KONOM

Progressive metal is not a style of music that i look forward to discovering new artists much any longer considering it seems like an endless procession of copycat bands that rarely match expectations but of course there are always exceptions so once in a while i'll check out a new artist just to see if the genre has found some new life and every once in a while i'm surprised that i really do enjoy some of the newer bands cranking out the somewhat familiar sounds laid down a while back.

KONOM is a new band founded in 2019 in Manchester, England by Arya Bobaie (vocals), Tom Rice (drums), Dan White (guitar, backing vocals), Benjamin Edwards (bass and Jonathan Worsley (keyboards) and is the result of Dan White and Tom Rice continuing together after the disbanding of the band Ascent which lasted from 2011-19. My first reaction to the band's eponymously titled debut is "LEPROUS IS BACK!" Yep, of all the bands that instantly come to mind are the Leprous albums that still had metal and this is mostly due to the extraordinary vocal control of Arya Bobale.

To be fair though, KONOM isn't a Leprous clone at all even if performing progressive metal in the same ballpark. With an emotive mix of progressive rock and more feisty metal, KONOM has crafted a very impactful debut with eight tracks that are just shy of t he 52 minute mark. This is the type of progressive metal that gets your attention right away with strong impactful melodic hooks, excellent musicianship that serves to function as a whole unit and eschews excess soloing and lots of atmospheric soaked synth parts that add all those other dimensions. While considered metal, much of the album isn't metal at all but rather atmospheric buildups, more subdued progressive rock or metal lite but the band does know how to unleash its fury when contrast is needed.

While Bobaie's vocals are the clear standout here, so too are the excellent guitar riffs that provide the backbone to the rhythmic drive with the bass and drums actually being a bit less dynamic. Of course prog metal means nothing without strong compositions and KONOM excels in keeping you engaged. With eight tracks on board, five are solely dedicated to "The Great Harvest" suite which features five distinct parts and let's the band show off its many influences which are actually quite broad ranging from Porcupine Tree to Haken and Tool to Dream Theater and a whole bunch of prog metal bands which is probably why KONOM works so well for me. In other words the influences are shuffled around enough and thoroughly integrated to actually make this sound unique if not revolutionary.

While the entire album is strong including the longer tracks such as the opening "A Welcome Change" which sprawls over the 10 1/2 minute mark, the highlight is clearly the multi-faceted "The Great Havest" which is a 20 minute plus showcase of styles and moods all wrapped in a progressive metal veneer. Like any really good prog metal, KONOM tackles many disparate moods and motifs but keeps them reeled into an overarching stylistic approach. Overall KONOM has unleashed a very enjoyable and competent debut release and is certainly one to look out for in the future. While i wouldn't call this band the next Dream Theater or breaking any new ground in the least, i will say that KONOM has mastered the art of technical prog metal without sacrificing the emotional connections that a great band is supposed to bring to the table primarily due to Bobale's excellent vocal command.

Retro Heavy Prog drawing comparisons from the likes of URIAH HEEP, FOREIGNER, ALLMAN BROTHERS, FATES WARNING, MYRATH, HEAD EAST and others, led by talented LOU GRAMM sound-alike vocalist Arya Bobaie.

1. "A Welcome Change" (10:35) Reminds me of ORPHANED LAND, HEAD EAST, IQ, MYRATH, AC/DC, and THE WHO, with Sammy Hagar singing. Solid, straightforward 1980s Prog Metal--even with the jazzy piano interlude in the sixth minute. Keys and guitar doubling up on the solo in the seventh minute is pretty cool. The final two or three minutes sound like a heavier IQ. (17.5/20)

2. "Birotunda" (7:20) opens like a WOBBLER or IQ song before turning URIAH HEEP/FOREIGNER/ RUSH/OZZIE-like before the end of the first minute. (13/15)

3. "As the Waters Rise" (9:34) Reminds me of ORPHANED LAND or MYRATH with Lou Gramm singing. The most proggy song on the album, with some heavily treated vocals during the second half verses. Nice peak at 8:15 (great Eddie Vedder-like vocal performance). Great song. (19/20)

4. "The Great Harvest (88.0) : i. Epiphany (3:54) acoustic guitar picking and dinking around with high-pitched drone in the background opens this one until the rest of the band jumps into drive at the end of the first minute. A RUSH- like heavy metal theme is quickly established--everybody firing on all cylinders in this awesome power weave until things turn down a more melody-driven street and then hit some heavier traffic. Nice guitar lead in the second half of the third minute before bass, guitar, and synth all synch together for a nice patch before RUSHing into a brick wall... (8.75/10) 5. "The Great Harvest: ii. Dilate My World (5:41) ... of piano and deep single note bass thrums over which Arya gives a great John Arch (Fates Warning) performance. Singers John Schlitt (Head East) and Queensrÿche's Geoff Tate also come to mind with this performance. Nice song; great arrangements and spacing, great guitar shredding at the end. (9.25/10) 6. "The Great Harvest: iii. Mutating Light" (2:40) racing off at high speed, we are taken into new territory before a sudden wormhole dumps us into an orb of crystalline acousticity. Nice--and quite unexpected. (4.5/5) 7. "The Great Harvest: iv. Reflections (6:50) now dumped into a spacious bass-dominated Richard Wright/Ambrosia- like soundstage before Arya joins in singing in a heart-felt plaintive performance before the metal brigade steps in at 2:15 when Arya goes Geddy-Lee-ballistic. Unfortunately, he's rather pitchy throughout this brief passage. (It's a very demanding section.) The ensuing instrumental section showcases Dan White's guitar rhythm prowess before it turns djenty. Keys are interesting beneath but perhaps a little too dominated by the guitars and bass. (More volume!) (13/15) 8. "The Great Harvest: v. Heedless Breath (5:24) starts out of the blocks sounding very much like a repeat of the heavier motif of the previous song. It remains RUSH-guitar-trio-centric for the first 90 seconds before the keyboards finally have a chance to sneak up to the front. The surprise here, to me, is that this, the album's final song, is playing out like an instrumental--but, then, at 2:22 the music downshifts into a more keyboard-washed melody over which Arya displays his full range of vocal talents (sounding, again, very much like Foreigner's Lou Gramm. I have to admit to being very much disappointed by this last song--the finale!--as it feels too by-the-numbers, too predictable and even generic. (8.5/10)

Total Time 51:58

B+/four stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection. Fans of early metal will probably find this album especially pleasing. Check it out!

[Originally published as a mini review at The Progressive Aspect]

Konom have released an impressive eponymous debut, that sits somewhere between obvious classic prog influences and more modern prog metal. It's this stance, neither quite here nor there, that originally made me unsure of the album; and conversely that made it one I now enjoy greatly. By not slavishly staying within the confines of musical style from one era or genre, the way many new bands do, they have created a sound that is far more original than it might first seem. Yes, for sure, there will be those who label Konom another Dream Theater clone, and it would be a fool who attempts to argue that Dream Theater have not been an obvious influence. But there is so much more to the sound of Konom than any passing (and it really is passing) resemblance to the prog metal behemoth, and certainly containing far greater vitality, energy and passion than that band seems capable of lately.

So, as much as I might make comparisons to Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree or Leprous, I could just as easily make comparisons to Genesis and Yes. And, for that matter, some Gentle Giant and Rush. In fact, the heaviness of Konom is far closer to that of Rush than Dream Theater, and there is definitely a pastoral feel to the music that very often reminds me of Genesis. Another obvious influence, and one noted on the Bandcamp page, is Frost*, and Jem Godfrey even makes a guest appearance on one song. Musically, at least - as the vocals of Arya Bobaie are something else, entirely. In fact, the vocals are what could well make or break the album for a lot of listeners, because Arya has a very different and distinctive singing style. It did put me off initially, and I put the album on the back burner, possibly never to return to it, simply because I really wasn't sure I could deal with Arya's histrionics.

It was complete chance that a Konom song came up when I had my iPod on shuffle one night as I was going to sleep. On the threshold of dreams, I suddenly sat bolt upright, because the song I was listening to was incredible, and I had no idea who it was. I listened to the album again the next day and was blown away. I love that it is largely heavy without being metal. The guys are quite clearly proficient, and could easily churn out a prog metal wankfest if they chose to, but there is a great deal of restraint in the music (if not so much in the the vocals). I mentioned the pastoral and Genesis feel, and I think this is almost best represented by the cover art, which is quite lovely. It has a sci-fi look ? technologically advanced worlds where civilisation has somehow collapsed, and society has gone back to basics and a more primitive way of life. That's the sort of pastoral quality this album has, and reflects the way the sound of the band has a classic style that you couldn't really call retro, as it clearly comes from more modern times. Don't make the same mistake I did, and dismiss the album after too few listens.