It's now time for our 161st monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, as we're taking a look at local/Toronto progressive metal trio PROV3RB5's debut EP
"What Dreams May Come"! Independently released to major streaming platforms on November 1st, this short digital-only EP features instrumental versions of their first three original songs, which were previously released online with vocals from ex-singer Josh Ratliff. In this form, PROV3RB5 are represented by guitarist Benjamin Roswell and Toronto-based bassist/drummer Bryan Lee (the songs were recorded before new drummer Phil Greco joined the band), while
Kevin Xiong from the Minnesota metal band Stelliferous guests on the last song. As the versions with vocals never had an album release, I'll primarily review these as instrumentals, but I will make comparisons at the end. You can hear the EP for free on Spotify, Apple Music, and Deezer (all linked at
this Distrokid page).
If you want to actually buy the mp3 files, "What Dreams May Come" is on sale for $2.97 on iTunes, and now on Bandcamp for $3, so keep those options in mind also! Featuring three songs (all close in length) running for 13 minutes, let's begin this review with the opening song, "Sea of Tranquility"! After a softer guitar opening, the well layered progressive technicality is on full display, with an effective staccato riff early and some solidly crushing djent riffs at the mid-point, but this song operates on multiple effective tracks and will satiate extreme metal and prog fans! The drums are too monotone during the guitar solo (itself a little short for my liking), but as a pure showcase of Ben & Bryan's talents, this is a good introduction to what PROV3RB5 are all about!
The middle song is
"Treasure Forest", whose title is a better thematic match to the song than "Sea of Tranquility" was. I do find that the first song executed its melodies and layering better, but "Treasure Forest" does have heavier moments on average, and at points, it reminds me moreso of a video game level music. Benjamin's guitar work and time signature changes are worth the price of admission alone, and the percussion does flow better down the stretch. Maybe a little too much of the twinkly ethereal parts (including the outro), but genre fans should still be into this one! The closer has PROV3RB5 & guest Kevin Xiong playing
"Particles", which doesn't stray from prior formulas despite the added guitarist. This one more alternates between heavy prog metal and softer, more ambient (but drum-heavy) bridges, so for headbanging purposes, it comes and goes. When it's on though, it's very much on, especially with Bryan's bass work!
The melodies are on point throughout "Particles", so this ends things on a solid note! As for comparing these songs to the versions with Josh's singing, this style of progressive metal doesn't stick to a traditional structure for composition, so the songs don't feel empty without vocals. That said, Josh is a capable harsh vocalist with clean singing and harmonizing abilities, and while the tone of his screaming isn't my favourite, the first melody you pick up on from these songs is definitely altered when you have him featured, so in a way, these songs are new experiences with Josh, or without if you heard them first. Listen to the versions with vocals on major streaming platforms!
Overall, PROV3RB5 will definitely be worth checking out for fans of progressive metal, especially given the subgenre's shelf life for other local bands! PROV3RB5 benefited from having an established profile in the online metal community before Benjamin ever started making a local push for the project, and he and Bryan are a strong pairing with high proficiency in their instruments! While not full bore heavy on the three songs (each has ebbs and flows into softer sections), their metal credibility is readily apparent, and there's nowhere to go but up, especially given their teasers of late! I will say that, with each song hovering around 4:31, they will blur together for many listeners, especially in this instrumental form, and some extra variance would help to make them stand out, such as longer/more substantive guitar solos or more of a relentless death metal influence on some songs.
The drums were also something that could be mildly distracting based on repetitive tracks and beats, especially in the second half of songs, and again, while the lack of vocals isn't a hindrance, their inclusion dramatically changes the songs' initial perception, so keep that in mind based on what you like out of your metal. PROV3RB5 are definitely on their way though, and hopefully this EP goes some way to giving them a true foothold in the local scene, but check it out for yourself above! I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, and look for our year-ending review of Chase Wigmore's "We Are All Going To Die" on the site next month! Thanks everyone!
