The Custodian - Necessary Wasted Time

Review by Mari Cruz Vazquez Galan

Necessary Wasted Time by The Custodian: A Wild Ride Through Prog-Rock Chaos Alright, buckle up, because Necessary Wasted Time is not your average prog-rock album—it’s a beast that refuses to be tamed. Released in 2013 by UK-based band The Custodian, this sucker punches you right in the face with its mix of heavy riffs, soaring vocals, and enough twists and turns to make your head spin. If you’re into stuff like Dream Theater or early Queensrÿche but want something grittier, angrier, and just plain weirder, this might be your jam. Let’s get one thing straight—this ain’t background music for sipping coffee at Starbucks. Tracks like “The Man Out of Time” and “Things We Tell Ourselves” are seared into my brain after multiple listens, mostly because they don’t let you relax for even a second. Take “The Man Out of Time,” for example. It kicks off with these gnarly drum fills from Richard Thomson (yeah, he does drums AND guitar—show-off) before diving headfirst into some serious shredding courtesy of Owain Williams on lead. But what really sticks? Michael Pitman’s vocals—they’re raw, pissed-off, and dripping with emotion. You can practically feel him losing his mind over whatever existential crisis inspired this track. By the time it spirals into an instrumental freakout halfway through, you either love it or you’ve already hit stop. No middle ground here. Then there’s “Things We Tell Ourselves,” which feels like someone took all their worst thoughts about life and crammed them into six minutes of pure chaos. The basslines from Pitman (multi-tasking again!) groove hard enough to knock you sideways, while Thomson’s keyboard work sneaks in these eerie little melodies that sound like they belong in a horror movie. And when the chorus hits? Holy crap, it’s massive—a wall of sound that demands you pay attention. This song doesn’t ask nicely; it grabs you by the throat and shakes until you listen. Now, I gotta mention the production. Mixed by Jacob Hansen and mastered by Bob Katz, it’s tight as hell without losing that organic edge. Every instrument has room to breathe, but nothing gets lost in the mix—not easy when you’ve got layers upon layers of complexity going on. Colin Marks’ artwork deserves a shout too; it’s dark, surreal, and matches the vibe perfectly. Like, if Hieronymus Bosch designed album covers, this would be it. But here’s the kicker—the album repeats two tracks, “Other People’s Lives” and “The Sun Is God.” At first, I thought it was a mistake. Then I realized maybe it’s intentional, like the band’s daring you to notice how different those songs feel the second time around. Or maybe they just ran out of ideas. Either way, it works. Kinda. So yeah, Necessary Wasted Time isn’t perfect. Some parts drag, and the whole thing could’ve been trimmed down a bit. But damn if it doesn’t leave a mark. Listening to this album feels like surviving a car crash—you walk away bruised but buzzing, wondering what the hell just happened. Final thought? Screw genre labels. This album doesn’t care what box you try to shove it into. It’s prog-rock, it’s metal, it’s pop-infused madness—and honestly, it’s kinda genius. Now go listen to it…if you’ve got the guts.

Download The Custodian - Necessary Wasted Time

Artist: The Custodian
Album: Necessary Wasted Time

2013

Rating: 4.33

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Filename: the-custodian-necessary-wasted-time.zip

MP3 size: 74.8 mb
FLAC size: 386.1 mb

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Tracks

Track	Duration	Preview
The Sun Is God	7:19
Necessary Wasted Time	8:42
The Man Out of Time	3:30
The Sun is God	07:19
Departure	3:38
Other People's Lives	7:02
Persona	5:19
The Man Out of Time	03:30
Other People's Lives	7:2
Stop Talking	5:15
Things We Tell Ourselves	8:37

Video

08. Necessary Wasted Time

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Catalog Numbers

LE-1068

Labels

The Laser's Edge

Listen online

ascolta in linea
ouvir online
escuchar en línea
kuunnella verkossa
online luisteren
écouter en ligne
lyssna på nätet
lytte på nettet
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Formats

CD
Album

Credits

Role	Credit
Acoustic Guitar	Nariman Poushin
Artwork By	Colin Marks
Bass	Michael Pitman
Vocals	Michael Pitman
Lead Guitar	Owain Williams
Mastered By	Bob Katz
Mixed By	Jacob Hansen
Drums	Richard Thomson
Guitar	Richard Thomson
Keyboards	Richard Thomson

About The Custodian

British post-progressive rock band formed by Richard Thomson, vocalist for death metal band . Compared to the latter band this one has more melodic and rock oriented writing from Thomson.

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Interesting fact about Album

Here’s something cool: The album *Necessary Wasted Time* by The Custodian is a hidden gem from the UK, released in 2013. It blends Prog Rock and Heavy Metal, creating a sound that feels both heavy and intricate. What’s wild is how multi-talented the band members are—Richard Thomson not only handles drums and guitar but also plays keyboards! And get this, the album was mastered by Bob Katz, a legend in the audio world. Tracks like "The Sun Is God" and "Persona" showcase their knack for storytelling through music. Definitely worth a listen if you’re into layered, thought-provoking rock.

Comments

cytus0102

2025-03-10

..muy buen grupo!..musica fresca bien hecha..el album es muy bueno ..inglese tenian que ser !..

The group is great. Fresh and well-balanced progressive music. The album is excellent. English had to be !.

michelematon

2025-03-10

Me habéis sorprendido gratamente un buen disco, felicidades desde España...

morgangulch

2025-03-10

My favourite album of the last 4 years!

solejurado70

2025-03-10

Awesome c:

rikiindrawijaya

2025-03-10

Very tasty

jrodolvera

2025-03-10

Im so pleased you enjoy it Alexandre! :)

pochinano

2025-03-10

After someone shared this video on a facebook prog rock group, I feel lucky to have stumbled upon this... you guys are amazing!

volleyballmaniacs

2025-03-10

Exquisite

jamesmurphy1234

2025-03-09

Thanks so much Rene!

devicesforsleepapnea

2025-03-08

We will have them up on our website soon :D

ionsnegativo

2025-03-07

We only have one album out im afraid, we will try and get the second out as fast as possible :D

wilvalcua

2025-03-06

Very good, but, where can i find the lyrics???

sisvon

2025-03-06

A great album guys

arfinshakil656

2025-03-06

Thats awesome Matthew thanks!!

hotmamaknitter

2025-03-06

Thanks so much! :D

gandisgayatri

2025-03-05

Im so pleased you like it! :D

opticallcards

2025-03-05

Guys, this is awesome. I think this is faaaast going to become the soundtrack of my summer :D I love this stuff 8-)

dennisricardocl

2025-03-05

Amazing!

jasonlee76

2025-03-05

Thanks so much im glad I found you then haha! :D

lynnieslifey

2025-03-04

Thanks so much for the kind words!!

berneiceholiday

2025-03-04

What an album! :D

samdenv4

2025-03-03

following me on twitter worked guys! great sound!! i love prog and have somewhat of an addiction to it so I like the light stuff, but of course as being a circus maximus fan i like heavy stuff too! you guys are so cool and technical, love it! :)