By Andrew Bansal
Turkish born, New Jersey based progressive rock/metal solo artist Burak Ozmucur made his debut with two acoustic-driven releases ‘A New Beginning’ (2010) and ‘We’ve Been Here Before’ (2012) but then went full-on electric prog rock with his 2013 EP releases ‘Long Until Gone’ and ‘In Silence’, and in 2016, he returned with his newest offering, the four-song EP ‘A Distant Light’. Inspired by the likes of Opeth, Porcupine Tree, Tesseract, Tool, Anathema and Alice In Chains, the songwriter made an impression with his skillfully crafted tunes, and with this new EP, has emerged from the underground as a prog musician worth noticing and listening to.
The title track starts the EP and sets the ambiance straightaway with its heavy riffs, epic melodies, groovy rhythmic patterns and vocals reminiscent of Alice In Chains. The following song ‘Closer’ builds on the atmosphere further with its melancholic, journey-like vibe. ‘The Illusion’ gets into more progressive territory with its transitions and greater emphasis on the rhythm section, and is the liveliest, heaviest, and probably the standout composition on offer here. The EP comes to an end with the crooning melodic tune ‘Expectations’. The use of the clean and distorted guitar parts to equal effect is arguably the most noteworthy and instantly striking feature of this EP, and the balance in the mix is quite commendable. Quite fittingly, the EP was mastered by Tesseract guitarist Acle Kahney, almost as if to complete this creative puzzle in the most perfect manner possible.
Less than 20 minutes in length, the EP is an ideal offering for short attention spans of the modern-day, but could have easily been (and perhaps should have been) a full-length, as it takes the listener on a journey which is abruptly cut short at the end of the fourth song. Regardless, ‘A Distant Light’ is a great insight into Burak Ozmucur’s creativity, and a compelling slab of modern prog.
Rating: 8/10
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Release Date: September 24th, 2016
Track Listing:
1. A Distant Light
2. Closer
3. The Illusion
4. Expectations
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