On September 7th, the Sedate Illusion will release their 6th and newest, self-titled work. With 17 years in the scene, the Sedate Illusion have made a name for themselves by presenting high-quality progressive metal. This year they have taken an interesting approach for their newest release, splitting the album in two EPs, entitled “Time is not the End” and “Black Untold”.
Since the 8 songs of the “Sedate Illusion” are of different nature aesthetically, the band, in order to avoid incoherency, split the work in two separate EP that combined they form a great album. With each EP feeling like a different chapter of the same story, the incoherency that would otherwise would occur, thanks to their decision, has made the album the cohesive and coherent work that it is.
The first half of the album, entitled “Time is not the End”, presents 4 songs of powerful and well-composed progressive metal. Avoiding the vacant showmanship that often characterizes the genre, the Sedate Illusion compose a massive sounding progressive metal, mostly riff oriented, with heaviness, groove, punchy and well-mixed bass lines and a vibrant musical approach. Listening to the “Time is not the End” I noticed that there are a few electronic influences and probably some inspiration drawn by the Muse, since the interlude in the EP’s self-titled song reminded me of them.
In the “Black Untold”, Sedate Illusion leap into melancholy and darkness with a sound that can be described accurately by the industrial decadence depicted in the cover art of the EP. While the first part was vibrant and dynamic, the second half offers more aggressive riffs, beautifully haunting melodic lines, always in the spirit of progressive metal. There are some faint gothic influences, while the vocal duet with the singer Lia Kolita, in the track “Black Untold”, was captivating and absolutely fitting and one of the personal favorite moments of the album.
As a whole the self-titled work of Sedate Illusion is characterized by its amazing and polished production, as well as by its well-written and inspired lyrics. In both aspects the band has done an incredible job, which results in an album flawless, fun and entertaining. The upcoming work of Sedate Illusion should not be missed by anyone and especially by the fans of progressive metal, since it will definitely be one of the most interesting records- in its genre- of 2022.
