Thrailkill – Detach

The Music

The Words

Wes Thrailkill is back with another killer release! This time, a 20 minute EP titled Detach. Wes wrote this during quarantine after having trouble finding inspiration and second guessing nearly everything he produced. But in the end he relinquished himself to the creative process and forged this beauty. Wes compares his mindset while creating Detach, to pulling a random card from a shuffled deck. Despite that mindset, he still managed to make it flow as a cohesive piece. It’s heavy, melodic, jazzy, chaotic, virtuosic, and everything in-between. Wes’s guitar tone is flawless as usual, … Read more

Thrailkill – Everything That Is You

The Music

The Words

I reviewed LA-based instrumental prog band Mammoth‘s album Deviations back in 2016, giving it much praise. Well, now they’re back with new album Everything That Is You under a new band name: Thrailkill. Frontman Wes used his last name as the band’s new name, which I think, with a last name that badass, why wouldn’t you? Of course, the music is equally badass. Chock full of melodic arpeggi and heavy riffs, this album is sure to satisfy any prog fan, from the casual to hardcore.

Overall, the songs on this album are shorter … Read more

Leviathan Owl – Love for the Other

The Music

The Words

The time has come! Leviathan Owl‘s second EP is finally here. As some of you might remember, I was pleasantly surprised by Andrew Scott’s debut under this moniker, and I was expecting its successor to be just as good. Well, fear not, for it is even better in every regards than last year’s Everything Will Be Fine.

Andrew keeps the flame and spirit of instrumental progressive metal alive with various odd time signatures, a varied choice of harmonies, and compelling riffs and beats that speak directly to your heart. It’s not cheesy, or if … Read more

Travis Orbin – Silly String Ⅱ

More than two years after the release of the original Silly String, drummer and composer Travis Orbin comes back with its sequel to close off 2017. On , Travis inflates the concept of the twenty-minute predecessor threefold to a staggering sixty minutes. This expansion has it benefits – for one, there is more material to listen and enjoy –, but it also has its shortcomings. While the first of its name was concise and to the point, keeping only the absolute most mind-boggling tracks on record, the second one seems more spread out, less focused, and filled with … Read more