BLOOM

This album came with a sticker on the front stating something along the lines of.. 'For fans of Opeth, Haken, Porcupine Tree, Karnivool, and Riverside' which is pretty fitting albeit broad. The biggest similarities can be drawn between Karnivool or Haken (they are kind of a mix of these 2). The Porcupine Tree comparison is a bit of a stretch.

Bloom: This is an excellent album opener, providing a good look at what is to come. The song starts off slow and quiet then builds and 'wakes up' quite literally with a burst of energy. The track rocks for a few more minutes and abruptly ends in a wonderful transition into the next track. Much like Fly On A Windshield leading into Broadway Melody of 1974 by Genesis, for this song to be heard how it was meant, it must be followed by the next track. Not a good track for shuffle but as an opener it is fantastic. 5/5

Marigold: Absolute beast of a track. The super catchy guitar riffs and vocals, particularly during the chorus, are bound to get stuck in your head for days, for which the only cure is to listen to it more! Favorite track on the album and only made better if listened to immediately following the opener, Bloom. 5/5

Firelight: This song slows it down a bit and treads into poppy territory. Not a bad song, catchy, but pretty mediocre. 3/5

Dragonfly: I'm having a really hard time finding any redeeming parts of this song. The guitar solo is alright, as well as some of the parts following, but overall this song feels as if it is an exercise in this type of music rather than any new. 2/5

Rust: Oh hell yeah! This song makes me want to hop into a mosh pit even after nearly a ten year hiatus! Only complaint is that the chorus feels a bit weak. 4/5

Turntail: Like Firelight, this song treads into poppy territory but unlike Firelight, this song is wonderful, blending the poppy catchy sections with their heavy riffs wonderfully. Did I say Marigold was my favorite track? Maybe it's this. This is the track that might have got Porcupine Tree's name on that sticker. 5/5

Daughter of the Mountian: A slower melodic jam that has some interesting moments but is largely forgettable and passable. The outro is pretty good. 3/5

Undergrowth: This song left a bad taste in my mouth. It immediately reminded me of the outro to Changes by Karnivool on Sound Awake. To me it seriously sounded as if the drum solo at the end of Changes should kick in right at the end of this track. The lyrics wrap up the album well enough. 2/5

Overall this is a solid release and I'm very excited to see what is to come with this band. 3.5/5 really.