There’s always something special about an album that can take you away to somewhere else: whether you’re cresting waves with a surf rock band or settling down by the fire with a jazz trio, music’s ability to transport you is one of its finest attributes. Progressive metal has long been a genre able to pull at your heartstrings, even if many of its practitioners haven’t always worked quite so hard to ‘progress’ the sound. Sweden’s An Abstract Illusion may not be reinventing the wheel on new record ‘The Sleeping City,’ but their lush arrangements and gorgeous songwriting are nonetheless portals to another, fantastical world.

The mystical colours and wintery scenery of the album’s cover do an excellent job capturing the atmosphere An Abstract Illusion submerge their listeners in on their new LP: this isn’t so much a record to hear as one to fall into. 70s-era keyboards take centre stage throughout much of ‘The Sleeping City,’ even kicking the entire thing off as they fade in to open ‘Blackmurmur,’ and it’s their clean tones that will stick with you when the album is done. Despite the extreme heft that comes to define a cut such as ‘Like A Geyser Ever Erupting,’ every moment feels entirely smooth and refined, like the four-piece took a sanding belt to each of their instruments— the record swallows you whole in its most climactic moments, offering a sound more cinematic than outright heavy. Interlude-like track ‘Silverfields’ devotes its time to proving just how successful this approach to arrangement is: despite its roaring rhythm guitars and furious drum patterns, the song’s yearning keys melodies and momentous chord changes stand as its defining aspects.

The band take those flowing, detailed tones and apply them to a collection of tracks that defy traditional structure (not that that’s much to write home about in regards to progressive metal)— oftentimes, An Abstract Illusion arrange their songs like a post-rock outfit, layering additional instrumentation and harmony until the very seams of the sound are about to burst. Opener ‘Blackmurmur’ does an excellent job establishing the themes and ideas the group are toying with this time around, winding its way through a sweeping collection of ambient keyboard passages and harrowing blastbeat-backed barrages: the soothing vocals in the track’s chorus are a welcome breath of fresh air in amongst so much organised chaos, so much so that it’s almost a shame they never return. Instead, An Abstract Illusion are always looking ahead to new ideas, introducing abrasive chord voicings and acoustic guitars on the following ‘No Dreams Beyond Empty Horizons.’ The song may lean on many of the same tropes as its predecessor, but that’s more a symptom of the all-encompassing nature of the album’s sound— between its tender guitar-led outro and stark use of dissonance, the track sets itself well enough apart.

As far as the genre goes, An Abstract Illusion are far from the most experimental or technical group operating under the ‘progressive metal’ umbrella: the unconventional time signatures and flashy performances that usually define the style are certainly present here, but they tend to blend in amongst the atmosphere. It seems clear that the four-piece are not aiming to reinvent the genre with this release, nor are they hoping to one-up their contemporaries: the group’s newest LP appears somewhat safe when looked at in that light, but the record is far from conventional by most measures. Rather, ‘The Sleeping City’ operates under a clear and concise vision, one dominated by haunting melodies and enveloping soundscapes. If that vision is ever disrupted, it must surely be by drummer Christian Berglönn (though singling him out does feel rather mean-spirited)— between the deafening double kick that weighs down a number of key moments throughout the album and the uncomfortable harsh vocals he employs, the performer tends to stick out like a sore thumb. When the rest of the band feels so perfectly aligned, one can’t help but pick out the minor imperfections.

Not every one of these seven songs feels like it brings its own identity to the table— ‘Emmett’ is probably the worst offender in this regard, though its softer bridge section really is quite lovely— but they are all certainly enjoyable regardless: An Abstract Illusion are simply onto a winning formula here, and it’s one they indulge in quite happily. ‘Like A Geyser Ever Erupting’ is undoubtedly the weightiest material on offer, devoting its first half to a twisted collection of dizzying percussive blasts and screeching guitar leads— even once the song begins to settle down somewhat in its second half, its intensity remains a constant. The band do an excellent job at elevating their material, and it’s not only via their grandiose instrumentation. After the relative calm of ‘Silverfields,’ the juggernaut that is the title track feels primed for success (and for its breathtaking pianos alone, it succeeds). Even among these standouts though, its the delicate balladry of ‘Frost Flower’ that has us in a chokehold. Between Robert Stenvall’s divine vocal refrains and the delightful keyboard/guitar interplay, the song becomes the most immersive of the bunch, building to a climax that seems years in the making.

Listening to ‘The Sleeping City,’ it really feels like you’re walking through its streets and gazing upon its skies— though the record can be brutally disorienting at times, it remains a moving experience front-to-back. For a song like ‘Frost Flower’ or the title track alone, the record would be worth a fond word or two: when every song is so enthralling, the entire album feels elevated. This is progressive metal as you’ve always known it, and even An Abstract Illusion seem to know that— all they’ve done  on their latest release is taken that style and knocked it out of the park.