DarWin – Distorted Mirror (OoS/Phantom Recordings, 2025)
Distorted Mirror was heralded as an album by a progressive rock supergroup called DarWin. However, that description overreached. True prog appears sparingly, saved almost entirely for the opener, “Rising Distortion,” a thrilling instrumental that flaunts jaw-dropping guitar command by the fantastic Greg Howe and earns its hype in minutes.
After that peak, the album settles into competent but familiar territory: hook-driven hard rock, flashes of tiresome prog-metal, and earnest ballads that do not appeal to me. Their skill is never in doubt, yet ambition feels reined in.
DarWin is an ongoing musical exploration led by songwriter and guitarist DarWin and drumming legend Simon Phillips (Toto, Jeff Beck, The Who, Judas Priest, Tears for Fears). They formed in 2015 and have collaborated with lead vocalist Matt Bissonette (Joe Satriani, Ringo Starr, Elton John), bass sensation Mohini Dey (Steve Vai, Willow Smith, Guthrie Govan), guitarist Greg Howe (Michael Jackson, Protocol, Justin Timberlake) and many more.