For lack of a better term: progressive rock is absolutely not my thing. I never got around to getting into it and mostly found it repetitive and dull and bogged down with unnecessarily lengthy songs that mostly didn’t have much to it (apart from weird riff beats).

Whatever your vision of progressive rock or – I don’t know – alternative metal, Giant Walker offers a perfect example of how to stand out from the crowd while mixing a few genres with their debut record.

Giant Walker’s debut album, All In Good Time, has only been out for a few weeks, but it seems to have stayed in my rotation.

Although the group has not been around for too long, their compositions and production are extremely reminiscent of groups much more established than them.

The quartet hail from Newcastle and show that the metal scene doesn’t start and end in the south. And while, usually, albums like this can get kicked out quickly, the haunting beats of Giant Walker (The Fact in Fiction, Coda) are utterly enticing and chemically addictive.

Right off the bat, guitarist Jamie Southern, bassist Jordan Gregory and drummer Alex Black are like a relentless sonic storm demanding attention. And each listen shows more of the layers of subtleties and power that run through each bar.

But hardcore riffing and surefire displays of vastness aren’t all Giant Walker can do – not by a long shot.

The real attraction here is vocalist Steff Fish, whose stunning, jaw-dropping voice is amazing back and forth. Throughout the nine-track album, she encompasses nearly every facet of her vocal range: from a fiery call to action to a scream that will leave the hairs on your arms erect.

Steff truly has a unique voice that, when combined with Giant Walker’s nuanced musicality, is personified into something superhuman – almost mermaid-like. And, boy, does she have some power. She proves it best in Podha where she obliterates your ordinary vocalists from any other band by hitting seemingly unfathomable notes.

Likewise, Katoomba’s unforgiving chorus displays a glorious falsetto that’s just perfected by the band’s destructive wrecking charges behind its vocals.

However, Giant Walker isn’t all chaos and disaster on All In Good Time.

Some of the band’s most picturesque adventures (Past The Peak) blend easily into soundtrack territory. Like Evanescence with more technicality or Muse with a good singer; they have confidence in their profession and it is contagious.

This is perhaps what makes them so pleasant to listen to: a real sense of confidence and purity in their craft.

Giant Walker’s debut album is basically as good as it gets. The newcomers not only epitomize – as well as progress – the progressive rock genre (if that’s something you care about), but turn it on its head completely. The power of their music and vocals create songs that would fit right into any playlist – and the exceptionally catchy melodies are what you’ll find yourself singing to yourself for days. Giant Walker is the next big thing and you need to start paying attention to it now.

Giant Walker – All In Good Time is now available.