Defining themselves as “the World’s most extreme Prog Metal band” (we‘ll be the judge of that, thank you), Alkaloid started a crowdfunding campaign for their upcoming album The Malkuth Grimoire.

The band consists of ex-Obscura’s Christian Muenzner, Linus Klausenitzer, and Hannes Großmann, joined by Morean on vocals, and Danny Tunker on other guitars. With such a stellar lineup, we are to expect stellar musicianship and song construction. But what the first single Carbon Phrases let us hear is embarrassingly underwhelming. It’s certainly not “the World’s most extreme” at what they do, and it doesn’t sound Progressive in any way, except by the expected standards and tropes of the so-called progressive metal genre. In other words, it doesn’t push the genre forward.

I’ll be forgiving as this is only the first track we can hear. And the guitar part starting at around 3:50 in the teaser (below) is certainly awe-inspiring. So much so that I thought at first I had to do with re-amped MIDI guitar or to a guitar synthesizer. Everything’s legitimate, however, and my jaw just dropped. This shows the ultimately inhuman musicianship these guys possess, but that does not necessarily translate into good, interesting music. For example, I am not a fan of Obscura. Even though they are all virtuosic on each of their instrument, the songwriting and its elements are rather uninspired and almost cliché.

Please, may them prove me wrong.

Here’s their indiegogo campaign.