YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!

I would give it more along the lines of 3.5 stars.

Quite good Prog Metal Fusion. Technically flashy. Melodic compositions. Good arrangements and production - quite good production for a self-release. I generally find too much of the music in the "metal" category to be very generic and along the lines of all other Metal the past twenty or so years. Prog Fusion tends to be more palatable since it dispenses with one of my pet peeves - the screaming growler. Honestly, Henry Rollins was growling 30 years ago a lot better.

This may not be a "must listen" album but it is very good Comfort Prog that has moments that make your ears perk up.

Arch Echo is a Progressive Metal band from Nashville, TN that was formed in 2016. They have currently released 2 full length albums since that time, their 2nd one entitled "You Won't Believe What Happens Next?". The band was founded by Joey Izzo on keyboards who also serves as producer and composer; Adam Rafowitz on guitar; Adam Bentley as composer and guitarist; Joe Calderone on bass; and Richie Martinez on drums and the band line-up remains the same for this album which was released in May of 2019. The album consists of 8 tracks with a total run time of 46:14. The music on this album is instrumental and definitely progressive with a great mix of keys and guitar.

The album opens with "Daybreak" and is heralded in by a quick synth followed by some heavy guitars which feature a good melodic touch with a heavy metal edge which includes some rather rapid runs. A nice percussive attack on the keys keep this from being just a typical heavy metal album, but the melodic guitar passages are also quite progressive as the rhythm remains somewhat complex, but not over the top. There is a nice mix of both keys and guitar, each taking turns creating a nice bright sound, but one that is heavy enough to satisfy those that love their prog heavy. The complexity increases with "Immediate Results!", but the keys and guitars still run the show. The notes just fly by at lightning speed. A nice jazzy piano takes over in the middle, but the notes still come sailing out quickly and the band soon kicks back in keeping things in a jazz/rock fusion style.

This complex style continues throughout the entire album with guitars and keys sharing in the rapid fire melodies. While the musicians are definitely quite amazing, the music itself doesn't have a lot of distinction between each track. The music is quite dense while being melodic, but suffers from lacking more variety. The most distinct track is the last one "Iris" which still has some crazy passages, but which also allows for more breathing room for theme expansion and exploring varying textures. You look at the album cover trying to thing what does happen next, but the music makes you think that what happens next is a cartoon cat chasing a cartoon rat. The music pretty much stays full bore complex with everything running along at full speed. It's great music, but something I would rather take with doses of more emotional heart and not just tech and djent slamming you in the head all of the time. It makes the album seem lacking of any heart or soul. The musicians are talented, but the music just isn't varied enough. 3 stars.