Atomic Time - 2025 - Subsounds

(85:00; Valetes Records)






















Six years on from their debut, ‘Out of the Loop’, Brazilian retro proggers Atomic Time are back with their second. I have seen a lot of positive commentary about this album so decided to seek it out for myself and see what all the fuss is about. Comprising Roger Lopes (vocals), Gabriel D'Incao (keyboards, synths), Pedro D'Incao (guitar), Fernando Lima (bass), Humberto Zigler (drums) and Kim Chandler (backing vocals), here we have a band who obviously do not believe the last 50 years have happened and instead have rooted themselves deep in the Seventies. Different reviewers seem to hear different influences, but we do all agree that Pink Floyd is very much in the mix, yet for me the most obvious influence is Barclay James Harvest, plus some Camel while Tangerine Dream and Eloy also have small parts to play.

It is an incredibly laid-back album, and consequently there are few in the way of dynamics and contrast to really make this stand out as the band pleasantly meander through tunes without leaving a consistent impression. I have been listening to this solely on headphones as any ambient background noise destroys what they are trying to achieve, and the two words which kept coming to mind were “pleasant” and “nice”. It is obvious that I am in the minority, again, as it is currently sat at #35 within the top albums of 2025 on ProgArchives, and I have reviewed quite a few which I feel are better than this yet are either lower on the chart or do not appear at all! Play this late at night, but don’t do it when tired as otherwise you will fall asleep very quickly. One could argue this is the type of prog that punk tried to kill, but it certainly is, um, pleasant. 

Kev Rowland, December 2025

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/atomictimeband/
https://valetes.com.br/

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