I saw Inhalo recently at ProgPower Europe where they played the songs on this album. The performance and music were impressive. This of course does not automatically mean that the associated album is impressive as it does sometimes happen that the accentuation of the live performance isn’t captured on record because of the mix and a resultant soft and flat sound. No such worries here. There’s an interesting story behind this one as the original vocalist left and with the arrival of the new one the opportunity was taken to review the structures and mix of the album. This is a helpful process and without knowing what the original sounded like I can say now that the sound quality and mix on this album are excellent. Inhalo are from the Netherlands where there are many outstanding progressive bands – Day Six, A Liquid Landscape, Hillsphere, Scarlet Stories and the Tom de Wit projects come immediately to my mind. Inhalo’s performance at ProgPower Europe 2022 suggests that they are right up there, and my ears pricked up when I found out that the singer came from a Liquid Landscape whose album “Nightingale Express” not only made my year list for 2012, but has been part of my staple diet ever since.
Musically “Sever” is rich with both hard and soft passages. Most importantly they are delivered well. The music flows. At first I identified one stand out song, to which I’ll come, but the experience of listening more taught me that this is 43 whole minutes of dreams, darkness and pleasure. The introductory piano-driven “Omniscient Being” is like a new dawn, a flower blooming in spring. It is the start of something. Two and a half minutes after the start that something is revealed. A lush bass line and the dramatic progression lead us to into soft, pure, dreamy and very prog vocals but where this could have fallen into mush, the background is hard and the vocals are expressive and silky without any exaggerated sentiment. A dark punchy riff develops, capturing us and even making us bang our head as the vocalist rises to the occasion while painting an emotive picture. Sonic mists develop, and we return to the heavy section but it is now heavier and more troubling. The vocalist responds with strength. Did I say that there is just one stand out song? Well “Subterfuge” which I’ve just described is the perfect introduction to Inhalo the band – soft and hard, a tower of strength, a song of plenitude. “Sisyphean” has urgency in its fluttering, pattering drum and guitar work, and by the time the vocals come in, the tension is apparent. The song continues down a dark path with its expansive instrumentals and echoes, but so too there are delightful harmonies and vulnerable tones. There’s an acoustically atmospheric section which strongly reminded me of Opeth’s “Damnation” but this album is not one where life stands still. The pattering drums return and take us towards a giant climax, accompanied by haunting harmonies and sharp guitar work. An acoustic opening then leads us into the mellower “Pretenders”. The ambiance is now calm. Again a “Damnation” like passage comes in. The vocals are melancholic and reflective. The instrumentals are strong. The song ebbs and flows, and the vocalist guides us skilfully through its emotive range.
And so we come to “Eventide”, my favourite song on this album of sophisticated and impactful compositions. Starting with misty Eastern sounds, the context is set. A combination of an acoustic line and driving rhythm strikes up. The drummer sets a soothing and insistent rhythm. The vocalist meanwhile matches the mysterious and even mystical tone. It’s a hypnotically instrumental and vocal extravaganza. The song is smooth but also exotic and emotive. We are in another world here. Every twist and turn takes us somewhere deeper into this world. The tempo increases. We are overcome with layers of musical luxury before we finally ride out on those Eastern mists. “Even tiny blessing becomes a tragedy” goes the narrative of “The Mirror Door”. It’s just one line but serves to exemplify the contrasts which are played out over this album and which are weaved into its musical and lyrical creation. Another one with a hypnotic riff, this song ranges from the soft reflections of prog to anger and dark metal moods. It is yet another multi-layered song. Similarly “The Last Vestige” reflects a range of moods and atmospheres. Featuring more edgy instrumentals, the song is enhanced by delightful harmonies, delicate acoustics, djenty darkness, dark growls and a trip into a shadowy psychedelic prog dreamland. All that remains is a quiet piece to reflect the intro and take us back out of this wondrous and kaleidoscopic world of reflections, dreams, lightness and darkness.
Each song tells its story. Much care and attention go into the mix, the flow and the dynamic presentation. The range and expanse within these songs is broad, and yet in spite of all the layers and transformations of tempo and musical expression, flow is always maintained. I have now listened to “Sever” several times, and mirroring my experience of seeing Inhalo on stage, I live and breathe this album. The imagination contained in the structures, the quality of musicianship, the accompanying vocal delivery and the cohesion of music and words yield a world of riches. This album is alive. “Sever” is an outstanding album of progressive music expressions which touched me, and I am sure there are others who would appreciate its colourful journey.
(9/10 Andrew Doherty)
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