An expansive nature paired with supreme instrumentation and undenaible musicianship is what progressive rock royalty builds itself off of. There is nothing that can ever hope to compare to a bold work that treads the line of being overly ambitious, but it is in the hands of the devout, the talented, and the tenacious that such grand works of magnificence come around every so often. When they do, we simply cannot pass them up. While I found myself enamored by what Grant the Sun just threw down with their most recent creation, it has been far, far too long since I’ve come upon something that like Mammatus has brought to the table. In every possible way, this album deserves every accolade it has coming its way.

Time is something that can be the most powerful weapon should it be wielded properly. Some forgo that potential gift in order to clear their minds and really crank out material like their lives depend on it while others know exactly how to play things slow, methodical, and undeniably focused. With it being eight years since their last full-length, Mammatus clearly knows what it means to let an album marinate with the intention to behold all of its flavors only when it has matured to the perfect degree. Such is what has brought about “Expanding Majesty”, and such is what should absolutely hurl the record into being considered a ferociously gorgeous experience that is something for all progressive fans to lose themselves in.

Four tracks that fold out gloriously across a wild 69-minute runtime, Mammatus stands monumentally tall as it is not just a work that tries to bolster itself by feigning some musicial intrigue. For all intents and purposes, “Expanding Majesty” more than lives up to its name. Every facet of this creation is what it means to witness everything fall into place so nicely, develop into a massive rock symphony the likes of which we rarely recieve, and come out the other side as something that should not be seen as anything less than a supreme opus. The instruments do a vast amount of the talking here with the vocals blending in beautifully without so much as a single hiccup to be had, and with the soaring solos and captivating atmospheres overflowing with warm colors and dazzling sights, Mammatus has made a work that is more than worthy of being dubbed as an undisputed lifetime achievement to be proud of.

There is nothing but golden excellence for those that venture into the skies of “Expanding Majesty”. This is what progressive rock can become when its given the time to mature, the talent to put it all together, and the timing to make it feel ever so pristine in damn near every aspect. There will always be great and new works for us to lose ourselves in, but it has been some time since we’ve been gifted something like what Mammatus has carefully crafted here and it will be some time again before we see another like “Expanding Majesty” cross our path.

LISTEN to “Expanding Majesty” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Mammatus on Facebook here.