By Andrew Bansal
Portugal’s eclectic female-fronted progressive rock quartet Heylel began their musical journey in 2012 and the culmination of their first creative effort is their debut full-length album ‘Nebulae’, slated for a June 30 2014 release date. With this album, Heylel presents a set of dark atmospheric prog melodies that’s certainly an acquired taste but make for a compelling listen.
There’s quite a plethora of prog rock bands that have existed for the past two-three decades, some of which are still going strong, while new ones pop up on a regular basis. Naturally, Heylel’s debut would be compared to other bands in the genre by listeners, but what separates them from the rest is the clear sense of creative freedom which can be felt upon listening to the album, and isn’t as bound by the definitions of prog rock as is the case with several other bands. ‘Nebulae’ combines ethereal female vocals with a blend of electric and acoustic guitar sounds reminiscent of artists such as Pink Floyd and Opeth, along with haunting keyboards and minimal but apt usage of the bass and drums.
In my opinion, ‘Nebulae’ is very much a musical journey that would be best experienced in solitude and as a single 48-minute piece rather than a set of 11 tracks. Ana Batista’s vocal delivery and Narciso Monteiro’s guitars create an extremely rich dual layer and create a beautiful and powerful atmosphere wherein the listener’s mind is filled with an imagination that automatically accompanies the music.
Heylel’s debut full-length offering is truly a work of artistic genius and comes as highly recommended to all fans of progressive music.
Rating: 9.5/10
Release Date: June 30th 2014
Track Listing:
01. Hope
02. The Prophet
03. Watcher Of The Light
04. Alter Ego
05. The Sage
06. Deeper
07. Wings of Eternity
08. I Talk to the Wind
09. The Great Abstinence
10. Sometimes
11. Embrace the Darkness
Links:
Heylel.net
facebook.com/Heylel.Band
youtube.com/HeylelBand
Heylel.bandcamp.com