Local Review: MELO — HiLo

MELO
HiLo
MELŌ Records
Street 11.21.2025
MELO = Emerson, Lake & Palmer + Black Midi

Prog rock is often attributed to the days of old, when bands were really into sci-fi or fantasy books and made their own epic stories on wax with fantastical rock operas. Times and tastes changed, and the genre faded and found its way into record store bins. However, the modern rock scene has been looking further and further back to the past, taking the prog tradition and making it new. And while you certainly can find plenty of new bands giving out epic solos and good stories across them, the band MELO is reaching back through time and bringing the genre to us, with an album that combines the prog rock attitude and style with some of the modern complexities of avant-garde rock that have come after prog.

MELO is composed of Zakkary Hale (vocals and guitar), Mikey Collard (bass guitar) and Jordan Davis (drums). The group first got its start decades ago when they were teenagers before splitting off and figuring out their own paths in life. Turns out, those paths brought them back to Utah, where they reconnected and found out they wanted to be in a band again. With further knowledge and skills gained, they got back into the studio after the pandemic and started to release some singles. In 2024, they would release the singles “You’ll Know” and “Enough” which would wind up on HiLo the next year.

Both singles show the dichotomy the band is going for, with “You’ll Know” being a breezy, light, yearning piece with math rock backing that picks up and shreds like an 80s metal ballad, while “Enough” is a harder, more tense, angrier song with pounding drums, waves of distortion, shredding Judas Priest-style guitars and lyrics meant to stir up your inner fire and stand up against the wrongs going on. It’s a small pocket that feeds into the bigger themes of contrast: rising from the lows and enjoying the highs of life.

HiLo is split between MELO’s rock stylings and the orchestral music of Budapest Scoring Orchestra with Gavin McMahan as composer. The self-titled track, “HiLo,” shows both the range that MELO and Budapest Scoring Orchestra can cover, with bright, peaceful, hopeful moments that are smooth and joyous before pivoting to a thrashing, dark and twisted sound. While Budapest Scoring get some great highlights on their standalone tracks, those are usually about a minute long each. MELO manages to blend their rock with the orchestra beautifully, like on “The Gift” where both combine for a soaring, anthemic and grand piece, or on “Tyranny” where they fully go for rage and anger at the systems in place causing so much pain and suffering to innocent people. “Jazz Odyssey” is a bright and fun end to the project, with the band adding a bouncy and classic blues rock sound with Budapest Scoring coming in with a horn section to really make the good vibes shine through. MELO’s HiLo is a fun, colorful journey through a prog rock sound of justice, love and rising up to defeat the evil of the world. With the backing of a live orchestra and their own wide array of rock styles, the band has made a piece that makes you appreciate the good things in life and want to get stronger in order to protect them from all harm. —Connor Kraus

Read more local music reviews here:
Local Review: Bad Luck Brigade — NOTHING
Local Review: Banshee Twin