New adventure for Jasmeno.
Forging its own identity from a variety of influences, the Polish band led by Brian Gawaski (vocals), Michal Grall (guitar), Artur Olkowicz (bass), and Slavomir Nietupski (keyboards) released its latest album, Assemblage of Cinematic Idioms, in 2026.
The band enlisted numerous guest musicians, including Bartlomiej Krysiuk (Patriarkh), Marc Grewe (Morgoth), Snorre Ruch (Thorns), Yusaf Parvez (Dødheimsgard), Slawomir Maryniewski (Armagedon)…
The band kicks off with the long and majestic A Code of Equivocation, the opening track that immediately lays the foundation for an imposing and polished Progressive Metal sound, featuring varied yet intense vocal parts that complement the shifting yet highly expressive instrumental arrangement. There’s a stark contrast between these heavy moments and the ethereal breaks with their intoxicating melodies, which follow one after another to lead back into the vocals before reaching His Rebirth with its choruses rooted in Symphonic Metal as well as those mystical vocals that stand in stark contrast to the futuristic synthesizers. The mix remains fairly cohesive, however, stringing together sensible technical displays, but the track is the shortest on the album, and it doesn’t take long for the clamor to give way to an acoustic outro. The musicians follow up with the dark and theatrical Seduced by Ambiguity, a composition that initially focuses much more on the instrumental elements but doesn’t hesitate to give in to madness and fury when the vocals finally join in, all while allowing gentleness to take hold of the rhythm section for long, melodious soaring passages. The album returns to heavier tones with Synesthesia Imperialis, the longest track, which runs over ten minutes and alternates between unsettling elements, epic orchestrations, and, ultimately, a driving rhythm section within which the vocals can be reborn, bringing to life more captivating nuances by borrowing Power Metal’s most energetic touches, before The Provocation of Fate unveils a more narrative-driven approach. The chivalric theme really comes into its own here, evident in every element of the track—which easily stands out as one of the album’s most unifying tracks, even incorporating very subtle eerie touches as the song progresses. But ultimately, it’s The Void that takes center stage, revealing its darkest tones through a robotic voice before the vocalist takes the lead again, effortlessly guiding us through the band’s musical twists and turns as diverse as they are masterfully executed all the way to the final.
If there were an award for the most epic album of the year, Assemblage of Cinematic Idioms would enter the competition with a real advantage! Jasmeno is a band capable of blending a vast array of influences to create its theatrical vision of Progressive Metal, and music lovers will be delighted.
85/100
