ELEMENTS

I genuinely feel bad giving this record only 2/5 stars. The musicians here are clearly very talented and seem to have put a lot of thought into this record. But at the end of the day, this record beats a dead horse by recycling the same symphonic power prog tropes we've grown accustomed to.

If this album came out in 2005, I know I'd feel differently. But progressive music has, and should continue to be, about pushing rock forward. Yes, strictly speaking, if your music happens to incorporate synths and exhibit technical proficiency then we can label it prog. But that doesn't mean we have to love it?