Release Date September 18th, 2026
Format CD
Genre Progressive Rock
Origin Israel
Submasq, formerly known as Subterranean Masquerade, has been active for more than two decades and has released six full length albums before "Spirit Animal". The Israeli band has developed a progressive rock approach that brings together rock, metal, ethnic instrumentation and atmospheric elements, with Davidavi "Vidi" Dolev on vocals, Golan Farhi on bass, Tomer Pink and Or Shalev on guitars, Yalon Schori on drums, and Shai Yallin on keyboards, electronics and handpan.
Their seventh album arrives through Willowtip Records, marking their first release with the American label. Guest musicians add oud, bouzouki, tablas, percussion, violin, cello and backing vocals, while Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal appears for a guitar solo. The result comes from a band with an established musical history and a broad palette that reaches well beyond standard progressive rock formulas.
"Spirit Animal" deals with trauma, addiction, bipolar disorder and collective memory through nine songs, using personal subject matter as part of a wide musical arrangement. Ethnic instruments are integrated into the progressive rock setting, with oud, bouzouki, handpan, tablas, strings and electronic textures appearing alongside guitars, bass, drums and keyboards. The production was handled by Tomer Pink, with mixing by Adam Noble and mastering by Robin Schmidt, giving the album a detailed studio presentation suited to its layered arrangements.
Vocals from Dolev move across melodic and more intense expressions, while the instrumental writing shifts between progressive passages, atmospheric sections and more accessible songwriting. "Spirit Animal" is ambitious in scope and asks for attention to its many musical aspects, with enough variation to prevent the nine songs from blending into one continuous shape. At forty two minutes, it offers a substantial listen that combines progressive rock with Middle Eastern musical colors and modern studio production.
|7.5
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