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They’re one of the British prog-metal scene’s brightest new sparks, although their second LP has arrived after a lengthy wait. Ihlo’s Legacy comes six years after Union’s superlative modern thump, writhing djent and swathing keyboard sojourns put them on the musical map
It was reissued by Kscope last year, serving as a reminder of why it had become so adored. That relaunch was the tinder to the explosion of their long-awaited second coming.
Ihlo’s new partnership with Kscope, a label with a history of iconic prog releases, may brings with it a sense of pressure. But it’s one they cooly shrug off across Legacy’s 10 explorative tracks. Like the 14-year-old restored church that is now The Arch Studios, where the album was partly recorded, they’re sensitive to the past, but bound forward with a contemporary gait that strikes a fruitful middle ground between younger audiences and those with more vintage inclinations.
The core identity of Union remains here, but there’s a step up all the same. Opener Wraith is a staggering, Muse-gone-properly-prog affair with bubbling synths, patient build-ups and crescendos that call to mind a more panoramic, cinematic TesseracT.
Replica proves that, although their dislocating riffs are played with venom, they’re dialled into a wider, more palatable mix that places Andy Robinson’s imperious and versatile voice at its heart.
It’s clear to see why Empire, which unifies their labyrinth-like, long-form writing with a sparkling, almost stadium rock sensibility, was chosen as the lead single. From subtly mathy guitars to a vast, open-ended chorus and swirling keyboard motifs, each of its winding passages is utterly captivating.
Only the closing cut, Signals, creeps just past the 10-minute mark; and the chameleon-like guitar textures of Phil Munro – which sparkle, scintillate and slide back to let spirited, 80s prog keyboards take the helm – are at their most resplendent.
As with the rest of the album, Ihlo let their ideas evolve naturally: Clark McMenemy’s trick bag of drum fills is enthusiastically but tastefully emptied as it soars towards its final moments.
Throughout, their heaviness comes not from screams, but from context and jarring rhythms. Macro thinkers, they know when to let their music float, and when to bring it crashing down to earth.
Uniquely, while Legacy is a record that reveals its clever nuances over repeat listens, it’s enigmatic and unskippable from the offset. For a band as technical, ambitious and kaleidoscopic as this, their scope feels bigger than just prog audiences alone. The ceiling is high.
Legacy is on sale now via Ksope.
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