Black Idol is now the second Serbian progressive metal act I've been into recently. LAVINA has been on my radar after they won Pesma za Evroviziju 2026, and now this new band has released their first LP, "Woes Are Legion." Their slick, polished aesthetics come from inspirations like Leprous and TesseracT, and since those two bands are great, I hope Black Idol can follow suit.

"Woes Are Legion" isn't strictly metal, as progressive rock plays a big role in their influences. Alternative metal, too. "Thespian" is a 2011-2019 Opeth-esque technical jam, where the clean vocals of Aleksa shine. He does drift into harsher tones, but the song isn't reliant on them. While not the most brutal thing in the world, the dynamic instrumentation, especially Vasily's bass work, is so satisfying to listen to. The rapid-fire vocal switches near the end are choppy, so it'd be better to let each singing style work differently. "Son of No Desire," a heavily atmospheric track, proves that Black Idol can calm down after such a whirlwind of an opener. Even when the acoustic elements fade, the song's tempo is still swayable. Timur's delicate, jazzy drumming is my favorite, especially when it dances with my other favorite instrument, the bass. Black Idol's calm demeanor is one of their main strong points, and even though they rely on it in the songs to come, I'd love for them to tap into their darker side and let loose.

"The Great Triumph" is the next track, and it fits the blueprint I just talked about-Great, clean progressiveness, but for most of the song, Black Idol stays safe. Per usual, the screams are added during the song's final moments, resulting in a cathartic ending, but I'd like the catharsis to bleed throughout the entire runtime and not just the last thirty seconds. The final track, which already amps up progressiveness with its nine-minute runtime, features a special guest and the former vocalist of The Ocean, Loic Rossetti. The Ocean falls into the chiller branch of progressive metal, at least in my (rather incomplete) listening experience. One element I've yet to mention that is expressed extremely well in this song is the lyrical matter - they're reflective, and not overly cryptic. Rossetti's vocals give "Annihilate" the edge I wanted. The long runtime is filled with ambience, and I didn't expect the band to go full-throttle all the way through. It's a pleasant, undemanding listen.

I enjoyed my time with Black Idol, but I have a whiny critique: I feel like Black Idol is holding themselves back on most tracks on this album. I'm not saying go full prog-death metal, but I want the band to really unleash.