AVKRVST – Waving at the Sky (InsideOutMusic, 2025)
Norwegian prog outfit AVKRVST returns June 13 with their second full-length album, Waving at the Sky, a record that aims high, digs deeper, and occasionally crashes under the weight of its own ambition.
Conceptually, Waving at the Sky is a prequel to their 2023 debut, The Approbation, revisiting the emotionally desolate world they sketched out in that record’s cabin-set visuals. This time, the story pivots around a brutal family tragedy. The solitary figure from their earlier videos reemerges here as a character, threading a loose narrative across seven sprawling tracks.
Musically, AVKRVST is still toeing the line between lush symphonic progressive rock and dense, tiresome modern prog metal. When they lean into melody, creativity, and atmosphere, they shine. When they give in to prog metal’s more predictable impulses, growls, chugging riffs, and overextended bombast, the effect is less soaring, more slog.
Take “Preceding”: it opens promisingly, with punchy guitars and crisp arrangement, but threatens to veer into metal-by-numbers territory. ‘The Trauma” doubles down on that energy, but quickly descends into tiresome vocal growls that undermine the musical sophistication around them.
Thankfully, “Families Are Forever” is a revelation. Here’s the band at their best: rich Mellotron swells, inventive bass work, compelling vocal lines, and an epic guitar solo that earns its place. It’s the kind of track that proves AVKRVST can operate on the same wavelength as early Genesis or modern-era Anathema when they commit to nuance over noise.
“Conflating Memories” follows in a more restrained, pastoral vein. Acoustic guitars, tender vocals, and subtle rhythmic interplay build into a gorgeous blend of keys and strings. It’s the kind of progressive rock that feels timeless rather than dated.
On the other hand, “The Malevolent” pivots back to hard rock aggression, albeit with solid harmonies and hooky vocals that keep it afloat.
“Ghosts of Yesteryears” begins with forceful instrumentation, but then slips into regressive prog metal habits. The heaviness isn’t the problem, it’s the lack of contrast and imagination that drags the piece down.
The title track, “Waving at the Sky,” begins with delicate acoustic melodies and slowly unfolds into a grand neoprog soundscape. Unfortunately, just as it finds its footing, the metal riffing and harsh vocals return like an unwelcome flashback.
Ultimately, Waving at the Sky feels like the sound of a band caught between two identities: one rooted in emotionally rich, symphonic prog, and another still tethered to the conventions of tired contemporary metal. When AVKRVST commits to the former, they’re riveting. When they default to the latter, they risk becoming indistinguishable from a dozen other bands vying for the same space.
Frontman Simon Bergseth sums up the band’s intent with clarity: ““The great response to ‘The Approbation’ was beyond what we could’ve ever imagined. […] Since the release we’ve been playing some live shows in England, Germany, Norway, and the Netherlands, but at the same time we’ve been doing many yearly trips to our now famous cabin to write new material for what has become ‘Waving At The Sky’.
With Waving at the Sky, we’ve tried to evolve ourselves in a bit more original direction, and maybe a tiny bit more mature? It definitely sounds like us, but I think this album sounds even more us than ‘The Approbation’. And that was kinda what we hoped and aimed for as well, to dig a bit deeper into our musical selves, try a bit more stuff than last time, but without loosing ourselves in it. I think we’ve achieved exactly that.“
It’s a noble goal, and one they come close to achieving. But if AVKRVST truly wants to break free from prog metal’s straightjacket, they’ll need to leave more of the growls behind and trust the power of their quieter instincts.
Musicians: Simon Bergseth, composer, guitars, bass, and vocals; Martin Utby, composer, drums, and synths; Øystein Aadland on bass and keyboards; Edvard Seim on guitars; and Auver Gaaren on keyboards.
Tracklist “Waving at the Sky”:
1. Preceding (03:14)
2. The Trauma (05:17)
3. Families are Forever (07:49)
4. Conflating Memories (06:59)
5. The Malevolent (feat. Ross Jennings) (03:25)
6. Ghosts of Yesteryear (06:17)
7. Waving at the Sky (12:19)
Buy Waving at the Sky.