Back in 2017, Arcadea released a self-titled album which, as far as I can tell, did not garner the attention I believe it deserved. Beyond the fact that it sported Mastodon's Brann Dailor, the group just made some kick-ass, kind of poppy, synth-forwards psychedelic rock that was a lot of fun to listen to. Hopefully, people pay more attention to The Exodus of Gravity, the project's 2025 release, as it supercharges that formula and takes it even further into outer space and into the future, painting a sort of Dying Earth, post-human sci-fi vision. The music has been augmented as well, still synth heavy but much more present and chunky, motivated by an absolutely killer groove section.
Tuning into the second, and eponymous, track is probably your best bet. I absolutely love the vocoder backed vocals which open the track but I love even more the meaty, groovy collaboration between agile drums and thick, deft bass lines. They create the sort of rhythm that Dailor was known for all the way back in Mastodon's early releases but here it's allowed more space to shine amidst the instruments. These instruments include absolutely contagious synths and expansive, wild psychedelic guitar lines that mix and swirl with the album's color palette to lend it its 70's pulpy feel.
Funnily enough, the end result reminds me of none other than Ayreon. Perhaps that is not so funny, considering how central synths are to that project and Arjen Lucassen's entire career. There's plenty of overlap between Arcadea and Ayreon but the main one that rises to my ear is that certain somber feeling of the synths, of futuristic melancholy and faint, outer space darkness and coldness. Maybe its some minor notes thrown in there or just the timbre of the effect used, but the synths sounds less boisterous (like many synth tones in classic progressive rock used to sound) and more introspective and "veiled". This also works with the vocals themselves, further emphasizing that sci-fi but weird vibe.
Elsewhere, as in right around the corner on "Fuzzy Planet", things pick up into a poppy beat before they slow down again. The album is replete with these movements, effectively balancing its rockier sides with the progressive elements. This means that The Exodus of Gravity serves dual purposes. You can dive into it and analyze it but also sit back and let it take you on its journey. This is also where the album's main flaw lies, which is its lack of a distinct identity. I would sometimes wish for the more exploratory songs on it to go on longer, to hear another iteration or two of their core ideas. And on the flipside, I often wanted the hard hitting riffs or more upbeat sections to go harder and really commit to the bounce without being dragged back down into exploratory progressiveness.
But still, this is a minor gripe. The Exodus of Gravity is very good at being ambidextrous and, most of the time, walks the tight rope exceptionally well. It's ended being one of my favorites for when I just want to rock out, spiced up with enough ideas to make it more than "just" a good riff or two. Check this one out; it's got a destination in mind and you're going to enjoy the ride too.