Transport Aerian: Skywound

Transport Aerian hail from Belgium and formed in 2003 by multi-instrumentalist Hamlet. Their latest effort titled Skywound (2021) is their seventh full length album. I have said this before, one of the best things about reviewing music is listening to those occasional gems that you had no idea even existed. I put Skywound into that category. It is an excellent progressive rock album, and its unlike anything I have heard in the last year.

The band has a moody progressive sound that is difficult to describe, very atmospheric and quite eclectic, and sometimes quite heavy, very close to progressive metal or at least heavy prog. The first track “Shall Not Be� begins with darker toned riffs and moody piano, conveying a mellow atmosphere before the heaviness is unleashed in the chorus. The accented vocals are quite unique, very emotive, and fairly dramatic at times. The vocals took a while to get used to but now I am all in. The keyboards and guitar are both used to generate varying moods and atmospheres in both heavy and lighter soundscapes. “At The Cliff� features slightly disjointed keys and guitar, very mellow, with ethereal lead vocals, before heavy, doomy riffs enter the fold adding an effective contrast to the mellower sounds. This one is pure prog as varying shifts and diverse sounds will delight fans of dynamic rock music. The short “Fracture I� is the first of four interludes of the same name, focusing on mood and atmosphere. With “Lunatic�, keyboards and guitar create a moody backdrop before thick slabs of addictive riffs and Hamlet’s emotive vocals take center stage, all with a melancholic tone that permeates the song. Varying tempos and change ups ensue and one of the most frenetic guitar solos on the disc is an absolute highlight. “Latgalian Gothic� features wild string bending and haunting atmospheres while the album ending title track continues the album’s intense mood swings from mellow to heavy, near doomy prog rock, a rather cool combination. Hamlet’s vocals are as dramatic as ever, another album highlight.

Transport Aerian have proven to be a uniquely creative progressive rock band with Skywound, an album I will be returning to often. Highly recommended.

A Melodic Revolution Records release.

Track Listing:
1. Shall Not Be (3:15)
2. At The Cliff (4:38)
3. Fracture I (0:40)
4. Lunatic (7:09)
5. Latgalian Gothic (4:21)
6. Falling 20 (3:11)
7. Fracture II (2:13)
8. Kuznetsov (3:54)
9. Fracture III (0:57)
10. The Effect (3:03)
11. Moses (3:50)
12. Fracture IV (1:11)
13. Skywound (5:15)

Added: January 14th 2023
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 697
Language: english

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