Imonolith – Progressions
Release Date: 20th May 2022
Label: Self Released
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Genre: Metal, Groove Metal, Metalcore, Rock.
FFO: Pantera, Threat Signal, Stone Sour, Kill The Lights, Eyes Wide Open, Bullet For My Valentine, Breaking Benjamin, Killswitch Engage.
Review By: Kara Ketchum
Maybe the term “super group” is out of vogue, but how else would one describe Imonolith? With a collective resume that spans Threat Signal, Methods of Mayhem, and The Devin Townsend Project (among others) it’s clear that this band is not a gaggle of green musicians testing waters. Progressions is a confident outpouring of raw nerve and a showcase of raw talent.
Imonolith jumps right into the party with track one, “Angevil.” If this was a meal, this is an excellent appetizer for what is to come. Here we get a little taste of everything: clean and rough vocals, heavy speeding drums, and a sound performance from the strings. I’m hesitant to say the word “funky,” but there is a groove to it that will surely get a venue moving. It’s a fantastic example of how that opening on an album needs to be the hook for any listening experience.
The second track, “Army of Me,” throws me back to an early Breaking Benjamin – if you gave those first albums some teeth. We get a rougher vocal performance from frontman Jon Howard in comparison to the first song – but we also get a trim, no-nonsense number that gets to the point of being heavy. It’s the palate cleanser (or mise en bouche if you’re fancy) before rolling into the single “The Lesson.” In the third song that stylistically carries the torch of track one, what starts out as light strumming quickly descends into a riff-filled tour de force. The breakdown is what the edge of your seat was made for: a sonic punch of emotion. While this track is fantastic, I don’t want to call the single the main course, so we’ll call it a finely crafted salad – a mix of healthy instrumentals dressed under a dynamic vocal performance.
We do, however, get into the meat with “The Reign.” Arguably, the fourth track is the heaviest song on the album, stirring a carnal rage against the system that any metal-listener is familiar with. A highlight is the complementary hand-offs from drummer Ryan “RVP” Van Poederooyen to the strings of Oswin Wong, Kai Huppunen, and Conan Freeman. Neither ever overpower the other, and it’s a delicate exchange between the two sections.
With the title track “Progressions” comes a reset in intensity (another mise en bouche, let’s just roll with it), and there is a stark contrast between this song and the previous. The overall placement in the album reminds me of Bullet For My Valentine’s sophomore release, which was a little more ballad heavy (due to their front man’s vocal health at the time). The track does have some bite to it, but the RPM is definitely on the slower end in comparison. This lower speed does continue into the opening of the sixth song “We’re in this Together” before picking up for the chorus. This track makes use of heavy, low tones and an assorted execution of vocal styles. Overall, the track feels sludgy, dredge-y, and soupy.
The seventh song “Words in Silence” is the figurative end of the album, with the last three tracks being demos. It’s a slow and emotive amble to finish off the release, and the cherry on top. It’s quite different from the rest of the album, but by no means bad.
For the demos, we start with “Instinct.” It’s fast-paced, heavy, and dynamic. It gives off Killswitch Engage stylings with flowing instrumentals, but maintains more gruff vocal aspects. Demo two, and track nine is titled “Breathe” which really leans into the Stone Sour comparisons. Like the name of the song, it feels like a chance to breathe between the previous song and the demo version of “The Reign” (track four) which closes out the album. “Breathe” delivers passion, and a depth in songwriting that I would have loved to see fleshed out in a full track. The demo version of “The Reign” offers a rougher, but not weaker, version of the heaviest song on the album.
My one nitpick possibly comes from a place of being particular, but I personally would have laid the album out differently in terms of moving from one track to the next. I like the inclusion of the demos from an artistry perspective, even though it does really feel like the album wants to end after “Words in Silence.” However, these musicians are all very skilled at what they do and, most importantly, driven.
Overall, I found much enjoyment in my many listenings of the album. I’m looking forward to seeing updates from Imonolith’s upcoming European tour and seeing how the crowd reacts to the release (and my hope is they get rowdy!) The heart of Progressions was a full course journey that only left me hungry for more. 
(4 / 5)
