It’s been seven long years since their last release, and now LUX TERMINUS returns with their latest offering titled “Cinder.” From their Facebook page, they self-describe as “keyboards-driven instrumental cinematic modern Prog.” The first three songs, in three separate movements, feature ESPERA (live backing vocals for SLEEP TOKEN, and Prog band EXPLORING BIRDSONG) vocalists Lynsey, Paige, and Maty. The first movement is short, and has minimal instrumentation, but might be a precursor to what we can expect on the album. If it’s any indication, we are in for a treat, because the gentle piano and keyboard melodies are gorgeous, as are the hushed vocals of the trio.

Rolling into the second movement, their lush, cinematic side comes bursting through like a beacon, and Vikram’s bright piano and keyboard notes work so well with the cadenced rhythms. Backing vocals roll in, and the entire song becomes coated in sugar. This is unabashed, positive themed music and I am smiling ear to ear.  It segues into the third movement without missing a beat, and hope clings tightly to the music like someone falling who refuses to let go. The backing vocals really contribute to the richness of the music as well.  “Mosaic Mind” has a more serious tones in the piano and in the music, and a hefty backing section of bass and drums. Those big cinematic bursts are just massive, and they roar at you as the majestic lion does.

“Neon Rain” is another winner, where meaty bass notes and drums provide the weighted bottom, and keyboards dance over top. The subtle meter shifts are also very well done, and you can tell that this is a musician’s band. “P.L.O.N.K.” is another bright spot on the album. A gentle melody sticks in your head, but the bottom end rumbles like a diesel truck starting up. The firm low end of the song really helps the melodies rise. “Catalyst” features a duo of male vocalists (Ross Jennings and Jon Pyres), and they light up the song a torch, along with sultry saxophone note from guest Jørgen Munkeby. It dips down into darkness at times, but the fire continues to burn. You can feel a big crescendo coming at the end, and it comes with the fury of a deluge. You come out clean on the other side.

“The Devil’s Eyes” has a sultry swing to it…like the title. You might expect his eyes to be off-putting, but I imagine they are alluring…how else can he accomplish his work? The tones are dark, and mysterious, as well as sharp. “Apparent Horizon” begins with a stiff breath, but it settles into gentle piano melodies, that scratch at the certain part of you that some might call your soul. As it waxes and wanes between the two edges, I just feel swept away, like water swelling under my feet. “Natsukashii” closes the album, and it’s a Japanese word that translates to nostalgic, reminiscent of good memories, or longed for. It’s the perfect ending to an album the always forges ahead, through the worst of times, keeping the beacon of light shining, lighting your path.

This album is a game changer for me. “Cinder” is an ascent—a journey through cascading waves of emotion, carried aloft by impeccable musicianship and a sparkling sense of undying hope. There’s a resilience to this album—a refusal to descend into despair. Even in its most subdued passages, there is always movement, always breath, always a soft promise: that dawn will come, that beauty still lingers, that hope is an eternal flame. For me, it delivers one of the most uplifting and compositionally rich musical experiences of the year.