Review Summary: An atmospheric instrumental sound that cuts right between modern prog metal and post-rock. This is great background music.
Well, it’s November. Leaves are falling off of trees, and the wind is becoming brisk. For those of us in the northern hemisphere of the Earth, we are experiencing that time of the year. It’s the perfect time to put on our coats and listen to some dark and grueling winter black metal albums: In the Nightside Eclipse, At the Heart of Winter, Storm of the Light’s Bane, etc. The typical depiction of winter in metal is usually harsh, gritty, and revolves around death, chaos, and isolation. As much as it is a pleasure to indulge in these atmospheres of despair, especially when driving home during a snowstorm, it is nice to experience an occasional upbeat winter album.
Subsequently, Hecla, the non-black metal band, shines light on the more upbeat side of the winter season by combining the atmosphere of instrumental post-rock with the technicality of modern prog metal. There is not much information about the duo behind Hecla, but what I can tell you is the album that they put out is a grower. I was not too impressed with it from the first couple of listens, but after doing some research on the current instrumental post-rock scene it dawned on me: this is a post-rock album at its core, covered by the details of prog metal, and not the other way around. The fact that Hecla found such a niche cross-section between these genres means they deserve credit. But whether they can merge the best elements from both styles is yet to be seen.
Before criticizing the music of this album, I want to congratulate Hecla for getting an amazing cover artist for In a World of One’s Own. I mean, is this not just the most adorable album artwork you’ve ever seen? The artist for the artwork is Nicole Manuel and she needs to be applauded for making a picture so lively and festive. After all, the first impression of an album is in its cover art, as it sets the tone and atmosphere for the listener.
As far as the sound of the album goes, the background atmosphere to most of the songs is very similar to what you would find in a modern instrumental post rock album. For this reason, anyone who is a fan of bands like Distant Dream or April Rain might take a liking to the sound that is created in this album. However, instead of the atmospheric chords one might find in the meat and potatoes of a post rock instrumental album, Hecla paints the forefront with prog metal guitar riffs that are reminiscent of artists like Plini or The Omnific. This contrast between the two probably makes a very unique listening experience as I could not really find a popular band that is doing this the way Hecla is. For that reason, In a World of One’s Own earns points for its creativity.
Additionally, the immersive and festive atmosphere that this album creates is its clear strong point. The distant noise created by guitar padding in songs like “The Sigil” goes really well with the winter theme as it resembles the cool wind blowing in the distance. Additionally, there are small details like using jingle bells in the build up of “Mythos” and “Sanctuary” are really effective in making the album festive.
All things considered, this album has some strong weak points. Though blending the styles of post-rock and prog metal was a creative move, they did not successfully bring forth the best elements from either genre in my opinion. I can’t speak from the position of a post rock fan, but from a prog metal fan, this did not really scratch that itch that I was expecting it to. The album in general needs catchier hooks like other successful instrumental bands have because large portions of the album go by unremembered. Additionally, a prog fan would have wanted more variety in their song structures.
If it is the case that they were going with a more atmospheric album, they shouldn’t just go half way, they need to go all in. There could have been more details that immerse the listener. For example, the jingle bells and the background guitar padding went a long way. Perhaps more noises from nature could help create that scene of the album cover which would have made it more memorable.
Overall, this duo has musical potential, and there is a definite untapped audience for this style of music. All though, I’m not sure if it would necessarily be for fans of instrumental prog metal or even fans of post-rock. It would be for people that want more of a watered-down combination of both, or someone who is looking for good background music in this winter season.
