Atomic Time – “Subsounds” | Progressive Rock Central.com

I found a fantastic new progressive rock band from Bauru, Brazil, making some very innovative and heavy progressive rock music. The band is Atomic Time and their new album is titled, “Subsounds”. It was released on March 21, 2025. The band is based in the small city of Bauru in Brazil. Atomic Time as they say, “completely breaks the mold with its experimental sound strongly influenced by progressive rock”. The album cover, created by Nádia Maria, visually representing the album’s theme of a descent into the subconscious.

Atomic Time’s new album, “Subsounds”, is described as, “a deep dive into the subconscious, exploring the intersection of sound and silence. The album features a unique soundscape, with elements of nature and progressive rock”.

The band line-up includes: Roger Lopes, on lead vocals; Gabriel D’Incao, who plays keyboards and synths; Pedro D’Incao, who plays lead guitar and creates the band’s sound design; Fernando Lima, who plays bass; Humberto Zigler, who plays drums; and Kim Chandler, a formal session singer from the UK, who sings lead and backing vocals.

For people like myself, who love long, intricately weaved stories and music, this album was exactly what I was looking for from a progressive metal album. So different. Nothing like the many Dream Theater derivatives out there.

The album opens with “Cyclical Night”. A song full of deep, subsounds of the night. The sounds of water, nature, bird – like sounds, flutes, and perfect midnight enchantments. It sounds as if you were walking through a Brazilian rain forest with the opening synthesizer notes of Wishing You Were Here, or The Darkside of the Moon playing, by your side. The music is simply electrifying and mesmerizing. Over 12 and a half minutes of completely riveting and innovative sounds and music. I have the feeling of The Ocean’s Holocene, in its quietest moments. A game changer like Holocene or Tool’s Fear Inoculum. Only with Atomic Time, the noises and quiet parts are not a distraction, but rather an intricate part of the mystery of the story and soundscape that Gabriel D’Incao and Pedro D’Incao weave to entertain you. You can feel that Pink Floyd building keyboard and synth sound growing out of the forest.

Then, Roger Lopes sings his first lyrics, “Loneliness, you cannot escape from fate. Emptiness, you can’t run away, it’s too late. Sometimes I feel that nothing will change the game. The die was cast and the tide remains the same. And the stars of the night keep moving around”. The melody they have created here reprises throughout the song, and it is a friendly, welcoming melody of guitar and keyboards. Lopes sings, “It’s almost 3AM and I’m going down. The days will come, and time takes me fast. And what I love always ends up last. Your eyes will always be in my memory. And time has always been our enemy. And the stars of the night keep moving around. Take me where the time is the same for everyone. Go away, leave our dreams behind. Float away, give me peace of mind. I know I’m leaving and nothing will bring us time. And what to say to those we’ll leave behind”. Roger Lopes vocals remind me a little of Loïc Rossetti, of Europe’s The Ocean. And I mean that as a sincere compliment. Kim Chandler’s backing vocals are also amazing and important on this track. But they will become even more important later. Her echoing vocals are something special to hear coupled with Roger Lopes. The song, like many on the album was composed and arranged by Gabriel D’Incao and Pedro D’Incao. A wonderful introduction to this innovative and creative band that will take you forward and back in time on throughout this album. This song and the album had its stereo sound mastered at: Abbey Road Studios, London.

“Digital Coma”, is the second track on the album. It is another over 17 minute song, full of subsounds and programming that will grab you and draw you into the song completely. Just like Pink Floyd and so many other progressive rock leaders of the past did. Digital winds blow hard across the plains and mountains of Brazil, as a raging electric guitar grind slowly eases its way out. Like another journey through time and space this time. Spacey, 2001: A Space Odyssey – like sounds fill the soundscape. At times you can hear echoes of Genesis’ “The Waiting Room”, from The Lamb Lies Down of Broadway. I call them memories from the vault. Your mind is rivetted to the sounds, wondering what comes next. Bass drum like thumps intercede the spacey noises surrounding the soundscape. Cymbals and wired programming and orchestration. What follows are sounds of an immersion into Blade Runner – like Soundtrack reminders. Then, Roger Lopes sings, “Time, more time. How I wish I could have more time. Face, your face I don’t want your face to go away. Sounds, your sighs. How I want to tell you how I feel. Dark, it’s so dark. How I wish I could feel the light”. Lopes picks up the power, with Kim singing his echo, “Can you touch me again? Feel me again? Can you stay a little longer?” This is just complete immersion music like you and I remember from the 70s, updated with modern synths and keyboards. As I listen, I wish I could buy tickets to see this live. It is just so masterful. Lopes locks down your emotions as he closes the song, “It’s all so strange. But love will not change. Could you find me in your dreams? We’re all Kings and Queens”. Kim absolutely was the excellent addition and juxtaposition to Roger’s voice. She is killing it!

“Violeta’s Dream”, is another dreamy emotional space voyage full of enough magical and mysterious music to lock you in for its over 23 and a half minute journey. It is an overture of immense proportions. And it may be the album’s best song…after the album’s closer. On this over 23 and a half minute track, Gabriel D’Incao creates some wonderful programming and synthesizer sounds using a Yamaha CS-80. That is the same type that was used to create the world of the original Blade Runner soundtrack. All of this music is captured and mixed in stereo at Abbey Road Studios. There is quality unequalled throughout this album. You can hear it everywhere. The song was written, composed and arranged by Gabriel D’Incao and Pedro D’Incao. The song opens with slowly advancing synths that will take your mind into orbit, no doubt. Just sit back and listen to this on headphones and tell me that you are not impressed. Just let your mind release and “experience” this music like Hendrix; and the Beatles’ taught us, “Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream. It is not dying. Lay down all thoughts, surrender to the void. It is shining. That you may see the meaning of within”. Yes Gabriel D’Incao and Pedro D’Incao, the composers of this magnificent song were absolutely listening to those legends, and learned well. Then, suddenly a bass-like explosion of sound. Like a bomb going off underground. Soft electric guitar joins in the mystical experience, just before the halfway mark. Then, the full band, with drums and bass join in. Then, Roger Lopes sings, “A blue bird in this silent sky. A sad song that never dies. Children playing without a sound. All desires are underground. Keep hiding, run away. It’s late at night, it’s time to pray”. Kim fills in with beautiful vocal “Ahs”. Absolute dream state. Lopes continues, “Behind the hill, below the clouds. A dark forest with subsounds. You and I are looking for. They don’t believe you anymore. Purple lights below the bed. They say fear is in your head”. Kim is back, with more of those wonderful Ahs. Like something wonderful you remember from the 1970s. Gabriel D’Incao lets go of some of the best keyboards sounds on the album. Before Roger Lopes continues to the story’s conclusion, “All your dreams come and go. All your fears, we’ll never know. But all the love you’ll take. Will be there, when you’re awake. Your eyes are closed now. All the lights are gone away”. Echoes of The Beatles “The End”. Kim’s shadowing is absolutely amazing. So glad they imagined a supporting female vocalist for this album. They found the best. Roger Lopes’s voice is emotional and dramatic enough on its own, but Kim absolutely adds magic that would be missing without her. The whole band, including the ripping guitar, drums, and bass work together are absolutely a pièce de résistance.

“Blue”, is full of more of Gabriel D’Incao’s keyboard and synth sounds. He really is a treasure for this band. So many ideas and so many variations. This over 14-and-a-half-minute song is the second shortest, after the album opener. But it holds one of the best surprises on the album. The drums join in with the keys, and bass to set up the pace of the melody. Roger Lopes sings, “On this road I drive alone. Let them throw the first stone. The cowards’ calm before the storm. This road, so blue I walk on cracks in the ice. Choose the path or roll the dice. All my ways lead me down. This light, so blue. And I walk into the deep of the night”. Gabriel interjects a monumental synthesizer extravaganza, with Pedro D’Incao joining the soundscape on electric guitar. Then Lopes is back, with some of his best vocals and lyrics, “ I wanna place without a name. Where the days are not the same. Time flows by my hands This road is so blue. I am not defined by my past. But I’m sure the rage will last. I will fight to forget”. Pedro D’Incao’s guitar soloing which follows is some of his best on the album. Then it is Gabriel’s turn with keys. Roger returns, “This light, so blue. And I walk into the death of the night. At nightfall, when silence comes no around. The blue rain falls and comes along. At nightfall, when fear comes around. The cold wind sings a strange song. I’ll try to hide; I’ll try to run away. I’ll try to fight. Will something ever change? Everything seems to show that my life was written in stone. I’ll try to hide; I’ll try to run away. I will try to find a way”. Then, the coup de grâce, for this song. Gabriel returns this time with forceful, at first, piano. Then, some of the best piano I’ve heard in rock since Night at the Opera. Absolutely amazing. If you didn’t love this album yet, the piano playing on this song will get yah!

As those final wonderful piano keys from “Blue” end. You await the penultimate song on this album. My absolute favorite. One of the best songs of the year, for sure. It is none other than the “Voice of God”. A nearly 17 minute mind absorber that took me to places I haven’t been since “Supper’s Ready”; my favorite song of all time. Like Tools’ “Descending”, this one is for the record books. For the ages. This is the song every musician wants to write and play. Spaghetti Western like themes, with Kim’s beautiful voice filling the air. Roger Lopes sings the best lyrics on the album, “You are my angel In the sky, flying high and dry. You gave me love on cold and dark nights. By my side I can hear your voice. But I can’t feel you anymore. I can dream about you. But I can’t trust you anymore. You were my angel. Lying in the sky. Cries and lies. You stole my heart. Losing my faith, I believed I got lost. I can see your signs. I can hear you cry. I can feel your fears. Faith is gone; time is flying away”. Then, powerful guitar, forceful piano, bass and drums. Power at max. Then, suddenly, dancing piano and we are off to the races. Like the battle sequences of “Waiting for Battle” on “Supper’s”. Powerful musicianship on keyboards and guitar. With wonderful rhythm and melody setting within drums and bass. Those high value emotional keyboard lifts just like “Supper’s. The deep, dark piano return, with synths, as Roger returns to finish the story, with music that reminded me of the gut wrenching sound of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly cemetery standoff scene. Roger sings, “Can you hear the voice of God? And the trumpets of Jericho. I see revenge by my side. And burning angels. Can you feel the hands of God? And the lies that shaped your faith. I see a shadow over me. And falling angels. Can you feel the rage of God? Every sin will be revealed. There is nowhere to hide. All the broken hearts. Can you see the plans of God? I’m no longer in His hands. I’ll make my last request Take me home!” Yes, take us home…the ending I was hoping for. Then, Kim puts the crème on the top of the cake, with an ode to “The Great Gig in Sky”. She sings with even more emotion than you could have expected in a great moment like this. One final scream! Wow! Then, piano…I can only think of Peter’s words at the end of Supper’s”, “Lord of Lords, King of Kings. Has returned to lead his children home.
To take them to the new Jerusalem!” Sorry, Atomic Time, but I absolutely had to mention it.

Atomic Time’s Subsounds is currently my favorite progressive rock album of 2025, as of late April. And yes, it is groundbreaking. This is simply an amazing and wonderful surprise to find on the Internet. I love it when music comes to you completely unexpected and just takes you over. That is what Subsounds did to me. I was getting pretty locked in with three albums as contenders for number one, this year. This album may have eclipsed them. Only time will tell. (No pun intended). You just have to experience this album. Like Jimmy Hendrix said so long ago, this music is an experience. It is also like the Beatles, “Tomorrow Never Knows”, an opportunity to “Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream”. It will make you feel the subsounds, that we overlook every day! Don’t miss this album, this year. Absolutely one of the best. A gamechanger like Tool’s Fear Inoculum, Go and explore the Subsounds with Atomic Time.

Most of the tracks on this album were written, composed and arranged by Gabriel D’Incao and Pedro D’Incao. Kim Chandler was a magnificent sound engineer. Emil Shayeb was the album Mix Engineer. Emil Shayeb’s Studio Assistant: Felipe Bulim. Stereo Mastered at: Abbey Road Studios, London. Stereo Mastering Engineer: Christian Wright. Dolby Atmos Mastered at: Abbey Road Studios, London. Dolby Atmos Mastering Engineer: Christian Wright. Recording Studios: Recorded at Valetes Records, Brazil.

Album Track List:

Cyclical Night (12:35)
Digital Coma (17:19)
Violeta’s Dream (23:44)
Blue (14:46)
Voice of God (16:53)

Band Website and Social Media Links:
https://atomictime.bandcamp.com/album/subsounds
https://www.facebook.com/atomictimeband/
https://listen.tidal.com/album/417757259
https://www.instagram.com/p/DHg32CWJ-R8/
https://music.apple.com/de/album/subsounds/1796442113
https://music.apple.com/de/album/subsounds/1796442113

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