Released 10 years ago
A Year With No Summer
Obsidian Kingdom · 2016
47 min · 7 tracks · progressive metal
A haunting blend of progressive metal and atmospheric soundscapes, creating an immersive experience that lingers long after listening.
Top tracks — play these first
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A Year With No Summer — The title track sets the tone for the album with its expansive sound and introspective lyrics, encapsulating the themes of isolation and existential reflection.
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Darkness — This track features dynamic shifts between heavy instrumentation and serene passages, illustrating the band's ability to blend contrasting elements seamlessly.
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Away / Absent — As the longest track on the album, it showcases an intricate composition that evolves over nearly twelve minutes, highlighting the band's progressive aspirations and lyrical depth.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album's ambitious structure and atmospheric blend create a compelling yet complex listening experience.
What we noticed
- The album opens with a title track that gradually builds layers of instrumentation, creating a dense atmosphere before the vocals enter.
- Each song features extended instrumental sections, often blending heavy riffs with ambient passages that shift the mood throughout.
- The final track is notably longer than the others, incorporating a slow build-up that culminates in an expansive soundscape, contrasting with the more structured earlier tracks.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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7/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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7/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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6/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 A Year With No Summer 6:25
- 2 10th April 4:48
- 3 Darkness 7:08
- 4 The Kandinsky Group 10:31
- 5 The Polyarnik 2:41
- 6 Black Swan 4:11
- 7 Away / Absent 11:54
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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