ALFA PROG

Alfa Prog is the collaboration of Fabrizio Felici and Alessandro Esposito, the first two letters of their names creating the word Alfa. Both are former members of Emisferi Paralleli, another prog-metal band that is on ProgArchives. A Dreamsophical Journey is a concept album inspired by the 2001 Richard Linklater film, Waking Life. I've yet to see that film, but it purports to be delving into many deep philosophical issues of the human condition:

"The songs represent a musical journey within lucid dreams: the protagonist lives an ethereal existence, where he is involved in philosophical discussions about evolution, progress, free will, and human constraints."

I enjoyed this a lot. I found the overall song composition and arrangements expressive and unique. It's almost a hybrid blend of metal with the openness of spacey/electronica moments and lighter, non-metal moments. More so than just a brief respite as one might expect on metal albums, there is much more actual space to breathe than you typically hear. The guitar sound is a bit lighter/thinner compared to sludgier metal, but it works to advantage here in this context. I also love the bits of piano sprinkled in. As for the metallic component itself, the guitar playing is diverse, well-layered, dexterous, and exploratory, approaching psychedelic at times. While I far prefer a real drummer on a real kit, the drum machine percussion here is handled pretty well and rarely annoys me. All of these various factors give the album a dreamy and unusual feel which supports the philosophical nature of the lyrical themes discussed. Further, it's a great album for chilling or for a long walk with the earbuds in.

I keep saying that my knowledge of metal is limited, and it is. I expose myself to it frequently and enjoy it, but I've never been a hardcore collector, nor have I read much metal genre history. Therefore, I don't know where this falls in the metal spectrum stylistically, but to me it is a sound that is unusual and compelling. I think A Dreamsophical Journey is a promising debut with a truly progressive take on prog metal. Do check this out if you have a thing for slightly lighter, ethereal-sounding metal with vocals that are not extreme. No screamo, no growls. This album might really surprise you. There are so many little musical treasures hiding out there in the night sky. They might not get much attention as compared to the way rock bands did years ago, but it doesn't mean the joy of musical discovery is any less. I believe a second album is already in the works, so keep your ears open down the road for more from Alfa Prog. 7/10