Tune in and rock out to this brilliant, immersive prog rock/metal soundscape from Neil Potter, ‘Shipwrecked’

Listening to this is a refreshing reminder of what we love so much about prog rock/metal genres. It truly is music for the soul. Not just to soothe, but in fact to agitate, vibrate and resonate realms within through sublimely arranged instrumentation, strong driving rhythms and soulful vocals.

The very experienced Liverpool-based songwriter and music teacher, Neil is an artist truly at the zenith of his craft, performing mostly as a solo multi-instrumentalist but also with a full band for a bigger, more vibrant sound.

‘Shipwrecked’s compelling composition and structure remind this listener a lot of the music from prog rock legends like Opeth, Porcupine Tree and Riverside.

Its apparent from its very first notes, that you’re in for an immersive listening experience. We open onto crashing drums, strong driving basslines and soulful, evocotive guitar arpeggios. Its an arrangement that exudes confidence, character and personality, a strong one at that. Neil’s opening lines, sung with refreshing vulnerability and candor, express a longing to feel at home, at peace and just to be okay.

For someone who’s overcome battles with OCD and depression, Neil sings with the pains of lived experience. Lines like, ‘Sleepless nights, its no wonder….Will I survive ? All I can do is hold on tight…’ speaks to those darkest of moments spent balancing between states of sanity and paranoia.

Musically, its absolutely brilliant. Just so well balanced between full bodied rock arrangements, strong rhythms and super evocotive melodic lines. Just pay close attention to the sublime part that starts at just around the 1.45 min and tell me that isin’t the most compelling prog rock section you’ve heard! It so compelling, hypnotic and thought provoking that you’re transfixed in a mix of awe and emotion throught the rest of this brilliant soundscape.

‘Shipwrecked’ does particularly well to capture the feeling of those precarious, vulnerable moments with deep emption, vindicating rock riffs and otherworldly atmospherics.

Neil Potter demonstrates an exceptional ability to transmute his trauma into surrealistic rock soundscapes that ring with intensity and purpose, delivering a track that feels personal and universally relatable.

Stream ‘Neil Potter – Shipwrecked’ on Spotify here: