AFM Records [Release date: 07.10.22]
Four years after The Offering, underrated and often overlooked Canadian metal soundscape supremos, Borealis, step up a gear with new album, Illusion.
This is a metal band impossible to categorise. Anyone who thought they were getting close will be totally blown off course by the breadth and width of the band’s ambition on Illusion.
By merging the band’s heavy metal sound with the spine tingling orchestrations created by American guest composer, Vikram Shankar, the band have, in reality, forged a de facto new style of heavy metal.
Students of the Metal genre and all its wrinkles will know that Shankar teamed up with Evergrey’s Tom Englund earlier this year to create the well received Silent Skies album, Nectar. That recording’s far reaching, yet compact musical ambition, made many sit up and take notice.
Like Silent Skies, Borealis … Matt Marinelli, vocals; Ken Fobert, guitar; Aiden Watkinson, bass and Sean Dowell, drums … seem liberated here, having apparently broken through the limiting structures of the sound previously known as Progmetal. (or even Power/Progmetal).
It allows for several outstanding musical moments.
Shankar’s charismatic synthesiser provides otherworldly soundscaping on several tracks, particularly ‘Pray For Water’ and ‘Believer’, vividly recalling King Crimson’s layered approach to studio recording, where the texture and substance of heavyweight musical assault ultimately led to an orchestral knock out punch.
Opener ‘Ashes Turn To Rain’s epic, slow moving intro is soon fired up by Fobert’s razoring axework, clearing the decks for soaring voices and spine tingling orchestration to join together in powerful harmony. It’s the album’s calling card, no question.
The music is almost classical/cinematic in places and yet the rumbling, tumbling, earthmoving metal of ‘My Fortress’ and ‘Light Of The Sun’ sounds right at home here too. And that’s down to vocalist, Marinello’s way with a lyric and indeed the lyrics themselves.
Like so many metal albums, this one has an overarching theme. A thread that binds the songs together. A Concept. But where many a Concept Album is likely to make even the diehard fan want to curl up in the foetal position in a corner for its duration, this one keeps it simple. Less is more. ***1/2
Review by Brian McGowan
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.
Next session: Sunday 1 December
Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio
David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.
UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.
How to Listen Live?
Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)
Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”
Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.
More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com
Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024
ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)
Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)
PDF - you can delete unwanted sections
