Cereus are yet another Polish progressive band who have obviously been highly influenced by their countrymen Riverside (but have also been paying attention to Disturbed, a name I never thought I would put into a progressive rock review!). This is their debut album, released in 2018, following on from three EP’s. All vocals are in clear unaccented English, but it certainly seems strange that the spoken word sections are in French!! Michał Dąbrowski has a great voice, and the band put him front and centre, with plenty of space around him so he can really shine. Porcupine Tree are also again an influence, while I am sure I can also hear some Collage but given their impact on the Polish scene 20 years ago that really isn’t a surprise.
I have been fortunate enough to hear a great many Polish progressive bands over the years, and now that Cereus have finally produced an album let’s hope they continue pushing as this is incredibly solid and well worth investigating.
