GLORIA

This is a progressive metal album where the metal component shares the biggest pie in the music than the progressive elements. One pre-requisite is required to absorb the music of this album: you have to like metal music. Otherwise, it's better not to consider this album. "The Black Sea" (5:16) is a good example of the music as it starts with keyboard experimentation like violin sounds followed with heavy guitar riffs and rough vocal line. "Dread It" (4:24) has an attractive keyboard sounds in a string fashion followed with discrete music that accompanies low register notes vocal line. This song is quite unique and it's probably under the umbrella of prog music.

"Don't Go Any Further" (3:51) starts with a distorted narration and sound effects in rough mixing style. The music is heavy in rhythm section and many breaks during the course of the music - it's quite unique and very dynamic. The keyboard work at the background provides symphonic nuance. "Avalanche" (5:08) is another unique composition with many interesting guitar and keyboard loops and distant vocal style. "Aerophobic" (6:11) brings the music in a heavy rhythm section with choirs at background and heavy (and rough) guitar riffs and it abruptly changes into vocal part in a very unique rhythm section. This is why, I think, this album can be considered under progressive music genre.

Overall, this is not any typical progressive metal band is all about. The music has a very unique and in fact "weird" composition. Or is this what so called as avant-prog-met? (newly invented term, I believe). Or put simply this album is like Frank Zappa of progressive metal music. It's really hard to classify this kind of music. Keep on proggin' ..!