June is shaping up to be an incredible month for Windy City metal! Here we are exploring our second offering of Chi-town steel in a matter of days, and I know for a fact there’ll be a third before the month is out, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled fer, I mean, for that (there’s your hint). Today’s band in review is Professor Emeritus: A local supergroup of sorts, featuring past and present members of acts such as Olórin, Moro’s Nyx, Satan’s Hallow, Black Sites, and Acerus, just to name a few. No doubt about it, their very existence gives credence to the old punchline about 10 local bands sharing the same drummer. Alas, even in the third largest city in the country, this tends to be the case, but when said drummer is Chris Avgerin, can you blame us?
Professor Emeritus formed way back in 2010, but didn’t drop their debut album until 2017 with the incredible Take Me to the Gallows. For those keeping score, that’s 8 years ago now. Fast forward to 2025 and, amidst the ever-growing rap sheets of each individual member, we’re finally being treated to their long awaited sophomore effort, A Land Long Gone. If there ever was an album that embodied the “slow and steady wins the race” ethos, it’s this one, both figuratively and literally. Much like its predecessor, A Land Long Gone is a colossal display of epic doom, riddled with USPM forays and progressive exploration throughout.
Par the course for an epic release, most of the songs on here lie on the lengthy side, with 4 of the 9 cuts surpassing the 7 minute mark. This might be a red flag for those with an attention span the length of a Napalm Death song circa Scum, but fear not! Professor Emeritus manage to make every second worthwhile, mutating the epic doom mold in their own unique way. For example, the first two songs, “A Corpse’s Dream” and “Zosimos” closely resemble the classic battle marches of Manowar, albeit with a doomy heft to the guitars and melodramatic vocal delivery, the latter courtesy of newcomer Esteban Julian Pena.
Pena’s Messiah Marcolin-esque pipes fit these songs like a glove, elevating the grandiose nature of the compositions to that upper echelon of badassery. Equally of note is the emphasis on melody, particularly within the guitar lines on a cut like “Pragmatic Occulsion”. There’s an underlying current of somberness, almost reminiscent of a ’90s Peaceville release (i.e. the doomiest, gloomiest moments of old school Paradise Lost). Most impressive of all, however, is the variety on display. Uptempo headbangers like “Passage” and “Conundrum” flaunt the band’s penchant for ’80s steel à la Manilla Road, while acoustic tinged-numbers like “Hubris” and the closing “Kalopsia Caves” leaves us wishing more metal acts studied the pastoral provisions of Jethro Tull, Wishbone Ash, and Damnation era Opeth.
Despite its nearly hour long runtime, A Land Long Gone never feels bloated or drawn out, easily capable of converting even the pickiest of doom metal listeners (i.e. yours truly) thanks to those strategic flourishes of prog, power, and old school traditionalism. The songs are as memorable as they are epic, the performances are electric, and the production manages to subtly balance every last instrument’s voice, so at no point is say a bassline or guitar riff hastily buried. No doubt about it, A Land Long Gone is an immersive listening experience, guaranteed to stimulate headbangers of a cerebral disposition. Makes sense for a band with “Professor” in their name. Doom on!
8 out of 10
Label: No Remorse Records
Genre: Epic Doom Metal
For fans of: Candlemass, Smoulder, Argus
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