New Keepers of the Water Tower! Their 7-song 2016 release, "Infernal Machine", is a melding of some of the great qualities of Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd (Pink Sabbath? Black Floyd? OK, never mind that. . .) What's actually formed is powerfully interesting, challenging, living, undulating Prog-stoner-space-Metal that reaches out from your speakers and lures your attention. On top of that, the album is a concept piece, based on Joe Haldeman's classic SF novel, "The Forever War," which is also the namesake for the first song.

And what an opener it is - - wow. A bisected epic that begins with six minutes of plodding, spacey, slow-boil, Floydian tension leads not to a climactic release, but instead to a Sabbathy, doomy instrumental, diminished 5ths dissolution. The song devolves and deconstructs over 5 minutes before our very ears. Like many of the changes, instrumentation, sound effects, and melody/chord selections in this song and on the rest of the album, the anti-climax is a bold, risky decision that pays off beautifully.

There are plenty more instances of dammed-up suspense throughout "Infernal Machine". With its percussion and muscular drums, ‘Tachyon Deep’ is a masterclass in ominous build. Possibly the freest-flowing song is also the most infectious and accessible: the instrumental, ‘Tracks Over Cardosa’.

The echo-y, surfy tremolo leads and driving rhythm evoke the rail travel feel of the title. If you're like me and you listen to this from start to finish, as it's intended, then you may find that the scenery gets a little more mundane in the closing two track, but that is quite all right. A ratio of "5 excellent, 2 OK" is more than acceptable. The retro brilliance and artistry of the 5 stellar tracks are enough to impress me and bring me back for repeat listens. Like the Haldeman book that inspired it, "Infernal Machine" does not process easily, but it's richly rewarding and provoking to the thinking, cognizant audience. NKOTWT (not to be confused with NKOTB) deserve your attention.