Many believed the end was nigh for Washington act Queensrÿche when the legendary Power/Prog Metallers fired their iconic vocalist Geoff Tate back in 2012. However, more than happy to prove those people wrong, the recruitment of former Crimson Glory vocalist Todd La Torre has seen the band release some of their strongest material for quite some time.Continue reading
In contemporary terms when we think of Progressive Metal, often the first thought (and arguably nowadays the most prevalent style) is of the overtly technical, calculated and near mechanical sounding; that or the likes of Opeth with their marriage of extremity and growled vocals with progressive rock’s expansive structures and complex arrangements. Beforehand, years ago, progressive metal was arguably spearheaded by a vastly different type of beast; the likes of Queensryche with their thoughtful yet anthemic nature and armed with towering, often falsetto vocalists. Howling Sycamore certainly remembers this time well, as their self-titled début (Prosthetic) shows a love and influence from such time period as much as it marries with more modern stylings; creating a sound which in today’s progressive metal climate, actually stands out effectively.Continue reading