Exploring different avenues of sound as a whole, not just music, is something that fascinates me wildly. Just seeing the many different directions that a specific style can be twisted or influenced to go an entirely different direction than what many would normally take is a sure-fire way to get the attention of someone like me who can appreciate the wildly innovative as much as the humbly run-of-the-mill. But to see a band really make a sound all their own is to witness something that we normally don’t get on any sort of regular basis with it being a goal that only a select few can achieve in any form no matter how small, yet that didn’t stop Somalgia from achieving such a high goal fantastically with their brand new album.

It’s in the past year or so that whenever I think of what it means to be progressive, my mind ends up going to certain bands given how far many of them have taken the very idea of a progressive sound across both metal and rock despite the obvious barriers that any musician would face in the wake of such a mammoth challenge. Right away with what Somalgia accomplished in the seven tracks of “Inverted World”, my mind immediately begins to draw lines between them and France’s Creature who walk the very same boundary but in beautifully different fashion making even this record a step aside from all else even if it can be likened to something else. And make no mistake – “Inverted World” is far from the sort of record to attempt anything close to what could be considered as expected. It would be a downright task to near impossible to try and put this creation in a jar and certifiably define it wholly. For the entirety of the record, Somalgia effortlessly and happily bounds from one style to another yet completely different territory in the next minute to make for an experience that never once sits still for long but constantly keeps the craziness reined in to make for a cohesive listen that’s as adventurous as it is satisfying to fall into without giving so much as another thought.

Bounding from black metal to progressive regions of both metal and rock to folk to even trip-hop, “Inverted World” takes on so much stylistically in a successful manner that it is downright bewildering to experience even once, and it boggles the mind, even more, to realize that this record is much more than a sonic showcase with themes, story, and messages that add loads more depth to this creation such that it makes one wonder what else Somalgia is capable of.

LISTEN to “Inverted World” on Bandcamp here.