So yeah, the music industry sucks, yada yada. Corporate greed giving the spotlight to what the big masses want, yada yada yada. Money bad. Good music good but gets drowned in the vast emptiness of streaming platforms. And all that hippie chippy. Well, here's us trying to shed some light on lesser known artists that are worth your time. We present: the emerging, the unknown and the underrated. Part 4.
#1 The World Is Quiet Here
A progressive deathmetal band from central Wisconsin. Their latest full-length album Prologue (2018) is telling a story of an emotional, physical, and mental sinking and the journey out through progressive music. This album will leave you in awe, especially considering it's their debut. The band announced they will be continuing with a new vocalist since and is working on a follow-up to Prologue as we speak. The first single "White Sun" sets the expectations high. Good stuff to look forward to!
FFO: Between the Buried and Me
#2 Misty Route
Misty Route is an alternative metal band that was formed in 2019 in Athens. Their music is inspired by a mixture of different musical genres and is characterized mainly by its ambient character and escalating groove. Touches of psychedelic rock are harmonically brought together with metal breakouts. At the end of 2021 the band released Without A Trace. Album opener Faceless flirts with influences of bands such as Soen and Tool. Later on the album you'll find touches of Metallica, both in the instrumentation and the vocal performance. But atmosphere and melody are never far off on this album and it only gets better after repeated listens.
FFO: Soen, Tool, Metallica
#3 September Again
A French band that has found a unique yet cohesive style in-between opposites. Their album From Nothing to Nowhere (2020) is something special. Cleaner, breathing electronic elements often appear in rougher textured compositions. The result is something that sits in between Portishead and Thrice or between Muse and Deftones. That might not even do it justice, some of the named bands we're not particularly huge fans of. But this, with its emotional vocal performance and outstanding song structures...we couldn't ignore this. There's some imperfections to be found on the album, but these honestly give the album a palpable charm. Just give the first song Pretentious on their album From Nothing to Nowhere a spin, chances are you'll end up at the very last track wondering where time went. Thank us later!
FFO: Karnivool, Deftones, Massive Attack
#4 RIVIĒRE
Another French band. And again influences from Karnivool and Deftones pop up. Should we start to wonder what's in the water in France? On their latest album Passage (2020) they combine grooviness with big multi-layered melodies and it works wonders for them. Through the use of electronics and guitar effects they create a universe that's uniquely their own. Also, the artwork for the album is stunning.
FFO: Karnivool, Deftones, Tool
#5 Within Progress
Within Progress is a progressive metal band from Thessaloniki, Greece. Their sound evolved from eastern/Greek influenced classic prog as heard on the EP Oceans of Time (2018) to a blend of prog with alternative, pop and electronic music on their latest album INNER (2021). This last one slowly but surely became one of the most memorable albums of last year. Even if you put it down for a while, you'll want to return eventually. It's that welcoming and accessible kind of prog metal record you can't help but have fun with. Keep an eye on these guys, they're going places.
FFO: VOLA, Leprous, TesseracT
#6 Innerwoud
Now for something else. Innerwoud is a one-man-band by Belgian double bass player and composer Pieter-Jan Van Assche. The music is often referred to as ambient, drone and neoclassical, but we like to refer to it as vibrations for the soul. Honestly, these dark landscapes Innerwoud is creating, are just mesmerizingly beautiful. In spring 2022 he releases his second full length album, featuring nothing but a double bass. Certainly a release we're looking forward to.
FFO: Euh...nature? ...by night?
#1 The World Is Quiet Here
A progressive deathmetal band from central Wisconsin. Their latest full-length album Prologue (2018) is telling a story of an emotional, physical, and mental sinking and the journey out through progressive music. This album will leave you in awe, especially considering it's their debut. The band announced they will be continuing with a new vocalist since and is working on a follow-up to Prologue as we speak. The first single "White Sun" sets the expectations high. Good stuff to look forward to!
FFO: Between the Buried and Me
#2 Misty Route
Misty Route is an alternative metal band that was formed in 2019 in Athens. Their music is inspired by a mixture of different musical genres and is characterized mainly by its ambient character and escalating groove. Touches of psychedelic rock are harmonically brought together with metal breakouts. At the end of 2021 the band released Without A Trace. Album opener Faceless flirts with influences of bands such as Soen and Tool. Later on the album you'll find touches of Metallica, both in the instrumentation and the vocal performance. But atmosphere and melody are never far off on this album and it only gets better after repeated listens.
FFO: Soen, Tool, Metallica
#3 September Again
A French band that has found a unique yet cohesive style in-between opposites. Their album From Nothing to Nowhere (2020) is something special. Cleaner, breathing electronic elements often appear in rougher textured compositions. The result is something that sits in between Portishead and Thrice or between Muse and Deftones. That might not even do it justice, some of the named bands we're not particularly huge fans of. But this, with its emotional vocal performance and outstanding song structures...we couldn't ignore this. There's some imperfections to be found on the album, but these honestly give the album a palpable charm. Just give the first song Pretentious on their album From Nothing to Nowhere a spin, chances are you'll end up at the very last track wondering where time went. Thank us later!
FFO: Karnivool, Deftones, Massive Attack
#4 RIVIĒRE
Another French band. And again influences from Karnivool and Deftones pop up. Should we start to wonder what's in the water in France? On their latest album Passage (2020) they combine grooviness with big multi-layered melodies and it works wonders for them. Through the use of electronics and guitar effects they create a universe that's uniquely their own. Also, the artwork for the album is stunning.
FFO: Karnivool, Deftones, Tool
#5 Within Progress
Within Progress is a progressive metal band from Thessaloniki, Greece. Their sound evolved from eastern/Greek influenced classic prog as heard on the EP Oceans of Time (2018) to a blend of prog with alternative, pop and electronic music on their latest album INNER (2021). This last one slowly but surely became one of the most memorable albums of last year. Even if you put it down for a while, you'll want to return eventually. It's that welcoming and accessible kind of prog metal record you can't help but have fun with. Keep an eye on these guys, they're going places.
FFO: VOLA, Leprous, TesseracT
#6 Innerwoud
Now for something else. Innerwoud is a one-man-band by Belgian double bass player and composer Pieter-Jan Van Assche. The music is often referred to as ambient, drone and neoclassical, but we like to refer to it as vibrations for the soul. Honestly, these dark landscapes Innerwoud is creating, are just mesmerizingly beautiful. In spring 2022 he releases his second full length album, featuring nothing but a double bass. Certainly a release we're looking forward to.
FFO: Euh...nature? ...by night?