If you’ve been living under a rock, you might not know that Norway is a low-key powerhouse for Prog bands, not just Black Metal from the basement. I ran into Rendezvous Point aeons ago when they opened for Leprous at a local concert. It was exciting! We had a fire emergency, the power went off, and we were thrown out into the winter cold, but it was all a false alarm (ha ha ha…). Either way, they gave us a memorable performance. Needless to say, I want to like Dream Chaser, but do we ever get what we want? Who knows… read on!
I have to get something out of the way: Dream Chaser is a strange album. It’s that missing link between a band that can do Pop/Rock and a band that can do Prog. There might be moments that make you raise an eyebrow because they feel so out of place in a Metal album (“Don’t Look Up” and “Oslo Syndrome” come right to mind), but don’t be fooled by its sensitive side. Rendezvous Point can absolutely shred it. They just don’t do it for 10 minutes straight; there’s no instrumental regurgitation here. When the band gets technical, it’s to say something meaningful, which I appreciate in this era of Metal without editors.
It’d be easy to highlight Hansen’s infectious vocals or Erstad’s reliable bass work, but Dream Chaser is much more than the sum of its parts. Also, Svennæs plays with Ihsahn (does everyone in Norway have a collaboration with him, or what?), but I digress. Aside from obvious comparisons with Leprous, I think the best equivalent for what Rendezvous Point has done here is Agent Fresco‘s Destrier, which is another super interesting step between Prog and Pop/Rock. This is music you can show your parents, so they can think their mistakes weren’t a big deal in your psycho-social development.
Speaking of mistakes, what can we say about Dream Chaser? Well, it’s a weird listen that will most likely alienate hardcore Metalheads who dodge the showers. I’m also not sure if I dig the entire album equally; “The Tormented” felt like too much of a slowdown. I didn’t like the closing track at first, but is it just me, or does its intro sound a lot like the main theme of Netflix’s Dark? It’s a killer one, but I’m still debating if I wanted it here. I’ll go watch Dark again to decide, I guess.
If you want Prog that you can actually listen to in one sitting without having to summon the last poor remains of your patience and your even more pathetic attention resources, then it’s time for you to chase this dream (horrible joke, I know…). Just be ready to feel alienated for a few seconds. This album is a true test of your musical plasticity and open-mindedness. For the love of Thor! Those are too many big words in a row! This has to stop!
Label: Long Branch Records
Release Date: 21 June, 2024
Website: https://www.facebook.com/RendezvousPointOfficial
Country: Norway
Score: Catching your dream, which means it’s not your dream anymore, or 3.5/5.0?
Metal Eclipse Reviews 
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