“Better to mend than deny youth.”
I was first introduced to Aviations back in 2020, when I heard their updated version of “Outliers”, originally recorded for 2012’s A Declaration of Sound, but given new life on their Retrospect EP that year. It was a sprawling, almost twelve-minute prog epic, and one that had me hooked, and I’ve since gone back to that track a great number of times. Since 2020, though, Aviations have been quiet. What seems to have resulted from their lack of presence since then, though, is a hefty body of work that we now know as Luminaria. Their first full-length LP in over five years, Luminaria is as much of a culmination of everything that Aviations have learned over the years, as it is a celebration of their roots.
Opening with a vulnerable introduction, “Prelude” briefly sets the scene for Luminaria. Across its three minutes it crescendos from a point of quiet reservation to explosive energy, as it transitions into the album’s first full track, “Cradle”. From this point, we are given a crash course in what Aviations’ self-ascribed brand of cozy prog metal truly is. Bright, uplifting progressions and wild rhythms; with such dense compositions comprised of the usual prog metal make-up in the driving drums of James Knoerl, the wild riffing of Sam Harchik & Eric Palmer, and the thumping bass of Werner Erkelens – the surprise element is the abundant use of Richard Blumenthal’s gorgeous piano. The final piece of the puzzle comes in vocalist Adam Benjamin, who, despite his great company, seems to excel in his own right on each and every track here.
As we traverse the dense and lush soundscapes of Luminaria, differing patterns and ideas emerge, but all feel concisely packaged and well-realised. While the opening numbers show off the brighter, and perhaps keenly poppy and melodic sensibilities that Aviations embody, there is far more under the surface. Tracks like the mid-album cut “Legend”, and penultimate number “Coma” showcase the group’s ability to engage in darker and heavier sounds, with both featuring piercing screamed vocals from Benjamin, as well as some darker modal colours and textures to provide brief excursions from the album’s largely uplifting and bright palette.
“Legend” in particular feels like a standout track, because it embodies a seldom-used element of Aviations’ sound. The haunting melodic progressions and vocal harmonies lend themselves to a sense of unease, and while the the more percussive and outwardly heavy moments of the track certainly stick out as highlights, it’s actually the hyper-theatrical chorus that “Legend” features that grabs me more than anything else. Further, the Arcane Roots-goes-prog-metal riffing following said chorus, that also rears its head toward the tail end of the track, proved to be one of the moments that stuck in my head far beyond Luminaria’s closure.
Immediately following “Legend”, we’re greeted and juxtaposed by “La Jolla” – an equally proggy, but far more sweet and reserved endeavour. The sheer sonic spread on display between these two songs alone, as well as the quality of songwriting across both, exemplify some of the best I’ve heard in prog metal in some time. These are tracks that sit at polarising ends of Aviations’ sound, yet retain the keen tunefulness that ties their sound together so wholly.
Across the remainder of the record – including the aforementioned “Coma”, which stands as the album’s longest and most sprawling cut – we are continually fed a dense spread of groovy, poppy prog metal. The expertly crafted vibes of “Pinenut”; the odd rhythmic structures of “Pure”; and the warmth and grandiosity of “Blink”, Luminaria’s stellar back half pulls absolutely no punches, and actively demands your attention whilst also not allowing itself to fall into the all-too-common prog trap of self-indulgence.
I wouldn’t say it’s all too rare to find a tuneful progressive metal band, but if anything is clear with Luminaria, it’s that Aviations are in a league of their own where that is concerned. While much of the genre has a tendency to fall headfirst into self-indulgence and technicality for the sake of technicality, with Luminaria, Aviations deftly side-step these tropes and craft something that is not only wholly digestible, but equally, (and impressively,) just as dense as prog metal can be. There are so many textures and deeply considered elements strewn across these sprawling compositions, and while the raw length of some of these tracks may be off-putting for some, there is something so deeply engaging and entrancing about each and every song on display here. It’s still a lot to take in, to be sure, but Luminaria’s hyper-awareness of its own strengths and where to call it so that no individual element outstays its welcome proves to work to Aviations’ benefit here, having achieved something truly laudable.
9/10
Luminaria is due for release on Friday, September 1st via self-release, and you can find pre-orders for the album here.