Review by Michael on January 17, 2022.

Prospectors hailing from the Netherlands don't make it easy for the listener. To start with you have to know that Proven Lands is a completely instrumental album and as for a second point, most of the music isn't really easy to listen to. You really need time to get into it and you should better take a very relaxed moment for listening to this because the mixture of all stylistic elements and the arrangements don't offer a very comfortable trip. Both musicians (Matthias Ruijgrok and Michiel van der Werff) are originated in the Dutch black metal scene but on this album they don't really offer this style of music. Together with guest musician Michiel van der Pflicht (drummer in Pestilence) they play some real interesting experimental music which is quite difficult to categorize: some dissonant guitar sounds are paired with some free-jazz elements, doom and psychedelic stuff.

The first songs create a very cold, hectic atmosphere because the music is very fast, yet chaotic and not really structured. The opener 'Ravelling Motion' starts with a quite hypnotic riff but soon turns into a very strange trip. It seems as if the band would try to explain musically how something tries to unravel itself (maybe it would be a cool track to feature a video where a butterfly develops from the cocoon to the adult butterfly). The next track 'Obsidious Veins' is also very chaotic but all this chaos makes this track very interesting. Once you like a riff or find something quite catchy, the band turns into different direction instantly so there are no predictable elements to find here. Most of the time the guitars are quite dissonant and the drumming really chaotic. It is hard to find any melodies or something that you are used to when you listen to the music. At the end of this song however the band decreases the speed and lets you relax for a minute. With the fourth track, 'Become Void' they break into a totally different path. This track spreads a cold, gloomy and somewhat threatening atmosphere – I have some dark Sci-Fi scenes in my head when I listen to it. It is some kind of ambient track – really interesting and together with the last track it's my favorite one. After this intermezzo Prospectors turn into a more structured and easier to listen music. You can find melodies and some catchy tunes which remind me a little bit of some experimental death metal stuff from the early 90s but only very rudimentary. The album closes with a very melodic and slow track which takes you back to Earth after this quite exhausting journey.

If you want to listen to some really impressive and interesting music played without any boundaries or limitations and it is not necessary for you to have vocals on an album this may be an intriguing release for you. You'll have to focus solely on listening so pick some relaxing time in your day. You will probably need more than one listening session for this to become accessible but I promise you that Proven Lands is quite astonishing experience.

Rating: 7.8 out of 10

Review by Allan on August 4, 2005.

Since their inception in 1994, Norway’s Extol have slowly stepped out of the shadows. Beginning with their debut, Burial in 1998, they introduced us to their approach to death metal, expanded upon in 2000 with it’s follow-up, Undeceived. In 2003 we heard again from Extol with the release of Synergy, showing them once more alluding listeners by adopting a distinct thrash element. Now they’ve given us The Blueprint Dives, a testament to the group’s ambitious endeavors, once again evading any preconceived notions we might have had of them, while still delivering what is easily one of the very finest albums to come out this year.

Granted, both guitarists from the Synergy album left since then. However, former member Tor Glidje and Ole Sveen, both of who have been active in other bands, replaced them. While Synergy was filled with thrash energy and complex guitar work, Extol has taken those elements away for The Blueprint Dives, opting for a more metalcore approach. Ah yes, if I were you and hadn’t heard this album yet, I’d begin to weep as well. The last thing we need is another metalcore band. However, that is only a fraction of what Extol bring to the table. Furthermore, Extol take elements of hard/metalcore that have been driven so far into the ground by redundancy and breath life into them, imbuing old ideas with new ways.

The Blueprint Dives really is a continuation of Synergy, without as much metal guitar work. The band still exercises their fine ability to mix things up with blistering, odd rhythms, going every which way while somehow managing to stay coherent and cohesive. The songs, while atypically structured, are well written. Furthermore, The Blueprint Dives is an album that comes together best in its entirety.

As always, Extol implement their aptitude for melody, be it in the guitar work or otherwise. What are also worth noting are vocalist Peter Espevoll’s hauntingly lubricious clean vocals, a facet of the music that has become most prevalent on The Blueprint Dives. Catchy yet unpredictable and clever, they’re one of the defining features of the album and one of it’s greatest highlights. To top things off, the production is stellar: heavy and full with good clarity.

Honestly, I couldn’t say enough good things about The Blueprint Dives. It probably won’t catch on because it’s a bit different, and is bound to alienate many Extol fans, but despite that, it’s one of the greatest albums to come out this year. Please excuse my overt subjectivity on the subject, but Extol kick profuse amounts of ass; The Blueprint Dives shows how and why.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 9
Originality: 9
Overall: 9

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Allan on August 4, 2005.

Since their inception in 1994, Norway’s Extol have slowly stepped out of the shadows. Beginning with their debut, Burial in 1998, they introduced us to their approach to death metal, expanded upon in 2000 with it’s follow-up, Undeceived. In 2003 we heard again from Extol with the release of Synergy, showing them once more alluding listeners by adopting a distinct thrash element. Now they’ve given us The Blueprint Dives, a testament to the group’s ambitious endeavors, once again evading any preconceived notions we might have had of them, while still delivering what is easily one of the very finest albums to come out this year.

Granted, both guitarists from the Synergy album left since then. However, former member Tor Glidje and Ole Sveen, both of who have been active in other bands, replaced them. While Synergy was filled with thrash energy and complex guitar work, Extol has taken those elements away for The Blueprint Dives, opting for a more metalcore approach. Ah yes, if I were you and hadn’t heard this album yet, I’d begin to weep as well. The last thing we need is another metalcore band. However, that is only a fraction of what Extol bring to the table. Furthermore, Extol take elements of hard/metalcore that have been driven so far into the ground by redundancy and breath life into them, imbuing old ideas with new ways.

The Blueprint Dives really is a continuation of Synergy, without as much metal guitar work. The band still exercises their fine ability to mix things up with blistering, odd rhythms, going every which way while somehow managing to stay coherent and cohesive. The songs, while atypically structured, are well written. Furthermore, The Blueprint Dives is an album that comes together best in its entirety.

As always, Extol implement their aptitude for melody, be it in the guitar work or otherwise. What are also worth noting are vocalist Peter Espevoll’s hauntingly lubricious clean vocals, a facet of the music that has become most prevalent on The Blueprint Dives. Catchy yet unpredictable and clever, they’re one of the defining features of the album and one of it’s greatest highlights. To top things off, the production is stellar: heavy and full with good clarity.

Honestly, I couldn’t say enough good things about The Blueprint Dives. It probably won’t catch on because it’s a bit different, and is bound to alienate many Extol fans, but despite that, it’s one of the greatest albums to come out this year. Please excuse my overt subjectivity on the subject, but Extol kick profuse amounts of ass; The Blueprint Dives shows how and why.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 9
Originality: 9
Overall: 9

Rating: 9 out of 10