Aspera
Ripples

Looking out over the progressive landscape, I discovered several interesting artists and works with an extremely high level of composition ("The Weirding" by Astra above all). By slightly broadening these horizons from progressive rock, I ventured into more metal territories, listening to music that always left me puzzled. Thus, approaching with my preconceptions, I was pleasantly surprised by the offer of Shadow Gallery, bored by the too pretentious compositions of Dream Theater, and captivated by Pain of Salvation. As I moved in this environment, which I repeat is not particularly familiar to me, I came across a work released in early 2010 by an unknown Norwegian band: Aspera. On their website, I discovered that they had released several demos under the moniker Illusion and later managed to secure a record deal with the label Inside Out, with which they produced "Ripples".

The band, consisting of very young members, stands out for a freshness in composition that not everyone possesses, as well as the ability to create songs that aren’t focused solely on the technicality that often prevails in progressive circles. Blending the teachings of the genre's greats (the aforementioned groups in particular), the Scandinavians crafted this album with a fair dose of courage. However, contrary to the music critics who have defined it as an excellent work, I do not feel inclined to fully absolve the band. While acknowledging their skills, the compositions sometimes feel forced and static, and the raspy singing of the singer Attle Pettersen doesn't help in delivering a positive verdict. Although the singer's vocal qualities are certainly undeniable, his timbre, in my opinion, feels distant from the musical offer.

The technical level is still good, and the two tracks "Remorse" and "The Purpose" fully demonstrate this, also revealing various compositional influences. Moreover, the subtle melancholy vein that runs beneath the surface gives some songs an aura of pathos that, however, is not well distributed within the tracklist. Indeed, all played on powerful and aggressive riffs and the singer's vocals, it’s sometimes difficult to find the right involvement. Everything is played and packaged to perfection, but the band is too caught up in "playing it safe" without daring with different stylistic solutions.

Aspera has managed to combine melody, power, and technique, but they've "standardized" on solutions already overused in the past, which hasn't worked in their favor. One could say that Ripples is a good album, just as one could say it isn't at all. The offer is interesting, and if in the future the band manages to further vary their sound, it can only be spoken of positively. An interesting release that does not, however, guarantee the Norwegian group the possibility of emerging on the global progressive scene. Rating 2.5.

1. "Intro" (1:31)
2. "Ripples" (6:32)
3. "Do I dare?" (5:30)
4. "Remorse" (6:21)
5. "Between black and white" (8:12)
6. "Catatonic coma" (5:44)
7. "Torn apart" (4:58)
8. "Traces inside" (7:51)
9. "Reflections" (2:03)
10. "The purpose" (5:58)