A Liquid Landscape - Rogue Planet -Progressive Voyages Review
The highly impressive cover for the album.
I really don't know sometimes why it is some albums you click with straight away whilst others you seem to battle and struggle with, For me this is one of those albums and I have listened to it often and repeatedly but all I get is a kind of stroke that was offered by Anathema, similar wide open space sott of sound … However zi will try to write about this as best I can
Firstly this is a follow up to an EP Stories Left Untold that was released in 2016 so well before the pandemic that devastated the world in March of 2020. Zt that stage the band had two albums released, Nightmare E press (2012) and The largest Fire Known To Man (2014)
The band were formed in 1999 by Neil's and Robert Van Dam and Fons Herder, They went through a few different names and several drummers before Coel Spyeelman joined them in 2009 at which stage they adopted the name A Liquid Landscape and released their debut EP Long Lost Traveler which led them sign with GlAzsville Records. Where they remain till this day.
The band performed extenstively both in The Netherlands and also abroad, Supporting the likes of Anathema, Crippled Back Phoenix , Karnivool, Soen and Riverside, a series of encounters that may have brought them to the style and sound they now present, They say that the music leans hea ily into Alternative Rock sounds of the 1990’s and early 2000's.
The title is taken from the astromical phenomenon of a Rogue Planet A Celestial Body drifting freely unbound by orbit, This is used as a powerful metaphor for the human condition.
So let's delve deeper and see if we can find value herein, I am pretty sure we can if we dig and have open ears willing to really allow the music space and room for its beauties to be revealed to us
The album has7 songs and a run time of 41:10 So its not a long album at all, The songs range from the short 3:16 to the longer Raven Song parts 1 and 2 which together make 7:42 piece and the longer Virgo Calling which lasts for 9:37.
The album commences with a part track Few and Far Between part 1 (6:22) and Few and Far Between part 2 (6:46) which heard in conjunction together form an impressive opening track of 13 minutes and six seconds making the albums longest piece which is then sandwiched by the two shorter track Intention and then Consequence.
I hadn't really grasped that initially, However upon really listening again watching the video for part 1 of few And Far Between I can get a sense of the power they are portraying here, its a wal of riffing guitar parts withvsome serious Riverside or Anathema type heaviness its not prog metal as such but it has a rawness that borders closely towards it.
Part 2 is completely different with a far softer approach, and us mainly driven by the bass of Robert Van Dam and some fairly languid guitar lines that wouldn't be our of place on a David Gilmour solo album, i really like how this sounds its very spacious in sound.
Intention follows a shorter but equally interesting track which begins with an ambient sort of soundscape before a spoken words section which isxabout the fakeness and untruth nature of the media that pushes a version of the truth that they want you toacceptvwhd believe, where the truth is concelealed orr hidden from the masses,
Consequence is now and this is another strong track switching between Gentke and harsher sounds, Actually really fo like the sound of this with the harsher sounds really winning me over, the bass is great here very athletic and muscular when required, again don't know own what they're on about but it sounds good here
Raven Song Part 1 has more languid arpeggio guitar chirds and a fine lead guitar line, with lots of acho and effects, and a gentle vocal from Fons Herde
Ra en Song Part 2 kicks a little harder with a powerful drums beat, and basss and a chugging and chiming guitar motif, and Fons strong but soft vocals making a good impression,
Final song Virgo Calling is deceptive in that it lulls you into a false sense of security with its gentle guitar lines and ambient sounds before exploding into a dynamic heavy part if growling guitars and Thunderous drums a rousing guitar line takes you to this heavy section and you're happy to be there as this slow burning track creeps up on you and floors you completely it ids absolutely superb and the crowning gem in their crown. I really like this track blistering brushing and magnificent the album ends on a sustained guitar notes.
See we did find music of worthvwhen we really listened
Info here: https//aliquidlandscape.nl
Author John Wenlock-Smith Wednesday 10th June 2026.