THE INNER CIRCLE

It has become common for prog revivalists nowadays to show off on their first album just how proggy they can be. And so Dante bookends The Inner Circle with a 10-minute and a 19-minute song and stuffs the middle with a couple of 9- minuters. But they are seasoned musicians and hit the right buttons with hummable melodies, numerous change-ups and long instrumental sections. The thing that doesn't yet work for them, I think, is the "requisite" 20-minute epic, as it is somewhat incohesive. Dante doesn't break any new ground, but what is distinctive of them is their love for classic prog and 70s hard rock with their penchant for retro-sounding synths and that gruffy earnest voice.