ALBUM REVIEW: Poseidon - "Prologue"

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 21/07/2017

Label: Ripple Music

The songs of "Prologue" formulate a humid, thick experience that captures delectably the story of a society in crisis. The vignettes shared in lyrics and the abject weight of the music creep slowly, fearsomely to the collapse you know is coming, but simply cannot halt

“Prologue” CD//DD//LP track listing

1. The Beginning; The End, The Colony

2. Mother Mary; Son of Scorn

3. Chainbreaker

4. Omega

The Review:

The number of weather events before us all is a harsh reminder of the fragility of humans. Structures fall, along with hubris. Furious winds tear down what people hold most precious as well as what they believe makes them superior. Crashing seas are an equalizer, wrecking both mansion and shanty. And driving rains slice through all, no matter religion, creed or allegiance. The cold comes for all of us eventually.

Poseidon's debut is a perfect soundtrack to the raging storms across the U.S. Gulf Coast of late. Its domineering swells and exquisite violence are your best representation of a trip through a sonic hurricane.

"Prologue"is the first of a three-release arc by the London, UK based band, formed out of the ashes of prog rockers Light Bearer. The four song, 44-minute launch of its science fiction themed tale is a halcyon start for Poseidon.

Concept albums can be an acquired taste. In this instance, Poseidon'sambitious vision is coming together here as the start of the Mediums Chronicle. The story aims to reflect the world's collapse as well as what a new world in the ruins of the old will be like. There are flashes of that old world, including the words of Free Speech Movement activist Mario Savio, and glimpses of the new. In such a story, making something original, which supersedes the post-apocalyptic meme of metal music immemorial, is no easy task. The quartet sets itself up for a serious undertaking.

The group offers a doom-rooted landscape to the debut, to set off its engrossing fable. With "The Beginning; The End, The Colony" opening up the record, you feel surrounded again by that distended swarm of echoes. You are startled first by the slow build of this song, until it comes seemingly out of nowhere, roiling with the guitars of Matt Norris and Jamie Starke. Waves of power from drummer Raza Khan anchor the first cut over its 13-plus minutes.

However, it is only the beginning. The songs of "Prologue" formulate a humid, thick experience that captures delectably the story of a society in crisis. The vignettes shared in lyrics and the abject weight of the music creep slowly, fearsomely to the collapse you know is coming, but simply cannot halt. By the time "Chainbreaker"arrives, you have a sense the world in Poseidon's hands is in for dark times. Vocalist Matthew Bunkell's understated yet resonant performance here, climaxing to the massive "Omega,"puts the stakes to what may be a familiar story. Regardless, the quality of Poseidon's work will keep you transfixed until the inevitable and stormy end.

"Prologue" is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook