Detailed Reviews [Sons of Alpha Centauri - 2024 - "Pull"]

Prolusion. UK band Sons of Alpha Centauri started out as a band more than twenty years ago, and over the years they have released a handful or so of albums in addition to some collaborative efforts of various kinds. In the spring of 2024 SOAC released their most recent studio album "Pull" through German label Exile on Mainstream Records.

Analysis. Sons of Alpha Centauri is a band that I do find to be rather interesting. While I don't think I have reviewed all of their albums to date I have covered quite a few, and by and large my impression is that this is a band that more often than not explore landscapes that may be interesting also for an audience with a more firm interest in progressive rock and progressive metal, but that their main audience probably can be found elsewhere. This latest album from the band is as good of an example as anything else they have released in this regard. Compositions that are fairly straight forward in nature is the rule rather than the exception for this production, with a steady going rhythm section and a steady guitar presence being dominant aspects throughout. Expressions and traditions such as stoner, grunge and post-grunge are tempting to make use of throughout, and those with a more dedicated interest in styles and genres than what I have will probably be able to pinpoint a few more to drop in a description too. On further consideration I'll expand just a little bit with the word psychedelic, although in this case with a more subtle presence of this kind being present rather than a more overt one. What may make this album more interested for a progressive rock interested audience is the use of occasional textured instrument motifs in some songs, while other songs may expand into a more quirky, expressive or unpredictable landscape on occasion. A little bit of a flirt with progressive hard rock and post-metal you might say, and while these aspects of the material rarely are dominant or defining elements in a more strict sense they are very much present. Not always in a manner that progressive rock fans may find familiar though, with one song in particular that gave me associations to a hybrid of Faith No More and Soundgarden. Both of them quirky and expressive bands at times, but perhaps not in a more strict progressive manner.

Conclusion. This most recent album by Sons of Alpha Centauri isn't the kind of album for the strict progressive rock and metal fans to flock towards. But for those curious about a more mainstream oriented band that reside on the border between hard rock and metal, with stoner and grunge attitudes given a little bit of a subtle progressive inspired flair as a speciality, "Pull" comes across as a solid and strikingly compelling album in my opinion at least.

Progmessor: May 2024