LAST FAIR DEAL GONE DOWN

Heavy, dark guitar-driven music with modern vocals. The metal lightens up at times but the mood never does. I'm reminded frequently of Opeth--both dark progressive metal from Sweden. But "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" doesn't have the growls that Opeth often does.

This is good music--well-produced, well-performed, smart. The most popular track--at least according to number of plays on streaming platforms--is "Teargas," but the album is consistently good. There isn't a bad song on it. That being said, there's nothing entirely original here. If you like dark progressive metal like Opeth--and especially if you like this type of music without the growls--you'll like this. If you prefer more traditional or more unique progressive metal, it's still worth a listen. Opeth fans will likely rate this higher than my 3.5 stars.