Turbyne's 'Arc' - Album Review

I have occasionally lamented on this blog over the relative lack of young melodic metal bands springing up across the UK. Those of us who love the progressive, symphonic, and power metal genres are constantly being treated with great albums, from new and old bands alike, from mainland Europe - but hearing a similar album from a UK-based band is a relative rarity. This is shame, but those genres have never been as popular here as they are over in Europe - so it stands to reason that few here heed the call. It is always a treat, therefore, when a UK-based melodic metal band is discovered; which is exactly how it felt back in 2018 when I saw the Scottish six-piece Turbyne put on a fantastic half an hour set at that year's iteration of Bloodstock Open Air. The band played relatively early in the day on the Friday; on the New Blood Stage - which is a stage that is specifically designed to showcase young and unsigned talent. In a sea of fairly generic death, groove, and thrash metal, which often dominate the New Blood Stage sadly, Turbyne really stood out. Their set was one of those that really came out of nowhere - largely because I knew nothing about the band prior to the weekend, but also because of how 'up my street' Turbyne were. Turbyne are, unashamedly, a melodic progressive metal band. It is always lazy journalism to compare a progressive metal band to Dream Theater (it is, in my view, akin to describing every bluesy hard rock band to Led Zeppelin), but in Turnbye's case the comparison is apt. Turbyne clearly worship at the alter of Dream Theater, and that is not a bad thing as far as I am concerned; largely as the band have the chops and songwriting talent to pull that sound off. While it is clear that Dream Theater are the band's biggest influence however, that is not to say that Turbyne's sound is a pure rip-off of the American legends. Turbyne are, on the whole, heavier than Dream Theater - with harsh vocals being a big part of the band's sound. There are big hints of bands like Soilwork and Scar Symmetry to be found alongside the Dream Theater worship; with the Scar Symmetry comparison feeling particularly apt due to the band's two frontmen - one who largely focuses on clean vocals (Gary Gillespie) and one who largely focuses on harsh vocals (Keith Fleming). Gillespie and Fleming help to set the band apart from the Dream Theater clones out there, as their vocal interplay throughout really defines Turbyne's sound. The two harmonise and play off each other wonderfully throughout the band's songs; and it is what helps the band's newly-released second album Arc to really stand out. Released five years after the band's debut album Origins & Endings, Arc is a step up in quality in just about every respect. The addition of keyboardist Jamie Hoyle in the interim has really bolstered the band's sound, and the band's leader and guitarist Calum Walker (who also wrote the whole album) has also really upped his game here. Origins & Endings is one of those albums that never really lived up to hearing the band live, so it was something of a disappointment, but Arc really delivers. It might not be a perfect album, and the music here is perhaps a bit ambitious for the production budget and skills available at times, but it is an album that sees a great young UK-based progressive metal band really making a statement.

Arc is an eight track album, but being a progressive metal release there unsurprisingly some lengthy pieces here. The shortest piece, Luna, opens things up however - but the four minute long instrumental track goes in a different direction from what you might expect. Rather than the album opening up in a chaotic flurry of notes to showcase the band's talents overtly, Luna is a very atmospheric piece. It instantly shows what Hoyle brings to the band with his soundscapes; while Walker swaps back and forth between gentle clean guitar melodies and spacey solos. There is even some smoky saxophone courtesy of Ewan McCall which adds surprising depth, but on the whole Luna is a slow-burn - which really works in the album's favour in my opinion. There is one 'proper' riff towards the end, which sees the band's metal side awoken for the first time, but by this time the piece is about to segue into the heavy and fast-paced Enter the Labyrinth - which really showcases the core Turbyne sound in a big way. After being disappointed with Origins & Endings, Enter the Labyrinth is the Turbyne that I remember from Bloodstock, with furious riffing and keyboard interplay throughout - and the fantastic vocals of both Gillespie and Fleming. The two go back and forth during the verses; but much of the piece is sung in harmony which helps to really bulk the song out. My only real criticism of this album however is also noticeable here, and that is how sometimes the vocals (particularly the clean vocals) get buried in the mix. It is real shame, because Gillespie's melodies do not hit as hard as they could do as a result, but given than Arc is a self-released album I can forgive Turbyne a less-than-perfect production. Arc sounds great in most respects, but I cannot help but feel how great Into the Labyrinth's soaring chorus would have sounded with a slightly better mix. The song is still great however, and is one of the most instantly-memorable pieces here thanks to its focus on vocals and riffing rather than lengthy instrumental sections. Cursebreaker is similar, but the song goes for a much heavier overall feel - with blast beat-led sections and much more of a focus placed on Fleming's screams. This is not a pure death metal track however, and perhaps the standout player throughout the song is Hoyle - who's keyboard melodies add some real light to the heavier song. While Walker is the band's main man, Hoyle is more than capable of keeping up with him - and having prominent keyboards on Arc helps to elevate it in comparison to the band's debut. In many ways, Cursebreaker is the song here that perhaps best showcases everything that makes Turbyne great in one six minute package. Soaring melodies sit perfectly alongside fast-paced metal riffing - with the balance of light and shade perfectly struck throughout. It was a wise choice for the band to choose to film a video for this song; as it is both progressive and accessible - with a lengthy instrumental section harking back to those early Dream Theater albums with its playfulness.

Inferno harks back to Luna somewhat, with a slow-burning opening that features some twinkly keyboard melodies and gentle guitar lines. While this vibe does not last throughout, it helps to ground the song early on - and, due to the way that the song builds up, it perfectly showcases the band's knack for tight, progressive arrangements. Hoyle's keyboards again really bulk the song out, with some great 1980s-esque patches used to add some pomp drive early on - but their setting against a fairly low-key drum and bass groove helps to give the song a spacey sound. Inferno, despite its title, is far less heavy than the two songs that preceded it. There is little of the band's metal riffing to be found throughout, with the song taking on a much more organic sound - with Walker's guitars instead largely  providing backing rhythms while the keyboards and vocals take centre stage. There is certainly a big AOR vibe that can be heard throughout the song - with melodies always given the focus over instrumental showboating. Despite this, the song still feels complex and interesting throughout - the tight arrangement mentioned earlier keeping things firmly in the 'progressive' camp despite the relative lack of soloing or complex instrumental sections. Mythos/Dark Aeons however is almost the exact opposite. It is the longest song here, and one of two songs to breach the 10 minute mark, so there is unsurprisingly a lot going on throughout. The heaviness absent from Inferno is back here in a big way, with the verses featuring both clean and harsh vocals - while some of Walker's riffing has a bit of a Lamb of God-esque groove to it. The choruses are heavy too, but Hoyle's prominent keyboard melodies offset Fleming's harsh vocals nicely - meaning that, despite the heaviness, there is always something more melodic to latch onto. That is a big part of the Turbyne sound in my opinion, and Mythos/Dark Aeons could be the band's most complete song yet as a result. It is another song that really showcases everything that makes the band great - but due to its length each facet is really expanded upon and the spotlight is shone on the whole band. Bassist Ryan Todd gets some time in the spotlight with a few sections that showcase his busy playing - while drummer Kyle Mitchell, who is excellent throughout the album, shows his diversity. The lengthy instrumental section (Dark Aeons) that makes up the song's second half is one of the album's overall highlights for me, with Hoyle switching back and forth between grinding organ and synths - while Walker conjures up many more great riffs and solos. There is even some more saxophone, this time from Justin Kent, which adds a different vibe to the piece. The whole song is a triumph however, and it is one of the best progressive metal tracks from a young, unsigned band that I have heard.

Light Pillars opens slowly, which is wise following the lengthy instrumental excess of the previous number, with Gillespie singing gently over Hoyle's piano and keyboard work. The song takes a little while to get going, but this allows the album to catch its breath before getting going once again. It is another lengthy piece, at just under 9 minutes, but there is still a big focus on melody throughout. Gillespie shows why his clean vocals are a big asset to the band during the song's opening sections, while some lengthy, flowing guitar solos allow Walker to demonstrate that he is not purely a shredder - but a complete, all-round guitar player. All of this comes together to ensure that Light Pillars is less chaotic and heavy than the previous song - but it allows the band's melodic side to be showcased in a big way. Every melody here really hits home - with the guitar and keyboard solos building on the vocal hooks to really elevate the piece. Teraflare is a much more concise and heavy piece, with more blast beats from Mitchell and a greater focus again placed on Fleming's harsh vocals. It is a real credit to Turbyne that they know when to reign it in and play in a much more melodic way - and then also when a heavier approach is necessary. It makes the album overall a very dynamic and varied listen - but it also helps the heavier songs to hit home in a more powerful way. A lesser band would push their heavier side at all times, but Turbyne know the value of light and shade. This song is very much shade however, Walker's riffing throughout this song pushing things up a notch and Hoyle's keyboards taking a relative backseat. There are less of his leads featured here, with the song largely being a full-on metal onslaught with Fleming's vocals and Walker's dense riffing leading the way. It is left to the 10 minute-plus Atlas Road to close out the album; the relatively jaunty piece being a great slab of Dream Theater worship that has the real feel of an album closer - a sense of coming out of the darkness and into the light. I am not sure if Arc is a concept album or not - but Atlas Road certainly has the feel of a concluding piece. After the heavy Teraflare, the song is a real melodic feast with plenty of big pompous keyboard stabs - and soaring melodies from both Fleming and Gillespie who team up for some big harmonies. There are heavier moments to be found here, but this is largely a joyous piece that focuses on the band's more melodic side - with everything sounding nice and heroic which is an appropriate vibe for an album closer. It has the feel of a victory lap too in places, which is appropriate considering how strong the material found throughout Arc is. Despite some of the issues with the production/mix that I mentioned earlier, sometimes it is easy forget that you are listening to a self-released album. Some sections here really rival many of the big-budget progressive metal bands out there - and fittingly Atlas Road has a few of them, which really helps the album to end of a high. It is a joyous and highly-infectious piece despite its length, with all of the band's six members really pulling together to make it so. I have been really enjoying Arc over the past month, and I am sure that I will continue to do so over the coming months. While some may find parts of the album too close to bands like Dream Theater, I am just impressed by the band's talent to be able to pull off such passages. There is a lot to like about Arc, despite it not being a perfect album from a sonic standpoint, and anyone who loves progressive metal should give this homegrown band a try.

The self-released album was released on 5th March 2021. Below is the band's promotional video for Cursebreaker.