TRANSPORT AERIAN

As a music reviewer, your first task is to accurately convey what you hear. Usually, this isn't too difficult, but when I got my hands on "Skywound," the sixth album by the Belgian prog-metal band Transport Aerian, it took me a few listens to piece together the musical puzzle.

The band, under the inspiring leadership of singer, bassist, and producer Hamlet, defies categorization and creates music on their own terms. We hear an idiosyncratic blend of progressive metal, classic hard rock, electronica, jazz, avant-garde, grunge, and cinematic soundscapes. How intriguing can you get? It ranges from brutal to tender and goes from hard to soft, with nothing coming out of nowhere.

Everything is held together by Hamlet's poetic lyrics and his extraordinarily expressive way of singing. "Skywound" is a concept album about the tragedy of an ordinary loving couple caught in the turbulent events of a world on the brink of catastrophic war. Hamlet sounds surprisingly good without losing control at any point. He has a rich palette of vocal colors with a tone reminiscent of Ozzy Osbourne, Maurits Kalsbeek (Egdon Heath), Peter Hammill, and Jargon (Verbal Delirium). His voice is a significant unifying factor in the whole, and there is also the addition of Rachel Bauer with extra vocals and spoken word.

Initially operating as a project, Transport Aerian presents itself as a band, as a quartet, on "Skywound." Besides Hamlet himself and his regular companions Stefan Boeykens on guitar and the aforementioned Bauer, there are two new recruits: Umut Eldem on keyboards and Paul De Smet on drums.

They hit it off right away with the Black Sabbath-like Shall Not Be. The song takes a pleasant, almost psychedelic turn complete with rocking cymbal use while furious soloing ensues. Comparing it to Pain Of Salvation is not far-fetched, especially when the bizarre At The Cliff comes along. Dark ominous electronics alternate with heavy guitar chords. It's a dynamic whole, as the entire album constantly surprises you with contrasts. The intro of Lunatic, for example, features bright guitar plucking that is reminiscent of Pendragon's The Black Knight. The song then bursts at the seams with power and frenzy. Meanwhile, there is also a more subdued fragment with beautiful high bass playing because don't forget that Hamlet is not only a good singer but also an excellent bassist.

The album also includes a suite called Fracture. The four parts are spread across the album, and since the acoustic guitar is central to these parts, they provide some lightness, which is much needed.

The atmosphere of the album is quite pervasive; you can't ignore it. What personally appeals to me the most is the passage with the sinister violin in Latgalian Gothic. That the song has an aura reminiscent of Van Der Graaf Generator is not only delightful but also reflects Hamlet's versatile mindset. The closing title track is another example of brilliant composition. It's a theatrical piece with much grandeur and a surprising ending with spoken word by Bauer.

"Skywound" is an intriguing album that will undoubtedly appeal to metal enthusiasts. However, there is so much progressive ingenuity in the music that the target audience is much larger. Clear?

Orginally posted on www.progenrock.com

Led by the enigmatic multi-instrumentalist Hamlet, Transport Aerian has carved out a niche for itself, a progressive style that is anchored in a heavier prog modulation, think Porcupine Tree, Riverside or Pain of Salvation, as well as occasionally transiting into melancholic environments that wink at Mice on Stilts. There is a fair amount of stark theatrics in their music, which is presented here in a live setting, a private show for friends and fans. The concert is quite gothic sounding at times, perhaps winking at a proggier version of Trisomie 21, with all kinds of experimental effects, voice narration and doom mood sensibilities, like on the opening piece curtain raiser.

When Stefan Boeykens' razor guitar slashes the sonic canvas, as on "Full Body Access", it only gives Hamlet the ideal stage to launch into some theatrical singing that verges on hysterics (oooh, that screech!) and permit drummer Paul de Smet to thump his kit with unrestrained vigor. Perfect segue into the equally voracious "Shall Not Be", where Hamlet gets to vociferate like a madman, rekindling vintage early 70s recollections of Arthur Brown on fire! Calming down just a tad, the melancholic folly of "Big Heart" surprises both lyrically, as well as that elastic bass rubbing across the arrangement, twinkle of lavish piano notwithstanding, before some growling yelling vocals kick the pants right off and impetuously tossed into the crowd. Chainsaw buzzing fretboards shudder until collapse ensues.

The throaty vocal on "Lunatic" is spot on, emulating the constriction of lungs that debilitate a mind that has lost its motor mechanics, urgent, desperate, and yes, flirting overtly with psychosis. Any more intense, imaginary Bedouins would start dancing uncontrollably while roaming the dunes in search of some illusory oasis. That exact allusion is depicted by a serene mid-section ruled by a serpentine bass romp and some clamoring guitar expressions. Ridiculously attractive track, this. Rekindling primal images of arctic Bauhaus-like atmospherics on the spectral "Falling 20", Hamlet rages controllably like a demonic torch singer, the billowing puffs of frozen piano colliding with screeching guitar icicles that portray all the inner angst one could hope to muster. The insistent tones of "Destroy Me" imply an imminent crucifixion of the soul, fuelled by some surreal repentant melody in search of some kind of deliverance. The piano is obsessive, almost Magma-esque. The sullen and morose "Inspire" creates quite a psychedelic atmosphere, spirals of cigarette smoke billowing into the deepest recesses of the cathedral mind and the extended rotund bass try to resolve all kinds of musical contradictions. And succeeding!

Another slight deviation occurs on the monolithic march of the "Smirking Sirens", a pounding procession of thunderous sledge-hammer clamor, leaden axe riffs of pent-up wrath and a 'heroin-heart' microphone going outright berserk. This is not heavy, its pachydermia at its finest, a lumbering mammoth charge that devastates. The violin-like solo and echoing piano motifs induce vertigo and submission. "The Effect" just adds another dollop of calamity onto the heaping steam-roller momentum that has not diverted since the opening assault. The celestial scar is evidently not yet healed on highlight track "Skywound", an oddly baroque, echoingly spooky and completely stunning piece that encompasses everything one needs to know about this album, as every word expressed above comes back to haunt the audience in Ghent, witnessing the velvet curtain as it comes down, and wondering how in hell, will they be able to find their way back to their cozy homes.

Quite the experience, a unique, disturbing and harrowing live album that spits out sweat and sucks in blood. Bela Lugosi is never dead.

4 Ghent gents

Transport Aerian was originally the name of the solo project by multi-instrumentalist Hamlet, and over the years there have been a few different musicians working with him, but recently there has been a settled line-up with Hamlet providing bass and vocals and being joined by Stefan Boeykens (guitars), Umut Eldem (Keyboards) and Paul De Smet (drums). They have performed numerous shows in Belgium, France and The Netherlands, and this album was recorded at a private party in Ghent on their most recent trek. They have also removed all audience sound so initially it is quite strange to think of this as a live album as it feels much more as if it has come straight from the studio.

I was not a huge fan of the last album, 2021's 'Skywound', saying I preferred 2017's 'Therianthrope' but that if the band stayed together, it would be interesting as I felt they would become more organic. One of the things which makes Transport Aerian both interesting and disconcerting is the way Hamlet changes his vocal approach so much, and there is no doubt it is an acquired taste. The first few times I played this I was really not sure, as the drama and delivery seemed to be at the expense of the arrangements, but gradually I started to get inside what Hamlet is trying to achieve, and the multiple thread and tangents began to make sense. On ProgArchives the band is down as crossover, but this release feels way more eclectic than anything else, with the sense of menace being quite palpable. This is not easy listening or mainstream prog, but something which is pushing the boundaries to create something quite special indeed. The danger is that some people may not give this the time it certainly needs to get inside the brain, but for those willing to persevere they will soon find something which in many ways contains elements of both prog metal and RIO combined with a refusal to conform. If this is what they are doing in the live environment then the next studio album promises to be very interesting indeed.

Transport Aerian has always been the vehicle for multi-instrumentalist Hamlet, but over the years he has brought in more people so that for this album it is actually a band for the first time as opposed to Hamlet and associated guests. Rachel Bauer (additional vocals & narration) is back for her third album, and they are now joined by Umut Eldem (keyboards, organ, piano), Paul De Smet (drums) and Stefan Boeykens (guitar), while Hamlet provides vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass, and programming. I was a huge fan of the last release, 'Theriantrope', so was looking forward to this album, but I must confess that after the first playthrough I really wasn't sure. Part of that is due to the sheer contrast in the styles being provided within the space of 43 minutes, and there are no doubts that certain sections work better than others, but I must confess that by the time I worked through it for the fourth time I found there was a great deal on here to enjoy.

It is a concept release, whose main themes are focused on the tragedy of an ordinary loving couple caught in the turbulent events of the world preparing for the war and standing on the brink of the global catastrophe. I was struck at just how strongly this is neo-prog at times, and if they have not been influenced by Credo I was would be quite surprised, yet there are also sections where they move strongly into prog metal, and allows the guitars to really shine. It is when they veer into a more electronic style, such as on "Latgalian Gothic" where my attention starts to wander, as the programming is far too much to the fore. Hamlet's vocals don't work as they should, and it sounds as if they are deliberately stepping away from what might be expected to create something which at times is more atonal and experimental.

When they are in full flow then that is when they are at their best, creating large sounds which are modern anthems, but while I enjoy experimentation as much as the next, there are times when what they are doing really does not gel in terms of the rest of the album. The result is something which is interesting and intriguing, as opposed to essential, but if Hamlet keeps this group of musicians together I am sure they will become more organic over time.

***Originally written for theprogmind.com

8.5/10

I always wrestle with words for a new Transport Aerian record. The band has its own sound and its own way of doing things, and they don't care if you like it or not. Or, maybe they do, but they aren't going to change based on your feedback. Anyways, the album releases today, October 29th, and is called Skywound. I like it.

Transport Aerian hails from Belgium. The mastermind and founder is Hamlet. I'm fairly certain that isn't his real name and that he's just playing all of us. He handles vocals, bass, guitars, and programming. With him is a new lineup, namely Stefan Boeykens on guitars and programming, Umut Eldem on keys, Paul De Smet on drums, violin, and programming, and Rachel Bauer on additional vocals and narration.

The band has an unconventional sound. The bio that came with the promo describes them as progressive rock with classic prog elements and a post-modernist bent. The latter is definitely true, but the band plays something I can't describe that well. It is "progressive" in the true meaning of the word, being ambitious, maybe a little odd, and maybe even a little scary. There are crazy rhythms and atmospheres all over the place, and it can take a few listens to process what they play.

This album is probably the heaviest of the Transport Aerian records thus far. I first started listening to the band in 2013 with the dreamy Bleeding, solidified my adoration of their sound with 2015's Darkblue, and was completely blown away by their masterpiece, 2017's Therianthrope. This album, as strange as it might sound, is possibly the most accessible of them all. It has heavy, driving guitars on several tracks, some catchy choruses, and some bright and addictive electronic moments that I love.

In fact, there is something notably "grunge" about this record. Hamlet might crucify me for saying that, but it's true. There is a grit and grime here that sounds amazing with his intelligent lyrics, wild vocals, and reinvigorated sound. Look, I'm the first one who would say that Hamlet's voice is an acquired taste and that some of the off-tone moments in the album make it difficult to love immediately. I get it. But I think this band is worth the time and patience, and the grungy approach makes that a bit easier, I think.

I also think that kind of melancholy and cynicism are purposeful. The album follows tortured lovers as they wade, or maybe drown, in the sea of calamity, political bull[&*!#], and ruin that is the human condition. It is a far-reaching album, one that hits close to home, and one that has some biting things to say.

The album has 13 tracks, all of them playing into each other almost seamlessly. The flow is part of the overall goal here. There are some truly great songs on here, too. "Shall Not Be" is the opener with a vivid, almost Gothic sound to it. Its driving guitars sound great with Hamlet's voice. There is a four-part suite of interlude-type tracks, called "Fracture", that are strewn throughout the album. I really like these songs, ranging from ballads with Rachel on vocals to acoustic guitar musings to my personal favorite, "Fracture II", which has an addictive electronic rhythm. I absolutely love that track. It is crisp, robust, and so much fun to hear.

There are other highlights. "Lunatic" is a track with transitions, especially of the loud-soft kind. It actually sounds a bit "classic rock" in how heavy it is. Actually, maybe it sounds more like classic metal, such as Black Sabbath. I love the grit it has. Another favorite is "Latgalian Gothic", an abstract and even muddled song that explores both electronic and piano. The piano is beautiful, especially the stilting rhythm near the end. I like the single "Falling 20", a bit of a Tom Waits-esque experience at first with gravelly vocals and a sauntering beat. It takes off near the end, though, with all the blurry, darkened fervor that Transport Aerian typically offers. I also love the title track, "Skywound". This is the closer, and it is a pretty crazy piece. While it might sound reserved at first, Hamlet sort of unleashes his vocals in the second half, and it is both terrifying and also awesome. The song overall is subtle and gracious between the moments of mighty singing, though, especially the ending, which it nails perfectly.

This might not be the same level of masterpiece as Therianthrope. I'm not sure Hamlet can ever top that vibrant, peculiar, and haunting work of art. But Skywound is probably my second favorite of his. Transport Aerian sounds fresh and revitalized for a new chapter, and this album has excellent material, especially for a live performance. I'm looking forward to digging into it more as time passes.

Belgian band Transport Aerian started off as a solo project by multi-instrumentalist Hamlet Tinae, but by the time he had reached this his fifth album in 2017 he was still providing much of the instrumentation, but this time around he decided to bring in many guests to help him fill out the sound. To say this is dark, complex, ethereal and majestic actually doesn't do justice to the music. It feels fragile, as if the glass has been shattered but not all pieces have fallen yet, and when they do then the listener will be required to walk barefoot over the shards. The themes of the album are dedicated to the emotions of the mind, torn by different assets of mental illness in the context of quickly developing the world on the brink of the war, social and economic catastrophe, and it certainly feels like the output of a broken mind.

It also feels incredibly cinematic, and it wasn't a surprise to discover that one piece of music, 'The Abstract Symphony' (here in five parts) was a set of songs and instrumental pieces based on blind improvisation by those involved. Nobody knew what the other musician would play, as they were only given a theme to describe and photographs to emphasize the visual in the sound. These musicians include Paul Sax (Curved Air, Praying for The Rain), Elvya (Ayreon, Elvya), Marco Ragni (solo), Peter Matuchniak (Gekko Project), JoJo Razor (Gekko Project), Stef Flaming (Murky Red, Ocean 5), Darren Brush, Stefan Boeykens and Rachel Bauer. I know quite a few of these musicians, at least by their work, and found it hard to recognise their individual inputs such is the way their normal playing has been distorted by the demands placed upon them.

If there was ever an album to describe mental illness, then it would be this, as it moves and jumps from one place to another, always making sense but often on its own and with no relationship to what has gone before. Due to this it is a hard album to listen to, and there will be far more who feel this is beyond them than those of us who have stayed the course and end it wondering what on earth is going in the head of Hamlet. Not for the faint-hearted, if ever there was an album to hear before purchasing then it has to be this, but I found it compelling.

Hamlet Tinae. I had no idea who he was but somehow we connected on Facebook. It turns out, a couple of musicians I know collaborated with him on this album and I guess that's how he found me. Since I was seeing all these cool photos of this guy who, in one photo at least, looked like he was from a vampire movie and also appeared with an intriguing band called Fabulae Dramatis, I thought I should check out his music. I ordered this album blindly. Or rather deafly because I had at least seen how Hamlet looks but never heard anything other than a short clip from Fabulae Dramatis.

Sometimes it's really great to get an album that totally surprises you in a good way. I mean, it might not be what you're into at the moment but it lands in your aural lap and throws cold water in your audio processors and makes you go, "Woah!" and then fall off your spinny chair. If you have one.

How to concisely describe the music on this release of Transport Aerian (I haven't heard others but I am certainly interested now!) was eluding me, Sunshine, so I went to the profile page on Melodic Revolution Records (home to so many unique music projects!) and found this description:

"Transport Aerian is essentially a one-man prog noir project led by a producer and multi-instrumentalist Hamlet. It sets no strict genre borders, knows no musical or spiritual limits. At the different times, the project had been working with different musicians, always changing and shifting its live and studio experiences depending on what the current creative state demands, performing drastically different kinds of music, yet always staying in the shape of poetic, sharp-edged artistic kind.

"The project's philosophy is closest to those, calling themselves expressionists in poetry and fine arts, therefore, the inner side of the emotional expression is what Hamlet intends to bring through project's music to whoever who is willing to hear the word said."

That is a pretty good explanation. This album is dark, brooding, deep, and murky. It's heavy at times but in a forboding kind of way. It's industrial at times with that air of dark poetry that often comes with industrial music. It's mysterious. It's haunting. It's beautiful. It's profound! "I've got a problem with survivour's guilt. I've got a problem dealing with it. I've got a problem with a herroine whore, staring at me from the record in a vinyl store." (from the first track "Smirking Sirens")

Hamlet has created an album of two approaches. First is the traditional approach of writing songs and composing music. Well, okay, the sometimes clashing notes and dischordency or the unusual blend of instruments is not exactly traditional. But these are lyrics and music created by one man. Then there's the Abstract Symphony. For these five tracks, Hamlet sent the concept of each track to several outside musicians and asked them to play and record whatever they imagined from the title alone. The five titles are "Information Field", "Saturate", "Lovemeat", "Poor Things Need", and "Immortals". From their contributions, which were made without the musicians having any idea of how the final piece would sound, Hamlet created these five diverse tracks. I'll say that the experiment worked successfully!

One point I really like is the spoken words by Rachel Bauer. With her accent, the quality of her voice, and the enigmatic words she speaks, and the music accompanying her, there is a special delight for me to hear her.

Transport Aerian's "Therianthrope" is not going to be an album for people who are more into crossover prog or popular song-writing styles. It may be too weird for some and there's quite a range of instrumental sounds that are outside the traditional rock band format. However, this is an album that some people need to know about. You! You should know who you are. This album has a message for you types. Hamlet Tinae is communicating with people like you through his music. Won't you listen?

Belgian project TRANSPORT AERIAN was formed by composer and musician Hamlet back in 2003 as a creative outlet and solo venture for his music. The debut ablum "Blessed" was released in 2009, and since then three more studio productions and one live CD have been released under this moniker. "Darkblue" is the most recent of those, and was released in 2015 by Melodic Revolution Records.

"Darkblue" is an album that will appeal to those drawn to darkness, those who manage to understand and cherish the beauty of horror, the aesthetics of bad dreams, the stark brilliancy of brutal honesty. It probably also calls out for listeners with more of an introverted nature and personality, as the atmospheres and feelings explored won't be those you'd bring over to friends to chit-chat over. Progressive rock fans of the kind that frequently have artists like Nine Inch Nails and perhaps also Gary Numan on their playlist come across as a key audience, I imagine most of those who recognize themselves in that description will appreciate the relative charms of this disc.

In between 2013's Bleeding, and what would eventually become Darkblue, Transport Aerian released Love.Blood.Live, a compilation of live recordings made during live shows on Bleeding. The idea was to give fans world wide, who would not be able to attend shows in Europe, a feel for what Hamlet and his accomplice at the time Stephan Boeykens were capable of live. In doing that, they also created an nice introduction into the repertoire and style of Transport Aerian at the time.

From the opening track Love it is clear that Transport Aerian is not about party music. The atmosphere is gloomy and dark. The music, minimalistic - a pulsing bass, with (percussive) noises around it gives it an industrial feel, perhaps even more postrock, with some interesting guitar work by Stephan Boeykens near the end. The spoken word vocals of Hamlet tell of someone looking desperately for love in a voice that seems to be on the edge of breaking...

Inspire shows a different face of Hamlet - loose piano notes are the basis of the song, which features a higher pitched, singing vocal, but still with a desperate ring to it. Drums and guitar loop kick in half way to make it more powerful, and near the end we get a haunting guitar and bass piece that is replaced by a horror movie like piano crescendo to finish the track.

With Fog Vision, another post rock like track appears - this time a bit faster played, and with an almost whispering vocal. A vocal that disappears completely for 2 minutes on the instrumental Float - a track by Stephan Boeykens, featuring a single guitar and a loop station, playing picked melodies.

This guitar seems to return briefly at the beginning of Nightsky, but switches to strumming when the vocals come in. In between verses, the guitar plays a simple 3 or 4 note repeating tune, which draw attention in a weird way. When singing on this one, Hamlet suddenly adds an aggressiveness to his vocal that wasn't there earlier. Involuntarily, in some places he manages to sound like a hoarse version of Klaus Meine - but only if one wants to hear that.

The aggression gives way to melancholy on the slightly sad, moody Winter, which also contains some nice, haunting postrock guitar work.

After this, its time for another instrumental by Stephan Boeykens, once again guitar and loop station, Minor Moody. A moment of peace in between the darkness of the other tracks.

And then, the two closing tracks Triangle Town and Radio Void bring us back to the opening - spoken word, dark music and a stronger beat than elsewhere on the album. Triangle Town also shows a little bit of jazz influences, when the bass and piano join the guitar and speed things up a bit halfway the track.

As I wrote in my review for Darkblue, this is not music to be played as background noise. No music ever should be, but in this case its impossible - you have to listen to be able to appreciate this, and that is what music should be about. Even though it's dark and gloomy, there are times when this is worth putting on and sitting down for - even if only once, to get a feel for what Transport Aerian is about.

When I was in high school, I always looked at the aspiring musicians in my school (some got quite far with their aspirations too) as if they were some sort of mystics. They always had this sense of being untouchable, impossible to understand around them. That feeling disappeared over time, as I kept in touch with some of them, and it turned out that they were just moving into the same musical areas where I ended up (albeit I started as a listener and became a player only much later). End of 2014, in the chatroom of House of Prog, I ran into Hamlet, the man behind Transport Aerian, and that old feeling returned. This man seemed to be very intelligent, open for communication, but also somehow distant, almost unapproachable. Now, half a year later, I know that the latter is not true, Hamlet is indeed intelligent, but certainly open for communications. However, unlike my old school mates, he is much less moving into the mainstream (or mainstream prog) direction than many others.

When I started reviewing his new album Darkblue, I was thinking of writing a double review for that album and the live album Love.Blood.Live, which preceded it last year. That wouldn't do justice to Darkblue however, because this is vastly different from Transport Aerian's earlier work. Where, as Hamlet wrote in his blog himself, Bleeding (studio album) and Love.Blood.Live are more song oriented, Darkblue is a surrealistic movie expressed in music and the visuals of the accompanying artwork. To that will, as plans are being announced now, the visuals of a live performance will be added later.

This album for sure is what the title suggest, dark, but not pitch black (although Jim Morrison's work with The Doors is almost white compared to this). The music is haunting and minimalistic (Sand Horizon), experimental at times (Black), leaning towards industrial in places (Full Body Access, ), while building almost psychedelic soundscapes in others (Epitaph) - and then there is something close to hard rock or metal as well (Crossbreed).

The lyrics, spoken and sung by Hamlet and his accomplice for this album Rachel Bauer (also responsible for the mystic photos in the album booklet) tell a story of, in Hamlets own words 'exile, self-isolation and love' - in a dialog between two people. As explained on the Transport Aerian blog, this "is the one-piece musical diary that tells the surreal love story, which is being recited throughout the album's temporal and spatial space from the face of two main characters". A concept that makes it nearly impossible to do a track by track review. In all honesty, I see no point in listening to individual tracks anyway - this is indeed a single piece of music. Thus, I'll hold back on that and just recommend anyone who's in for something non-conformist, experimental and as true to art as art can be, to give this album a try and experience for themselves what Hamlet felt when writing this music, and what Rachel Bauer and him made out of that when recording.

I really hope I'll be able to catch a live performance of this album, if only to see if my own visualisations match those of the artists. Hamlet announced working on the scenario for a live performance as I write this, so perhaps see you there, dear reader?

(also published on my blog www.hulshout.nl/rfm)