MANUEL BARBARÁ - Nomad

MANUEL BARBARÁ

Album: Nomad

Genre: Instrumental Progmetal

Release Date: February 20th, 2026

Country: USA

Label: Self-Released

Band Links: WEBSITE / BANDCAMP / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK

Having followed 8-string wizard Manuel Barbará since his impressive solo debut “Moonrise” in 2021, I was excited to hear about his third release coming in February 2026. It is called “Nomad”, and features five new songs as well as the mesmerizing ‘Mirrors’ trilogy (from 2021) in a reproduced, even better version.

Musically speaking, “Nomad” is a guitar centered, instrumental album with loads of mighty, bouncy riffs alternating with dreamy soundscapes, and – that’s what I think is quite interesting for this kind of style – nearly no “real” solos.

Like a nomad, Manuel’s guitar takes the listener over different paths that are sometimes harsh and frightening, then looking around the next corner, come along magical and beautiful. This way, we wander from wild to calming and back, yet as for a real nomad, there are no repetitions.

All-together a challenging but rewarding listen if you are into marvelous, dissonant sound layers melted with complex rhythm patterns.

Written by Katha