Flanger - Stellar Mirage - Song Review - Progressive Metal from Berlin, Germany
As days go by, hand in hand, under a heavy and gloomy climate here in the North, I am writing about a hot prospect today: Flanger, hailing from Berlin, Germany, with their most recent single release, Stellar Mirage, released not long ago on March 12th, 2024.
Flanger - Stellar Mirage (Official Audio)
Although there are many things on my mind about Flanger and their latest single, Stellar Mirage, I would like to start with the most distinguishing factor that immediately captivated my attention and took only a few seconds to convince me to feature them: production standards. Stellar Mirage has exceeded all the expectations I usually have for up-and-coming bands, especially from Central Europe/Germany, where you don't necessarily get to hear such concepts and soundscapes. In my experience, they are unique with the quality of their sound, which is also supported by their ability and interpretation of progressive music.
Musically, the song immediately evoked memories of Tool, not only with its sound design, tonation, or characterization but also with its structure, instrumentation, and musical language. However, it has never been the focus during my numerous listenings during this time but rather a delicate detail. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the dynamic journey of Stellar Mirage, where every layer added so much meaning to the overall experience, eventually offering the listener a fascinating 6 minutes of progressive rock/metal music.
Aside from the direct Tool influences, Flanger fused their passion for music and integrated everything in a balanced way where, in the end, you don't necessarily feel overwhelmed. The song is mainly led by the instrumentals, as we are used to hearing from progressive pioneers such as Tool and Dream Theater, where also the vocalist, Chris, plays a crucial role and gives Flanger's music another depth to explore. He is not only a good vocalist with the necessary tone but also knows how to steer the direction, especially in dynamic musical concepts such as theirs, just like in this song. Together with his contribution, Stellar Mirage positions itself in rock, progressive, melodic, and metal soundscapes, a step closer to late 90s sounds.
Lastly, and most importantly, the production is what made the song sound similar to world-class, if not one. As someone who is constantly following the underground scene and believes in having an understanding of what kinds of music are majorly being played in different geographies, the fact that Flanger has such a concept and sound from Germany is quite remarkable, in a positive sense, especially taking into account that Stellar Mirage is only their second official single release! They now have one of the best-sounding analog-sounding instruments as well as well-polished tonations, sound design, balance, and individual characteristics in their sound that mirrors the standards of established bands as mentioned earlier.
On the other side of the coin, I have absolutely nothing to mention since the song is quite bullet-proof in terms of both production and musicality.
In conclusion, discovering Flanger has been a great pleasure. World-class production standards fuse analog sounds with remarkable depth, embracing Tool's intricate approach to progressive music within the realms of metal, performed by a talented band that positions itself across the melodic, prog, rock, and metal spheres, showcasing wide-ranging talent. Thank you for reading.
Flanger members:
Chris, vocals
Mo, guitars
Eddi, guitars
Julian, bass
Gabor, drums
