THE ENDLESS

1. "Worlds Break" (8:28) opening with Kelly Schilling singing gently in an Elizabeth Heaton (MIDA FALL) or Marjana Semkina (IAMTHEMONRING) kind of way while arpeggiating her electric guitar. Soon she is joined by Lauren Vieira in a most interesting (and haunting) harmoized vocal performance. Eventually other instrumental sounds join in until finally the full band has joined in by the end of the second minute as Kelly and Lauren continue, Kelly with her Elizabeth Heaton-like soprano and Lauren with the calming alto accents and balm, sounding like Katharine Blake and her MEDIÆVAL BÆBES--until the three-minute mark when full wall of sound crashes in, converting Kelly to a growling werewolf while Lauren continues along mellifluously, as if nothing has changed. In the sixth minute things calm down for Lauren to take the fore--she sings so beautifully! Drums and bass are quite wonderful throughout with the former really moving us along in a rather insistent Post Rock way. Kelly takes the lead again at the end of the seventh minute, her gorgeous wispy soprano contrasting with the heavy juggernaught propelling us beneath her. ower chord strumming over slowly descending piano arpeggi take us to the end. Brilliant! One of the most impressive songs I've heard all year! (19.5/20)

2. "Midnight Moon" (6:42) Cocteau Twins guitars, hypnotic drumming, all supporting the wonderfully intertwining of the independent voices and lyrical messages of Kelly and Lauren--until the very end of the second minute when the beast is once again released from Kelly's mouth. Great drumming in the second half despite the fact that the rest of the music begins to show signs of fatigue. The stripped down, thinning music of the final 90 seconds is definitely new and engaging. Fascinating! (8.75/10)

3. "The Endless" (4:39) seems to continue from the bleed over from the brooding, stark, stripped down soundscape of the end of the previous song. Kelly's lead vocal gives the first two minutes such an Elizabeth Heaton/MIDAS FALL sound and feel. The second half of the song is more of two-part a conversation among the instrumentalists: at first civilized but then loud and contentious--like an argument between the almighty Olympic gods with Zeus finally asserting his power and dominance. Cool song! Very unusual construct (which shows a bravery and confidence that I really like). (9/10)

4. "Liminal Veil" (9:07) thick, heavy Gothic prog music over which Lauren's plaintive vocal sounds a bit thin, even weak. The music shifts after her singing ends into something very haunting before Kelly takes over singing in a much more in-your-ear whisper. This band is so creative! So in-tune with one another! (17.5/20)

5. "Gears of Violent Endurance" (6:09) fast strumming distorted electric guitar is soon joined by the rest of the band to create a hard-driving, though not fast paced train for Kelly to growl over. A minute later, everybody backs down, the music thins a bit as Kelly switches into her little girl/angel voice for bit. But then the wall of sound crashes back in as Kelly growl-screams her arrival. At the end of the fourth minute the two women singers isolate themselves for a little a cappella vocal duet reminiscent of something I've heard done by folk sirens like Mediæval Bæbes, Faun, Hands of the Heron, or Hannah and The Moulettes. Then we re-amp up into a thick soundscape as before though never as forceful or domineering while Lauren finishes the delivery of the song's lyric (in a normal, gentle voice). Again, I am once again reminded of atmospheric "shoegaze" of French metal artist Neige (ALCEST). (9/10)

6. "The Paradigm Mirror" (6:01) very gentle, delicately played guitar arpeggi, simple bass and drum play, support the angelic presentation of the the two ladies' voices. After three minutes there is a drastic shift as heavily-effected, spaced-out guitar strums and drum beats are sung over by one of the ladies using a very crazed, unstable voice similar to what Anna Von Hausswolff can churn up when the mood strikes her. This then stops and the music slowly decays and fades. (An effect that is rather new to me and one that I like very much.) Nice theatric presentation of what feels like an archetypical story from Greek mythology. (9/10)

Total Time 41:06

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of very creative blended progressive rock music. My favorite album of Heavy Prog from 2022. A band I've definitely got to go back to explore their past discography (four previous albums).

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