If there is fault to be found with Kingcrow’s latest, it will be of a stylistic nature, because the mechanical elements of Phlegethon are all spot-on. The production is excellent - bright and clear while maintaining a convincingly organic quality. It suits the music perfectly well. Equally unassailable is the musicianship. Diego Marchesi is an outstanding singer. He never misses a beat on this record, which is all the more impressive when one considers the wide variety of milieus in which he operates. He very nearly croons on Numb; belts out a slightly raspy, anguished tone on Islands; and is as soft as can be on Lullaby for an Innocent. Kingcrow has been around since 1996 but this is their first effort with Marchesi aboard. They either got lucky or made a great choice in welcoming Diego to the fold. It’s hard to imagine a voice more suitable to the expansive sort of progressive metal they play. Diego Cafolla and Ivan Nastasi are similarly adept on guitar. From the really hot solo towards the end of Timeshift Box to the tremolo picking and acoustic work on Lullaby and the meaty, rolling chords and precise riffage throughout, these guys are top notch as well.

So what does Phlegethon sound like? Well, that’s a tough one, because it’s, you know, “progressive,” which should be taken to mean that it shares roots with a certain type of music but alters some ingredients significantly and adds others in an attempt to move the shared roots forward. So what are the roots? Certainly, there is some metal in the mix – when the guitars break out on Lovocaine, for example, as they do quite frequently, there is no denying these guys are heavy when they want to be. There’s some medieval / renaissance / folk material drawn upon, as in the acoustic intro to Fading Out Part III. There’s plenty of modern rock and even soft rock thrown in. This is the dominant vibe especially when the keys take a more prominent role, such as in Numb. In places, they do invoke The Ocean, or Orphaned Land, or Yes, but, hey, if it were easy to draw an analogue, they wouldn’t be very “progressive” now would they?

Kingcrow incorporate the odd “out there” element here and there, such as the flute and renaissance texture of Islands, and that’s another reason they slot into the “progressive” box. Perhaps what contributes more forcefully to this characterization, though, is the scope, or ambition of Phlegethon. The album opens with the sound of ocean waves lapping ashore and covers so much ground by the times it winds down with a group chorus and some more waves lapping, you’ll be the odd listener indeed if you aren’t hankering for another listen immediately, if only to wrap your head around the thing.

The only spot Phlegethon falls short is A New Life. The modern rock, bluesy guitar work and keyboards combine with the singing to just end up cheesy. But when you cover the ground this record does for sixty five minutes and end up with only one glaring fault, you’ve done pretty damn well for yourself. As a reviewer, the promo pool is always a gamble. Even if you know a band quite well, you never what their latest will sound like. Taking a shot on things is a big part of the fun, though, and when one ends up with something as fine as Phlegethon, it’s doubly pleasurable.