Review Summary: An interesting first effort from an unknown prog-influenced band
Listening for the first time to the music of a completely unknown band which is releasing its music for free online is always an interesting process. Sometimes one may know a bit about the band, its musical style, and its overall quality, but frequently all of these factors are also unclear. This makes the act of listening a suspenseful experience, as the listener has no idea what to expect. Will the result be a weak imitation of better bands, or a true diamond in the rough?
Such thoughts were at the forefront of my brain when first listening to the debut, and thus far only, release of the band Retropolis. While providing virtually no information about themselves, the group bills itself as playing indie and progressive rock. All in all, I now find my spur-of-the-moment decision to download the album as very worthwhile.
Retropolis’ music can roughly be described as a melodic and fairly accessible brand of prog rock, with some metal elements. Their first album is comprised of ten songs, a majority of which are longer than five minutes. The release’s length can be a bit overwhelming, given that most of the album’s material is quite similar in style.
The strengths of this album are numerous. First of all, every song is listenable, generally providing a chill and relaxing atmosphere. There are some lyrically darker songs, however, such as “The Warning” and “Hurting Memories”. In addition, the songs are typically well-written, and frequently catchy, notably “Blue Mountain” and the superb closing track “Empty Fields”. While softer and melodic rock is predominant, heavier riffs providing a metallic edge are also present in many songs.
While the album is generally strong, there are also substantial flaws, as might be expected from a debut effort. For many, the lyrics may fall into this category. While not atrocious, there are few truly original lines here, and many fall into banality or blandness. The opening track “Reincarnation”, which cleverly combines famous lines from legendary bands such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple, may unfortunately be among the best songs here lyrically. The vocals may also be a bone of contention among listeners, although they are far from unacceptable. The aforementioned length of the record is also a weakness. Finally, moments of slightly excessive “cheesiness” appear in several spots.
These criticisms not withstanding, Retropolis’ first LP is still one that I can certainly recommend to open-minded music listeners. It may not be an album you will listen to all that frequently, but it is one that is likely to provide an enjoyable listen every time it is given a spin. Those in search of laid-back prog rock/metal may find what they are looking for here.
