OUR ROAD TO DUST

"Of Ascents" with a vintage folk intro, acoustic guitar notes rippling out and opening for "The Illusion of Permanence" flirting between energetic rock and crazy heavy rock, bordering on occult djent with a jerky riff; an intoxicating choir, a fiery growl, the chorus leering at the great PAIN OF SALVATION. A zest of tulle flute before the chopped return of the colorful prog metal sound. The outro between bass and clear percussions of the ambient drums delivers the fatal note. "These Old Wounds" follows with a rumble of the pad and the flute, covering the musical sky on the dark gray. A light flute swing and aerial vocals from the 70s and the modern heavy return on top, just to avoid getting bogged down in regressive nostalgia. The bass break and martial drums before the dynamite folk solo of the 60s and the bouncing guitar, the swelling air of musical lava before the return of this frenetic flute surfing the wild rhythms of the GILDENLOW brothers; regression and innovation. "Black Crow" for the captivating vocal harmony, Josh, Emily and Alana coming to support TD and James by launching into a warm chorus; it fits well with this typical folk sound that follows, a mixture of MEER and psychedelic JETHRO TULL, disconcerting and nostalgic flirting with the 60s. Great art based on vintage keyboards, electronics and wild vocals; a tribal acoustic fade comes to rest our senses before "Hall of Statues" with its melodic Mandarin air, tambourine in front. The vocal is whispered with dark heavy waves on the flute and Barry's bass duo. Decadent prog rock with a nasty atmosphere leading to a pleasant waking nightmare.

"Book of Complaints" for its dark rock feel worthy of GHOST; a track surfing on grunge alternative rock with an expressive undertone, an explosion of sounds bordering on noise, musical chaos, a parable about their turbulent professional and artistic relationships, a touch schizoid. The sound demonstrates their vitality in a short piece; it moves everywhere, as catchy as can be. "Of Ascents (Reprise)" where everything is written to take a break from the previous Book of Complaints and its paradoxical creative madness. "Wykkr Bäsct" for its instrumental slap with bass and violins; a frenetic, playful, folky tune with Barry's extraordinary flute. From the Balkans or Romania, this track is stunning thanks to its big riff, held in the style of Robert's SUICIDAL TENDENCIES. Explosive rock before the finale and "Our Road to Dust" as an epic title, the vocals phrasing over the invasive organ and its Genesis-like undertones, the addictive Tulle flute. Traces on OVERHEAD, between grandiloquence and the air of a fishing port tavern, between steady rhythm and tenderness, distilling to the world this unique sound that is a pleasure to hear. The guitar break is plaintive then scintillating, chopping and going solo with Barry on GENESIS again. Innovative, modern, energetic, and not at all soporific.

EDENSONG has released a little progressive bomb with a strange sound, with the flute as a bonus, and choruses of buccaneering sailors. This second-rate band explodes in your face, offering a concentrated blend combining the power of hard rock with devastating melancholy. Originally on profilprog. (4.75)

Dust, flutes, and polyrhythms.

When a legend like Ian Anderson takes the time to say that Edensong is "a great example of the contemporary face of Progressive Rock," you pay attention. And yeah — Our Road to Dust totally earns that attention. This new album is dense, emotional, and wildly eclectic, like the band decided to let it all out through complexity, telling something deep and real about our path to dust.

Right from the start — an acoustic intro that suddenly crashes into a choppy riff that immediately gives off Pain of Salvation vibes — the album makes its point clear: this is going to be unpredictable, but still cohesive. Heavy guitars and bass live side by side with flutes, melodic vocals —sometimes soft, sometimes raw— and an organic-sounding drum performance that flows with the music. There's a constant push and pull between darkness and beauty, chaos and harmony, folk and dissonance.

I really liked the lead vocals. At times, the tone reminds me of Drew Mailloux from Rishloo or Claudio Sánchez from Coheed and Cambria, standing out in both the intense parts and the more melodic ones. The backing vocals add extra layers of harmony that give the whole thing a rich, full atmosphere. There are even some electronic touches, like in Black Crow, where a digital vibe somehow blends seamlessly into the acoustic and folky elements.

Sometimes, the chaos takes the wheel, and those frantic Mars Volta-like moments hit with pure adrenaline and energy — yet they never feel out of place. It's part of the dynamic balance of the album, which never sits still or plays it safe.

According to the band, this album is about aging, loss, choosing the wrong path... but also about brotherhood, reevaluating what really matters, and deciding — maybe wrongly — to keep walking down that dusty road. And of course, it comes packed with odd time signatures, polyrhythms, and all the prog nerd stuff we love.

It's not an easy listen, but it's definitely one that pays off. And even though they've released other records before, I actually discovered them through this one — and what a great place to start.

Music: ★★★★★

Lyrics: ★★★★

Execution: ★★★★★

Emotion: ★★★★★

Production: ★★★★

Artwork: ★★★

Average: ★★★★