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Cormorant - Diaspora review




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Reviewer:
9.0

76 users:
7.92
Band: Cormorant
Album: Diaspora
Release date: August 2017


01. Preserved In Ash
02. Sentinel
03. The Devourer
04. Migration

Progressive music may get a bad rep when it is so obvious that the musicians are either shamelessly emulating the sounds of past bands or are trying way too hard to write overly complex music, but when done right, the sounds of different influences can fit perfectly together, like ingredients in a sandwich (a comparison that was never ever done on this website). Enter Cormorant.

Diaspora is Cormorant's second album since the departure of former vocalist, bassist and songwriter Arthur von Nagel and the addition of Marcus Luscombe. With the high standards set by the first two albums, their 2014 offering, Earth Diver, has left a few fans a bit doubtful, something which may change with this release.

The tracklisting on this monolith does make it a bit less of an accessible listen, seeing how despite having but four tracks it is spread over an hour with "Migration" reaching a whooping 26 minutes. Obviously, this should be a red flag that this would be either a snoozefest or an act of extreme pretentiousness. Thankfully Cormorant have their heads way outside their own asses and they manage to write such a dynamic and varied album, that no minute feels wasted and recycled.

The progressiveness of the music is, while obviously technical at points, much more focused on writing riffs and varied structures than technical wankery. Cormorant does bring obvious influences from black metal, death metal, doom metal, folk and 70s progressive rock and absolutely succeed at putting all of these sounds into place in such a way that the final result feels coherent and not like a disjointed mess. With sections that compliment each other so well, Diaspora never really runs out of steam.

Cormorant are quite an odd metal band, in the sense that they manage to make an album that sounds so great at this point in their career without any label intervention. Indeed, sound-wise but not only, this album is on-par with the highs of the highs.

Thus, Diaspora is a wild ride of twists and turns from bold riffs to snarling vocals to mellow solos, from fierce to epic to moody, it is extreme prog as extreme prog should be.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 10
Originality: 8
Production: 9





Written on 22.01.2018 by Doesn't matter that much to me if you agree with me, as long as you checked the album out.


Comments

Comments: 11   Visited by: 291 users
22.01.2018 - 15:05
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
People really seem to get a laugh out of that Dreadnought sandwich review, even almost five years after the fact

Great review. Need to scope soon because like Dreadnought, it sounds like the kind of prog I'd like: just all around excellent composition that, while intricate, isn't too wanky, djent influenced, or weepy. I'll get on it soon. By the way, these guys always bring great artwork too, as I see continuing here. I believe one album even won our "MS best album art" competition a few years ago!
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I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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22.01.2018 - 15:12
Rating: 9
RaduP
CertifiedHipster
Written by Auntie Sahar on 22.01.2018 at 15:05

People really seem to get a laugh out of that Dreadnought sandwich review, even almost five years after the fact

Great review. Need to scope soon because like Dreadnought, it sounds like the kind of prog I'd like: just all around excellent composition that, while intricate, isn't too wanky, djent influenced, or weepy. I'll get on it soon. By the way, these guys always bring great artwork too, as I see continuing here. I believe one album even won our "MS best album art" competition a few years ago!


I did remember when scoping earlier MSAs that we used to have artwork categories which we sadly don't have anymore. I also instantly recognized the artstyle as I've seen it before on Ur Draugr's releases, but it seems like the artist hasn't done much else, at least according to MA.

Yes, definately do check both this and their debut, some damn good prog in a style you'd definately like
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Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking
One day there will be no heart at all?
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22.01.2018 - 19:33
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
I like part where you describe prog metal, I love 70's prog rock what you mentioned in revieev, but basically 95% prog metal bands are boring, this seems in other 5%
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Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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22.01.2018 - 19:41
Rating: 9
RaduP
CertifiedHipster
Written by Bad English on 22.01.2018 at 19:33

I like part where you describe prog metal, I love 70's prog rock what you mentioned in revieev, but basically 95% prog metal bands are boring, this seems in other 5%

Indeed
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Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking
One day there will be no heart at all?
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22.01.2018 - 23:46
Rating: 8
tea[m]ster
Au Pays Natal
Album grew on me hard - I miss old Opeth, this suffices. Excellent review and thanks.
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rekt
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23.01.2018 - 00:59
Rating: 8
musicalkaratekid

I was pleasantly surprised at how well the musicianship on this album flows, nothing ever seems hesitant or stop-start. To say that it's an album that lasts over one hour, it really doesn't feel like it. Also, those clean vocal harmonies during "Sentinel" are brilliantly intertwined with the band's mixture of extreme metal styles.
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23.01.2018 - 13:33
BloodTears
ANA-thema
Written by tea[m]ster on 22.01.2018 at 23:46

Album grew on me hard - I miss old Opeth, this suffices. Excellent review and thanks.


If you miss old Opeth, do yourself a favour and listen to The Thirteenth Sun and Soen now!

Good review. I don't get why "Progressive music may get a bad rep" since it's the best genre out there (I do know why).
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29

Like you could kiss my ass.


My Instagram
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24.01.2018 - 16:08
qnick90

Written by BloodTears on 23.01.2018 at 13:33

Written by tea[m]ster on 22.01.2018 at 23:46

Album grew on me hard - I miss old Opeth, this suffices. Excellent review and thanks.


If you miss old Opeth, do yourself a favour and listen to The Thirteenth Sun and Soen now!

Good review. I don't get why "Progressive music may get a bad rep" since it's the best genre out there (I do know why).


I think he meant young Opeth And for that he should try bands like Gwynbleidd or Nechochwen (last album)... but nevertheless I have to thank you for recommending The Thirteenth Sun, didnt know them and started to really like them...
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24.01.2018 - 17:20
Rating: 9
MetalManic

If Agalloch and Wayfarer had a child...
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24.01.2018 - 19:00
BloodTears
ANA-thema
Written by qnick90 on 24.01.2018 at 16:08


I think he meant young Opeth And for that he should try bands like Gwynbleidd or Nechochwen (last album)... but nevertheless I have to thank you for recommending The Thirteenth Sun, didnt know them and started to really like them...


Oh, cool. Glad you discovered The Thirteenth Sun. They are really good. Their only problem is that they sometimes sound too much like other bands but they just released their debut. I'm sure they will come into their own eventually
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29

Like you could kiss my ass.


My Instagram
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29.01.2018 - 09:50
Marchosias

Written by BloodTears on 24.01.2018 at 19:00

Written by qnick90 on 24.01.2018 at 16:08


I think he meant young Opeth And for that he should try bands like Gwynbleidd or Nechochwen (last album)... but nevertheless I have to thank you for recommending The Thirteenth Sun, didnt know them and started to really like them...


Oh, cool. Glad you discovered The Thirteenth Sun. They are really good. Their only problem is that they sometimes sound too much like other bands but they just released their debut. I'm sure they will come into their own eventually


As a person who was searching for filling the gap created by new records of Opeth. Thank you so much for the recommendations !

Also thanks for the review i'll check it out asap.
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A mediocre metalhead.
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