PROGRESSIVE METAL
Dom Lawson buckles up for a delve into the darker, heavier side.
No matter how weird and wonderful prog metal becomes at its fringes, there will always be plenty of bands that cling loyally to the Dream Theater blueprint. Occasionally, one of those makes an album that transcends that self-evident, primary influence. Sweden’s Paralydium made a superb start with their Worlds Beyond debut in 2020, but follow-up Universe Calls (Frontiers) is a sizable step forward. Fervently melodic epics such as The Arcane Exploration Parts I and II tick all the big-budget prog metal boxes, but the Swedes’ subtly unique musical traits come through loud and clear. New vocalist Alexander Lycke is a multi-octave revelation on the stirring Caught In A Dream, perhaps motivated by the fact that his new bandmates can definitely play a bit.