Norwegian quartet AVKRVST return with their sophomore concept album “Waving At The Sky,” released on June 13, 2025 via InsideOut Music. Picking up the narrative thread from their debut — the bleak solitude of a soul confined in a cabin — this seven-track record expands the band’s sonic palette while consolidating their identity at the intersection of Symphonic Progressive Rock and Modern Progressive Metal. The album also features a notable guest appearance from Ross Jennings (Haken) on “The Malevolent.” “Waving At The Sky” is a confident, tightly wrought statement: an album that balances compositional ambition with clear melodic intent. AVKRVST’s writing favours long, deliberate arcs rather than flashy virtuosity for its own sake, and this restraint gives the record sustained emotional payoff across its course. The opener, “Preceding”, is brief but authoritative. A stately keyboard motif lays down the album’s tonal framework before the arrangement hardens into something more angular and rhythmically complex. Time-signature shifts and a propulsive bassline underpin bold guitar figures and layered orchestration; when the track swells into its heavier closing section the band signals at once refinement and force. With “The Trauma” AVKRVST builds an extended, cinematic crescendo. Expansive instrumental passages alternate with clean, melodic singing, yielding a tension between eloquent melody and instrumental heft. The midsection gives space to articulate guitar solos and textural keyboards; finally, a surprising but well-earned passage of Progressive Death Metal with growled vocals provides catharsis rather than novelty. The blend of dynamics here is exemplary — the contrast never feels gratuitous. “Families Are Forever” opens dreamlike, its quieter moments framed by lush keyboard flourishes that recall classic Seventies Prog, before the arrangement gradually accretes heft. The interplay of clean and harsh vocals is used as a dramaturgical device, reflecting lyrical tensions and giving the song a dramatic spine. A sustained guitar solo in the second half converts emotional buildup into release. “Conflating Memories” is the album’s most structurally adventurous piece. Constantly shifting meters and interlocking motifs produce a tapestry that rewards repeated listens: keyboards and guitars trade thematic material while the rhythm section pushes subtle variations in pulse. Vocals here are more exposed and expressive, carrying fragile lines over dense instrumental embroidery — a composition that showcases both the band’s arranging skill and their sense of form. “The Malevolent” benefits from Ross Jennings’ cameo without leaning on it. Clocking in at a concise 3:24, the track is a concentrated burst of modern prog craft: memorable refrains, tight guitar-keyboard hooks and a vocal performance that amplifies the song’s melodic core. Jennings’ contribution feels integrated rather than decorative. “Ghosts of Yesteryear” returns to technical rigor. Complex, precise rhythmic figures and extended instrumental sequences dominate, with the band demonstrating cohesion as much as technical facility. The piece unfolds through shifting textures — one moment aggressive and taut, the next expansive and almost cinematic — maintaining forward motion throughout its length. The title-track closes the album with a 12-minute suite that encapsulates AVKRVST’s strengths. It begins with delicate arpeggios and warm, expressive singing, gradually escalating through symphonic swells and electronic colouration into an extended, virtuosic instrumental plateau. All the elements are present — introspective passages, technical excursions, orchestral breadth and heavy climaxes — integrated into a single, coherent narrative. The alternation of clean and growled vocals, partnered with sweeping instrumental statements, brings the album to a satisfying, conclusive arc. “Waving At The Sky” confirms the promise hinted at by AVKRVST’s debut and moves the band into a clearer, more confident register. Seven well-crafted pieces demonstrate a mature command of both Progressive Rock and heavier Progressive Metal idioms, with occasional incursions into Progressive Death Metal that feel dramaturgically appropriate. InsideOut Music have again backed a project that balances accessibility and ambition, and AVKRVST repay that trust with an album that is both emotionally direct and compositionally rich. This is a highly recommended listen for anyone interested in contemporary Progressive music that prizes compositional narrative as much as instrumental prowess. “Waving At The Sky” stands as a measured but resonant statement — music that challenges, rewards and endures.
Tracklist
01. Preceding (03:13)
02. The Trauma (05:17)
03. Families Are Forever (07:49)
04. Conflating Memories (06:59)
05. The Malevolent (feat. Ross Jennings) (03:24)
06. Ghosts of Yesteryear (06:17)
07. Waving at the Sky (12:18)
Lineup
Simon Bergseth / Lead Vocalist, Guitars, Bass Guitar
Martin Utby / Drums, Synthesizer
Øystein Aadland / Bass guitar, Keyboards
Edvard Seim / Guitars
Auver Gaaren / Keyboards
With:
Ross Jennings / Vocals (Track 5)
Read our Exclusive Interview with the band here: [Interview] Exclusive interview with AVKRVST