Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise, released September 4th, is the sixth studio album released by the progressive rock band, The Dear Hunter, and it is everything fans had hoped it would be.

Formed in 2005 as a personal project by current lead singer and guitarist, Casey Crescenzo, the band Dear Hunter was originally formed for his own compositions that were too different for his former band, The Receiving End of Sirens. Since then, The Dear Hunter has become his full-time band.

As a progressive rock band, often abbreviated as “prog rock,” The Dear Hunter focuses more on compositional techniques and harmony, blending a full orchestra with standard rock instrumentals. Prog rock shelved the standard sounds of its time, and applied techniques closely related to the classical and jazz genres in order to gain more sophistication in songs. Because of this, nearly none of their songs sound like any other rock songs. Prog rock peaked in popularity in the 1970’s, alongside bands such as Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, and Genesis.

Act IV marks the band’s return to their original project after nearly 7 years, a series of six albums telling the story of a boy known only as “The Dear Hunter.” The title, “Rebirth in Reprise,” refers to the protagonist’s return to normal life after his time in World War I.

In terms of story, a first-time listener will find themselves in a situation akin to someone walking into a movie theater 30 minutes late. However, the music is the real star here, and the story from the intertwined albums is a bonus. If you find yourself enjoying the album, I highly suggest listen to its predecessors, Acts I-III for the surprisingly complex story. Should you not find them to your liking, Migrant is a much more accessible album from them.

Fans of Pink Floyd will enjoy the 7th track on the album, ‘Is There Anybody Here?’, with a guitar solo and style extremely reminiscent of their ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ album. Fans of Muse will especially enjoy the penultimate track, ‘Wait,’ which blends electronic sounds along with the orchestral rock sound. For those who wish to listen to something a bit mellower for a first listen, ‘Waves’ is an exceptional choice. If you’re a fan of rock, you’re likely to find at least one song appealing on this album.

If you are interested in listening to Act IV, the full album is on Spotify, linked below:

https://play.spotify.com/album/0TCkVVN1AfEtMP3IjVD1Zi

For all the Pink Floyd fans out there, ‘Is There Anybody Here’ is linked below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZjGyCLCHs0

And for those looking to dip their toes into the water before diving in headfirst, ‘Waves’ is linked below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TdLV6XK8Wg