NevBorn – Alkaios · Part II · The Peacock
Release Date: 28th March 2025
Label: Luminol Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Progressive Metal, Post-Metal, Doom.
FFO: Earthside, Circa Survive, The Ocean, Agent Fresco.
Review By: Paul Cairney
When an album is only 4 tracks long, you don’t expect it to last the best part of an hour. However, when we are talking about Switzerland’s progressive metal outfit, NevBorn, then it makes sense. After all, a band who can release a 20-minute EP, Daídalos, will have no issues in an album of this style. Indeed, considering the longs track, Knossos is a mere 16 minutes and 24 seconds, perhaps Nevborn have reigned it in a bit.
The album we are talking about is Alkaios · Part II · The Peacock, a continuation of their previous release, Alkaios · Part I · The Eagle. This is the 2nd album of a trilogy inspired by the ‘Twelve Labours of Heracles’. So NevBorn are ticking the progressive boxes, a concept album with expansive tracks.
Opening track, ‘Elis’, is about Heracles 5th labour, and as you would expect, it is an epic. It takes 4 minutes for the track to warm-up and bring it to life, but then the rewards are massive. Harsh growls litter the song, betraying its genteel beginnings as the band swagger and swoon their way through the rest of the song. It should feel like a long song, but it doesn’t. It caresses you throughout making you feel part of the story.
The rest of the album also controls your feelings in a pleasant way. ‘Stymfalia’ is a melodic strumpet of a track, but with depth and harshness blended in together. ‘Knossos’ is the longest song on the album and it, arguably, the best. Featuring a sax, and some great clean vocals, it rumbles along like a 747 preparing for take-off, but never leaving the ground. ‘Tirida’ brings The Peacock to a satisfying conclusion, and you then wonder where your hour went.
It is essential that you are not put off by the length of the songs/album. Alkaios · Part II · The Peacock is a worthy entry into the pantheon of progressive metal albums. The bands purpose and storytelling ability in terms of music and lyrics means that the time flies past.
A worthy successor to ‘Part I’, The Peacock is entrancing and leaves you aching for the final part of the trilogy.
(4 / 5)
