Heylel

This could be just a stop gap before their next album or maybe Porto’s Heylel are just bunny productive at the moment, as this EP follow relatively quickly on from their debut Nebulae. It could be that as a three piece now they want to get the new sound out there quickly.

The music has a more basic feel that’s shown off on cue with opener Saints. A spare song that hovers in the ether, with a haunting elegance and Ana Batista’s beautiful voice backed by some deathly vocals from Paulo Rodrigues. That spectral vibe is still present on Heritage though this has a more traditional prog-metal sound.

So a third of the way through we come to An Old Man’s Tale and a fitting centre piece it is too. A long, gentle intro relying on Ms Batista to carry it, it segues into some delightful guitar before the band come together and rock out.

Denial features Rodrigues on lead vocals and certainly has a darker, gothier edge but feels unfinished. So to last song Paranoid Hysteria which sees the band up the pace, though it is curiously lifeless. They go all odd two thirds of the way through. Not sure what (if) they were thinking but it adds nothing to a song that’s pretty mediocre in the first place.

If Heylel are aiming towards the heavier end of prog, as first attempts go this is competent. But competent is not going to be good enough to stand out in this very saturated genre.