Radiant Thought - Transcendence

Out Nov 7 on all streaming platforms 🔥 Transcendence, the debut full length from @RadiantThought is a rare instance of restraint within progressive metal, a record defined not by virtuosity but by emotional architecture. Conceived, performed, and produced primarily by @ValterAbreu the album condenses over a decade of experimentation into a cohesive meditation on renewal, decay, and the cyclical nature of human experience.

From the opening piano tones of “The Opening,” the tone is austere and deliberate. “Transcending” expands this minimalism into widescreen form with shimmering synth layers, ethereal vocal harmonies, and percussion that breathes rather than drives. The influence of Porcupine Tree and Nine Inch Nails is explicit, but Abreu filters both through a European cinematic sensibility closer to Riverside or Leprous. Each track unfolds as part of a larger continuum, no standalone singles, no excess.

“Division” provides the first sharp contrast. Its clean guitar phrasing and fluid bass lines mark the album’s shift from ambient reflection to structured progression. “Hexagon” sharpens the edge, introducing glitch textures and off axis rhythms that destabilize without collapsing the composition. “An Endless Cycle” acts as the thematic and emotional core, its ascending dynamics echoing the album’s central concept of breaking, rebuilding and transcending.

Vocally, @MiguelPinto delivers a performance grounded in subtlety rather than force. His tone mirrors Abreu’s compositional restraint, human, fallible, sincere. Drummer @BaardKolstad (Leprous) underpins the album’s shifting time signatures with precision that never overshadows mood.

The production, mixed by @JoãoBrandão and mastered by @ErikPeabody is detailed without being sterile. Each element occupies its own space, and the synth work functions as emotional punctuation rather than ornamentation.

By its conclusion, Transcendence feels less like a debut and more like closure to a long creative dialogue. It merges progressive structure with cinematic texture, achieving resonance through stillness and clarity. A disciplined and intelligent statement, measured, immersive, and quietly formidable.

8.5/10

Words by @FuegoCasa

In collaboration with @HeadbangersAustralia

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