EVOS12

Gazing through our prog telescopes, searching for new frontiers whilst evading a slew of unhealthy contemporary asteroids of formulaic garbage, the perennial focus is on finding new stars that perhaps may inhabit the possibility of life. This Aurora Project did show up before on the Rogue radar, but it was a faint signal that quickly vanished in the hyper complex confines of space. Thanks to Bad Dog Promotions, the blip is back (as Elton John almost sang once)! The onus is clearly on the lead singer's rather talented voice, a vibrant and passionate delivery, the ideal platform for a seasoned crew featuring dual guitarists Remco van den Berg and Alex Ouwehand, Marcel Guijt on keyboards and the perennial high quality Dutch rhythmic team composed of bassist Rob Krijgsman and drum beater Joris Bol. The style is the harder edged neo-prog with punchy overtones, two windmills away from The Gathering, Arena, Pallas, IQ, Drifting Sun etc? Lead vocalist Dennis Binnekade does take the cake and devours the material with fantastic clarity.

A certain brawniness from the get-go on "Slave City", unshackling the irons like Spartacus revolting against the Roman senators, the bass-led main melody is immediately attractive, the chorus magnificent, the ripping guitar riffs announcing the revolt of those who will die in glorious battle for a freedom that begs to be conquered. Marcel lays down some stimulating synth shields, as Joris pummels like a gladiator possessed, no surrender within the defiant words shouted with outraged valor. Excellent first salvo. Linear and expansive, "The Movement" is all about the groove, a magic carpet ride of straightforward sounds, woven with a firm thread, the insistent vocals somewhere between Michael Sadler and Paul Manzi, commanding both ends of the vocal spectrum. The tectonic mellotron swaths add much muscle to the cause, and the arrangement does dip and climb with unending adventure.

The next track really came as a total surprise, as "Have Some Tea" initially emits a strong Robin Trower wah-wah guitar sliver that enthralls the nodes, as well as supremely enchanting, hushed vocal that lathers up quite a brew during its nearly 11 minutes+ of grey atmosphere and cardamon adventure, with Floydian segments of uncluttered psychedelia. The screeching guitar blades slice through the mellotronic body armor with hostility and resentment. The second segment gets heated and intense, a sweltering demonstration of space rock, hovering like a winded hawk over the neighboring asteroid belt. The dreamy parts are sibilant solar flares shining in the deepest voids. Slides right into the best epics of 2025 list, for sure.

Weary after such a thrilling journey, "The Traveler" is an anthemic segue, armed to the teeth with 'unbelievable' melody, gut-wrenching guitar concoctions, with the ongoing thematic of liberation, freedom and discovery. The inspirational lyrics are set to rekindle the escape from a once-seemingly perpetual inner prison of endless oppression, with Dennis putting on a microphone clinic of the highest order. Another meaty track finale, "Freedom of Thought" serves as an all-encompassing essay on the infinite ability of progressive rock to express a wide range of sounds and emotions, from the buzzsaw dual guitar wrath, to celestial mellotron string symphonics, to depth charge blasting drums and heat-seeking bas torpedoes, all stringed together with unhinged determination. Freedom does come with a cost, and in the astute words of Polish General Witold Urbanowicz: "Because we do not beg for freedom, we fight for it".

An exceptional example of how attention to details in melody, contrasts, lyrical content, believability and instrumental prowess can take the relatively compact prog-metal style and lead the listener into an intricate journey of emancipation.

4.5 Distant orbs

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