The framework to progressive metal has seen a readjustment in the recent five years or so, bands crafting more of a balance between the technicality and a straight forward hook and chorus, making the music more song oriented. See the likes of Symphony X, Pagan’s Mind, and Circus Maximus, to also Dream theater and Fates Warning who (as we all know), can really get very indulgent in the musicianship. New comers, Norway’s Withem, also understand the principle of art called balance with their second album “The Unforgiving Road”. As a new age felt ‘Intro’ includes keys and focal which works as a segue into the modern edge riff based prog rocker ‘Exit’, includes peaks and valleys between the verses and chorus. A well arranged piece of music creating ups and downs, much like a Ray Alder era Fates Warning song. The piano ride out reminded me so much of later Savatage. Well done.

Second track, ‘In The Hands Of God’, begins with an aggressive guitar and rhythm, but quickly switches to a tag team of melodic guitar leads and keyboards for the verse and chorus, which does include a couple interesting twists and turns for variety. Nice driving riff/rhythm for ‘The Pain I Collected’, switching back and forth between the aggressive and melody of the verses, stop and start tempo, and higher power metal vocal. ‘Riven’ is piano based, more of a ballad, accenting guitar leads for the melody and feels like (especially the drum pattern) something from Angra. No prog on this one. The base to ‘The Eye In The Sky’ is, also ‘In My Will’, again, a straight forward vocal and arrangement. ‘Unaffected Love’, into ‘Outro’, close the album within the more progressive structure, just long enough (around seven minutes), with keys both playful and serving as a backing to the guitar and vocal.

Withem learned from, and are influenced obviously by the best of them, and understand how to write progressive metal for the song, and not for just the sake of showing off.