'ShredxXx' is a new progressive music formation created in 2015 which comes to us from India, and which initially played metal bringing us back to the 70s by including elements of Indian music thanks, in particular, to the use of the sitar. In 2016, they released the band's first self-titled EP (see here) and they just released their first studio recording 'Celestial Prophecies, Vol. 1' which is a concept album. The story takes us to the fantastic realm of 'Aeternum' which predates the birth of time, when celestial beings were at the height of their civilization and I quote the band for the first single from the album: " 'The Prodigal Sons' is a tale of the Gemini Twins, the sons of King Leo. Trained in the art of war by Sagittarius, the master of archery and King Leo himself, in swordsmanship, the Twins are the fiercest warriors in all of 'Aeternum'. They are called upon by their father, to bring a swift end to the rebellion by the heavenly realms against, his agenda of a unified world order under his ruling. Is Leo a megalomaniac?? Or once a mighty and just king, now swirling into the madness of control because of some dark past?
This story, with 13 compositions, includes 6 of them in the first volume and we are greeted by the longest title of the album, 'A Tale of Two Lions' (see video above): amateurs and lovers of long progressive developments with multiple drawers, you have come to the right place because this first composition takes us on a very beautiful journey made up of different soundscapes which scroll one behind the other and which refer to multiple influences by mixing rock, hard rock and metal in atmospheres that alternate very nicely between calm moments and much more energetic ones. Follows 'The Prodigal Sons' which is accompanied by a video which you can view here and which is a first preview of an animated series that should see the light of day with the set of the two volumes. With this composition, we go back a few decades with a very effective progressive hard rock and the 7 minutes are a total treat for the fifties that I am with remarkable variations of tempos and intensity recalling the spontaneity of certain formations of the 70s which had this gift to improvise in concert and lengthen certain titles of their repertoire. With 'The Rebel', the introduction shows an energy in a direct hard rock then, the atmosphere suddenly softens for a magnificent atmospheric section which gradually picks up momentum and which, halfway through turns into an aerial section à la 'RPWL'. As for 'Treachery Uncalled For', it's still a compendium of a beautiful mix between rock and progressive hard rock with beautiful catchy melodic lines and remarkable alternations of tempo and intensities which awaits you, all this being embellished by a remarkable guitar solo while feeling in the middle of the title. We continue our beautiful progressive journey with 'Unrequited Desires' (see the video here) which begins calmly in a ballad atmosphere, and which quickly turns into a powerful mid-tempo with a rhythmic swaying recalling the atmospheres of certain titles of 'Black Sabath' with a guitar solo in the second part which is a pure delight. And to end this very beautiful album in style, the almost 10 minutes of 'The Sorcerer and the Idealist' takes us on a last progressive saga in several parts, first a power ballad with memorable melodic lines, then, a short quite unrealistic but very endearing section which flirts with a ritornello in a waltz tempo that can be found in the French song which precedes the last more energetic part, interspersed by an acoustic part with effects of doctored voices, and alternating remarkably different rhythmic leading to a grand finale.
In summary, this new Indian formation 'ShredxXx' releases a first quite remarkable part of 'Celestial Prophecies' which offers 6 long compositions rich and dense with influences drawn from several decades of progressive: this first LP should, without a doubt, appeal to an audience that loves an imaginative progressive that reveals itself during successive listenings and, for my part, I am impatiently awaiting the second part which, if it turns out to be the same quality, should complete this first magnificent offering of ShredxXx'... | |
