Hanlon's Razor - Paradigm (2021)

Dutch prog rock enthusiasts Hanlon‘s Razor used the last months for working on an album, being the debut of the project. Hanom‘s Razor, that is the brainchild of Dutch guitarist Louis de Roo and Frank Maarsen. Some the Dutch readers might know the names of the two guys from a band called Terranian that stopped last year.

With having some extra time, it felt right to pick some songs that have been written over the last years, put the finishing touch to them and record them. Six of these tracks are forming the tracklist of ‚Paradigm‘, a record that will be released on August 6th.

Hanlon‘s Razor is a project that is build on heart and soul when it comes to progressive rock music. The beauty with this release is the fact of facing layered songs that never drift away in endless solo parts. The two guys, with support of drummer Vincent Frijdal, are more the architects of soundscapes that remind in parts of Neal Morse and Yes. With the exception of ‚End of the Line‘, the album never gets really loud. ‚End of the Line‘ though shows the more roaring aspect Hanlon‘s Razor. But also this tune shows some calmer parts that fit into the context of this release. One of these nicely swinging songs is the title track ‚Paradigm‘. De Roo‘s gently singing guitar, a grooving rhythm and Maarsen‘s melodic vocals are harmonizing in good fashion.

‚Paradigm‘ is a release that is built on passion and dedication for progressive rock music. These guys appreciate a good song and use their entire toolkit to transfer ideas into reality.

~ markusheavymusicblog.org