Whenever I feel like I keep seeing the same things in our promo pile, something genuinely fresh and unique pops out and tempts me to seize it for long-form analysis. In this case, I’m referring to Shagohod, an independent progressive metal group from Hartford, Connecticut. Founded by longtime friends Drew Bligh and Dave Coffey, Shagohod still functions primarily as a duo, with Adam Schmidt and Ryan Wantroba joining for live performances. Their third full-length album, A Curse That Hides the Door, which is based on classic film depictions of mummies, came to us with some intriguing promises about blending epic prog with saxophone, synthwave, and punk. It sounded like exactly the type of oddball record that I might love, with such an eclectic blend of styles, execution quality would be paramount.
The “progressive metal” descriptor is apt, but also woefully inadequate to encapsulate Shagohod. Whereas the previous record, Tin, Gold, Lead & Blood, was something like Caligula’s Horse in an Old-West setting, A Curse That Hides the Door is closer to the artsy prog rock of The Dear Hunter. Traces of many other disparate artists are strewn throughout. “Swashbuckle Up” marries nimble Opeth guitar progressions with the jaunty spirit of Wilderun’s Olden Tales & Deathly Trails. “Scavengers” and “IV. The Book of the Living” are reminiscent of Coheed and Cambria from an instrumental perspective. “Tomb” ducks into brooding and vaguely grungy Audioslave territory. Several tracks feature the string quartet Invoke, pairing especially well with the Gunship-esque synthwave in “II. Crimson Rain.”
A Curse That Hides the Door by Shagohod
On paper, this wild diversity of musical styles should clash unpleasantly, but Shagohod makes them work together peaceably. Even the more non-conventional genre fusions contain progressive metal fingerprints, which help maintain a common sense of identity. The disorderly punk rock chords and pissed-off rapping in “Sycophant” briefly accommodate a prog salad of organ, saxophone, and piano in a way that feels inexplicably natural. Further, the pairing with the subsequent song “The Rakehell,” which is significantly informed by raucous punk-pop, makes the transition from “Sycophant” smoother. Perhaps most importantly, the components that Shagohod works with are lush and enjoyable at an individual level. I particularly appreciate where the bass sits in the mix, perfectly poised to bolster the guitar melodies (“In Linen, Entwined,” “Swashbuckle Up,” “The Rakehell”).
Still, a few compositional choices cause A Curse That Hides the Door to stumble. The most glaring weakness is an overreliance on lone piano or saxophone outros that are totally disconnected from their respective songs and feel more like an afterthought. Interestingly, both of these instruments are integrated much more seamlessly in concluding track “IV. The Book of the Living,” which starts with bright piano keys and later slides into a smooth jazz bridge section. The 11-minute “III. A Curse That Hides the Door” does the least to maintain my attention, even though its length necessitates the opposite. The flow feels somewhat jerky as this song shifts between movements, which is puzzling given the polished progression of the other longer track, “Swashbuckle Up.” Although Shagohod has improved at self-editing, this 55-minute record would likely have been much more potent with some additional trimming.
But when zooming out, it’s easy to admire A Curse That Hides the Door as a whole. Shagohod skillfully executes their strategy of breadth over depth to create a brilliant, kaleidoscopic mosaic. This approach will undoubtedly work better for some listeners than others, appealing more to those who are open to being tossed around between various musical genres. The long-form songwriting is somewhat hit or miss, but Shagohod has written plenty of fun, immediate tunes. Anyone with an affinity for quirky prog—or even those simply looking for something different—should give A Curse That Hides the Door a try. You might just find that you fit in this niche.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: FLAC
Label: Self-Release
Websites: shagohodofficial.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/ShagohodBandOfficial
Releases Worldwide: April 24th, 2026
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