I love it when a band or artist stretches just a little bit further than what the majority of listeners expect when they come to an album. Dominic Sanderson is in his mid-20s, and while his brand of analog progressive rock has some of the usual touchstones, I can hear more avant-garde leanings, taking bits of Van der Graaf Generator and swirling them around with the more modern vibes of The Tangent on Blazing Revelations, his sophomore album released earlier this year. It’s an incredible album, growly and thick and heavy with jamming, yet still tied to intricate arrangements and structure. Plus, flute…so you know it’s got a little of that angular Tull riffing.

Four tracks, 45 minutes, and it all kicks off with the amazing “From The Weeping Cradle.” The opening keyboard kicks in a vicious groove before the rest of the band joins in screeching guitars, squonky horns, and juttering fits that start and stop that move all over the time signature. The above video captures the full band performing it on stage, and you can see how well the ensemble coalesce. Copious use of mellotron, flute, and horns bring the VDGG influences to life, and when Sanderson’s dramatic vocals come in, I get some serious Andy Tillison vibes. His solo around the halfway point is gorgeous, his guitar having a clean, punchy tone that blends nicely with all the keyboards and slithering bass.

Nothing the ominous 10-minute “Faithless Folly” does disabuses the more esoteric prog leanings Sanderson brings to the table. He again brings a killer middle section to the song, harmonizing vocals and blazing (pun intended) guitar, and more organ than anyone could possibly want – me excepted. Shades of post-punk and new wave hit my ears, though they’re barely perceptible behind the vintage prog slamming up against Latin rhythms.

“A Rite of Wrongs” serves as the palate cleanser, a sweet acoustic slice of folk that wends its way for six minutes before the massive closer “Lullaby for a Broken Dream” hits. It starts as a melancholic cousin to the previous song, until the drums and bass slip in to start ramping up the tempo and the mood. I really love how Sanderson utilizes mellotron, and huge props to the rest of his band, especially drummer Jacob Hackett. Some of the arrangements recall the most twisted of Tull tunes, and the way Hackett navigates and punctuates the melodies feels ripped from the pages of Barriemore Barlow. That the highest of compliments, and the entire band follows throughout. Again, enormous Tangent vibes echo across this, but in a way that doesn’t feel tongue-in-cheek.

There was a lot of competition this year as I dug even further into progressive rock, but from the moment I first heard Blazing Revelations, I knew this was the one to beat. Maybe it’s because so much newer music feels like a retread of itself, and I came to this album just as I was getting absorbed in Pawn Hearts and Godbluff by Van der Graaf Generator. But there’s no getting around how deep, thick, and lovely Dominic Sanderson’s music is, or how it feels rolling around inside my head.