The Pitch: "Emotionally explosive, semi-orchestral, eclectic progressive music, recorded in a cave far inside the misty mountains" from French solo project KEOR. FFO: Opeth, Between The Buried And Me, Cryptodira
What I Like: KEOR is a very impressive project in scope, especially when considering it is entirely written and produced solo by one Victor Miranda Martin. He had some support from a few guest musicians and on mastering, but other than that it's all Victor. What transpires is an expansive journey through a wide variety of styles and sounds. I wasn't sure what to make of it at first, but patience was rewarded once the unmistakeably Opethian guitar hooks kicked in about halfway through the 11+ minute opener. There's a lot of slow burn to this album that I started to equate with certain BTBAM albums; but really, Petrichor is in a league of its own. I was especially entranced but the whimsical Spanish guitar-meets-Danny Elfman soundtrack approach of "Snivel By The Pond." Just set your expectations in the right place: much of this album is not "metal" per se.
Critiques: On that last point, I would have liked to hear a few faster, heavier movements. I just tend to prefer my music with a little more octane. Even so, it rarely detracted much from the overall experience and ultimately made closing opus "Abyssal Bloom" hit all the harder.
The Verdict: If you enjoy everything from Coma Ecliptic and Damnation to A Night At The Opera and the Edward Scissor Hands soundtrack, KEOR perfectly fills that strange little niche. It's a unique experience that I don't expect to hear more than once, and I'm thankful for having the opportunity to share it with you intrepid explorers out there.
Flight's Fav's: Abyssal Bloom, Snivel By The Pond, The Nest Of Evil
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