Hailing from the land of wizards and hobbits are Pencarrow, a mighty prog-infused heavy metal quartet, and today’s Band of the Day. Intent on delivering their unique and diverse sound straight to your ears, these New Zealand proggers have brought us their newest release, Dawn Simulation; a demonstration to the skill and talent equipped by each member of Pencarrow, delivering not simply a progressive metal album, but an adventure through sound.
Setting out to create an album which “travels boldly through a variety of styles and dynamic textures”, Pencarrow have certainly succeeded, as Dawn Simulation pulls from such a wide variety of influences and embodies each with their own style, resulting in something completely unlike anything else within the music scene today.
In true prog fashion, Pencarrow’s introductory track is longer than many band’s debut EPs, almost stretching out to a whopping fifteen minutes. The track in question, “Brace Yourself For Impact”, is a buffet of style, taking a bite out of everything, though does not forget the substance. The sliding bass from Todd Thompson is bizarrely funky, yet somehow still matches up to the ethereal and entirely electronic synth sounds from keyboardist Anthony Rose. This is not to say that “Brace Yourself For Impact” is not without its bite, as there is a heavy dosage of crunchy guitars and thundering drums too, something which you would have to be deaf not to want to mosh along to.
Pencarrow are certainly one to watch, delivering in one album, their debut album no less, more than many other bands are capable of producing in an entire career. So kick back, wrap your ears around some of the finest metal New Zealand has to offer, and allow yourself to be carried away on a journey through sound and music.
Dawn Simulation is out now and available to download here.
Pencarrow: official | facebook | instagram | bandcamp | youtube
