French progressive metallers PARALLEL MINDS return with Cairn. Long hailed for ambitious sonic mash-ups, the band have never shied away from taking creative swings, and their unbridled enthusiasm comes through in the playfulness and experimentation they bring to the genre. The group has three previous full-length records under their belt, the most recent being Echoes From Afar in 2022. The question is: does 2026's Cairn harness their raw energy and obvious musical talent?
Well — pardon the obvious pun — but this reviewer is of two parallel minds when it comes to the release. The album's highs feel on par with some of the acts PARALLEL MINDS pull influence from, the likes of BLIND GUARDIAN and SYMPHONY X. This is most apparent on standout tracks "Sufero" and "Sekigahara", both of which carry a clear through-line and a groove that demand multiple plays.
The lower points of the record speak to the inherent dangers of the progressive metal genre: if a band isn't careful, certain tracks and sections fail to flow in a way that maintains the velocity of the piece as a whole. The growls on "On Both Sides", for example, make sense conceptually but in practice give off the vibe of a cook adding one too many ingredients to an already effective dish. Likewise, songs like "Trail of Tears" bring tribal sounds into the fray without carrying that thread through the rest of the record in any meaningful way, leaving this listener wondering why it's there at all.
I can see a world in which this album finds favor with many. For my part, I walk away more curious about what the next release might bring. It is glaringly apparent that this band has no shortage of ideas, the recording itself is of a high caliber, and there's no weak musicianship to be found anywhere. Cairn feels like the record before the masterpiece. Parachute into any single track and you'll most likely walk away impressed — for that alone, it is worth a spin.
TL;DR — It's tasty in the sections that don't have too much sauce.
Listen to Cairn: