Despite how vigilantly I bow at the altar of Rush, Queensrÿche, and Savatage, I never fancied myself the biggest progressive metal fan. It isn’t even so much because of the nerdy stigma attached with the subgenre, but rather the repetitiveness and conventions it has adhered to post-Dream Theater. Rather ironic for a subgenre whose entire existence is based on reinventing the wheel, don’t you think? Granted, there are exceptions to this assertion, and I’ve been doing my best to warm up to progressive metal in 2024. Couldn’t you tell by our live coverage of Haken and Symphony X?
Today, yours truly takes this commitment one step further with a progressive metal album review, and lord knows I need it after an August that has been dominated by black and death metal. Seriously folks, I’ve grown so accustomed to guttural vocals, tremolo riffs, and blast beats that I’ve almost forgotten what clean vocals and slick melodies sound like. Leave it to Paralydium, a Frontiers helmed progressive metal stable, to kindly reintroduce me. Consisting of past and present members of euro melodic metal staples Dynazty, alongside fellow likeminded collaborators, Paralydium’s brand of progressive metal draws heavily from the genre’s ’90s renaissance, when bands like Symphony X and the aforementioned Dream Theater ruled the roost.
What immediately stands out about their second album, Universe Calls, is its emphasis on actual songs as opposed to aimless showboating exercises in self-indulgence. Don’t get me wrong, there’s some of that peppered about too, but for the most part, this album largely adheres to the Frontiers formula of hooks first, everything else second. This is made especially evident on cuts like “Sands of Time”, an extremely melodic tune, as well as the pomp leanings of “Forging the Past”. As grandiose as the latter is, the hooks are still hum-worthy, and the performances are nothing short of spectacular, especially the guitar/keyboard interplay between John Berg and Mikael Blanc respectively.
The centerpiece of Universe Calls is a lengthy suite entitled “The Arcane Exploration”. Divided into two parts, this is your typical progressive metal epic, boasting all the twists, turns, and loop de loops one would expect from a band of this nature. From a listener’s perspective, dividing it into two halves was a wise move, as a straightforward 20+ minute prog metal voyage may have been too much for the average Frontiers listener. It especially helps that, in between these two musical head trips, is the unusually abrasive “Caught in a Dream”. If other songs emphasize the “progressive” side of the spectrum, than “Caught in a Dream” emphasizes the “metal” with its thick grooves and bull-headed riffing.
Although Paralydium hasn’t completely sold me on progressive metal as a genre, I found myself enjoying Universe Calls much more than I expected. The production is blatantly ’90s sounding, the musicianship is righteous, and the songs are, for the most part, songs! Upon first listen, some might even dismiss this as senseless Symphony X worship, but hey, I could think of far worse bands to be compared too. This is a band with chops for days, and the tunes to back it up. What more could one ask for? And if you answer that question with a jazz odyssey, I’ll kindly show you the door.
7 out of 10
Label: Frontiers Records
Genre: Progressive Metal
For fans of: Symphony X, Dream Theater, Evergrey