Style: Prog Metal, Prog Rock (clean vocals)
Review by: Mike
Country: Puerto Rico
Release date: November 20, 2020
Some albums are one-and-done for me. Even if I have a positive reaction after a full playthrough, I’ll just never make the effort to revisit the album. With so much new material being released every week/month/year, the bar is just that much higher when it comes to getting repeated listens. What sucks is knowing that lack of patience is a hindrance to albums that I would define as “growers”. These albums need multiple listens to sink in and let their subtleties grab you. There are always albums that I feel guilty about not giving more attention, knowing that if I stuck with them and really devoted significant, persistent listens I would probably end up loving them…but sometimes I just don’t have the time or energy.
Avandra’s Skylighting is one of those grower albums but this time the story has a happy ending. One of the perks of reviewing albums is the expectation that you’ll give the album in question it’s due time, for good or bad. My initial reaction to Skylighting was positive but without the responsibility of the review looming, I might not have been compelled enough to return to it. Additional spins began to unlock what Avandra was able to accomplish with their newest release.
Everything here is elegant, vast, hopeful, and incredibly lush. The synths are abundant and just as important to the song structure as the guitars. This is of note since the keyboards were performed by guest Vikram Shankar (Redemption, Lux Terminus). His contribution is praiseworthy, although it’s not clear how much input he had (if any) in the composition department. The bass really resonates and is mixed exceptionally well. The vocals are breathy and dreamlike throughout but maintain enough variation to keep things interesting. The guitars aren’t riff based in a classic sense. There are a lot of delay drenched, hammer-on lines along with wide open ringing strings that mix incredibly well with the massive synths.
There’s something intangible about this album that hits right from the start. The intro to opener “Celestial Wreaths” begins with a catchy solo’d riff that is accompanied by some keys. But instead of exploding when the drums enter, it’s more like the song emerges from a break in the clouds. “Life Is Not A Circle, But A Sphere” opens with an ethereal, dreamlike vocal melody and even when the track gets “heavy” the vocals still make you feel like you’re floating above it all. “Afferent Realms” is Avandra at their most aggressive with some interesting double bass and even some harsh vocals at the end. But again, delicate vocals and delightful licks smooth out the rough edges and create an enchanting experience.
Avandra have quickly capitalized on the name recognition they built with 2018’s Descender. They would fit in nicely with the prog metal renaissance that is happening in Australia. Bands like Opus of the Machine, Glass Ocean, or even titans of the scene like Caligula’s Horse, come to mind. Hailing from Puerto Rico, I doubt they’ve had an opportunity to visit down under but the influence of that sound is clearly evident. For those listeners that enjoy their prog on the softer side, Skylighting will grow on you if you give it some time.
Recommended tracks: Eternal Return, Life Is Not A Circle But A Sphere, Celestial Wreaths
Recommended for fans of: Opus Of A Machine, Glass Ocean, Caligula’s Horse
Final verdict: 8/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Metal-Archives page
Label: Layered Reality Productions – Bandcamp | Website | Facebook
Avandra is:
– Christian Ayala (vocals/guitars)
– Luis Javier Rivera (guitars)
– Adrián Arroyo (drums)
– Gabriel Alejandro Rodríguez (bass)
– Vikram Shankar (guest keyboards)
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