Cobalt Wave - 2025 - Men. Mind. Machine

(50:36; Cobalt Wave)

Formed in Gdańsk, Poland, in 2022 the current line-up came together the following year and features Arkadiusz Biskup (drums), Kuba Łopatka (vocals, guitars), Mikołaj Piotrzkowski (keyboards), Daniel Wicenty (bass) and Marcin Zazoniuk (guitars). I have long been a huge admirer of the progressive rock which comes out of Poland – they have a rich heritage and a very deep well of talent, much of the time performing in a very Western style with English lyrics, and that is what we have here on an album which is highly themed on the fear and fascination with technology.

I am particularly taken with opener “New Religion”, which in many ways reminds me of Ben Elton’s wonderful (and frightening) 2007 novel, “Blind Faith”, with their view that social media is now being worshipped like a cult and that we must always remember to “like, share and subscribe”. Musically this is a mix between crossover and neo, very much in a modern progressive style, often with piano at the base, with plenty of complexity within the interweaving of the musical threads, while space is always an important element. They are also keen on using music to make the listener uncomfortable, sometimes using keys and chords which are not as pleasant as they might be, obviously taking some cues from the likes of King Crimson while Porcupine Tree are also an influence, although some of the more pleasant moments are much more like Camel in their delivery. 

It is definitely an album where the lyrics have a very important part to play, resulting in something which actually makes the listener think about the topics being discussed, which are very relevant for today. Overall, a very interesting release and I look forward to hearing more. 

Kev Rowland, December 2025

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/CobaltWave