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After Lapse: Pathways
After Lapse - Pathways Album Art

After Lapse: Pathways

Modern Progressive Metal
4.0/5.0

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Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 18.12.2024 | Released: 13.12.2024

Hailing from Madrid, After Lapse was formed six years ago from the ashes of another Spanish metal band, Delyrium. In 2022, after pitching demos to Frontiers Music, the quintet would drop their debut album, Face The Storm, for their new label. Live shows would follow as After Lapse played in support of UK prog giant, Threshold. Now the band returns with their long awaited follow up, Pathways, remaining with the Frontiers label.

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After Lapse

Frontiers has described the band in this way: "After Lapse's musical influences vary from progressive metal bands like Dream Theater, Devin Townsend, Pain Of Salvation, Haken, to power metal bands like Kamelot and Angra, and they helped to shape what is now the very personal style of the band ... Pathways delivers a mature band ready to leave its mark in the progressive scene.


Having listened to Pathways, but having few memories (not a good thing) of Face The Storm, I returned to that review and watched the videos to listen for similarities, differences, and perhaps evolution. Eventually I found Pathways to be more intricate with generous twists in time signatures, tempo, and poly-rhythmic arrangements. The album also can feel heavier and dense in a Haken-like motif with a significant amount of moments which feature rapid riffage, thumping bass, and technical drumming. These moments seemed to replace the need for a guitar solos, which were rather awesome within the previous album. If the guitar solos are here, they're smothered in the mix.

What is notable throughout is Pablo Sancha's avid and experimental keyboard play, notable with Wounds Of The Past, Dust To Dust, Dying Star, and Temperance. Which made me wonder if he is not the main composer in the band. I called the last album melodic progressive metal, but I would call Pathways more modern metal from its dependence upon the aforementioned elements, especially the riffage and rhythm section.

All said, with Pathways, Madrid's After Lapse has evolved into a more modern-style progressive metal band, with density and heaviness the foundation for their otherwise spry and technical arrangements. Listen to the videos and support the band. Recommended for fans of Haken or Devin Townsend, among others.



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The Take Away

With Pathways, Madrid's After Lapse has evolved into a more modern-style progressive metal band, with density and heaviness the foundation for their otherwise spry and technical arrangements. Listen to the videos and support the band. Recommended for fans of Haken or Devin Townsend, among others.

Support the artist, click the link below to buy the album at Amazon (US site) in your favorite format.

Purchase After Lapse - Pathways at Amazon
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