Lunar is a Progressive Metal band originally from Sacramento, USA active since 2014 and with 3 albums under their belt and one forthcoming. The band’s new work, titled “Tempora Mutantur” is scheduled for release on January 31, 2025 via Saibot Reign Records and contains 8 tracks ranging from 3 to over 11 minutes in length. The album is enhanced by the participation of numerous guest appearances on various instruments including horns, guitars and harmonica. The opener “A Summer to Forget” immediately plunges us into the progressive sounds of the album, with a fresh, modern piece with complex textures and a dynamic vocal. The rhythm section is solid and full of tempo changes, the keyboard and guitar weaves elaborately, while the vocals alternate between clean and harsh passages. The sound mixes heavier and rockier sections, always exploring the progressive side of genres. The intensity increases as the minutes go by, taking the sound into markedly Prog Metal territory, modern and very aggressive, with vocals that bring us back to Death Metal. The instrumental sections and structure of the piece are very technical, with virtuoso solo interventions intertwining with the vocal pacts, evolving the central theme of the piece. The longest single track on the album, “Fall Back into Old Habits,” except for the final suite, opens with Heavy guitar riffs and an aggressive vocal. The band here explores the more Extreme side of Progressive Metal with Death vocals that nevertheless fit perfectly into the elaborate musical context. The guest vocals also embellish the sound, with horn interventions that tie in some passages. A track with an accelerated rhythm section and technical and virtuoso solo inserts, managing to switch from more delicate and Symphonic moments to frenetic bursts of more technical Progressive Death Metal. The long duration is exploited to explore the different facets and influences that characterise the band’s soudn, passing through different genres and styles with quality and dee refined. “Seasonal Interlude” is a softer and more delicate passage on the album, with a more Symphonic sound characterised by refined interlacing of strings, keyboards and guitar. The vocals are warm and expressive, almost always clean and the band shows another facet, unexpected in some ways but very pleasant. The track ends in a musical crescendo that explodes in the finale into a powerful Progressive Metal with a dirty vocal that gives way to a fine sax solo. Guitar arpeggios and atmospheric sounds open “Weakening Winter Touch,” over which a warm, expressive vocal interprets the lyrics. After an introductory part, the band develops a granitic Progressive Metal theme with well-constructed guitar riffs and a constantly evolving rhythm section that allows the song to develop with tempo changes. We are in more Progressive Rock terrain with forays into Metal, fresh and modern, in line with current releases but with a very pronounced personal touch. “Spring In My Step” returns to more heavy sounds with massive guitar riffs and elaborate, complex textures. The rhythm section is intricate and the guitar and keyboard intricacies technical, to which a dynamic and incisive vocal is perfectly tied. A touch of the 80s permeates the sound, with that synth sound reminiscent of Neo Prog, and then blurs into the more Extreme sounds and soaked in Death Metal Technical and Progressive with the dirty and aggressive vocals. The album ends with a suite in three parts, the first of which “Tempora Mutantur: Part I – Passage of Time” is also the shortest in duration. A delicate interweaving of piano, harmonica and a delicate vocal accompany us for over three minutes, enhancing the band’s songwriting. The keyboards link the second part “Tempora Mutantur: Part II – Broken Pendulum,” developing the theme with heavy guitar riffs and an aggressive vocal. We return to the Progressive Metal sound with that Death touch that distinguishes the band, energetic and technical with complex and very sophisticated textures and weaves. Accelerations and continuous tempo changes certainly add value to the structure of the piece. After the violent but technical middle section, the suite ends with “Tempora Mutantur: Part III – Watch the Weather Change.” A mixture of the different influences that characterise the band’s sound, moving from Progressive Rock to Progressive Metal with forays into Death between clean and ahrsh vocals that alternate with virtuoso instrumental sections. An album of Progressive Metal with forays into the more technical Death with interesting interweaving of clean and harsh vocal parts, between cantatoed virtuoso instrumental sections. The band confirms the good things heard previously, offering 8 incisive and technical tracks that enhance the compositional and performing technique of the lineup and guests. A recommended listen for lovers of the most Extreme sounds of Progressive Metal with references to bands like Opeth, to start this 2025 at its best.
Trcklist
01. A Summer to Forget (6:37)
02. Fall Back into Old Habits (11:16)
03. Seasonal Interlude (4:47)
04. Weakening Winter Touch (8:46)
05. Spring In My Step (7:26)
06. Tempora Mutantur: Part I – Passage of Time (3:12)
07. Tempora Mutantur: Part II – Broken Pendulum (3:47)
08. Tempora Mutantur: Part III – Watch the Weather Change (4:51)
Lineup
Chandler Mogel / Clean Vocals
Brian Lewis / Growl Vocals
Carlos Alvarez / Rhythm Guitar
Connor McCray / Lead Guitar
Ryan Price / Bass
Alex Bosson / Drums
Anthony Stahl / Keyboards, Synthesizers
With:
Joe Gullace / Trumpet (1)
Joonas Lemetyinen / Trombone (1)
Evan Zegiel / Tuba (1)
Wayne Ingram / Guitar Solo (2)
Jordan Price / Guitar Solo (2)
Ryan Bowe / Guitar Solo (2)
Raphael Weinroth-Browne / Cello (3)
Gary Regina / Saxophone (3)
Nick Miller / Guitar Solo (4)
Alon Mei-Tai / Guitar Solo (5)
Jacob Eisberg / Guitar Solo (5)
Brody Gage / Harmonica (6)
Sam Vallen / Guitar Solo (6)
Read our Exclusive interview with the band here: [Interview] Exclusive interview with Lunar