RITUAL

This sophomore album from Turkish proggers, Nemrud, has been a little bit of a battleground of late. It seems as if people either love it or hate it, but I'm not sure why that is. All I can say is that I LOVE this album, and of course I listened to it right after I did a countdown of my favorite albums for the first half of 2013 on my Facebook page, The PROG Mind. That kind of thing always happens to me. Sheesh.

Getting back to the album, I wasn't sure what to expect from this album, as it is labeled psychedelic/space rock. Yet, I would venture to say that it has quite a bit of neo-prog influence to it, too. In fact, I would daresay this album leans more towards the latter than the former. The music is generally easy-going, but technically brilliant at the same time. We get soothing synth and organ solos, delicate guitar passages, incredible solos, and blistering drum sections (is there such a thing?) all within one track, such as on "In My Mind" (my favorite track on the album). The music progresses very steadily sometimes to a soaring melody or climax; or sometimes it jumps around a little. So, even though on the surface it may seem like a soft and easy album, it really is genius once you let it sink in a bit.

The vocalist, Mert, has such a good voice with a slight accent. He really uplifts the music with his pleasant and strong tone, as can be seen on the short track, "Light". He makes this track something special with his smooth delivery and wonderful vocal melodies. Yet, the album is very dark as it follows a shaman through depression, sorrow, loss, etc. So, the vox are often very soulful and emotive---just the way I like them.

With all that said, however, this album is not for metalheads, certainly. If you like beautiful prog rock that features melody and structure, stunning climactic moments, and dark and profound ideas; then this album may please you.