The Existentialist (2021 LP)

by Chest Rockwell

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Beyond I love the continuing story going across these Favorite track: The Other's Look.

CodeMan Like a mash up of Iron Maiden and late 80s Queensryche Favorite track: Locus of Control.

bmurator US Progressive Rock / Metal. Some great Maiden vibes here as Joseph Bagwell already said. Love your comment Back Off Warchild! I will not mention any names but there are some mega groups out there that do this for a living... :) This is so very varied with many layers to peel back! A most enjoyable listen & recommended!!! Favorite track: Horns of Dilemma.

Joseph Bagwell Cool metal songs with prog elements, I get strong Iron Maiden and Metallica vibes from tracks such as "Horns of Dilemma" and "Salience of the Actor". Favorite track: The Other's Look.

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Download available in 24-bit/44.1kHz.

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$5 USD or more
Full Digital Discography

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releases

Get all 20 Chest Rockwell releases available on Bandcamp and save 50%.

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Doom Rider (2025 Single), Believe in the Magic (2024 Live Album), Fleeting (2023 Single), Mentis Oculi (2022 LP), B+ Songs (2007-2020 B-Sides), The Existentialist (2021 LP), the lost album (2015 Demos), Never Trust a Dog with a Dead Chicken in Its Mouth (2010 Live Album), and 12 more. , and , .

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1.	Horns of Dilemma 04:20	buy track
2.	Bystander at the Switch 04:07	buy track
3.	Veil of Ignorance 04:36	buy track
4.	Salience of the Actor 04:50	buy track
5.	Acceptance of the Absurd 07:36	buy track
6.	Locus of Control 04:12	buy track
7.	Transference Interference 04:03	buy track
8.	The Other's Look 03:57	buy track
9.	I Was The Traveler 05:59	buy track

about

Concept, music, lyrics, arrangement, and performance by Josh Hines.
Written, recorded, mixed, and mastered at the Temple of the Hogs by Josh Hines between December 2020 and February 2021.
Cover art by Matt Simone. Layout by Josh Hines.
With permission from Nick, Stewie, and Seth.

credits

released April 9, 2021

“While Chest Rockwell does not present us with a purebred progressive rock creation this time around, those with a taste for both quirky metal and slightly off kilter progressive rock should find a lot to enjoy on this album. While not a band or an album that I can see will ever be given the front page of the Prog magazine, those who listen to and get this band will love and treasure it for being just that I suspect - a bit left of the centre in more ways than one, and with perhaps a stronger progressive spirit than progressive style on a few different levels to boot.”
5/6
- Progressor (Norway)

"Inaugurated in 2003, Kentucky's Chest Rockwell have always had a little filth in their sound, and they're focusing on big riffs on their latest. The Existentialist is strong, grinding, garagey stuff, owing a big debt to 80s metal, but with Rush and Voivod smarts in there too. Singer Josh Hines favours melody over grunts and screams, and steers the whole enterprise away from prog metal cliche to edgier places."
- Prog Magazine (loudersound.com) (UK)

"I like everything here, and there is plenty of good stuff, and I do love my metal. However you slice this, though, it's well worth checking out."
- Music Street Journal

"Dynamics, unusual arrangements and an eclectic mix of styles and genres define his concepts in music."
- whiplash.net

“Chest Rockwell don’t do things the easy way. They never stay the same and yet they still somehow retain a coherent message in everything they do.” 4/5
- Sea of Tranqullity

"Guitar driven, riffy, percussive progressive rock music fronted by a clear, well-belted vocalist and thrust rhythmically by a solid, aggressive drummer and bassist. The pieces remind me in parts of Rush, King Crimson or more modern variants of the prog genre, mixed with elements of metal and occasionally punk or hardcore. It's nice to know Bowling Green has some creative experimentation going on. Well done."
- Issues Magazine #47

“Mind-bending, intense, progressive reflection on the state of life as we know it.”
- Progressive Rock Fanatics

“An album that is very varied, dark in the right way, original, provocative, creative and entertaining.”
- Permafrost Today (Norway)

"The atmosphere is just so slowly clever. Very detailed creation." 76/100
- Madman Reviews

"With The Existentialist I'd say CR has placed both feet in the metal camp. Hines is a good singer and guitarist and this is an album I will enjoy when I fancy a nostalgia-trip back to the early days of prog-power metal." 7/10
- Dutch Progressive Rock Pages (Netherlands)

"Overall, the approach adopted is straightforward, the accent is placed on the riffs, with a notable punk influence in the interpretation. By delegating certain tasks and by perfecting them, we can hope to see Chest Rockwell's music take off thanks to a better production in particular, which made it possible to highlight the whole, because the qualities of composition are very present." 3/5
- Music Waves (France)

"The music here is a mix of Hard Rock with tinges of Prog, Punk and a slight Black Metal influence creeping in on the guitar playing mostly. "The Existentialist" shows passion and potential, but it feels like it is being underused. The talent is there and the instrumental Prog jams are a truly fun experience. Maybe next time around things will look better. For now, judge for yourself. If you don’t mind the production values, you might find the experience quite enjoyable."
- Metal Temple

"They call themselves 'sort of prog metal' and so it is, sharp riffing, portentous vocals, tarpaulin guitaring."
- Powerplay Magazine (UK)

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Chest Rockwell Bowling Green, Kentucky

2003-2025

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Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

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Full Digital Discography

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