'Sonus Corona' is another progressive metal band from Finland that I discovered with their second album 'Time Is Not on Your Side' which is the successor of their first baby 'Sonus Corona' released in 2015 (see here). At the first listen, one has the impression of visiting several musical currents which are carried by a metal frame linking everything making it a group apart from the traditional progressive landscape which can, I admit, discourage some because it takes time to penetrate their musical universe.
Indeed, from the first title 'Induction', the introduction to keyboards and piano does not in any way augur for the continuation and it is after a minute and a half that the guitar riffs make their appearance in a classic but very effective progressive construction in which 'Timo Mustonen' makes a remarkable vocal performance. Suit 'Unreal' which can make think of certain titles of 'Dream Theater' in its rhythmic construction and which suddenly takes us in the middle of the title in a jazzy atmosphere for a few chords (I love), then, 'The Refuge' is between progressive and hard rock and the short 'Swing of Sanity' is delightfully jazzy with muscular accompaniment while 'Oblivion', although the sharp riffs are still present, gradually reveals a progressive aspect bordering on pop. The eponymous title of the album is certainly the most conventional of progressive metal with changes of intensity and tempos and a relatively accessible melodic theme and 'Illusions' offers a kind of acoustic intermission before going back to the instrumental 'Moment Of Reckoning' which comes down to inventive and sought-after progressive metal as well as the following two titles 'To the Ground' and 'Fading' which is a little more difficult for me to access. It is with the longest title 'Here' that the album ends by starting with a calm piano / voice first part with a singer who has a beautiful captivating voice (I have not found her name anywhere), then the title is gaining momentum for a progressive part in which singing and instrumental parts alternate with always this foray into jazzy passages and finally, the final sung on the main theme ends in apotheosis and falls again in decrescendo on a few layersof keyboards.
In summary, this second album by the Finns of 'Sonus Corona' is very dense and I had to listen to it several times to penetrate all the nooks and draw all the richness which undoubtedly destines it for a warned public which like a varied progressive metal to tame little by little... | |
