ROMANCING THE ETHER

I've been following Hemina for quite some time now, back when they released their first ep As We Know It. They showed promise as an original sound in prog metal back then, and now 5 albums deep they are still surprising me. After the concise Night Echoes album which I still really loved for its emotive vocals and lush chords, we are presented with one giant 35 minute slab of prog. The music dances through orchestral strings, to shredding guitar and tender vocals. All the ingredients are here that Hemina usually deliver on but the production and arrangements are firing on all cylinders. I don't seem to get many promos coming my way these days but every few years or so a Hemina album ends up in my inbox and it's usually a great day.

There are a couple of jarring moments like the techno sounds that appear 25 ish minutes in but I adjusted to them and I can see what the band were trying to do.

Standout part was the 3rd movement "Embraced by Clouds", that really goes in a million different directions which is exciting and fresh. The middle choral section reminded me of Eric Whitacre with lots of clashing notes that are dissonant yet pleasing.

"Romancing the Ether" is a slice of prog to feast on.

Hemina's new release  "Romancing the Ether" is a prog fest of heavy melodic metal with huge dollops of lead guitar shredding and complex rhythmic signatures that keep the ear energized. The album captures the heavier sound of Hemina and is replete with ambient atmospheres and ethereal melancholy passages. The concept concludes the same storyline  that was developed on previous releases "Synthetic" 2011, "Nebulae" 2014,"Venus" 2016, and "Night Echoes" (2019), and now " Romancing the Ether" (2023) that specifically focusses on the protagonist child's inner feelings as they struggle with belonging and dissolution brought about by fractured relationships and broken dreams. The concept unpacks the life struggles of the child who has experienced major trauma, and explores spiritual themes with psychological overtones. The 35- minute title track is a multi-movement suite segregated into 6 parts that transition seamlessly with an emotional impact.

Part I. Intention (0:00) Part II. Strike Four (0:55) Part III. Embraced by Clouds (11:45) Part IV. Dissolution (21:47) Part V. Revelations (26:01) Part VI. Integration (33:34)

The Australian quartet consist of Douglas Skene, Vocals, Guitars and Keyboards; Mitch Coull, Guitars and Vocals; Jessica Martin, Bass and Vocals; and Nathan McMahon, Drums, Percussion and Vocals. For the first time this album features over 100 part choral vocal arrangements and live orchestral strings and 8-string guitars.

'Intention' opens with eerie violins and piano, till a primal scream, chunky riffs and a soaring lead break crashes through igniting the maelstrom. 'Strike Four' is a cacophony of strings, drums and guitars that convey intense passion and are empowered by lyrics that have an emotional drive. 'Embraced by Clouds' is a delightful soundscape to feast on. The journey takes on an otherworldly atmosphere on 'Dissolution' when it delves into dark psytrance territory with extreme technobeats and synth-soaked psychedelic space rock.

'Revelations' is the major single from the album, a wonderful example of the complex rhythm switches and endearing harmonies. Jessica balances the vocals of Douglas so profoundly that it encompasses genuine listening pleasure. It concludes with 'Integration' and I  love how there is a light and dark balance of tone and the release of lead guitar power is consistent. The drums are superbly played complemented by a pulsing bass sound. The synth pads are beautiful counterbalancing the distorted crunching riffs. Other tracks are single versions of the epic suite that only differ slightly without the transitions.

This latest release is excellent prog to wrap your ears around. It is also available as a psychedelic visual experience that augments the journey by TAS visuals. It is great to discover that the complex story of the troubled adolescent has a concise ending, and the music of Hemina is consistently outstanding. This is another Hemina album well worth your attention.

1. Romancing the Ether: 'Part I. Intention' with strings and piano intro, melancholy ethereal opening lulling our ears before 'Part II. Strike Four' with a thunderous solo with a heavy metallic bass; expressive prog metal verse piano a cappella ballad, neo prog at the start, vocals on a Queen track; slow melody with psyche-metal incursions from incisive djent guitars; the neo jazzy break on shouted choirs and a varied instrumental variation, swing and psyche at once, intoxicating reminiscent of Dream Theater; final sloping piano arpeggio. 'Part III. Embraced by Clouds' new age ambiance, crystalline Howe guitar; Douglas and Jessica duet on a melo-symphonic tune amplified by Nathan on drums; keyboard with a cottony neo-prog break before the growl-djent rise marked with the Opethian imprint; break again on a choir in Queen; piano suite for an orchestral moment eyeing Boston enhanced with a fluid and airy guitar solo; final choirs and guitars djent singular for a modern new-prog.

'Part IV. Dissolution' brings an oriental psyche-divine vibe; the bass becomes electro with a hang and house to leave you in a trance; between Hawkwind and impressively beeping EDM; a heavy riff hangs on to the sound of the beginning, continuing to deliver these sounds banished from all progeny! Error or stroke of genius, fabulous as it is before the final gospel choir. 'Part V. Revelations' offers a melodic, marshmallow variation, punctuated by heavy solos and riffs; these vocal harmonies lull the ear while the bass hammers the space; a modern prog metal, syncopated, predictable but devilishly effective.'Part VI. Integration' concludes with a lonely song and a dark keyboard layer, to return to the current world.

Hemina is reminiscent of the master Dream Theater, of its neighbors Voyager; baroque notes like on Queen or Devin Townsend, a prog neo-metal sound that pushes the boundaries of prog to hover over different musical climates.(4.5)

​This is wonderful!

Hemina is a band from Australia who create great progressive rock music in its heavy or metal vein, however, they really know how to contrast that power with constant atmospheric passages, which has led them to create a very particular and wonderful sound. Through the years they have released 5 studio albums, being this one their latest (2023), and as far as I know, the conclusion of a concept story which has in fact, covered all those albums.

'Romancing the Ether' is the name of this 35-minute album which could also be a one-song record, because it is, in fact the title of this long epic that is divided in 6 parts, chapters, passages, so with that it might be easier for us to notice the different moments of the story and also to feel and even relate them with our own experiences.

'Part I: Intention' is a one-minute introduction with a classical/symphonic sound made by keyboards. It leads to 'Part II: Strike Four', which starts with piano but all of a sudden strings and drums together create a powerful tune, in that heavy prog or metal prog vein, after that bombastic beginning, vocals enter for the first time and yeah, in a very emotional way, so we can assume the rest of the album and the story will bring emotional moments. We, as humans, are always competing, its part of our nature and also, of our impositions, so as a self it is normal questioning a lot of things while we grow up, or even while looking to the past. That feeling of searching for answers is present here and Hemina share it heartfeltly, of course, with wonderful musical compositions where we can find challenging rhythm changes, great nuances made by guitars (including some awesome solos) and keyboards, while bass and drums implement a powerful yet delicate base.

'Part III: Embraced by Clouds' is a beautiful track where female vocals appear in a delicate way as lead, then the protagonist's voice appears again and a new structure is being built-up, where emotional heavy prog prevail. The keyboards role is very important here, adding that diversity of nuances and textures a story like this need. I love the faster moments where guitar show-up his skills and how it dialogues with keyboards. There is a constant feeling of being in a rollercoaster, in a seesaw, some brief calm passages but overall, we can appreciate passages full of energy, intensity, emotions. Worth mentioning the harmony vocals episode they bring at minute 5 just before the song explodes once again. But wait, because at minute 6 a piano opens the gates for a beautiful and disarming passage where melancholy is present as the main ingredient. Heartfelt, emotive music is shared here, you can tell by those amazing vocals that will make you scream, even cry.

'Part IV: Dissolution' starts with a mid-eastern sound, interesting, knowing the band are from Australia, it is great to have this cultural richness. The song starts in a calm way, one can even close the eyes and feel relaxed, however, at 1:30 it drastically changes, fast electronic beats appear and then Hemina makes an exploration of sounds and musical genres, because one would not particularly say this is prog rock, but they put elements of other popular rhythms, tribal sounds, with the help of their own resources and expertise as composers and performers. Though I love the instrumental moments of the album, I loved the ones with vocals and mostly, those harmony vocals like in the end of this song.

The melancholy strikes back in 'Part V: Revelations', another great track where the protagonist realizes he is no longer a kid and now life is up to him, so better be careful with the decisions and everything that surrounds him. We can take the music and the story home and feel identified with some details, but I love how the band manages to represent life through music, so just like in our day by day, we are happy, sad, melancholic, angry, hopeful, etc. It is never a straight line, we have always walk through sinister ways full of potholes, but in the end when we reach our goals, we feel everything is worth it. Questioning ourselves is everything.

The album finishes with 'Part VI: Integration', a short one-minute ending which reminds me of the short 'Peace' tracks by King Crimson. Of course, this album had to finish with the protagonist accepting that life has a new passage and he has to embrace it.

Yeah, a great album indeed, congrats to Hemina for this amazing release!