Band:	Subterranean Masquerade
Album:	The Pros & Cons Of Social Isolation
Style:	Progressive metal, Psychedelic rock
Release date:	November 05, 2020
A review by:	tominator

01. Ascend [Live From Quarantine]
02. As You Are [Surfer version]
03. Blanket Of Longing
04. Tour Diary (In America)
05. Nomad || נומאד
06. Another Day In Paradise [Phil Collins cover]
07. No Place Like Home
08. Place For Fairytales (Daydreaming)

A cocktail with many different flavours in it.

The Pros & Cons Off Social Isolation is a fun record. For the most part? There you go, that's my conclusion for this record. But let's discuss this a bit further. When I saw the track listing of this record, I was intrigued and at the same time a bit worried as well; it looked like a hotchpotch of different elements and ideas. As it turns out, that this is exactly the case.

Now, I want to start off with the performance of the band. It's excellent: groovy drum and guitar parts, good vocals and tasteful bass touches. The band has chemistry and it shows throughout the whole album; you can feel their passion and how much they enjoy making music, something which the "Another Day In Paradise" collaboration only puts even more in the spotlight. Variety is also present on The Pros & Cons of Social Isolation, from the groove-heavy opener to a more electronic-inspired song, with some room for a cheesy horror-themed surf rock track in between. Those are the first 3 songs on the album, by the way; it's quite a ride.

However, now is the time to say that some of my worries came to fruition. The songs are so diverse, it's almost bound to have a track (or two, or more...) that don't appeal to the listener. For me, it was the 3rd and 4th tracks, one because it didn't really feel all that unique compared to the other tracks, and the other because it was maybe too unique for my taste. I know, I know? I'm weird? And even some of the songs that I like, I'm glad there's only one in that style on this album; the surf rock one is a perfect example of that.

Production is very solid on this one. Guitars are pronounced, but maintain the subtlety you'd want for a psychedelic rock record. Drums and bass are layered in well. The vocals get a prominent place in the mix; both the softer and the more energetic vocal parts are mixed in beautifully.

I mentioned cocktails in my introduction. Well, this really is a blend of many things into one big concoction, and like I said it's both its biggest strength and weakness. You're most likely not going to like everything. On the flipside, I can't imagine a listener not liking any of the songs on this record, because there's something for everyone.

You've probably noticed my score for this record already, and normally that score would result in me saying that the record is pretty solid but not a must-listen. I guess that's still the case, although I still recommend giving it a chance. This isn't one of those albums that is solid but a little predictable and boring. No, this is an effort that will have clear ups and downs for you, but those ups and downs are because of the uniqueness of every song, and that's what I kind of admire about The Pros & Cons Of Social Isolation.