Reliqa – Secrets of the Future (Album Review)
Reliqa – Secrets of the Future
Released: May 31st, 2024
Lineup:
Monique Pym // Vocals
Miles Knox // Bass
Benjamin Knox // Drums
Brandon Lloyd // Guitars
Online:
The best progressive rock and metal bands throughout history have shown off their profound technical prowess whilst simultaneously creating memorable songs. And that’s exactly what we have here, on the debut long player from Sydney proggers, Reliqa.
Rare in proggy circles, there is not a single song over five minutes among the twelve tracks on offer here. There is virtually no superfluous soloing (any soloing, for example on the album’s longest [at 4:54] cut ‘Sariah’, is short, tasteful and to the point), no long and involved instrumental sections, very little in the way of ‘hey, look at me, look what I can do!’ In short, this is prog rock/metal in its most streamlined form.
But . . .
Boy oh boy do they pack a lot into three to five-minute tunes, instrumentally and vocally. Their songs get in, make a ridiculously strong statement, blister skin with their intensity and dexterity, then get TF out. It’s an interesting approach for prog, and the Rush, Devin Townsend, Opeth and Dream Theater fan in me wonders, in fact salivates a little over, what this band could do if they wound things out a little, on at least one song. But it is certainly monumentally effective here.
They pack about a million notes into each sleek track, and they come flying at you at a million miles an hour. It takes until very late in the piece for them to ease back on the instrumental accelerator a little, for the ballad-esque rock track ‘Two Steps Apart’ and the ethereal electronic piece ‘A Spark’ (which gets heavy and dramatic around halfway through.) At the same time, they manage to keep things completely cohesive and intelligible. The twisted rhythms, ‘change on a dime’ dynamics, electronic embellishments and imaginative, left-of-centre arrangements never, ever get in the way of the song.
And it all adds up to one thing: the songs remain unforgettable, the songs are the centrepiece of the album, not the playing, although they play like guns.
Of course, the songs are ever carried by the singer, and special mention must be given to the performance of frontwoman Monique Pym. Her facility and versatility shine through beautifully here, lurching dextrously from full-blooded screams to soaring cleans to rapping to breathy spoken-word moments (eg during the histrionic ‘The Flower’.)
And behind her, the band, made up of three highly accomplished and gifted musicians, display their considerable musical wares in no uncertain terms whilst serving the song beautifully. It’s a fine balance, and this band walk that line to polished perfection.
On first listens, it’s difficult to pick a favourite track. Something may emerge post-review, but at this stage, there are no true standouts, just wall-to-wall quality. Filler does not exist here, and not one single one of those aforementioned million notes is wasted. Everything serves the whole, and said whole is still bigger than the sum of its individual parts.
Some bands possess a sound that is truly distinctive, a sound that pegs them as them within a few seconds of hearing one of their songs. Even if you’ve never heard it before. I’m sure you know the bands I mean, and Reliqa are well on their way to becoming one of those. The singer’s voice is usually a part of this, and such is the case here. But there is also something about the way the songs are structured and the way in which the instrumentation is put together. This kind of unique and recognisable style is difficult to define, but it is there nonetheless. It is there in Reliqa, and should only become even more so as their career and their sound develops.
This album showcases a band in absolute command of its craft and its direction. It also displays a band that forms a strong part of the future of progressive rock and metal music, nationally and globally. Devotees of the style need to jump on this. NOW.
Reliqa – Secrets of the Future tracklisting
1. Dying Light
2. Cave
3. Killstar (The Cold World)
4. The Flower
5. Sariah
6. Terminal
7. Keep Yourself Awake
8. Crossfire
9. Physical
10. Two Steps Apart
11. A Spark
12. Upside Down
Rating: 9/10
Secrets of the Future is out Friday, pre-order/save here.
Review by Rod Whitfield @Rod_Whitfield
