Country: Italy
Genre: Progressive Rock / Progressive Metal (clean vocals)
Release: May 22, 2026
For fans of: Airbag, Riverside, Porcupine Tree, Ions
REVIEW | Metal Territory
Cellar Noise return with their “heaviest” and most mature record to date. Panic Loves Telling Lies rests on a concept about how the mind builds invisible walls that eventually become our prison — but it does so without falling into the trap of tiresome characters and overblown narratives that often ruin prog releases. Here the concept exists, it binds the record together, but it isn’t forced on you.
The album begins with anxiety and tension. “Wasted Potential” has a repeating synth line that creates nervousness, while the drums seem to run to keep up. The ending with djent and blast beats shows the band isn’t afraid to break away from its classic prog rock style. And that’s exactly where they shine: when they leave behind their more “neo-prog” side and move into more metal territories.
Francesco Lovari’s voice is one of the strongest points of the record. In the calmer moments it has a sweet, almost lullaby-like tone, but when he raises the intensity — as at the end of “Caged” — it gains depth and power. The production is excellent: all the instruments are heard clearly, even when the band fills the sound with layers of guitars, piano, vocals and drums.
The strongest moments, however, always come at the end of the tracks. The last half of “Caged”, the closing of “The Day We Never Met”, the final seconds of “Wasted Potential”. These peaks are impressive, but because they always appear at the same point, the structure of the tracks becomes predictable. Still, each track has its own identity: “We Need to Talk” with its cello, “Caged” with its mantra built layer by layer, “The Day We Never Met” with its Riverside-style electronic elements.
Panic Loves Telling Lies has a winning recipe: prog rock with acoustic foundations, but with djent guitars and heavier outbursts. The band doesn’t always make the most of it, though. Still, the record is enjoyable thanks to the production, the strong bass and Lovari’s voice. If they keep building on their more metal elements, the next album could be truly special for the modern prog scene. Final rating: 7/10
Members:
- Francesco Lovari — Vocals
- Alessandro Palmisano — Guitars
- Niccolò Gallani — Keys
- Loris Bersan — Bass
- Eric Bersan — Drums / Percussion
