It goes without saying that the many different old schools and their teaching have long held weight in the world of rock and metal music, yet it continuously stands as something that can be quite elusive to accomplish given how particular such a thing can be in spite of its numerous forms. Still, we’re given tremendous efforts time after time that shows us how hot that fire for the old school still burns. It’s only a matter of time before you come across an effort that taps into that long-established well of excellence, and it’s tonight in the form of Phantom Spell that I was granted a vision of classic progressive rock and heavy metal that is simply intoxicating to behold.

While I tend to find myself in the old schools of extreme metal, there just isn’t much that can compare to some classic prog rock done right and given the proper space to breathe and be its own creation. It’s the sort of thing that we just don’t get to witness nearly often enough, yet that adds a particular mysticism to it all when it does come around in a form like what we have here throughout the five expansive tracks of “Heather & Hearth”. A supremely colorful record that is constantly shifting between different approaches through dynamic and intelligent songwriting as well as a straightforward factor of raw satisfaction that’s driven home by enchantingly smooth vocals, this has all the hallmarks of a classic prog effort with one key difference: Phantom Spell is constantly making this record his own. It’s a tremendously frenetic and organic creation that never once holds back in its creative fidgets that almost always add to the charm and raw magic that’s to be found in virtually every given minute of what “Heather & Hearth” offers. On top of it all, it’s an emotional record but still one that’s exceedingly fun to get lost within. Like exploring far-off castles or off an adventure that’s filled with life and color in each step you take, “Heather & Hearth” knows precisely how to entice your soul and deliver upon your ears such euphoria of a kind that you cannot help but constantly find yourself crawling back to again and again. This record awakens something inside. A sense of wonder and whimsy that inspires and captivates.

By the time “Heather & Hearth” comes to a close, one cannot help but feel as though you’ve been through an experience that feels downright transformative. For all that it brings to the table and all that it dares to accomplish without so much as a shred of compromise or incompetency, Phantom Spell has crafted a bold work that stands monolithically tall amongst the competition. If there is to be a conversation for all that 2025 has delivered in terms of prog rock then Phantom Spell has more than earned the right to be one of the very first names on our lips for this is an effort that simply must be talked about and preserved for its magic is grand on every level, everyone must bask in its euphoria.

LISTEN to “Heather & Hearth” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Phantom Spell on Facebook here.

FOLLOW Phantom Spell on Instagram here.