WAY BACK HOME

BASTIAN PER from Argentina is a heavy prog / prog metal project led by guitarist Sebastian Prosperi. This is their second studio album, following Epic Journey (2019). I want to say right away that a great deal of this music is not 'my cup of coffee'. While I certainly find several things to enjoy from more atmospheric heavy acts such as Riverside, Porcupine Tree and Opeth, it's the *metal* substance in itself that I don't generally enjoy at all. Aggressive and loud music just makes me feel angry, to summarize it. Considering this album, I wholeheartedly agree with the previous reviewer Kempokid: "Way Back Home is an album that I feel like you need to be a certain type of music fan to really get a lot out of". True, you need to like prog metal. Especially Dream Theater influences seem quite clear.

The album is very well produced and played. The brief, calm and easily likeable opening track 'A Better World' reminds me of Riverside at their calmest, also for the sensitive vocals. 'Overture' is a gorgeously powerful instrumental with a symphonic orientation, and since the metal side is not too strongly present in it, I like the piece. 'Defeat Device' however dropped me into the ground: this is exactly the kind of fast-paced prog metal I rather steer way from. 'The L onely Shepherd' is a fine piece balanced between metal and modern prog rock such as Spock's Beard. 'Seize the Day' i s a relatively moody and atmospheric track, not without some metal nuances, which could be compared to Riverside a nd Porcupine Tree.

I believe that those who enjoy the bands I've mentioned above -- including their heavier side too -- will find this album v ery good or even excellent. And the moments that I like, I do so with a close association to the subjectively more f avourable musical expression of those bands, especially Riverside and Dream Theater. Mariano Barreiro admittedly is a pretty good vocalist, capable of Riverside's Mariusz Duda -like clarity and passion. Also there's a lot of delicacy on the k eyboards, for example the piano on the rather beautiful song 'The Safe Place'. In a way, I am actually tempted to give t his well crafted album four stars with an aextra objectivity (ie. not minding the metal essence I don't personally enjoy), b ut then again, one might question the amount of originality. So let's stick to three stars.

P.S. The cover art is interesting to examine in detail -- using my magnifying glass I noticed almost hollogram-like e ffects.