Transport Aerian was originally the name of the solo project by multi-instrumentalist Hamlet, and over the years there have been a few different musicians working with him, but recently there has been a settled line-up with Hamlet providing bass and vocals and being joined by Stefan Boeykens (guitars), Umut Eldem (Keyboards) and Paul De Smet (drums). They have performed numerous shows in Belgium, France and The Netherlands, and this album was recorded at a private party in Ghent on their most recent trek. They have also removed all audience sound so initially it is quite strange to think of this as a live album as it feels much more as if it has come straight from the studio.
I was not a huge fan of the last album, 2021’s ‘Skywound’, saying I preferred 2017’s ‘Therianthrope’ but that if the band stayed together, it would be interesting as I felt they would become more organic. One of the things which makes Transport Aerian both interesting and disconcerting is the way Hamlet changes his vocal approach so much, and there is no doubt it is an acquired taste. The first few times I played this I was really not sure, as the drama and delivery seemed to be at the expense of the arrangements, but gradually I started to get inside what Hamlet is trying to achieve, and the multiple thread and tangents began to make sense. On ProgArchives the band is down as crossover, but this release feels way more eclectic than anything else, with the sense of menace being quite palpable. This is not easy listening or mainstream prog, but something which is pushing the boundaries to create something quite special indeed. The danger is that some people may not give this the time it certainly needs to get inside the brain, but for those willing to persevere they will soon find something which in many ways contains elements of both prog metal and RIO combined with a refusal to conform. If this is what they are doing in the live environment, then the next studio album promises to be very interesting indeed. 8/10 Kev Rowland
