of doing; a decision that certainly pays off nicely, as the absence of solos is replaced by layers of guitar and synth sounds, building up an ominous but comforting ambience. Some very notable highlights would include the title track, 'Terrestrial', 'The Boy Who Stood Still', 'Kill the Orchestra', 'Repeat to Fade', but in reality, there are no weak compositions or songs. An excellent album that would be a fantastic addition to any prog lover's collection.