Written by Brian McLean

Recently, I learned that I would be tasked with making a one-way, 1,229-mile trip from the East Coast to Dallas–Fort Worth. I had never driven that distance over the course of multiple days. Prior to this, the longest road trip I had ever completed in a single day was a 439-mile drive from Lafayette, Louisiana, to Fort Worth, Texas, on January 1, 1992.

The night before that drive, I covered Pantera opening for Skid Row’s New Year’s Eve 1991 show at the then–New Orleans Lakefront Arena during the “No F*ckin’ Frills Tour.” Skid Row was touring on the Slave to the Grind album but I was only concerned with capturing who I still considered the local boys on film.

After photographing Pantera, I drove 135 miles back to Lafayette to my hotel, where the following morning I would begin the drive back to Fort Worth.

I considered the show to be Phil Anselmo’s arena homecoming, and I wanted to document it. Just two months later, Pantera’s Vulgar Display of Power would be released on February 25, 1992.

I was actually able to speak with Anselmo before the band’s set. He came out wearing a Baja pullover, and even though he was from New Orleans, nobody seemed to recognize him. I had been following Pantera since 1984, through the band’s transition of vocalists, and I immediately knew it was him, and we talked for a bit before the performance.

Pantera played a few tracks from the upcoming album that night. I specifically remember “F*cking Hostile” and “Mouth for War,” although I have never been able to locate a verified set list from the show.

When the tour reached Dallas on March 19, 1992, at Fair Park Coliseum, I considered that performance to be the arena homecoming for Dimebag Darrell, Vinnie Paul, and Rex Brown.

Oddly enough, March 19 also marked the tenth anniversary of Randy Rhoads’ passing. I was out of town and unable to attend the show. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to ask Darrell what it was like to play an arena in DFW for the first time on such a significant anniversary date.

Now, back to my recent road trip.

The first thing that came to mind was my road-trip playlist. The newer-model vehicle did not have a CD player, and since I use an Android phone, iTunes was out of the equation. My only real option—which, admittedly, is a regular option for me—was my Bandcamp collection, which currently consists of 236 releases.

As I scrolled through my collection, I started making a list of artists for the drive. I immediately knew that screaming demon music was not going to be the right choice. I needed material that was tamer and more immersive.

In alphabetical order, I began listing the following: Angine de Poitrine, Bigelf, Blood Incantation’s Timewave Zero, Crown Lands, Frayle, and a collection of Gary Numan releases spanning from 1978’s Tubeway Army through his 1982 release, I, Assassin.

I found humor in the idea that the first song I should hear as I embarked on the drive would be “Cars” from Numan’s The Pleasure Principle.

I flew nonstop out of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on a Sunday. Once settled at the gate awaiting boarding, I fired up Bandcamp. For the next two hours, I listened intently to Angine de Poitrine’s Vol. I and Vol. II, along with Crown Lands’ Apocalypse, which had been released on Friday, May 15.

When I boarded the aircraft and stored my rollerboard carry-on in the overhead compartment, I slipped into my assigned seat: 8F on an Airbus A319. I was seated in the first row behind first class, on the right side by the window. During meal service, I could hear the clanking of silverware against plates and glasses from the cabin ahead.

I stashed my laptop beneath the seat in front of me and took a deep breath.

I pulled out my earbuds, placed them in my ears, and waited for that familiar automated voice to say the words “pairing” and then “connected.”

I immediately returned to Angine de Poitrine, selecting Vol. I just as I had done at the gate, and let technology do its thing. I basked in the dynamics and strange song structures of Vol. I, followed by Vol. II. By the time Vol. II concluded, we were cruising at 37,000 feet with only the occasional bump of turbulence.

With time still remaining in the flight, I selected Apocalypse and continued to relax. By the conclusion of “Apocalypse,” the album’s nineteen-minute title track, the flight had reached its midpoint.

I repeated the same three selections for the second half of the flight.

Those albums ultimately set the tone for my music choices throughout the remainder of the journey.

The name Angine de Poitrine may not be familiar, but one glimpse of a band photo makes them immediately recognizable.

The Saguenay, Quebec–based duo performs anonymously under the pseudonyms Khn de Poitrine (guitar and bass) and Klek de Poitrine (drums). The band is known for complex, microtonal-influenced compositions that blend math rock, experimental rock, and progressive rock into intricate, largely instrumental pieces with a uniquely surreal visual presentation.

Khn and Klek both wear oversized papier-mâché masks along with black-and-white polka-dot costumes. Even Khn’s hands and feet are painted white with black polka dots, while Klek’s arms, hands, and feet feature the inverse color scheme.

The tracks “Sherpa,” “Mata Zyklek,” and “Fabienk” from the two releases became songs I genuinely came to appreciate.

For the most part, the band remained underground until video of its December live studio performance for KEXP was uploaded online and quickly went viral. Within weeks, the views had climbed into the millions and continued to rise.

Crown Lands is another Canadian duo, this one hailing from Oshawa, Ontario. The band consists of Kevin Comeau, who handles guitars, bass, bass pedals, keyboards, and backing vocals, and Cody Bowles, who performs lead vocals, drums, percussion, flutes, and didgeridoo.

Like Angine de Poitrine, Crown Lands also experienced a noticeable viral rise in popularity, although not on the same scale. My own awareness of the band came from a social media post by Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater, who offered enthusiastic praise for the album Fearless—particularly the eighteen-minute, twenty-five-second epic “Starlifter: Fearless Pt. II.” That was all I needed to hear. I was hooked immediately.

Right away, I sensed the spirit of 2112, Hemispheres, and “Xanadu” by Rush, but filtered through a modern 2023 perspective.

As for the band’s latest effort, Apocalypse, the album—like Fearless—is designed as a complete album-side narrative experience, created with the classic vinyl-era format in mind.

Between Fearless and Apocalypse, Crown Lands also released the instrumental albums Ritual I and Ritual II, which continue the storyline chronologically, while Apocalypse itself serves as a prequel to Fearless.

Apocalypse expands upon the science-fiction narrative universe first introduced on Fearless and further explored through Ritual I and Ritual II. The album delivers classic progressive rock, hard rock, progressive metal, and conceptual long-form compositions.

Many fans—including myself—as well as critics have compared these extended compositions and their structures to the classic epics of Yes, Rush, and Pink Floyd.

That is precisely why Crown Lands sits at the pinnacle of newer music for me. Everything is accomplished by just two musicians, which makes it even more impressive.

If I had to select favorites from Apocalypse, the obvious choice would be the title track, along with “The Revenant” and “Through the Looking Glass,” with those bass pedals sending chills through me and rattling my soul.

The high aspirations I had for an enormous road-trip playlist ultimately never materialized. I decided it was better not to keep earbuds in while driving such a lengthy distance. What I can say, however, is that during every bit of downtime I had, I returned to Angine de Poitrine’s Vol. I and Vol. II, followed by Crown Lands’ Apocalypse.

Whether I was relaxing on Monday afternoon and evening before beginning the drive Tuesday morning, or unwinding in Birmingham after spending seven and a half hours and 558 miles on the road, those albums became the soundtrack to the trip.

Both Angine de Poitrine and Crown Lands received extensive listening time throughout the journey, and I enjoyed every single moment of it.

Even upon arriving back home 671 miles later, those same three releases remained in constant rotation. In fact, as I write this passage, I am immersed in the title track of Apocalypse.

If you are looking for something unique and truly different, I highly recommend Vol. I and Vol. II by Angine de Poitrine. For a pure classic epic-rock experience, Apocalypse by Crown Lands is a no-brainer. To fully enhance the listening experience, I would also suggest picking up Fearless along with Ritual I and Ritual II.

Music like this is exactly why I continue searching for new artists and new experiences to occupy my time.