Pure Reason Revolution “Terrifying Angels” Review by Friedrich Stenzel

Sep 21, 2026

Ever since Pure Reason Revolution returned with Eupnea in 2020, there seems to be no stopping them. Or should I say, there’s no stopping Jon Courtney? The band’s comeback album was followed by two almost equally strong releases, Above Cirrus (2022) and Coming Up to Consciousness (2024), with the latter showcasing the band’s more mellow, Pink Floyd-influenced side. Above Cirrus also saw the return of founding member and guitarist Greg Jong, while featuring considerably less of the charismatic singer and bass player Chloë Alper. By the time Coming Up to Consciousness was released, she had left the band, much to the sadness of this reviewer. Alper’s soft, bright voice provided the perfect counterpart to Courtney’s more raw, indie-infused vocals. The multilayered, at times quite complex vocal arrangements, with two almost equally prominent lead singers, have been a vital part of PRR’s musical DNA since the beginning. After Eupnea, however, they were somewhat pushed into the background in favour of Courtney’s lead vocals. Thankfully, Courtney found a suitable addition in Dutch singer Annicke Shireen, who has managed to carve out her own place within the band’s characteristic vocal harmonies — which brings us to PRR’s newest offering.

The title Terrifying Angels suggests a more sinister affair, and Courtney’s own description of the album backs this up: “it just felt terribly natural to do something grittier, heavier and more aggressive.” The seven new tracks, however, don’t stray too far from familiar territory. Previous albums already featured grooving guitar riffs cutting through their melodic, sometimes almost poppy songwriting. Looking at the album as a whole, fans will notice a return to Eupnea’s concept of alternating between compact melodic songs and longer, multi-part epics. The shorter tracks, such as the opener “Spin Like Fire” and “Haywire Heart”, often convince with strong melodic hooks that are likely to find their way back into your head even weeks later. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some interesting detours hidden within their rhythmic foundations and arrangements. “Haywire Heart”, co-written with Paul Mullen, also features some very subtle but highly effective string arrangements that add another layer of depth without ever becoming intrusive. “Rumination Ruin” strikes a similar balance and even manages to come to a complete stop midway through the song. It’s always fun to be thrown back into a groovy chorus after moments of relative calm like this one. These tracks have the melodic qualities to fit comfortably on more adventurous rock radio stations, much like the band’s peers Karnivool or The Pineapple Thief. Courtney clearly knows how to structure a good “short and dirty” four-minute track, and it shows. The final shorter cut is the aptly titled “Below Radiance”, a brief “calm before the storm”, before “Hold Your Wrath” takes the listener on one last 15-minute journey through PRR’s sonic universe. “Below Radiance” is the only song on the album the reviewer could have lived without.

Now, onto the tracks that prog fans will arguably be more excited about. Courtney has shown in the past that he knows how to structure a compelling track that stretches well beyond the ten-minute mark, with “Silent Genesis” being an obvious example. Terrifying Angels features three tracks that venture into longer territory, although not all of them handle their different sections equally well. “Black-Arrow Acrobats”, for instance, starts out like an OK Computer-era Radiohead song, featuring a light trip-hop groove, bouncy bass guitar and Mellotron flutes. It then comes to a complete stop before continuing at a completely different tempo, with entirely new melodies. Both sections are good in their own right, and the first two minutes work well as a kind of transitional piece between the opening tracks. But as parts of the same composition, they never quite click for me. The contrast feels more like two ideas being placed next to each other than a natural progression from one into the other. It’s an interesting experiment, but one that doesn’t fully pay off.

The two longest songs approach things a little differently. Taking their time to build, ebb and flow through various stages, these two cuts are among the band’s finest efforts. Both feature heavy riffing sandwiched between beautiful choruses and melodramatic vocal hooks. Terrifying Angels itself is a particularly good example of PRR’s ability to combine their melodic side with a heavier, more aggressive sound. The title track also benefits from the contributions of Greg Jong, whose guitar work adds another layer to the track’s heavier sections. “Hold Your Wrath”, meanwhile, is the band’s longest song to date, combining many of their strengths into one epic journey. Co-written with Paul Mullen, it features a trip-hop-infused drum section, plenty of atmospheric passages, and even ventures into progressive-metal territory, including some well-placed double-kick drum passages. It’s a surprisingly heavy touch for a band whose strengths have traditionally lain in the space between alternative rock, electronic music and progressive rock. Most importantly, both tracks manage to maintain a clear throughline and are cleverly structured. They don’t feel like five different songs stitched together simply to create a long prog track. Instead, they are coherent compositions that justify their considerable running times. Well done, Jon.

The album is presented in a tasteful cover, as always, this time featuring dramatic red and black tones. Like the previous two albums, Terrifying Angels also works beautifully as a vinyl release, with the red vinyl edition completing the overall piece of art. There is also something to be said for not spreading a handful of ideas across 80 or 90 minutes, but instead condensing them into a compact 40–50-minute album. It’s a quality I deeply appreciate, and one that PRR have consistently demonstrated since their return. In an era where many progressive rock albums seem to equate ambition with length, Terrifying Angels benefits from knowing when an idea has said enough.

Terrifying Angels is once again mixed by The Pineapple Thief mastermind Bruce Soord, and everything sounds powerful and crystal clear. Some aspects of the production could perhaps benefit from a few more modern touches. The drums, for instance, sound quite similar to those on the band’s previous albums. The heavier passages in particular would benefit from a more forceful drum sound, especially considering how much more aggressive the guitar work can get this time around. But that’s ultimately a matter of taste rather than a serious flaw. Bass duties are handled by two guest musicians, Kristoffer Gildenlöw and Mariusz Duda, both highly talented masters of their craft. Their contributions are tasteful but generally restrained, rather than taking centre stage. Fans will also notice a more prominent female vocal presence compared to Above Cirrus and Coming Up to Consciousness. Once again, this is something the reviewer greatly appreciates, as Shireen’s voice works particularly well when set against Courtney’s rougher delivery.

Terrifying Angels is not the best Pure Reason Revolution album, that title still belongs to Eupnea. But it stands alongside the band’s strongest efforts, including the early classic The Dark Third, and makes for another very worthy addition to an already remarkably consistent discography. More importantly, it shows that the band can still develop their sound without abandoning the qualities that made their comeback so exciting in the first place. The darker and heavier direction also brings considerably more tension and suspense to the album than its predecessor, giving the songs an extra sense of urgency that Coming Up to Consciousness largely lacked. With Terrifying Angels, Pure Reason Revolution have delivered another strong, concise and occasionally adventurous prog record, and yet another reason why 2026 is turning out to be such an enjoyable year for progressive rock.

11/15

Pre-order Terrifying Angels: https://purereasonrevolution.lnk.to/TerrifyingAngels-Album