These are my favorite albums from the Prog Metal, Heavy Prog, and Post Metal subcategories that were released during the 2010s:
1. VOTUM Harvest Moon
Another heavy prog band from Poland. There sure is some great music coming out of Eastern Europe! And this one clocks in at no less than 69 mintues!
Harvest Moon kicks off with a real gem--a piece that betrays very little of the heavier, more metal-oriented stuff to come.
1. "Vicious Circle" [8:13] takes the listener on such a nice ride through quite a diverse range of soundscapes. It starts off with a slow picking acoustic guitar that is backed by a cool organ sound. When drums and bass finally join in a great electric guitar solo completes the intro section. Settling into a very steady slow pace, the vocalist enters with a very strong, soulful presence. As things amp up at the chorus everything is working so well: no over play or show-boating. Then there is an ominous lull, which fulfills all expectations when a heavier section kicks in (with some great lead guitar arpeggios and bass and drums). At 4:45 we are back to lull. A very delicate 'distant' el guitar and organ play a little before the beginning section is recreated (with a bit more play from the organist). This time, however, the solo section is much expanded and displays much more energy and technical instrument play--especially from the drums, bass, and lead guitar. Vocals rejoin to complete the song but the ride plays out with a minute of very eery space noise. Gorgeous song. [15/15]
2. "Cobwebs" [5:01] sounds quite a bit like it could have come off of PEARL JAM's Ten despite the presence of some growl/screams and engineering effects. Luckily, the music is not detracted by the screams. A great song for the Octane Radio listeners. [8/10]
3. "First Felt Pain" (6:52) starts out with a very heavy modern metal sound (stereotypically signalled by the machine gun riffs from the kick drum). But that's just the first minute. At 1:05 a pause is filled with a fast strumming acoustic guitar before the heavy rhythms rejoin in a flow that supports the vocals (which are surprisingly melodic). The instrumental solo sections are still steeped in modern heavy metal. At 3:45 an emotional acoustic section ensues that feels so powerful and heartfelt--including the guitar solo and engineering effects (panning b-vox). At the six-minute mark, all sound drops away leaving some layers of very eery industrial noises which play out to the end. Very effective! Incredibly unpredictable song. (15/15)
4. "New Made Man" (5:27) has a very familiar classic rock feel to it, a simpler, more straightforward song structure, but, when put into the context of this whole album, it holds a very stunning presence. It sounds very much, to my ears, like a cross between early DAVID BOWIE and the Aussie glam rockers, ICEHOUSE--or THE RE-FLEX. At 3:10 the song breaks down to arpeggiated acoustic guitar and some random sounding tickling of the piano ivories. Very pretty! Quite a melodic gem! (10/10)
5. "Numb" (5:01) is a gentler, almost LUNATIC SOUL song with layered vocal harmonies sung over a very simply picked acoustic guitar and some hand percussives. The final minute and fifteen seconds plays out with some "windy"-sounding synth washes.
Overall, "Numb" sounds a lot like a Southern Rock classic from the likes of THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND or THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND or even KANSAS or BLIND FAITH, TRAFFIC, or THE ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION. Again, another surprise in terms of this band's musical dexterity. An excellent song. (9/10)
6. "Ember Night" (6:58) "slows" things down to a very standard heavy metal pace. Unfortunately, for the first 3:35, the song does very little musically to make it stand out from the rest of the metal scene--and certainly does little to help it hold up to the album's previous stellar five songs. The jazzy lull from 3:34 to 5:15 does nothing new or exciting. A return to the harmony vocals and the first sections of music add nothing--continue to bore me. It just never engages or does anything special. (9/15)
7. "Bruises" (7:43) begins with some acoustic guitar play over some synthesizer washes. The vocal and rhythm section kick in to establish a slow, almost piano jazz song. Then the music begins to build--first the more insistent rhythm from the bass and drums, then the lead guitar starts to warm up--but then everything drops out to leave just a soft piano and the vocalist--who, though heart-felt, seems weak of voice. Staccato acoustic guitar strumming restarts the song--ushering in the full-scale heaviness of the band. Now the vocal fits better! But, then, the soft piano (and, this time, drum) supported emotional vocal section returns--this time to much better effect. At 5:28 when the full power of the song is finally released it is working: great drumming, great chord sequences, great vocal performances (including b-vox) and great melodies. The final 45 seconds allows the piano, delicate drum play, and whispered voice to bring the song to decay. Beautiful, emotional song. (15/15)
8. "Steps in the Gloom" (7:51) begins with synth wash and reverb-electric guitar notes, soon joined by delicate piano play and soft-jazz kind of drum and bass play. When electric guitar starts to play in the second minute the electronic keyboards are doing some very interesting things. The vocalist enters around 1:45 sounding quite relaxed and laid back. His emotions are soon amped up as the band kicks into a section of driving sound. Back to softer, and even ambient section reminiscent of some of the things DAVID SYLVIAN, RYUICHI SAKAMOTO and TREVOR HORN were doing in the 80s.
Awesome strumming and soloing from electric guitars around the five-minute mark. And the bass play! This guy is getting off, too! Best instrumental section of the album! The final 90 seconds is a kind of SEAL/"Crazy" return to the song's main vocal followed by an ambient outro. Odd song that defies categorization. One of the album's best. (15/15)
9. "Dead Ringer" (6:52) begins with a rolling bass line and steady, strong drum pace to back what sounds like a DAVID BOWIE-like vocal performance. The heavier chorus section betrays a different path (though Bowie had his metal-like moments--and may have used this stylistic approach were he peaking in the post-90s Prog Metal era.) Cool guitar work at the 3:10 mark followed by hollowed out section with rock-steady drum, muted bass, and slow, muted vocals. Excellent! It then rebuilds to full-scale onslaught on our senses. I love the powerful, firm-but-understated drum-work throughout this song! The song 'ends' at the six-minute mark while another cinematic display of ambient synth play carries the song out to its end 52 seconds later. My favorite song of the album. (15/15)
10. "Coda" (6:32) begins like a cross between PEARL JAM and TOOL before shifting into a brief delicate section. AT 1:45 the synths and electric guitars enter with some really new, fresh sounds, the song's feel and rhythm and tempo shifts, the industrial synth takes over for a bit, then it all comes racing back into a full-out metal bang. For 30 seconds. A 30-second spacey section is talked over in a BONO-like voice before the band climbs back into banging mode--with some nice (though stereotypic) support vocal harmonies. This could be a ARJEN LUCASSEN song! Were I one to key in on lyrics, the story here might prove to be quite interesting. Yet another eery space wash synth journey plays out the final minute of this song. (8/10)
11. "Numb - A Reprise" (2:35) ends the album with a return to the acoustic side of this band of talented and creative songwriters and rock solid performers. (8/10)
This album is a real shocker to me in that I find myself liking it far more than this year's new release from fellow prog countrymates, RIVERSIDE. There is much more dynamic energy here--as if VOTUM really cares about every note of their music, as if they are really into their music--into engaging and at the same time hyping up their audience. As much as I appreciate the creativity and leadership of MARIUZ DUDA and RIVERSIDE, I have to say that with Harvest Moon, a new band has usurped the crown of Poland's prog scene. That band is named VOTUM.
Hail to the new king! Long live the king!
90.71 on the Fish scales = A-/five stars; a pretty darn near a perfect album and definitely a minor masterpiece of creative, energetic progressive rock music.
SEVEN IMPALE City of The Sun
An impressive album of refreshingly unique music that crosses many sub genres, including space-psychedelia, symphonic, heavy prog, avant-jazz and experimental/post metal. Wonderful vocals, very tight interplay among all band members with no one member or instrument really standing above any other--though the presence and performance of the saxophone is highly notable. This is complex music played so tightly. And the astonishing 14-minute epic, "God Left Us for A Black Dressed Woman," must be heard to be believed.
1. "Oh My Gravity" (9:49) starts as a jazzy stop-and-start piece that picks up in intensity in the second minute before shifting to a melodic ballad in the vein of the heavier side of FROGG CAFÉ. The male vocalist sounds to me like something between RADIOHEAD's THOM YORKE and TODD RUNDGREN. Around the six minute mark the spiraling, swooning music sounds a lot like some of the louder stuff from MOTORPSYCHO's The Death Defying Unicorn. This feel continues into the seventh minute when organ and horns take turns embellishing the staccato music. The bare-bones, bluesy final 45 seconds is bizarre but so cool! A powerful and surprising opener to this unusual album. Very high marks for compositional prowess and instrumental performance. (19/20)
2. "Wind Shears" (6:32) opens in a very psychedelia/spacey 1960s way. Then at the one minute mark it settles into a jazz groove with first sax and then jazzy guitar and Hammond organ filling the lanes over the rhythm section. Clavinet is added for a GentleGiant-like bridge before a polyrhythmic KING CRIMSON "Discipline"-like weave appears to support a brief ghost-like vocal. At 3:20 the sound gets much heavier over the same arpeggiated weave, nearly drowning out the still-soloing sax and organ. This is just like TOBY DRIVER (Kayo Dot/Maudlin of the Well)! At 4:05 things get quiet and sparse again, with the music vacillating from soft and delicate to heavy and abrasive. A very melodic kind of psychedelic big band section plays out for the final minute. Again, bizarre but so cool! (9/10)
3. "Eschaton Hero" (8:29) opens with some guitar, keys & sax riffs repeated over latin percussion. At 1:00 everything settles down into another quiet section with a delicate vocal in Stian Økland's upper register. Beautiful chorus/bridge at 1:47 gives way to an unpretentious bass solo before settling back into the delicate vocal music. Same awesome bridge at 2:49 leads into a heavy section into jazzy chaos--all performed over the most simple, calm drum play. At 4:52 it gets even heavier as it plods along for a minute in support of a fuzz guitar solo. Finally the drums start to play--to match the frenzy of the rest of the band--then everything stops so the band can yell "Yay!" Then a variation on the previous frenzy picks back up until 7:05 when everything settles back down into the soft groove of the initial vocal section for a dirty sax solo before letting Stian finish the song out in his high voice. Well conceived and performed, just not my favorite. (18/20)
4. "Extraction" (6:34) begins with another odd intro of two or three parts before settling into the vocal support section--which begins heavily before falling into another RADIOHEAD-like bluesy section. At 2:20 a neat Hammond section leads back into the heavy full band section that opened the vocals, then, again, drops off for the beautiful support of a multi-voice-supported section. At 3:45 a very smooth, stripped down electric guitar solos, until there is a full return to explosiveness at 4:20. A bouncy "O Yo Como Va"-like Hammond section at 4:40 gives way to a kind of Latin weave before falling back into the heavier rock weave from the first vocal section to end. (9/10)
5. "God Left Us for A Black Dressed Woman" (14:12) opens with another KC "Discipline"-like weave that morphs and flows, polymorphs and grooves for two and a half minutes before decaying into a simplified form for a bluesy ROBERT PLANT-like vocal section. This song's amazing vocal performance could also be compared to some of the finest MATTHEW PARMENTER/DISCIPLINE works. Some incredibly powerful sections in this song--especially the multi-voice vocals in the eleventh minute and the following heavy full-band part. A very DISCIPLINE-like soft section then ensues with a slow build to an awesome crescendo and frenzied finish.
The song evolves, shifts, twists and turns and surprises throughout. Again there are several parts that remind me of MOTORPSYCHO's Unicorn. Without question this is one of the best prog "epics" of the year! (30/30)
Aside from the above references to Motorpsycho, King Crimson, Radiohead, Toby Driver, Matthew Parmenter/Discipline, the overall impression this album leaves me with is similar to that of DIAGONAL's eponymously titled debut album from 2008. SEVEN IMPALE's City of the Sun is a wonderful collection of masterfully composed, executed and recorded songs.
94.44 on the Fish scales = A/five stars; a veritable masterpiece of progressive rock music. A near-perfect album that I can't see giving anything less than five in that it is a treasure for the ages! Perhaps the best album of 2014!
An impressive album of refreshingly unique music that crosses many sub genres, including space-psychedelia, symphonic, heavy prog, avant-jazz and experimental/post metal. Wonderful vocals, very tight interplay among all band members with no one member or instrument really standing above any other--though the presence and performance of the saxophone is highly notable. This is complex music played so tightly. And the astonishing 14-minute epic, "God Left Us for A Black Dressed Woman," must be heard to be believed.
1. "Oh My Gravity" (9:49) starts as a jazzy stop-and-start piece that picks up in intensity in the second minute before shifting to a melodic ballad in the vein of the heavier side of FROGG CAFÉ. The male vocalist sounds to me like something between RADIOHEAD's THOM YORKE and TODD RUNDGREN. Around the six minute mark the spiraling, swooning music sounds a lot like some of the louder stuff from MOTORPSYCHO's The Death Defying Unicorn. This feel continues into the seventh minute when organ and horns take turns embellishing the staccato music. The bare-bones, bluesy final 45 seconds is bizarre but so cool! A powerful and surprising opener to this unusual album. Very high marks for compositional prowess and instrumental performance. (19/20)
2. "Wind Shears" (6:32) opens in a very psychedelia/spacey 1960s way. Then at the one minute mark it settles into a jazz groove with first sax and then jazzy guitar and Hammond organ filling the lanes over the rhythm section. Clavinet is added for a GentleGiant-like bridge before a polyrhythmic KING CRIMSON "Discipline"-like weave appears to support a brief ghost-like vocal. At 3:20 the sound gets much heavier over the same arpeggiated weave, nearly drowning out the still-soloing sax and organ. This is just like TOBY DRIVER (Kayo Dot/Maudlin of the Well)! At 4:05 things get quiet and sparse again, with the music vacillating from soft and delicate to heavy and abrasive. A very melodic kind of psychedelic big band section plays out for the final minute. Again, bizarre but so cool! (9/10)
3. "Eschaton Hero" (8:29) opens with some guitar, keys & sax riffs repeated over latin percussion. At 1:00 everything settles down into another quiet section with a delicate vocal in Stian Økland's upper register. Beautiful chorus/bridge at 1:47 gives way to an unpretentious bass solo before settling back into the delicate vocal music. Same awesome bridge at 2:49 leads into a heavy section into jazzy chaos--all performed over the most simple, calm drum play. At 4:52 it gets even heavier as it plods along for a minute in support of a fuzz guitar solo. Finally the drums start to play--to match the frenzy of the rest of the band--then everything stops so the band can yell "Yay!" Then a variation on the previous frenzy picks back up until 7:05 when everything settles back down into the soft groove of the initial vocal section for a dirty sax solo before letting Stian finish the song out in his high voice. Well conceived and performed, just not my favorite. (18/20)
4. "Extraction" (6:34) begins with another odd intro of two or three parts before settling into the vocal support section--which begins heavily before falling into another RADIOHEAD-like bluesy section. At 2:20 a neat Hammond section leads back into the heavy full band section that opened the vocals, then, again, drops off for the beautiful support of a multi-voice-supported section. At 3:45 a very smooth, stripped down electric guitar solos, until there is a full return to explosiveness at 4:20. A bouncy "O Yo Como Va"-like Hammond section at 4:40 gives way to a kind of Latin weave before falling back into the heavier rock weave from the first vocal section to end. (9/10)
5. "God Left Us for A Black Dressed Woman" (14:12) opens with another KC "Discipline"-like weave that morphs and flows, polymorphs and grooves for two and a half minutes before decaying into a simplified form for a bluesy ROBERT PLANT-like vocal section. This song's amazing vocal performance could also be compared to some of the finest MATTHEW PARMENTER/DISCIPLINE works. Some incredibly powerful sections in this song--especially the multi-voice vocals in the eleventh minute and the following heavy full-band part. A very DISCIPLINE-like soft section then ensues with a slow build to an awesome crescendo and frenzied finish.
The song evolves, shifts, twists and turns and surprises throughout. Again there are several parts that remind me of MOTORPSYCHO's Unicorn. Without question this is one of the best prog "epics" of the year! (30/30)
Aside from the above references to Motorpsycho, King Crimson, Radiohead, Toby Driver, Matthew Parmenter/Discipline, the overall impression this album leaves me with is similar to that of DIAGONAL's eponymously titled debut album from 2008. SEVEN IMPALE's City of the Sun is a wonderful collection of masterfully composed, executed and recorded songs.
94.44 on the Fish scales = A/five stars; a veritable masterpiece of progressive rock music. A near-perfect album that I can't see giving anything less than five in that it is a treasure for the ages! Perhaps the best album of 2014!
A band of young men from the Santa Gabriel mountains of California--self-proclaimed "keepers of the forest"--have decided to go with a change in direction from their previous heavy metal roots into the sophisticated progressive rock alter-ego that the band had been working on on the side. I've not heard or seen any of their previous music or concerts but I hear they were stunning, breathtaking. I, for one, am grateful for their new direction--and their collaboration with Lone Pine Records' producer Bill Fiorella, as together they have come up with one of the more unique and memorable sound styles this reviewer has heard in quite a while. The production, in and of itself, is quite unusual in that all of the instruments and voices are allowed to remain so clearly distinctive no matter how dense the music gets. Every subtle noise in the soundscape is preserved--which is something I adore in music: the subtleties.
The vocal arrangements alone are worth noting as guitarist Chris Durban and vocalist/guitarist Jared Paris and keyboard player Allan Hennessy do some stunning performances in all of the lead, background, and harmony capacities. These are vocals that are incredibly complicated and yet so impressively executed! It's like listening to world class dance choreography!
Also, notably absent are the computer "corrected," effected, "compressed" soundscapes that have become so prevalent in music production over the past 25 years. The acoustic guitars sound like they are in the room with you; the drums sound real and full, not gated; the vocals are natural and raw, not auto-tuned. All in all, Antimemory does a wonderful job capturing an 'acoustic' sound of an electrified rock and roll band. And it works! It's awesome! It helps remind and reinforce my love of the recording styles of those 1970s masterpieces.
Also, notably absent are the computer "corrected," effected, "compressed" soundscapes that have become so prevalent in music production over the past 25 years. The acoustic guitars sound like they are in the room with you; the drums sound real and full, not gated; the vocals are natural and raw, not auto-tuned. All in all, Antimemory does a wonderful job capturing an 'acoustic' sound of an electrified rock and roll band. And it works! It's awesome! It helps remind and reinforce my love of the recording styles of those 1970s masterpieces.
Lineup/Musicians:
Chris M Durbin - Vocals, Guitar
Jared Paris - Harmony Vocals, Guitar
Andrew C Sanchez - Drums
Allan Hennessy - Keys, Vocals on Last Ray Of The Sun
Wyatt Martin - Bass
Chris M Durbin - Vocals, Guitar
Jared Paris - Harmony Vocals, Guitar
Andrew C Sanchez - Drums
Allan Hennessy - Keys, Vocals on Last Ray Of The Sun
Wyatt Martin - Bass
1. "Son of Sorrow" (6:42) opens with a minute of heavily vibrating scared bells before guitars, piano, and bass join in to set the stage. This bass play is awesome! Vocalist Chris Durbin bids us "hello" and sings an impassioned vocal--which is soon joined by the amazing backing harmonies of Jared Paris. This sounds so much like the best of one of my favorite bands of all-time, DOVES from Manchester, England.
The build up to the chorus at 2:40 is awesome--as is the cool down in the first half of the fifth minute--which is followed by an excellent chorus section and then by a searing 45-second long lead guitar solo in the sixth minute which is then followed up by an awesome three-layered chorale vocal section to the song's end.
Incredible song! One of the best things I've heard from 2016! (15/15)
2. "Looking On" (5:06) opens with vocal, rhythm guitar and bass creating a weave that sounds like . At the 0:25 the song kicks into second gear with a very engaging THE MARS VOLTA/STEVEN WILSON foundation. The two-voice delivery of the second verse is so innovative and fresh! Stunning! Another great guitar solo begins rather humanly at the end of the third minute but then shifts into super-man speed in the fourth. The distant acoustic guitar song in the third verse is so cool! It makes it sounds like a Dobro (which I love). The vocal arrangement over the fullness of sound from all band members in the final minute is, again, brilliant! Stunning song! (10/10)
3. "Ferroform" (5:52) opens with a familiar CORVUS STONE-like sound and guitar riff before a second guitar joins in with some fiery riffing. The effected vocal is cool in a hollow Greg LAKE/JIMI WILLIAMS/KING CRIMSON/DOVES "Moon Child" kind of way. As the voice comes to the fore--and is joined by the awesome wailing screams of Jared Paris--the song kicks into full speed--and into a nice long instrumental section in which guitar, bass, keys, and drums resonate in perfect cohesion. Then there is a drop off into a floating, dreamy section that is held together by a Hammond organ and some word being panned around in the background. Guitar arpeggi join in and, eventually, the band emerges out of the fog into it's full speed again (awesome bass line/play!) and then finishes with some thought-provoking piano and guitar notes and chords. Awesome! (9/10)
4. "Child" (8:26) the song's mini-epic opens in a kind of GUNS'n'ROSES-LED ZEPPELIN guitar-oriented way. Even the layered lead vocals have that kind of perfected classic rock feel to it. Into the third minute the Led Zep/G'n'R influences are still strong until there is a sudden shift at the three minute mark into a kind of THE MARS VOLTA/OMAR RODRIGUEZ-LOPEZ Spanish-imbued high energy rock. The guitar play is so cool! So different--like RANDY BACHMAN on "Blue Collar" (Bachman-Turner Overdrive)--before a searing double guitar solo in the sixth minute. Man! I don't know how the band keeps up this coherent, stable intensity! Amazing! There's even some growl vocals behind the lead in this section. And then horns! Awesome horns! A saxophone lead! What a brilliant touch! For the final minute the band recoups and returns to the mature sound and pace of the opening with the song title being sung a few times by the double vocalists. Great, great song! (20/20)
5. "Last Ray of the Sun" (1:26) opens with a solo piano tinkling slowly away before setting up in a kind of "Great Gig in the Sky" (Pink Floyd) chord foundation while pianist, Allan Hennessy, sings the first verse (which turns out to be the chorus). The final 45 seconds finds the rest of the band joining in on this chorus line before letting Allan's piano finish on its own.
Beautiful, haunting song! Well deserving of its presence on this album. (5/5)
6. "Mountain Chorus" (5:47) opens with acoustic guitar picking away at two chords--two heavily charged chords--while a second, electric guitar slides and squeaks around far in the background before treated Chris' voice joins in. At 1:45 the voice again 'comes out of the closet' to sing "But it won't save you." The second verse then begins with two harmonized voices singing gently. Drummer Andrew Sanchez' cymbal play throughout this second verse is mesmerizing. I find myself reminded during this beautiful section of some the recent Prog Folk greats, FLEET FOXES, LEAFBLADE, DOVES, AUTUMN CHORUS and THE AMAZING.
6. "Mountain Chorus" (5:47) opens with acoustic guitar picking away at two chords--two heavily charged chords--while a second, electric guitar slides and squeaks around far in the background before treated Chris' voice joins in. At 1:45 the voice again 'comes out of the closet' to sing "But it won't save you." The second verse then begins with two harmonized voices singing gently. Drummer Andrew Sanchez' cymbal play throughout this second verse is mesmerizing. I find myself reminded during this beautiful section of some the recent Prog Folk greats, FLEET FOXES, LEAFBLADE, DOVES, AUTUMN CHORUS and THE AMAZING.
At 3:45 the band suddenly kicks into full gear with some energized bass, drum, guitar, voice and choral work--which plays out till the song's end. Gorgeous song! (9/10)
7. "Antimemory" (3:18) opens with sustained computer synth noise which is then joined by guitar strum, bass, and multiple voices floating and flitting in and around the soundscape. This continues for the first two minutes before all fade out in lieu of sacred bells and shakers. A perfect ending to such a spiritually gut-wrenching album. (10/10)
Despite my high marks for each and every song--(more for their exceptional creativity, originality, beauty and promise)--I still see 'room to grow' for this band and it's sound. It will be difficult to top such an 'out of the blue' debut album, but I feel that this band of so many talents and influences can definitely refine their raw and passionate sound.
7. "Antimemory" (3:18) opens with sustained computer synth noise which is then joined by guitar strum, bass, and multiple voices floating and flitting in and around the soundscape. This continues for the first two minutes before all fade out in lieu of sacred bells and shakers. A perfect ending to such a spiritually gut-wrenching album. (10/10)
Despite my high marks for each and every song--(more for their exceptional creativity, originality, beauty and promise)--I still see 'room to grow' for this band and it's sound. It will be difficult to top such an 'out of the blue' debut album, but I feel that this band of so many talents and influences can definitely refine their raw and passionate sound.
The excitement I feel when hearing this album reminds me of how I felt upon hearing Manchester's DOVES debut album first time in the early 2000s (my favorite album of Y2K). This is astonishing music regardless of who is performing it--made even more remarkable for the fact that this is a debut album.
Let the world know it: VANETA is here! . . . and they are a FORCE to be reckoned with!
97.50 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music and official winner of the title, ALBUM OF THE YEAR!
P.S. I want to have bass player Wyatt Martin's babies. Or, at least his autograph!
GHOST MEDICINE Discontinuance
Produced in England, with the full participation of seasoned bass legend, Colin Edwin, comes this project from Atlanta's JARED LEACH and company--including lead and background vocalist and lyricist Sarah Hoefer, amazing drummer and programmer, Scott Prian (who also recorded and mixed the album), and, of course, Colin on bass. Three principle musicians created these incredible weaves of heavy prog rock sound! Only three!!! Amazing!
1. "Crooked House" (9:44) opens with an awesome synth-supported acoustic guitar picking/strumming solo. By the time the first minute comes to an end, the intro gives way to a very fast-paced, intricately performed heavy rock with a slightly Southern Rock flavor. The male and then female vocals that enter around the two minute mark take over the foreground but the amazing YES-like instrumental guitar feast that forms the background goes on--and would command all of the listener's attention were it not for the beautiful melodic voice of Sarah Hoefer and the great harmonies presented by composer/bandleader/guitarist extraordinaire, Jared LEACH. (Remember this name: It is one I guarantee you will hear again!) An interlude of beautiful ANTHONY PHILLIPS-like solo acoustic guitar in the eighth minute feels like it could be the "bookend" of the song's opening intro--but no! The song returns to its top speed heaviness for the final minute and ends on a high note of LED ZEPPELIN quality and ferocity! Amazing song! Incredible opener and introduction to this extraordinary new talent! (20/20)
2. "Shiver" (5:55) opens with a very strong C-W feel and sound--which is only solidified with the entrance of Nashville-like vocal of Sarah Hoefer for the first verse. The instrumental bridge between first and second verses is awesome--and some amazing slide guitar work continues beneath Sarah's singing of the second verse. By the time the chorus and instrumental sections arrive the song has almost lost any Country/Southern feel to it. Astonishing flow and development! The guitar, bass, and drum work on this song are spell-binding, to say the least--so much so that I found myself pushing the repeat button three times when I first heard it! The song's only flow is that Sarah's voice starts to become drowned out by the instruments by the end of the second verse. In my listening history, only BRUCE COCKBURN at his very best rivals this complex, virtuosic sound! (10/10)
3. "Departure" (6:24) opens with a very heavy, fast-driving OCEANSIZE-sounding guitar, bass and drum weave, which backs off a little into more of a heavy PORCUPINE TREE sound as the vocals enter. The instrumental passage at the end of the second minute contains some awesome guitar--which falls into some ALCEST-like guitarscapes beneath the next round of vocals. The next instrumental bridge contains some guitar shredding (two tracks, R & L) that rivals anything anybody has ever done with pick and four fingers. This then segues into a minor-key section that sounds like something between Italia's AKT or East Anglia's FEN or 4AD's DIF JUZ. The instrumental sections are amazing. The vocal sections are weak. (9/10)
Line-up / Musicians:
Chris Hathcock - drums, percussion, bass, rhtyhm guitar, vocals
2. "Stage 2: The Captive" (6:00) solid metal music with 100% MJK vocal stylings within the first 90 seconds turning to death metal growls. Slowdown and saxophone solo over finger-picked electric guitar in third minute followed by stark piano and vocal. What an amazing voice! Great shift back to metal palette near the four-minute mark. Don't know why but I'm hearing some sounds and stylings familiar to me from the 1980s metal bands--Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Poison, Queensryche or someone. Then mixed with more Latin-like sounds & rhythms for the finale. (9.25/10)
3. "Stage 3: The Palliative Breath" (7:13) opens with Henry's daughter greeting a cheerful Henry but, sadly, not knowing who she is before the music begins. It's gently paced and beautifully set up with bass, and gently-picked electric guitar while Chris sings. By the fourth minute we've shifted gears a couple times and moved into the heavier stuff, but never full metal--this is more melodic like Def Leppard or modern atmospheric metal masters Karnivool. Great lyrics--especially in the chorus sections--with nice multi-voiced harmonic vocals. Beautiful song. Really captures the mood of Henry's unwitting, insidious mental retreat. (14/15)
4. "Stage 4: The Dream" (11:47) multiple elegant electric guitar lines follow the opening passage from an interview with a young British-accented family member of an Alzheimer's patient. When Chris' voice enters its with a dreamy, heavily-treated plaintive vocal. At 2:17 the full band kicks in as multiple voices sing a bank of vocalise "ahh"s. Such dignity in this music; it's truly astonishing. Then, at 4:45, we take a drastic turn down another street--this one an instrumental section that is based on staccato instrumental play and near-Latin odd-tempoed rhythms--but it's over within a minute--replaced by a synth-dreamy sequence with an angelic female vocalist urging Henry to "come with me." In the eighth minute, then we balloon out into full metal--though quite smooth and melodic (KARNIVOOL-like) soundscapes--while the emotional MJK voice performs his magic. Those sections of gorgeous multi-voiced background vocalise are so effective! And I LOVE how the vocals are dialoguing about Henry's destiny. What a composition! I am a mess--an absolute ball of tears! One of the most powerful songs of 2020! (24/25)
5. "Stage 5: The Nightmare" (12:14) pure aggression, as expressed through an early Maudlin of the Well-like death metal style that is later enhanced by "orchestra." At the 2:30 mark we burst out of the chamber lull with some full force prog metal. Quite theatric music (with full support of "orchestra") with a very powerful vocal performance à la Ian Kenny. At the five-minute mark we return to more aggressive death metal stylings as the vocals turn to growls, but then we return to Ian Kenny-like smoothness at 6:00. Great music with an awesome, albeit brief, lead guitar solo. Then the eighth minute gets really weird as multiple styles and tempos get mixed together as the chaos inside Henry grows. At 8:50 we return to the great themes of the seventh minute. I love this music--especially the multiple guitar and vocal work! Incredible!
6. "Stage 6: The Oubliette" (10:38) "locked inside himself" and "wanting it to be totally over as quickly as possible." I can relate. With some eerie but so effective music to perfectly capture the goings-on both inside and outside the Alzheimer's patient at this advanced stage. With this music, I am strongly brought back to the powerful feelings of disorientation and isolation that Gabriel Lucas Riccio's 2013 album, Interior City provoke in me. (17.75/20)
7. "Stage 7: ___________" (6:10) over the sound of the pings and beeps of a fully-engaged hospital bed play the gorgeous and sad orchestral music with occasional vocal offerings sounding like a soloist from a boy's choir give three minutes of cinematic "closure" as Henry's huan life comes to an end. James Newton, John Williams, or John Barry couldn't have done it better. Sheer perfection--totally capturing all of the emotions of that event. This is then followed by a rain-soaked speech with regards of the future impact of this "dreaded disease"--numbers and statistics rendered in an echoed voice that sounds like Steven Spielberg (while I know that it's not). (10/10)
Total time: 65:48
92.05 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of gorgeously woven heavy prog. My nominee for Most Improved Band and Best Heavy Prog album of the year--and maybe Most Creative Keyboard Player in Eric Guenther.
2. "Jurassic | Cretaceous" (13:24) Part TOOL, part LEPROUS, big part OPETH, there is enough refreshing creativity here to make me want to listen and like this music, but, in the end, aside from its lyrics and despite it's awesome intro, it is 80% rehashing what other Death Metal bands have done before. (26.25/30)
CALIGULA'S HORSE In Contact
HAIL SPIRIT NOIR Eden In Reverse
Line-up / Musicians:
- Haris / synths
- Theoharis Liratzakis / lead vocals, guitars
- J. Demian / bass, acoustic guitars
With:
- Lars Nedland (Borknagar / Solefald) / vocals (4)
- Ioannis Giahoudis / drums
- Dimitris Dimitrakopoulos / vocals
1. "Darwinian Beasts" (2:18) great song that introduces the futuristic sound and music that is to follow. (4.25/5)
2. "Incense Swirls" (7:14) sustained synth note is followed by pounding rock marching us forward. Jakub Roszak (RETROSPECTIVE)-like voice enters to begin telling us the story as the music trots along. Bass gets some interesting lee-way during fourth minute. Then vocalist(s) return singing int two different octaves. Nice! Scaled back instrumental passage in the fifth minute is cool--and is followed by a return to the higher-voiced chorus. The the marching beat is reestablished over which some interesting not-flashy synthesizer solos preceding the introduction of a new theme: a guitar arpeggio. Underwhelming ending. (Just prepping us for the next song?) (13.25/15)
3. "Alien Lip Reading" (6:36) great thick atmosphere with a very satisfying PAIN OF SALVATION-like wall-of-sound melodies, chord shifts, and feel. A top three song for me. (9.25/10)
5. "The Devil's Blind Spot" (3:42) guitar and synth created horn sounds open this one before full band enters to establish the foundation. But then it stays instrumental (other than some kind of growlish screams). Builds to a solid one minute finale. (8.75/10)
6. "The First Ape on New Earth" (7:26) it's off to the races from the opening note. The computer-esque drone voice of the lead singer is half BLUE ÖYSTER CULT half PAIN OF SALVATION--and the lyrics couldn't be more appropriate to both. Great tremolo strum in the fifth minute to pick things up. This, then, leads into a couple of nice whole-band power weaves. Very cool. Great bass play. Nice melodies that gradually, subtly worm their way into one's brain. Another top three song. (13.5/15)
7. "Automata 1980" (10:20) opens like a TODD RUNDGREN/TANGERINE DREAM/ "Twilight Zone" electronica experiment. Drums join in during the third minute while keys continue to do weirdness only. At 3:45 deep male voice enters with bank of Mellotron angelic voices. At 4:45 drums stop for cymbal crashes and heavily-treated choral voices singing "oohs" until 5:45 when the music smooths out into an equal palette of guitars and synths and more solid, laid back metal drumming while vocals become multi-tracked to sound multiplied. tremolo guitar slo in the eighth minute is very cool--gives the song a kind of "Court of the Crimson King" feel to it. Finishes with a Berlin School like sequencer sound as Gregorian voices vocalise in the far background. My favorite song on the album and oh, so different from the others! (18/20)
Total Time 42:45
89.52 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music that truly lives up to the "progressive" aspect of that title as this music is definitely pushing boundaries!
VOLA Inmazes
Who says djent isn't prog? I STRONGLY disagree. Denmark's Vola demonstrates a refreshing album of progressive rock music by melding the keyboard techno-wizardry of the 1980s with an outstanding rhythm section of djenters who absolutely refuse to play anything in a straight time. Think TEARS FOR FEARS or DEPECHE MODE teaming with MESHUGGAH, TOOL, or PROGHMA-C and you'll have a pretty good image for the aural soundscapes these guys paint on Inmazes.
The album starts out much more heavily, more djenty, and then starts to show more of the band's 80s synth-pop roots in the second half.
1. "The Same War" (5:19) opens with some truly abrasive industrial djent sound before opening up into a full-on TOOL-like onslaught. When the vocals of guitarist Asger Mygind enter I am immediately struck by the similarity of his tone and sense of melody to that of David Gahan of the 1980s New Wave band, DEPECHE MODE.
I need to point out that throughout the album the work of the bass, drums, and djent guitar play is absolutely top notch and amazing. I love the unpredictable syncopated and multi-octave guitar melody at the four minute mark. (9/10)
2. "Stray the Skies" (4:13) opens rather melodically, hooking the listener in with the album's most haunting melody, before sliding into a very heavy, very djenty, almost abrasive A Section. The Chorus returns us to the opening melody and synth chords, but then the following section becomes even more sparsely djenty. Back and forth the music goes, start to finish. Awesome contrast! (9/10)
3. "Starburn" (6:05) opens with some spacey atmospherics joined by an electronic tuned percussion arpeggio before the djent crew brings down the wrecking ball. This one even incorporates some vocal growls/screams. The shift at 1:55 into the melodic and harmonic realm of 1980s New Wave is a bit incongruous and perhaps denotes the weakest moment/transition of the album--the only place where the djent-New Wave partnership might not work. The prolonged guitar djent chord play that plays out over the second half of the song is interesting but never really goes anywhere new or fresh. Unfortunately, this is the album's low point. The good news is: it is virtually its only one! (7/10)
4. "Owls" (5:51) opens with a prolonged TOOL-like drum, bass and guitar section. When the vocalist joins in the band once again tries to marry the melodic, almost syrupy New Wave vocals with the abrasive, syncopated and less-than predictable staccato of its djent rhythm section. Here it works pretty well. Early SIMPLE MINDS on steroids. (8/10)
5. "Your Mind as Helpless Dreamer" (5:21) opens with perhaps the most high energy, ambitious rhythms and pace. Fast-paced midi-ed keyboard chords join in (in a NEW ORDER kind of way) while the vocals are presented with a much heavier, more aggressive fashion--very similar to the wonderful sound and work of Australia's KARNIVOOL. This song is working and barreling along on all cylinders! (10/10)
6. The delicate and techno-edgy "Emily" (3:01) plays out like a very emotional Roland Orzabel (TEARS FOR FEARS) masterpiece--though it has strong DEPECHE MODE leanings, too. Beautiful song. (10/10)
7. "Gutter Moon" (3:55) opens with a treated (compressed) keyboard riff before spilling out with some rather restrained djenty-yet-fuzzy bass and guitars. The B section takes on more of a DREAM ACADEMY/PREFAB SPROUT feel and synth pop sound. Then the djent rhythm section comes out in almost full force as the melody, vocals and synth keys sustain their 1980s sound and feel. Nice, interesting song. (9/10)
8. "A Stare Without Eyes" (4:58) opens heavily, though compressed, before settling into a melody sounding very much like a DEPECHE MODE song, just heavier. The lead vocal starts out heavily treated before coming somewhat forward for the first chorus. By the second A Section all holds have been taken off of the vocal, the song remains heavy but still retains this familiar DEPECHE MODE feel to it--as if the Mode merely upped their angst and aggression and let it show in the treatments of their instruments. Not quite as catchy with melodies here, but a good song. (8/10)
9. "Feed the Creatures" (5:37) opens heavily before letting all abrasive sounds drop away in lieu of sustained organ chords and computer-pop noises acting as percussives to support the delicate Jonas Bjerre (MEW)-like vocals. The heavy chorus at the three minute mark followed by the delicate piano chords and gorgeous soft vocal over the heavier TEARS FOR FEARS-like electro-rhythms is brilliant! Amazing! Great song. GReat blend of sounds and technology of the 80s, 90s and 21st Century. (9/10)
10. "Inmazes" opens with an odd keyboard pulsing between two chords in a straight time before it is joined by fairly straightforward electric guitar playing a fairly dissonant and discordant arpeggio. The tension is enhanced when the full band joins in with its full heaviness and PORCUPINE TREE-like sound (think "Blackest Eyes") and odd time signature playing over the still audible, still pulsing odd keyboard of the opening. The vocals that ensue are very much in the vein of those of DEPECHE MODE's David Gahan or even NEW ORDER's Bernard Sumner. I like the long, even outro, too. Great song! (9/10)
A wonderfully refreshing album from a group of young Danes who are attempting something quite ambitious in their blend of New Wave techno-synth pop with TOOL/MESHUGGAH djent. The point is: They succeed! Wonderfully!
88.0 on the Fish scales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music.
LEPROUS The Congregation
I'm going to agree with the many reviewers here who are extolling the virtues of this album. It is, in my opinion, a very powerful Prog Metal album which displays the continued refinement and maturation of these musician/songwriters. Vocalist Einar Solberg continues to show virtuosic mastery of his craft--yet with continued refinements in his restraint, control, and use of space and simplicity. All powerful developments for the overall impact of the songs here.
Coal was a real step forward from Bilateral and Tall Poppy Syndrome which both had a lot of elements of quirk, humor and pop woven into the song and melody structures, but The Congregation seems to show of a band that is finally comfortable with its style--a band that knows and uses its strengths through and through.
While I find this overall a very powerful album, there are weaker songs and then there are absolute masterpieces.
5 star songs: "Rewind" (7:07) (10/10); "Slave" (6:38) (10/10); "Moon" (7:13) (9/10); "The Flood" (9/10); "Down" (6:26) (9/10); "Lower" (4:34) (9/10), and; "Red" (6:36) (8/10).
Album of the Year? I don't know. It's a great one! "Rewind" and "Slave" are must hears! Two of the best of the year, to be sure!
87.27 on the Fish scales = B/four stars; a wonderful contribution of heavy progressive rock music.
89.9 on the Fish scales = B+/4.5 star album that I'm going to rate up because of consistency of quality and freshness, variety, and the fact that album keeps sounding and feeling better and better with each listen. Try it! If you like Fen, The Clash, Toby Driver, and "gentle metal," you'll probably like this one.
LIZARD Master and M
"Chapter I" (13:55) (27.25/30)
"Chapter II" (/10:37) (19/20)
"Chapter III" (7:00) (12.5/15)
"Chapter IV" (7:08) (14/15)
"Chapter V" (13:26) (27.75/30)
- Part 2 - I Am I (5/5)
- Part 3 - There Be Monsters (9/10)
- Part 4 - Curious Gods (8/10)
- Part 5 - Silicon Scientists (9.75/10)
- Part 6 - Here Comes the Sun (9/10)
TAYLOR WATSON (A)Synchronous
A remarkable debut record from son of Fusion legend Dean Watson on which Taylor plays all the instruments! This music has a fusion going on of its own; there are many times that I feel that I'm hearing the syncopated, djenty, walls of sound of DEVIN TOWNSEND's guitar-heavy work or TOOL. But, at the same time, I hear many more melodic moments, variations, and I can access much more of the individual instruments' work here.
5 star songs: 3. "(A)Synchronous" (6:00) (9.25/10), 5. "Moments" (6:36) (9.75/10), and 6. "Tarnished Rendition" (7:05) (13.5/15).
86.875 on the Fishscales = B/a very solid four star album. Kudos, Taylor!
KLONE Here Comes the Sun
10% 1976 BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, 10% 1990 THE CURE ~1990, 20% FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM around 2004, and 60% 1992 ALICE IN CHAINS, Klone represents a very welcome if nostalgic musical hybrid all blended very much into a progressive rock package. I can only imagine the awesome power this band must pack live in concert as lead singer Yann Linger's voice must surely fill any auditorium! Even in "softer" songs like "Nebulous"--no, maybe more in softer songs like "Nebulous"--Yann's LAYNE STALEY-like voice stands out as the main attraction. It is not often that one comes across that kind of commanding presence in a front man, but Yann Linger has it--just as Layne Staley had it. (In my humble opinion, Staley was probably the most distinctive, central representative of the 1990's "grunge" movement--yes, even more than Eddie Vedder or Kurt Cobain.)
Impressive avant prog metal vaudeville from Berklee College of Music students. The question is: Are these guys joking or will we hear more (and better) stuff like this from them in the future? The quirky changes and total mood shifts mid song--multiple times--makes one wonder what the goals/aims of these shifts are? It's almost as if multiple personalities are each given their turn at presenting the song's message. Interesting but often a bit jarring, unsettling (though never so much as in an UneXpect song).
HUIS Neither in Heaven
Heavy Prog
Line-up:
Sylvain Descôteaux: vocals, keyboards
Michel St-Père (Mystery): guitars, keyboards
Michel Joncas: bass, Taurus bass pedals, keyboards
William Régnier: drums, percussion, keyboards
With:
Johnny Maz: keyboards
Gerben Klazinga (Knight Area): keyboards
Nathan Vanheuverzwijn: piano
Benoit Dupuis (Mystery): keyboards
Johanne Laplante: flute
1. "Neither In Heaven" (2:40) (/10)
2. "Synesthesia" (13:09) (21/25)
3. "Insane" (5:47) (/10)
4. "Even Angels Sometimes Fall" (5:28)
5. "Entering The Gallery" (3:41)
6. "The Man On The Hill" (7:44)
7. "The Red Gypsy" (6:25)
8. "Memories" (8:43) (17/20)
9. "I Held" (3:35)
10. "Not On Earth" (11:41) (/20)
Total Time 68:53
HAKEN Aquarius
UNEXPECT Fables of the Sleepless Empire
HAKEN The Mountain
Some really great, though very dense (as in, 'very interesting; requiring a lot of the listener's attention') music covering nearly two hours! Wow! How luxurious would that be to be able to sit with headphones for a two hour musical journey! But, music of this calibur--production value, sound quality and compositional skill on par with the likes of PORCUPINE TREE, RIVERSIDE, ANATHEMA, PHIDEAUX and LUNATIC SOUL--may be worth it! As a matter of fact, if you're a fan of the above listed bands, you'll find a lot of sounds, riffs, and and structures to be very similar to each of those. Nice MARIUSZ DUDA-like vocals and beats throughout, lots of post-2002 PORCUPINE TREE heaviness, many of the subtleties for which PHIDEAUX is known and loved, and frequent reminders of the Post Rock feel of ANATHEMA and LUNATIC SOUL. Overall, though, I'd place thses guys--and particularly this album--in the category of 'RIVERSIDE/PORCUPINE TREE 2006;' probably better than In Absentia and head and shoulders with Second Life Syndrome. Well done. No weak songs. Just . . . a lot of music.
Four stars; definitely an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection.
3. "Open Your Eyes" (5:04) nothing very new or exciting on this standard heavy prog song.(7.5/10)
4. "We Are Leaving" (6:49) opens like a delicate ANATHEMA song, drums and bass joining in during the second verse. The song then goes into KARNIVOOL realms with Ian Kenny-like vocal. It evens tells the sci-fi like story of leaving (the planet?) Things amp up (slightly) at 4:35 while never getting too crazy (or even crazy at all; it's very restrained). Pretty but nothing very special. (8.5/10)
5. "Angry Concern" (6:34) a little edgier, djentier sounding, despite some nice solos, the song never really develops into anything better than an ALICE IN CHAINS b-side. (8/10)
6. "Avenge" (3:56) solid but too straightforward with no unexpected moments, none of the nuance surprises that feed my soul. (8.5/10)
7. "Revere" (4:24) opens in a cool almost-rehearsal way before turning into a radio-friendly ALICE IN CHAINS/KLONE song. Still, the sounds, weaves, melodies, and vocals are all perfectly matched. This is a heavy pop song that I would request and replay. (9/10)
8. "Unforgivable" (5:56) Finally! some thick, heavy bass and guitar chord play. Nice subtlety touches within the music--with and without the singing. I just wish there were a few twists or turns--and a little more exciting soloing. Still, a top three song for me. (9/10)
9. "Everdrive" (8:02) A song that feels like a true prog metal song with its djenty staccato time signature changes and full-on band soundscape explorations. One of the few songs in which the music attracts my attention over the vocals. And they even take a few surprising turns along the way. More of this, please! (9.5/10)
10. "Fame and Silence" (5:03) almost feels a personalized take on LED ZEPPELIN's "Kashmir." Very nice lead guitar solo in the third minute. Gets a little more dense, heavy, and full toward the end, but still leaves me disappointed. This could be so much more! (8.5/10)
Total Time 56:51
85.5 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a very good contribution of progressive rock music, one that is worth checking out by all prog lovers.
Some of the best music I've heard all year. The music has an energy and urgency and excitement that is rarely felt in modern studio music. Great songwriting, great musicianship, great vocals, songs that pack a wallop yet are filled with many unexpected twists and turns. Heretics puts up some awesome, but not over-the-top, walls of sound. If there is a drawback to some of it, it's that it often sounds and feels too derivative of the music of U2--including the vocal stylings sounding like U2 lead singer, Bono. Otherwise, this is, start to finish, an exciting album of high-energy rock. I have a feeling that Heretics will win over a lot of new fans for this group of American alt/prog rockers. There are some very special songs on this album, especially the title song opener, "Heretics" (4:51) (9.5/10), which takes The Beatles and King Crimson to places they never dreamed of going! It opens with powerful chords that hook you in from the opening riffs. The closer, "Ashes Fall" (8:08) (9/10), is another stunner, this time for the continuous list of "waiting"s heart-wrenchingly read by a female voice.
Favorite songs: "Heretics;" the U2 War-ish and doves-like "Elizabeth" (8:22) (18/20); the doves-like "Utopic" (6:38) (9/10); the brief folk-with-Bono-ish "Lost Our Faith" (2:06) (4.25/5); the full-out U2 sounding "How Long We Wait" (9:29) (16.5/20), and, of course; "Ashes Fall" (8:08) (12/15)
85.50 on the Fishscales = B/a solid four star album of high quality, highly creative, highly detailed music.
A strong four stars--perhaps even in line for some recognition for Top 10 of 2011 status
NEW KEEPER OF THE WATER TOWERS The Cosmic Child
A heavy prog gourd which sounds like it has been heavily influenced by AGOLLOCH, ALICE IN CHAINS, Ozzie/Sabbath & IRON MAIDEN.
1. "The Great Leveler" (6:37) is just too grungy for me. (7/10)
2. "Visions of Death" (9:25) has a great AGOLLOCH feel to it except with a bit more complexity and layers. (18/20)
3. "Pyre for The Red Sage" (12:05) sounds like a drawn out classic ALICE IN CHAINS song--except at its halfway point it totally shifts with an organ into PINK FLOYD mode--until at 7:40 some high octane guitar strumming and riffing takes us into the realm of old Heavy Metal artists like IRON MAIDEN. Then, at 9:44 we are brought into the warm sludge of the ALICE IN CHAINS world. Man does this vocal sound like Layne Staley! (20/25)
4."Cosmosis" (3:27) is a gorgeous little song that feels bigger than its length. A bit of the AGOLLOCH feel to it because of its strumming acoustic guitar foundation but instead of the growls there are heavily treated voices. (8/10)
5. "Lapse" (12:32) has a very peaceful pace and feel for its first minutes--even into the ethereal higher range male vocal which commences with the third minute. The first sign of any ramping up occurs with some electric guitar picking at the 4:35 mark--but this only a little ripple in the pond. At 5:30, however, a repetitious, pulsating bass takes over while keys, drums, and electric guitar provide incidental notes, chords, and odd sounds around it. At the seven minute mark the music returns to a full band progression while some interesting DOORS-like guitar sounds play around. With the arrival of the ninth minute things get heavier, fuller, with power chords and rousing lead guitar work. Then, at 8:50, things freeze for a moment before the bass sets up a fast-pcaed plucked version of its earlier repetitions progression until at 9:25 strumming electric guitar and then drums kick in to usher in a ramped up rocking' section in which a couple of awesome electric guitar soli present themselves--duelling. Well composed/structured song. (22.5/25)
6. "The Cosmic Child" (2:51) is a little instrumental 'lullaby' contrasting picked acoustic and electric guitars. The song feels a little out of place--like the little lost child among all of these ploddingly heavy 'storm' songs. (4/5)
83.68 on the Fish scales = solid four star album; an excellent addition to any progressive rock lover's music collection.
82.5 on the Fish scales = solid four star album. Nice consistency and continued high level creativity.
DISTORTED HARMONY Utopia
Listening to this album has been a mixed bag: I enjoy the symphonic and jazz elements of this tremendously but am not an avid fan of heavy prog. Still, this is, to my ears, very good progresssive rock--the vocals being the weakest element of the music, the keyboards being the strongest. While not quite up there with Tool's Lateralus, Karnivool's Sound Awake, Porcupine Tree's Fear of a Blank Planet, and Riverside's Second Life Syndrome; it is on a par with Sylvan's Posthumous Silence, Gösta Berlings Saga's Detta Har Hänt , Rishloo's Feathergun, and Von Hertzen Brothers' Love Remains the Same.
CALIGULA'S HORSE Bloom
SPACEKING The Piper at the Gates of Stone
This band from Russia has great sound. Bass, drums, guitars each fill the soundscape perfectly. As a matter of fact, were I to put together my own instrumental Prog Metal band, these are sounds, both individually and collectively, to which I would aspire. Also, the sound engineering and production here is flawless--I can actually hear all of the instruments even though the music present the stereotypic "walls of sound" that is common among heavy/metal music.
Line-up:
Ivan Zakharov - Bass, Saz, FX
Stanislav Matveev - Guitar
Ilya Yakunov - Guitar
Daniil Kornev - Drums
1. "Ruins" (5:58) a great opener of nice variety, layering, and melody showing great promise for this instrumental band of heavy rock. (7.5/10)
2. "Metamorph" (7:49) Starts out a little slowly, a little too RUSH-like, repetitiously, but then gets interesting with LED ZEPPELIN riffs and keyboards in the second half. (8.5/10)
3. "Silent Widow" (5:51) seems to get stuck in the opening riff for all of its six minutes. (6/10)
4. "44" (4:18) Where's the variation, where's the development? (7/10)
5. "Dwarf" (5:02) something different! An atmospheric opening! And there is more variation and development than the previous two songs--and it doesn't sound so much like somebody else (as far as I know). By far my favorite song on the album--because it sounds original! (9/10)
6. "The Piper At The Gates Of Stone" (6:06) a little bit of world music instrumentation in the opening! Yay! Develops into a little cross between IHNSAHN and U2. (8/10)
7. "Collapse" (7:01) a slightly milder, slower start helps me gain access to this song. The melody line and sound remind me a lot of Irish Post Rock band GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT. The problem is that there is not enough dynamic variation or sonic development, just riffing at pretty much one tempo. As in the opener, great electric guitar sound during its soloing. (8/10)
Total time 42:05
These instrumentalists have certainly done their homework, they have certainly learned and mastered the riffs and sounds of the Masters of Metal. My problem is that most of the songs and their component parts sound as if they came straight our of someone else's "greatest hits"--as if the instrumentalists and collective here are trying to string together songs or parts of songs built from the great riffs of all-time--other people's riffs. Rush, Led Zeppelin, Megadeth, Metallica, and probably a number of other bands whose "classic" hits and riffs I do not know because I've never been much of a collector of metal music. If this band with its great sound and incredible engineering and production ever chooses to create its own music--as it does in the fifth song here, "Dwarf" and the intro of "Silent Widow"--then we may have something truly worth shouting about. Until then, this is, to my ears, a great sounding album of mostly regurgitated classic heavy metal music.
77.14 on the Fishscales = solid three star album; a good representation of progressive rock, the hard instrumental metal version.
HYPNO5E Shores of the Abstract Line
"Cinematic metal" with all of the requisite djenty guitar power chords, machine gun bass drumming and male vocal screams/growls, yet interlaced within and between are plenty of soft, atmospheric, and even ambient sections--over which voice samples from a wide variety of languages are often on display. Interesting, surprising, and well recorded.
Favorite tracks: If Pink Floyd went metal we might get something like, "III. West Shore: Where We Lost the Ones" (10:31) (9/10) and insistent "V. Central Shore: Tio" (5:26) which is sung emotionally in Spanish (9/10).
Also good: the dreamy piano-based opener, "I. East Shore: Landscape in the Mist" (1:42) (8/10), the TUNE Lucid Moments-like "VI. North Shore: The Abstract Line" (6:56) (8/10), and; "VIII. The South Shore: Blind Man's Eye" (15:10) (8/10).
I found myself often reminded of the brilliant 2011 album Lucid Moments by Poland's TUNE while listening to this. Despite the growls and heavy sections (which are actually in the minority) this album is well worthy of repeated listens.
78.75 on the Fish scales = four stars.
HEADSPACE All that You Fear Is Gone
Very well produced, great sounding heavy prog rock. As a whole the album has great recording and engineering of very competent musical compositions with great theatric vocals from DAMIAN WILSON and awesomely controlled performances from all instrumentalists--including keyboard player Adam WAKEMAN, bass/Chapman Stick player Lee POMEROY, and drummer Adam FAULKNER and guitarist Pete RINALDI. The journey the band takes me on makes me feel as though I am listening to a modern, heavier, almost-metal version of Jesus Christ Superstar.
These guys are all polished pros. I just wish there was something new here, something wowing. It is very competent, beautiful sounding heavy prog, but nothing much more. All songs are good--very polished with pretty amazing sonic clarity and power. It's just missing something. And it's too long. (73 minutes.) Maybe the real problem is that it does, in fact, sound so much like their debut; it's as if they have just rehashed previously travelled material with new lyrics. Or maybe it's the feeling that I'm listening to the modern version of FOREIGNER.
Best songs: the prog epic 6. "The Science Within Us" (13:14) and the finale, "Secular Soul" (10:36).
Let the world know it: VANETA is here! . . . and they are a FORCE to be reckoned with!
97.50 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music and official winner of the title, ALBUM OF THE YEAR!
P.S. I want to have bass player Wyatt Martin's babies. Or, at least his autograph!
Produced in England, with the full participation of seasoned bass legend, Colin Edwin, comes this project from Atlanta's JARED LEACH and company--including lead and background vocalist and lyricist Sarah Hoefer, amazing drummer and programmer, Scott Prian (who also recorded and mixed the album), and, of course, Colin on bass. Three principle musicians created these incredible weaves of heavy prog rock sound! Only three!!! Amazing!
1. "Crooked House" (9:44) opens with an awesome synth-supported acoustic guitar picking/strumming solo. By the time the first minute comes to an end, the intro gives way to a very fast-paced, intricately performed heavy rock with a slightly Southern Rock flavor. The male and then female vocals that enter around the two minute mark take over the foreground but the amazing YES-like instrumental guitar feast that forms the background goes on--and would command all of the listener's attention were it not for the beautiful melodic voice of Sarah Hoefer and the great harmonies presented by composer/bandleader/guitarist extraordinaire, Jared LEACH. (Remember this name: It is one I guarantee you will hear again!) An interlude of beautiful ANTHONY PHILLIPS-like solo acoustic guitar in the eighth minute feels like it could be the "bookend" of the song's opening intro--but no! The song returns to its top speed heaviness for the final minute and ends on a high note of LED ZEPPELIN quality and ferocity! Amazing song! Incredible opener and introduction to this extraordinary new talent! (20/20)
2. "Shiver" (5:55) opens with a very strong C-W feel and sound--which is only solidified with the entrance of Nashville-like vocal of Sarah Hoefer for the first verse. The instrumental bridge between first and second verses is awesome--and some amazing slide guitar work continues beneath Sarah's singing of the second verse. By the time the chorus and instrumental sections arrive the song has almost lost any Country/Southern feel to it. Astonishing flow and development! The guitar, bass, and drum work on this song are spell-binding, to say the least--so much so that I found myself pushing the repeat button three times when I first heard it! The song's only flow is that Sarah's voice starts to become drowned out by the instruments by the end of the second verse. In my listening history, only BRUCE COCKBURN at his very best rivals this complex, virtuosic sound! (10/10)
3. "Departure" (6:24) opens with a very heavy, fast-driving OCEANSIZE-sounding guitar, bass and drum weave, which backs off a little into more of a heavy PORCUPINE TREE sound as the vocals enter. The instrumental passage at the end of the second minute contains some awesome guitar--which falls into some ALCEST-like guitarscapes beneath the next round of vocals. The next instrumental bridge contains some guitar shredding (two tracks, R & L) that rivals anything anybody has ever done with pick and four fingers. This then segues into a minor-key section that sounds like something between Italia's AKT or East Anglia's FEN or 4AD's DIF JUZ. The instrumental sections are amazing. The vocal sections are weak. (9/10)
4. "Desert Spring" (8:54) has some very interesting sound and structure. I especially like the atmospheric treatment of the guitars and the presence of acoustic guitar. The song's instrumental sections contain some of the heaviest soundscapes of the album--more than Porcupine Tree at their heaviest--and then some of the album's most sensitive, atmospheric sections, too. Yet they work. Together! In the seventh minute there is a very GENESIS-like feel to the soft, atmospheric section as it slowly climbs back into full soundscape. And then Sarah's wonderfully impassioned vocal falls over some of the album's most straightforward neo-prog section (not unlike MAGENTA, MOSTLY AUTUMN or MANTRA VEGA). (18/20)
5. "Beautiful World" (4:00) opens with some soft, delicately played acoustic guitar--sounding a lot like many of the 1980s guitarists from Windham Hill--or Steve TIBBETTS and/or the late, great Michael HEDGES. The ensuing voices (Jared with Sarah in harmony b vox) present a spacious story with Jared's voice sounding quite beautiful--not unlike Britain's Tony PATTERSON. Though an all-acoustic guitar based song, this one plays out quite well. John Martyn or Tim Blake might have liked this one enough to cover it. (9/10)
6. "Broken Corridor" (5:01) despite solid sound and song structure, there is nothing new or innovative about this one; it feels like something that's already been done. It opens with some Southern Rock Dobro-like guitar fast-picking--which then becomes the pace and melodic structure of the whole band sound. Things quiet down enough for the vocal to enter--first the male, in a REM-like sound, and then Sarah for the second verse. The breakneck speed is, I have to admit, impressive. By the third verse Sarah and Jared are sharing the lead. The drumming and guitar play during the instrumental passages rival anything Gavin Harrison and former DIXIE DREGS' axeman Steve Morse have done. Amazing duo! (9/10)
7. "Discontinuance" (11:14) opens with spacy synths, computer-like percussive sounds before being joined by gentle acoustic guitar arpeggi and bass guitar. Sarah Hoefer's HEATHER FINDLAY-like voice enters at the end of the first minute to deliver the first verse of the song. Lively drums and more playful bass accompany the second. Then, at 2:30, everything stops to start a very PORCUPINE TREE/KING CRIMSON-like heavy instrumental section. All instruments are cruising at very skilled levels for two minutes before a slight switch allows the presentation of a more traditional electric guitar solo--albeit, a brief one, as things soon back down to allow drums and bass, synths and Sarah's vocalizations to haunt us beautifully. At the beginning of the seventh minute everything shuts down to make way for acoustic guitar arpeggio fast-picking and slide guitar in background with synths and bass in support. (Colin Edwin is masterful!) Echoes of screechy, scratchy electric guitar sounds open the ninth minute before the acoustic guitar picking takes on another few phrases. Then a great wall of sound, like a tidal wave rushing onto the shore, fills the soundscape during the tenth minute before fading into a slow fade into guitar amp feedback, static, and distant guitar tunings till the end. Amazing song! One of the album's other top three. (20/20)
95.0 on the Fishscales = A; a five star masterpiece of progressive rock music and one of the most astonishing albums of the year if not the decade! Again, people, remember this name: JARED LEACH is the New Kid on the Block and a force to be reckoned with for a long while, I surmise!
95.0 on the Fishscales = A; a five star masterpiece of progressive rock music and one of the most astonishing albums of the year if not the decade! Again, people, remember this name: JARED LEACH is the New Kid on the Block and a force to be reckoned with for a long while, I surmise!
THE RETICENT The Oubliette
Working with the very important element of a very talented Maynard James Keenan clone for vocalist, the experimental metal music here draws from influences and styles far more widely varied than TOOL have ever aspired to. The musicianship is top notch; the "band"'s collaborative tightness incredibly well synchronized, with musical dynamics often shifting all over the place, heavy to soft, complex to austere, but not so chaotically as to wear on the listener. In fact, it all makes total sense in the context of the album's theme: "an emotional journey into the 7 stages of Alzheimer's Disease."
Chris Hathcock - drums, percussion, bass, rhtyhm guitar, vocals
With:
James Nelson - guitar leads on 1, 3
Andrew Lovett - tenor sax on 2
Steven Wynn (Undrask) - addtional guttural vocals on 5
Amanda Caines - female vocals on 6, 7; voice acting on 2, 4, 5
Rei Haycraft - voice acting on 2, 4, 5, 7
Juston Green - voice acting on 2, 4, 5, 7
Jordan High School Wind Ensemble - winds on 5, 7
1. "Stage 1: His Name is Henry" (9:46) with such a beautiful vocal opening, it's hard to believe this is going to be a metal album. The Maynard James Keenan similarities are quite pronounced in the forms used in the third minute alone. Very cool switch into melodic latin jazz at 3:30 is soon followed by austere piano-and-voice interlude. then we're back into the heavy prog. Great drumming! Great guitar and bass play. This guy can really do it all! (18.25/20)
2. "Stage 2: The Captive" (6:00) solid metal music with 100% MJK vocal stylings within the first 90 seconds turning to death metal growls. Slowdown and saxophone solo over finger-picked electric guitar in third minute followed by stark piano and vocal. What an amazing voice! Great shift back to metal palette near the four-minute mark. Don't know why but I'm hearing some sounds and stylings familiar to me from the 1980s metal bands--Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Poison, Queensryche or someone. Then mixed with more Latin-like sounds & rhythms for the finale. (9.25/10)
3. "Stage 3: The Palliative Breath" (7:13) opens with Henry's daughter greeting a cheerful Henry but, sadly, not knowing who she is before the music begins. It's gently paced and beautifully set up with bass, and gently-picked electric guitar while Chris sings. By the fourth minute we've shifted gears a couple times and moved into the heavier stuff, but never full metal--this is more melodic like Def Leppard or modern atmospheric metal masters Karnivool. Great lyrics--especially in the chorus sections--with nice multi-voiced harmonic vocals. Beautiful song. Really captures the mood of Henry's unwitting, insidious mental retreat. (14/15)
4. "Stage 4: The Dream" (11:47) multiple elegant electric guitar lines follow the opening passage from an interview with a young British-accented family member of an Alzheimer's patient. When Chris' voice enters its with a dreamy, heavily-treated plaintive vocal. At 2:17 the full band kicks in as multiple voices sing a bank of vocalise "ahh"s. Such dignity in this music; it's truly astonishing. Then, at 4:45, we take a drastic turn down another street--this one an instrumental section that is based on staccato instrumental play and near-Latin odd-tempoed rhythms--but it's over within a minute--replaced by a synth-dreamy sequence with an angelic female vocalist urging Henry to "come with me." In the eighth minute, then we balloon out into full metal--though quite smooth and melodic (KARNIVOOL-like) soundscapes--while the emotional MJK voice performs his magic. Those sections of gorgeous multi-voiced background vocalise are so effective! And I LOVE how the vocals are dialoguing about Henry's destiny. What a composition! I am a mess--an absolute ball of tears! One of the most powerful songs of 2020! (24/25)
5. "Stage 5: The Nightmare" (12:14) pure aggression, as expressed through an early Maudlin of the Well-like death metal style that is later enhanced by "orchestra." At the 2:30 mark we burst out of the chamber lull with some full force prog metal. Quite theatric music (with full support of "orchestra") with a very powerful vocal performance à la Ian Kenny. At the five-minute mark we return to more aggressive death metal stylings as the vocals turn to growls, but then we return to Ian Kenny-like smoothness at 6:00. Great music with an awesome, albeit brief, lead guitar solo. Then the eighth minute gets really weird as multiple styles and tempos get mixed together as the chaos inside Henry grows. At 8:50 we return to the great themes of the seventh minute. I love this music--especially the multiple guitar and vocal work! Incredible!
I have to admit, the music--and the odd and unexpected interludes--is so fitting for this (sad and horrific) stage of Alzheimer's. And sadly, "There is no way out." (23.25/25)
6. "Stage 6: The Oubliette" (10:38) "locked inside himself" and "wanting it to be totally over as quickly as possible." I can relate. With some eerie but so effective music to perfectly capture the goings-on both inside and outside the Alzheimer's patient at this advanced stage. With this music, I am strongly brought back to the powerful feelings of disorientation and isolation that Gabriel Lucas Riccio's 2013 album, Interior City provoke in me. (17.75/20)
7. "Stage 7: ___________" (6:10) over the sound of the pings and beeps of a fully-engaged hospital bed play the gorgeous and sad orchestral music with occasional vocal offerings sounding like a soloist from a boy's choir give three minutes of cinematic "closure" as Henry's huan life comes to an end. James Newton, John Williams, or John Barry couldn't have done it better. Sheer perfection--totally capturing all of the emotions of that event. This is then followed by a rain-soaked speech with regards of the future impact of this "dreaded disease"--numbers and statistics rendered in an echoed voice that sounds like Steven Spielberg (while I know that it's not). (10/10)
Total time: 65:48
Though musically this may not be offering much that is breathtakingly new or boundary-pushing, it is amazingly successful in its support of the original concept "an emotional journey into the 7 stages of Alzheimer's Disease." This is by my reckoning an album deserving of all the accolades and superlatives one might hear and certainly the best heavy prog/prog metal album I've heard from 2020 and the most refreshing musical rendering of a concept since The Gabriel Construct's 2013 masterpiece, Interior City (which this reminds me of) or Tune's 2011 release, Lucid Moments.
93.20 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a masterpiece of human expression and a truly worthy and amazing addition to any prog lover's music collection. Folks: This is what prog, music, and art are all about!
BELIEVE Seven Widows
A collection of masterfully crafted songs. Though the leader is obviously Mirek Gil, all contributors are essential to this product, and those of newcomer Łukasz Ociepa on vocals and especially from long-time violinist and keyboard player, Satomi, are exceptional. With a product like this, the band can be forgiven any and all time taken for its creation and rendering.
Line-up/Musicians:
Łukasz Ociepa - vocals
Mirek Gil (Collage) - lead guitar
Przemas Zawadzki - bass guitar
Robert 'Qba' Kubajek - drums
Satomi - violin, keyboards
1. "I" (10:49) a perfectly crafted, polished song that suffers a little from lack of that over-the-top emotion that we want from Mirek's guitar solos. The song opens with two basic synth chords joined by strummed electric guitar and, in the second minute, bass, drums, and Mirek's lead establishing one of his signatory melodic riffs. But wait! He's joined by the harmonizing effect of the violin! Nice! Violin stays on to supply a staccato-bowed single note variation while newcomer Łukasz Ociepa enters. At 3:27 Mirek switches gears to deliver a true lead solo as the drums and bass make things a little more interesting beneath. And then Satomi joins in and it's magical! Satomi carries the lead over a bridge of emptiness before the band joins back in and continues the instrumental section another minute. A shift in mood and style at the end of the sixth minute leads to another appearance by the band's new vocalist. He's sounding a lot like Karol Wróblewski in this section. The new mood feels more somber and serious. It plays out for four of the final five minutes of the song--vocals ending in a way that sounds like a DOVES song--before ending with the bombastic section with Mirek's lead riffs. (18/20)
2. "II" (9:07) bass, drums and kalimba-like guitar arpeggi open this one, setting another eerie, ominous tone. Mirek's guitar is a little edgier with some distortion this time as he wails between each of the vocal sections. Satomi's play is more academic, following practice scales, as she interjects an occasional solo or two. At 3:20 everything shifts dramatically as acoustic guitar strums and picked electric play accompaniment to first Satomi's violin and then Mirek's electric wail. At 4:48 the same foundation serves to support Łukasz in a new vocal--one that is slightly muted until he begins to belt it out at 5:30. Nice lower end guitar work from Mirek's lead in the sixth-seventh minutes. When he finally climbs into the upper registers it feels dramatic and gets the adrenaline really pumping. Then he starts using wammy bar and Satomi comes in to reinforce him. And she gets to end it with multiple violin tracks riffing away. This is so sublime! What a team! What a band! This band has really gelled with this album. I'm ready to acclaim them the new Neo Prog masters! (18/20)
3. "III" (7:58) an average prog song is turned remarkable by Mirek's solos and the wonderful vocals--especially in the mid-section; the beginning and end sections are satisfactory. Great drumming, too! (13.5/15)
4. "IV" (11:58) from rain storm to playground sounds to an awesomely heavy instrumental opening, the impassioned singing of lead vocalist Łukasz Ociepa only adds credibility to the seriousness of that majestic opening--and then he goes up another notch in the sixth minute just before Mirek follows suit. God! It's great to hear Mirek Gil letting loose again (albeit, too briefly)! I think every Collage lover wants more of the adrenaline magic of "The Blues" and "Heroes Cry."
Lull with bass cords and militaristic toms fill the end of the eighth minute as Satomi plays a respectful folk dirge for the next two minutes. When the band finally brings all back together at the 9:30 mark it sounds so powerful, so supportive of the violin's beautiful and simple eulogy. Amazing the things music can do! An outright masterpiece of simple, efficient power! (25/25)
5. "V" (8:03) Steadily presented heavy prog with no flash or flair, just solid, melody supporting chords over which Satomi's violin and Łukasz' plaintive voice bless us. And Mirek is in the background (at least, until the fourth minute)! Nice guitar'n'drums chase in that fourth minute solo. What a voice! This may be the heir apparent to Marco Gluhmann. He's got some growing to do but he has the pathos! I love the shift at 5:15 into a different time signature with bass and guitar holding steady while Qba's drums and the lead guitar fly (with multiple tracks given to display Mirek's frenetic flourishes). Wow! I'm not sure I can take much more of this adrenaline pumping! (14.25/15)
6. "VI" (8:36) loose chimes bridge songs five and six before a whispered voice delivers its creepy Edgar Allan Poe message. Bass harmonics and toms support heavily distorted guitar arpeggi before Mirek sets up the song with a riff in the lead. The vocal here feels a little buried in the music. Great drum, bass, and atmosphere here but the vocal is just not fitting. It's almost as if this was a long finished instrumental that Łukasz felt he could add a vocal to. It's finally starting to work with the gorgeous violin-aided chorus--which is then followed by one of Mirek's signature ear candy leads. Gorgeous. In the sixth minute organ and synth join as the drums double time for a spell, then things slow back down for another spell-binding violin solo. What a gorgeous melody. Another song I'm going to want to hear a lot of. (13.5/15)
7. "VII" (8:48) the toms from song VI bleed into this one before another heavy full onslaught lights up the aural pathways. Once established, this quickly falls back to allow a spacious atmosphere in which Łukasz can deliver another of his masterful vocals. The pattern of heavy-Mirek riffing onslaught bridging the softer vocal sections is established until 3:40 when a slow arpeggiation of a guitar chord progression plays with synth and electric guitar sounds flitting in from behind. Chords of orchestral synth wash join in with more toms while Satomi delivers a brief solo. The music stays the same as Łukasz gives his best Marco impression. This is such gorgeous music. (18/20)
The YouTube sampler the band had posted to chum up potential investors left me unimpressed. I am SO glad I decided to return and become one of those investors once I found out how to secure it. I cannot repeat enough how emotional this music is, masterful in both composition and delivery. This is NOT the album I was expecting: Believe albums always seem to fall short of expectations and desires. Not this one. This is a sheer masterpiece of progressive rock music--one for the ages!
92.50 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music.
THE CONTORTIONIST Clairvoyant
This Indiana-based band has matured and, if truth be known, mellowed (matured?) over the seven years they've been recording and releasing excellent Metal-oriented heavy Prog albums, but this is their best. They have mastered individual restraint and understated performances in favor of group chemistry, group composition, and seductively gorgeous heavy prog music. Simply stunning.
Line-up/Musicians:
Robby Baca: Guitar
Michael Lessard: Vocals
Joey Baca: Percussion
Cameron Maynard: Guitar
Jordan Eberhardt: Bass Guitar
Eric Guenther: Keyboards
1. "Monochrome (Passive)" So many creative computer/Hal 9000/synth openings on this album, of which this is the first. As it amps up into heavy guitar and bass distortion it fits! It works. Then the song settles into a softer, almost nujazz groove, with some great guitar and keyboard interaction. I haven't heard this creative and innovative keyboard work in years! (10/10)
2. "Godspeed" (3:14) fast opening and abrasive, settling into great weaves to support Michael Lessard's restrained vocal. Amazing subtle effects and contributions throughout--especially the restrained yet virtuosic guitar work. Michael actually lifts his voice in that last minute just before the guitar does the same. Awesome! (9.5/10)
3. "Reimagined" (3:17) gorgeous heavier song on the KARNIVOOL or VOTUM scale of latently heavy prog. (9/10)
4. "Clairvoyant" (7:37) is the first true metal, djenty song on the album (IMHO)--complete with chorale-styled vocal sections and machine gun bass drum pedal play. Really gorgeous transitions and chorus sections; nothing too difficult or abrasive but all played to group perfection. Also the most diversified and chameleonic song on the album. (13.5/15)
5. "The Center" (7:34) a smooth, gorgeous song that continues to build while Michael Lessard seduces us with his incongruously sedate vocal. Is he the new Maynard James Keenan? Just brilliant! Reminds me of my favorite song from last year by THE MERCURY TREE. (14.25/15)
6. "Absolve" (5:12) brilliant restraint shown on this vocal despite the yearnings of the music to soar! Makes for a great tension between the two. At 5:05 the song shifts, kind of cuts out, while a spacey, post-explosion synth-concerto slowly builds and (9.5/10)
7. "Relapse" (6:14) opens as an odd synth experiment with spacey vocal for the first 1:30 before the heavy rock instruments enter. Synth washes and sliding power chords finish off the first half before a piano-based, computer-paced section with Lessard saying "They're clairvoyant." Interesting sliding-tremolo guitar solo in the fifth and sixth minutes. It even gets a little djenty at times. (9/10)
8. "Return to Earth" (6:15) spacious and atmospheric genius that lets loose at the 1:25 into a heavier (though simple) and still gorgeous and inviting prog song. Vocalist Michael Lessard has the silky smooth pipes to keep the listener engaged despite the frenetics of his mates--like a mellower version of LEPROUS. (8.5/10)
9. "Monochrome (Pensive)" (9:24) very nice song that, unfortunately, takes seven and a half minutes to finally soar to the heights one might expect from a nine and a half minute "epic." (18/20)
92.05 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of gorgeously woven heavy prog. My nominee for Most Improved Band and Best Heavy Prog album of the year--and maybe Most Creative Keyboard Player in Eric Guenther.
More outstanding djenty atmospheric prog out of Australia. Like country-mates KARNIVOOL and Polish prog masters VOTUM, these musicians know how to create great melodies and moods within heavier musical walls of sound--and they are even better at building over or deftly interspersing their songs with awesome atmospheric, almost shoegazey passages!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Keelan Butterick / Vocals, Guitar
- Seb Key / Guitar, Vocals
- Evan Jackson / Bass
- Jacob Grindrod / Guitar
- Cassandra Key / Drums, Piano, Percussion
1. "Prelude" (0:42) opens the album with some atmospheric guitar notes and constant keyboard soundscape in order to set up the barrage of sound that is unleashed at the beginning of #2. (4.5/5)
2. "The Falling" (3:31) opens with some full-brunt walls of sound very similar to the VOTUM and KARNIVOOL style of recent years. Great vocal also fitting into the VOTUM "First Felt Pain" style. At 2:50 the tempo is downshifted a few steps before falling away for a soft little atmospheric keyboard end. (9/10)
3. "Concurrent Abreaction I: Presage (The Hunter)" (8:22) opens strongly with vocals joining in soon after. But the song pauses and slows before the first minute is out for a sustained reset before returning to the opening pace and heaviness. It's a bit like being in a car that is driving in traffic--stop lights and all.
The totally atmospheric section that begins at the end of the third minute is so cool--rolling, jumping bass lines and drums playing off one another while the guitar arpeggi and keyboard backgrounds accompany the soft vocal. At 4:34 the djenty bass and guitars return for a little display of their own. The vocal that eventually tries to join in is, unfortunately, a bit incongruous. Another soft, atmospheric section begins at the six minute mark--this one less pretty, less satisfying than the last--and soon gives way to another barrage of djenty guitar.
The shifts from heavy, djenty walls of sound to atmospheric, almost Shoegaze soft sections throughout this song are quite interesting--and, now that I'm used to them, awesome. (18/20)
4. "Concurrent Abreaction II: Ocean (6:31)" opens very sedately, spaciously, until the very end of the second minute when some slow, heavy guitar-based walls of sound establish themselves in a kind of FOREIGNER "Double Vision" way. All ensuing song development is slow and methodical with nothing much very surprising or exciting save for a return at the 4:40 mark (to the song's end) to the shoegazey-atmospheric sound of the opening. (12/15)
5. "Concurrent Abreaction III: The Outside" (6:20) opens with some atmospheric guitar play over an interesting uneven time signature bass and drum rhythm. The vocal that joins in repeating "inside my thoughts" is a nice touch. As a matter of fact, this is the first song in which the lyric and vocal perfectly match the music being expressed beneath. At 3:34 the djent wall of sound is unleashed in a KLONE/ALIC IN CHAINS way--with vocalist reaching up to scream his lyrics along with the escalation in sound volume. This is, however, but a brief crescendo before all falls back to the more floating atmospheric levels of the opening section. (9/10)
6. "Concurrent Abreaction IV: Lucah" (4:26) is a song that again reminds me of a YANN LIGNER-led KLONE song for its first two minutes. Then it becomes a totally different song--an instrumental that contains some gorgeous ROBIN GUTHRIE-like atmospheric guitar chord play and guitar effects--for over a minute before returning to the KLONE-like grungy heavy metal sounds introduced in the opening section. The heavily treated GUTHRIE-like guitar can be heard contributing single note arpeggi throughout. This is awesome! One of my top three songs for the album. (10/10)
7. "Concurrent Abreaction V: We Lie In Shadows" (5:41) opens with some fun drum exercises before the shoegaze guitar sound joins in. Long, sustained FRIPP-like guitar notes accompany and soar over the other guitar, bass, and drum play. Beautiful! This is another beautiful albeit heavier version of a COCTEAU TWINS/shoegaze-styled song. Even the heavier buildups in the second minute take nothing away from the incredible syncopated, stop-and-play melody and rhythm play here. As a matter of fact, the densification that occurs at the end of the third minute within the multiple arpeggiating guitars is stunning! And the SYLVIAN-esque atmospherics in the middle of the fifth minute, too! Probably my favorite song on the album. (10/10)
8. "Concurrent Abreaction VI: Sehnsucht" (4:03) is an ENO-esque ambient ocean raft ride in which long note harmonized vocals and Fripp-like sustained lead guitar notes waft in and out of the gorgeous foundational music. Certainly a top three song for me. (10/10)
9. "Dead Letters" (2:27) is an instrumental that sounds like a reprise of an earlier theme played slightly more clearly and with different approaches to the drums, keys, and guitar sounds used. Still, gorgeous with memorable melodies used throughout. (10/10)
10. "Cutting The Ties" (5:33) is a rather low profile attempt to tie up loose ends and end the concept album on an even keel. Such a great sound! (9/10)
92.27 on the Fish scales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music. I love this album! Stare at the Clouds has produced a masterpiece of atmospheric djent.
THE MERCURY TREE Permutations
Quite different and refreshing syncopated prog in the OCEANSIZE and quirky TODD RUNDGREN/STEVEN WILSON and even TOBY DRIVER vein of song and melody construction, this is very interesting and refreshing music to listen to, to study. The enigmatic lead singer can sound as dissonant and chromatic as avant/RIO singer ELAINE DI FALCO or he can burst forth into his death metal growls or he can sound as pure of voice as TEARS FOR FEARS' Curt SMITH. I really like this!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Ben Spees / guitar, keyboard, voice
- Connor Reilly / drums
Quite different and refreshing syncopated prog in the OCEANSIZE and quirky TODD RUNDGREN/STEVEN WILSON and even TOBY DRIVER vein of song and melody construction, this is very interesting and refreshing music to listen to, to study. The enigmatic lead singer can sound as dissonant and chromatic as avant/RIO singer ELAINE DI FALCO or he can burst forth into his death metal growls or he can sound as pure of voice as TEARS FOR FEARS' Curt SMITH. I really like this!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Ben Spees / guitar, keyboard, voice
- Connor Reilly / drums
- Oliver Campbell / bass, voice
- Aaron Clark / space guitar
- Tony Mowe / alto and baritone saxophone
1. "Symptoms" (6:59) opens the album with an edgy weave of instrumental sounds and rhythms--though there is a bit of a djenty base to it all. Once the vocal's odd melody and odd sound enters and establishes its place, the song takes off in a PROGHMA-C kind of full-speed ahead way. Heavily distorted guitars, heavily echoed vocal, this could be straight off of a KAYO DOT album. The rapid fire guitar and keyboard arpeggi in the fifth minute are replaced by a new section of Bill NELSON-like quirky-odd vocal melody. The two sections alternate into the sixth minute, shift key and scales, taking on somewhat more of a DEVY TOWNSEND sound and feel through to the end. Unusual, perhaps even unique song. (12/15)
2. "Exhume The Worst" (4:56) is a very odd sound and feeling "love song." PORCUPINE TREE would have loved to created this one. Some interesting and odd almost BEACH BOYS background vocals end the chorus section before the song returns to a chunkier bassed version of the opening. At 2:30 we hear the vocalist's first scream/growls. The multiple guitar leads interwoven in the fourth minute's instrumental section are fascinating--so unusual! Odd, edgy song that I'll probably end up loving more than I do now. (8/10)
3. "Permutations" (10:42) Opens with some vascillating keyboard notes and "tuneless" guitar notes before the vocal talks to us. Acoustic guitars and spacey keyboards enter and establish an odd rhythm and pacing before layered voices contribute a kind of rondo of the repetition of a lyrical phrase. At the two minute mark plucked strings bring in a dissonant series of rising and falling arpeggi while an almost punk-like bass and GG vocal harmonies sing over the top. Djenty lead guitar solo ends and leaves us in a vacuum into which the "tuneless" guitar notes return. Vocals. At 4:30 we actually hit a very beautiful section--vocally and soft minor key instrumental weave--which builds and builds into a very violent crescendo at 5:30 and is then sustained for 30 seconds before returning to the "beauty" melodies of a recapitulation of the "vacuum section." Interesting section with reversed lead guitar at the end of the seventh minute leads into heavy weave over which a more dissonant vocal harmony is sung. The djenty rhythm section is danced within by the rapid-fire "plucked strings arpeggi until at 8:53 everything quiets down into a MAUDLIN OF THE WELL-like acoustic section with breathtaking beauty, both vocally and melodically. Gradually electric walls of sound build around the falsetto vocalizations before playing out to the song's end. Wow! What an odd, interesting ride! (18/20)
4. "Ether/Ore" (4:08) has such an odd electro-pop percussive foundation over which treated and untreated vocals, saxes, keys and guitars play--an odd weave--kind of early TODD RUNDGREN-esque while at the same time being again somewhat near the Bill NELSON/BE-BOP DE-LUX zone. Brilliant but odd as shit! (9/10)
5. "Placeholder" (4:32) familiar piano and bass chords give this a bit of a jazzy feel but the vocals are so TOBY DRIVER-like! I am thinking that this is by far the most accessible yet psychedelic of all songs thus far. A really cool, odd, yet gorgeous song. Gabriel RICCIO (THE GABRIEL CONSTRUCT) would love this one. The yelled near-rap in the final minute sung over the long drawn out angelic vocals in the background is awesome. Maybe my favorite song of the year! (10/10)
6. "Unintelligible" (5:06) has some of the feeling of ZA! and OCEANSIZE in its rappiness. (9/10)
7. "Sympathesizer" (4:42) has some cool full-wall of sound foundation (not unlike those used by Terria-era Devin Townsend) over which all kind of odd and creative sounds and instruments are added. (9/10)
8. "Seek And Release" (5:46) shows some RADIOHEAD influence. And OCEANSIZE. Again, yet another song that develops in a hitherto uncharted territory, unpredictable and utterly surprising and exciting. (9/10)
9. "Prometheist" (9:00) has a Post Rock-with-oriental-instruments sound with Bill NELSON like vocals and, later, angular, djenty bass and guitars. Then there is a CARDIACS kind of sound and feel. But then this could be a KARNIVOOL or VOTUM song! How hard to pin! This is so weird!
1. "Symptoms" (6:59) opens the album with an edgy weave of instrumental sounds and rhythms--though there is a bit of a djenty base to it all. Once the vocal's odd melody and odd sound enters and establishes its place, the song takes off in a PROGHMA-C kind of full-speed ahead way. Heavily distorted guitars, heavily echoed vocal, this could be straight off of a KAYO DOT album. The rapid fire guitar and keyboard arpeggi in the fifth minute are replaced by a new section of Bill NELSON-like quirky-odd vocal melody. The two sections alternate into the sixth minute, shift key and scales, taking on somewhat more of a DEVY TOWNSEND sound and feel through to the end. Unusual, perhaps even unique song. (12/15)
2. "Exhume The Worst" (4:56) is a very odd sound and feeling "love song." PORCUPINE TREE would have loved to created this one. Some interesting and odd almost BEACH BOYS background vocals end the chorus section before the song returns to a chunkier bassed version of the opening. At 2:30 we hear the vocalist's first scream/growls. The multiple guitar leads interwoven in the fourth minute's instrumental section are fascinating--so unusual! Odd, edgy song that I'll probably end up loving more than I do now. (8/10)
3. "Permutations" (10:42) Opens with some vascillating keyboard notes and "tuneless" guitar notes before the vocal talks to us. Acoustic guitars and spacey keyboards enter and establish an odd rhythm and pacing before layered voices contribute a kind of rondo of the repetition of a lyrical phrase. At the two minute mark plucked strings bring in a dissonant series of rising and falling arpeggi while an almost punk-like bass and GG vocal harmonies sing over the top. Djenty lead guitar solo ends and leaves us in a vacuum into which the "tuneless" guitar notes return. Vocals. At 4:30 we actually hit a very beautiful section--vocally and soft minor key instrumental weave--which builds and builds into a very violent crescendo at 5:30 and is then sustained for 30 seconds before returning to the "beauty" melodies of a recapitulation of the "vacuum section." Interesting section with reversed lead guitar at the end of the seventh minute leads into heavy weave over which a more dissonant vocal harmony is sung. The djenty rhythm section is danced within by the rapid-fire "plucked strings arpeggi until at 8:53 everything quiets down into a MAUDLIN OF THE WELL-like acoustic section with breathtaking beauty, both vocally and melodically. Gradually electric walls of sound build around the falsetto vocalizations before playing out to the song's end. Wow! What an odd, interesting ride! (18/20)
4. "Ether/Ore" (4:08) has such an odd electro-pop percussive foundation over which treated and untreated vocals, saxes, keys and guitars play--an odd weave--kind of early TODD RUNDGREN-esque while at the same time being again somewhat near the Bill NELSON/BE-BOP DE-LUX zone. Brilliant but odd as shit! (9/10)
5. "Placeholder" (4:32) familiar piano and bass chords give this a bit of a jazzy feel but the vocals are so TOBY DRIVER-like! I am thinking that this is by far the most accessible yet psychedelic of all songs thus far. A really cool, odd, yet gorgeous song. Gabriel RICCIO (THE GABRIEL CONSTRUCT) would love this one. The yelled near-rap in the final minute sung over the long drawn out angelic vocals in the background is awesome. Maybe my favorite song of the year! (10/10)
6. "Unintelligible" (5:06) has some of the feeling of ZA! and OCEANSIZE in its rappiness. (9/10)
7. "Sympathesizer" (4:42) has some cool full-wall of sound foundation (not unlike those used by Terria-era Devin Townsend) over which all kind of odd and creative sounds and instruments are added. (9/10)
8. "Seek And Release" (5:46) shows some RADIOHEAD influence. And OCEANSIZE. Again, yet another song that develops in a hitherto uncharted territory, unpredictable and utterly surprising and exciting. (9/10)
9. "Prometheist" (9:00) has a Post Rock-with-oriental-instruments sound with Bill NELSON like vocals and, later, angular, djenty bass and guitars. Then there is a CARDIACS kind of sound and feel. But then this could be a KARNIVOOL or VOTUM song! How hard to pin! This is so weird!
Absolutely awesome guitar and bass parts in the sixth and seventh minutes! The last 90 seconds play out in a kind of spacey, latent-power play--one is never sure whether or not the band is going to leap back out into dynamic decibelia! (18/20)
10. "Deep Five" (10:32) employs some King Crimson basics that have become widespread throughout prog world in the last 30 years over which a deceptively emotional, beautiful and understated vocal establishes itself. This singer is a special force! And the vocal harmonies are equally amazing.
10. "Deep Five" (10:32) employs some King Crimson basics that have become widespread throughout prog world in the last 30 years over which a deceptively emotional, beautiful and understated vocal establishes itself. This singer is a special force! And the vocal harmonies are equally amazing.
The polyphonic instrumental weaves in the fifth minutes are quite wonderful--as is the keyboard and bass'n'drum section that follows. Gamelan like percussives and buzzing synths and synth water sounds play in the soundscape over the steady, insistent drums and bass. This is heaven!! What an awesome way to close out this revelatory album. Brilliant!! (20/20)
Even though I am blown away by this fresh new music, I have a feeling that this is a real grower--that it will climb in my esteem with each and every listen. Really cool stuff! Heavily recommended to all prog lovers. This is one gift that will keep on giving for a long, long time! Check it out! This one is pushing the envelope--in all directions!
90.37 on the Fish scales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music.
Even though I am blown away by this fresh new music, I have a feeling that this is a real grower--that it will climb in my esteem with each and every listen. Really cool stuff! Heavily recommended to all prog lovers. This is one gift that will keep on giving for a long, long time! Check it out! This one is pushing the envelope--in all directions!
90.37 on the Fish scales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music.
THE GABRIEL CONSTRUCT Interior City
I’m not sure if composer/multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Riccio intended for this amazing Eclectic/Post Rock album to be a flow-through concept album, but that has been the only way that I’ve been able to hear it. Something in this music and album concept is reminiscent of DEVIN TOWNSEND’s Ziltoid The Omniscient. The humour, the vocals, the high dynamic musical parts, and even the theme of cultural brainwashing, conformity, oppression, fear and isolation (though Devin addresses it more through implication and is more tongue-in-cheek humorous) are quite Ziltoid. While I consider Ziltoid a masterpiece, this is better.
MUCH better.
The music influences and styles chosen for Interior City are so much diverse—more diverse than any album I’ve heard in the new modern age of Prog Rock. Gabriel’s influences range from 20th century classical composers Olivier Messiaen and Ligeti to 70s proggers Yes and King Crimson (old and new) to jazz maestro Charles Mingus, to rockers DEFTONES, NINE INCH NAILS and current master Devin The Magnificat--and these influences can be heard in every song, though I am excited to shout out that this young man has a sound and style quite new and refreshing—one that is all his own. Plus, he has surrounded himself with some stellar talent—especially in drummer extraordinaire, TRAVIS ORBIN, bassist, THOMAS MURPHY, and violinist, SOPHIA UDDIN, saxophonist, Sornen LARSEN, and guitarist DAVID STIVELMAN--all of whom, sadly, will probably not be appearing with Gabriel in his live touring band or on future albums due to his recent relocation from the East Coast (Philly & Maryland) to Chicago.
Anyway, this is an album that I want everyone to hear—and I mean everyone! It is so accessible yet so fresh and creative, so powerful yet witty (just look at the song titles), and it’s filled with such virtuosic instrumental performances (listen to Gabe’s command of the piano instrument!). Plus, this album is incredibly well engineered and produced. (Did I mention how amazingly well engineered and produced this album is? Mega Kudos Engineer Garrett Davis and Mix-Master/Producer Taylor Larson!)
1. “Arrival in A Distant Land” (6:52) opens the album with what at first sounds like a strum across the strings of a zither—until one realizes that Gabriel is playing the strings of a piano from inside, “under the hood,” so-to-speak. This familiarity and facility with the piano instrument is displayed to great—no, to amazing—effect throughout the album. The chord sequence played in the bass clef climbs to the middle ranges at the 2:20 mark while the notes popped in the upper registers are still flying along in seemingly random and discordant patterns and time. At 3:13 Gabriel’s gentle, almost frightened sounding voice enters with a gorgeous melody and chord foundation. I believe he is here setting up the contract one’s soul makes when a commitment to Earthly incarnation is made. “I can’t get out” is the plaintive scream powerfully expressed—assumedly at the moment of realization that this commitment to human life is real and ‘permanent.’ “Welcome home. This is your home now,” he sings before resuming the unusual and seemingly random ‘interior’ piano play till the song’s end. (15/15)
2. “Ranting Prophet” (4:51) opens with the same piano and gentle voice until at 0:48 a burst of multiple track harmonized voices and full rock ensemble enters. Violin mirrors the anxious vocal of the protagonist and his slave-driving ‘over-soul/unconscious—a voice that takes turns trading barbs with that of the protagonist for a minute before a cohesive chorus seems to insist that he’s condemned to being addicted to pretending that your someone.(!) Crazy violin solo exacerbates the insanity of this news—the idiocy of this internment. (9/10)
3. “Fear of Humanity” (8:02) opens with some great piano chords and screechy violin scratches flitting about all over the soundscape. A deep-voiced baritone lead vocal enters to announce that “I’m afraid of humans” and, later, “I’m afraid of tumors.” This low-register male voice is so unexpected, so unusual and disarming that it is utterly refreshing and genius. At 3:30 the song shifts into high gear with drums, support instruments and ‘scatting’ vocal choir racing along with police sirens, industrial noise and growls. The “entities” chasing and pursuing the 5:39 adds a nice electric guitar riff which turns into a kind of group solo. The drummer’s sense of timing throughout is breathtakingly fluid in its precision and confidence. At the seven minute mark there is another shift as the band congeals for a brief cool coda. Return to the entity chase—it seems that the musical accompaniment is growing more and more chaotic and overbearing when suddenly--!! (15/15)
4. in the transition and intro to “My Alien Father” (4:46) a solo piano arpeggiates a gorgeous intro. A treated higher register male voice enters speaking of the alien chase and their X-men-like “shapeshifting” tactics. Brilliant vocal harmonies are used. “They’re out there.” ”They watch us.” “Please greet me,” pleads the protagonist. (Awesome fretless bass work here!) “Will you enslave my body and mind or will you bring me to life?” precedes an awesomely layered, multi-melodied and all-too-brief instrumental section reminding me of the absolute best of anything Sir Robert of Fripp has ever done. (10/10)
5. “Retreat Underground” (2:38) takes off running with drums, piano, and bass playing at seering speeds while the Devin Townsend-like vocals (solo and multi-layered/beautifully harmonized) sing over the top. (9/10)
6. “Subway Dwellers” (5:32) bleeds from the preceding song while shifting tempo and style to a little more of a pop-jazz structure (though using the same instrumentation). The use of many cacophonous background voices/samples truly lends to the “subway dwellers” effect. Creepy and eerie. If I have a complaint with one part of this album it is with the part of the album that begins with this song: the music becomes a bit repetitive and monotonous as the lyrics become more important to listen to (something I am not particularly well-suited to). The song is good, the structure good, just too much the same—until the Tears For Fears section in the last 30 seconds of the song. (8/10)
7. “Defense Highway” (10:49) opens slowly, as if having trouble developing into a groove, but then, thanks to the direction of the violin, structure coagulates and the song gets up and goes. Another Devin-like racer with great screeching and voice-warbling to illustrate the protagonist's fragile grip on reality and self-control. A delicate, quiet part in the fifth minute seems to Amazing drum work throughout this song. An incredible section beginning at the 5:38 mark with “Walking…” is so familiar yet so brilliant—alternating fast and slow, running and collapsing, running and hiding, running and giving up, letting go. This song is all over the place but so incredibly powerful in its representation of yin-yang duality, the human rollercoaster, the madhouse and house of mirrors that we all walk through every day. The chaos at 8:35 is again won over by the gentle piano play and angelic vocal choir. At 9:38 Gabriel once again whips out an incredibly moving chord progression and beautiful vocal section—which then quickly morphs into an out-of-control race of fuzzy freneticism. Even the winning piano and ensuing saxophone triumphant are a bit out of control. Am I listening to the modern-day version of Rael and Brother John’s trip through The Ravine? Will they come out with IT—with the realization that all is one, all is illusory, all is part of the game to which we all contracted our irreversible participation? (19/20)
8. “Inner Sanctum” (7:34) is very reminiscent of many of the heavier song parts and grungier styles from TOBY DRIVER’s Kayo Dot and maudlin of The Well projects—and this one, too, gets a little overwhelming with its barrage of cacophony coming at me from so many depths and directions. Still, I understand the point being made here: it is only through incredible strength and perseverance that one can fend off the incredibly distracting and overwhelming cacophony of external noise in order to find, strengthen and maintain the Inner Voice. The electric guitar and violin clattering for front-and-center attention at the three minute mark seem to feel triumphant and hopeful. This then is followed by a very TD-feeling nightmare-dream-feeling section of purposely plodding, monotonous heavy discordant music while the droning, slowly drawn out treated vocal seems to descend into the murkiness. As if sucked into the tar, “Goodbye,” he repeats, as he gives in—and before the crazed cacophony of wildly random bashing and crashing of all instruments closes the song. (14/15)
9. “Languishing in Lower Chakras” (11:09) finds the listener hearing the stillness, peace, and near-calm of the protagonist after the chaos of internal battle, after the psychic meltdown. Musically, Gabriel uses the gentle yet randomly flitting and floating piano play of the opening song to create this place of calm retreat. Gradually these notes become . . . organized—are joined by supportive elements—electric keyboard, clapping, sounds of feet running, PA voices, television voices, angelic humming and gathering of energy—all swirling gently but with an increasing element of organization and insistence, of wakefulness and strength. Are these the distractions trying to lure this catotonic creature back into the world of action and reaction? Is he returning to consciousness? Or is he dying but hearing his last voices and noises from Earth Plane?
The choir of oddly treated and fading in and out ‘heavenly’ voices leads me to believe further that this is a dying or at least near-death experience conveyed through music: Reversed notes and chords from the introductory ‘birth’ sequence enters with the protagonist’s floating background voice repeating his initial plea, “I can’t …” followed by the insistent repetition of a spoken voice, “Get me out of here!"
This is an odd song yet I find it very effective in the context of this incredible storytelling. My take on this one is that Gabriel’s protagonist is struggling with a solution to the problem of how to cope with the incredibly taxing, insistent and ultimately depressing amount of information bombarding us from this ‘civilized’ world. The protagonist is either choosing to attempt to learn--or learning out of absolute necessity--the ‘art’ of detachment, here passively observing the dross and cacophony of the external world from a place of inward peace and calm. This exercise is not easy as one is constantly being lured out of one’s ‘center’—that sanctuary of internal peace--by the distractions of the ‘noise’ coming from ‘outside.’
Or I could be way off base and the character is merely going through a bardo-type experience—a post-human life or near-death experience in which he is the unwitting passive observer of petty events occurring around his unresponsive corporeal body. Or maybe sleep has become his only refuge. (17/20)
10. “Curing Somatization” (10:26) Heavy and discordant cacophony opens this song (reentry and bombardment of stimuli?) before a quiet, calm (return to safety of the inner sanctuary?), within which can be heard an aimless, almost child-like voice sing-songing to itself. Then at 2:05 is a return to the barrage of noise but it seems to be more organized, more structured, more controlled or ‘managed.’ But the chaos always seems to be pressing in from around, creeping closer and closer. Paranoia. Delusion. “I’ve only been running from myself,” screams one voice. “I built this city to hide,” comes later. The musical shift at the beginning of the sixth minute coincides with lyrics like, “I try to create something, (but) I destroy what‘s beautiful. I try to save and I kill instead.” "I’m trying to love but I’m in hate’s grasp,” and “Fear is my one form of wealth," and “Why do I torture myself.” Then a strong, clear male voice sings beautifully, incredibly emotionally, “Erosion of confusion, I forgive you for all you have done. Corrosion of illusion, I forgive myself for choosing hell” (the realization that these constructs, the interior city, is hell—that that is what the human experience is).
“This city can’t control all that I see. This city has no power over me. It’s taken on a life of its own. AND I CAN LET IT GO!” is the protagonist’s awakening moment—his moment of true detachment. Then he turns to his new reality, the beauty of his new Truth, with the beautiful piano chords, now fully formed, fully supportive, full of profound beauty, familiar from the opening song (The pre-birth blissful state of ignorance and spiritual wholeness?):
“Welcome home! This is your home now. Step OUTSIDE! You’re not alone,” ends the album and we’ve come full circle, back to the Eden of the beginning. (18/20)
It is so refreshing to hear an album—from a younger person—which tries to tackle an incredibly important and meaningful topic: the struggle to find purpose and meaning in this human life experience. Interior City is, I believe, an allegory for our time—for Mr. Riccio’s generation—which attempts to give meaning to life—to offer a way to cope with ‘this mortal coil’ while incarnated during this particularly difficult challenging time on planet Earth. Gabriel accepts that, yes, we have made the choice to commit to human life form but that it is also quite a struggle to find reason and justification for this choice. Detached Self-centeredness may be the best solution to surviving the overwhelmingly confusing experience with some semblance of sanity.
The ability Mr. Riccio has shown in being able to express his ideas through music is masterful. With the diverse talents and interests he has shown in his brief yet diverse and experimental past, I do not reckon that “Prog Metal” will be the resting place of this master’s musical expression. Don’t be surprise if we hear some classical or world musically-influenced music coming from The Gabriel Construct in the not-too-distant future. I know, I, for one, will be there to receive and relish any recordings offered by this new and bright, bright light of music and art.
92.41 on the Fish scales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of music; Interior City is one of the most profoundly moving artistic oeuvres I’ve encountered in my lifetime.
P.S. All of the links I've created lead to YouTube videos of songs played in real time as tracks were being added to individual songs (two with Gabriel playing his piano parts and one with Travis Orbin adding his drumming part (to "Fear of Humanity"). Enjoy! They're amazing to watch!
KARNIVOOL Asymmetry
Warning: This is an album that requires headphones or a very good speaker system in order to fully appreciate! With Karnivool’s third release, Asymmetry, I am seeing a lot of growth, a lot of branching out in terms of influences and styles. There is still a lot of TOOL/MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN similarities-especially in the wonderful voice of singer, Ian Kenny--but add to that more THE MARS VOLTA/OMAR LOPEZ-RODRIGUEZ, OPETH/MIKHAEL AKERFELD, and OCEANSIZE as well as an incredibly full palette display of engineering techniques, all the while maintaining clear access to the individual instrumental tracks in what could have been a murky, soupy mess.
In my opinion this is an aural and sonic masterpiece; the band has easily surpassed their wonderful 2009 album, Sound Awake. New producer, Nick DiDia, has helped the band achieve incredible new heights.
1. “Aum” (2:22) is a kind of spacey meditative intro. Not much really to like or dislike.
2. “Nachash” (4:50) (Link to video of live performance from Moshcam) sees the band move straight into its TOOL-like territory but then they back off into some very delicate, spacey territory. There is an awesome vocal section beginning at 3:25 with “Wait!” and then culminating in a great guitar scream before the return to the original high octane pace and sound. The two guitars battle it out with Judd’s drum play for the finale. Awesome. (9/10)
3. “A.M. War” (5:18) opens with a catchy metallic guitar arpeggio riff before the bottomed-out bass and rest of the band join in full force, full throttle. The song overall reminds me of OCEANSIZE Frames era. (9/10)
4. “We Are” (5:56) begins with a little bit of techno-funk similar to some of Omar Rodriguez’s solo work. I just love Jon Stockman’s bass play throughout this song. I also love the impassioned vocal, the background keyboard flourishes and the almost “incidental” electric guitar embellishments. Great engineering/production on this, one of the most impressive songs I’ve heard all year! (10/10)
5. “The Refusal” (4:54) has a very heavy edge to it, like something I’d hear on OCTANE radio—Skillet or TMV—even in the bare bones section beginning at 2:05 there is a MAYNARD-like edge. Again, awesome engineering and production throughout the last two minutes. (8/10)
6. “Aeons” (7:18) begins with some spacey, echoed tremolo guitar notes before synth and amazing bass and drums join in. Incredible beginning! Delicate singing voice enters at 1:15 to tell us that he doesn’t feel so well. Amazing use of heavy, thick instrumental sounds balanced by an empty spaciousness that is simply stunning! Gorgeous floating guitar in the first mid-song interlude before the TMV-like barrage of sound enters again. Another stepped down section fills the sixth minute as the vocalist sings about chemical fires signaling our death. Another favorite. (10/10)
7. “Asymmetry” (2:36) uses an odd sound loop to gradually set up some heavily distorted free form guitar play. The top-notch engineering of this album again comes shining through. (9/10)
8. “Eidolon” (3:45) offers a very catchy MUSE-like song—rather sedate when compared to the previous lineup. Again, I love all of the amazing incidentals running through the spaces and background of the music. (9/10)
9. “Sky Machine” (7:49) opens with some gorgeous multi-layered singing supported by delicate guitar and awesome drumming. A little EDGE/U2 feel to this song though the vocal is like some of MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN’s most sensitive. Even the more amped up section beginning at 5:30 is quite extraordinary for its beauty and sensitivity. Awesome song. Love this guitar work. (9/10)
10. “Amusia” (0:54) is another off-kilter sonic interlude which bleeds into/sets up
11. “The Last Few” (5:15) opens up Karnivool’s new TOOL/TMV meld style: quite intricately planned, complicated, layered music with a more polished version of the raw freneticism of Omar and co. The vocal and melody is, unfortunately, a little weaker than the previous offerings, giving the song a bit of a flat feel to it. (8/10)
12. “Float” (4:17) carries over a psychedelia feel from the ending of the previous song for its first 30 seconds before emptying out with a spacey treated guitar almost as if KLAUS SCHULZE were manipulating the delicate guitar play of 1974 STEVE HACKETT. Kenny’s masterful vocal remains in his highest registers throughout the song. The space-treated instrumentation is quite effective. (9/10)
13. “Alpha Omega” (7:57) put an emotional Maynard James Keenan singing over some acid drawn out Led Zepellin being played by OPETH and I think this is what you might get. (9/10)
14. “Om” (3:52) is another odd, spacey instrumental using dissonance and random piano notes tied together only through their chromatic commonality to bookend. In the second half there is being played a tape recorded interview RE empathy and bliss, the common sound and color beneath it all. (9/10)
Unlike some of my fellow reviewer here on PA, I am finding that this album is haunting me—staying with me and drawing me back for more plays of “We Are” and Aeons” and “Float” and “Alpha Omega” and “Nachash” and even the poppier “Eidolon.” Asymmetry is easily one of the most unique and memorable albums I’ve heard this year. I think special mention must go out to each of the individual musicians involved with this album—including the engineer and producer. Steve Judd’s drumming is always solid and idiosyncratic. Jon Stockman’s bass stylings are amazingly diverse and always interesting. Guitarists Goddard and Hosking are amazing in their sound palettes, temperaments, and mature ability to hold back, reserve, instead of always flash and flourish. The “risks” taken in these compositions and performances can only be described as mature and virtuosic. The “asymmetry” of heavy mixed with delicate and subtle, virtuosic flash mixed with astoundingly simple is masterful. In my humble opinion, these are some of the finest, freshest proggers on the planet and they have created one of the best albums of 2013.
88.6 on the Fish scales = 4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece.
ARCANE Chronicles of the Waking Dream
A wonderfully theatric concept story rendered to Prog Metal/Heavy Prog music similar to KARNIVOOL, TOOL, and even
Line-up / Musicians:
- Jim Grey / vocals
- Michael Gagen / guitars
- Matthew Martin / keyboards
- Mick Millard / bass
- Stephen Walsh / drums
With:
- Molly McLarnon / vocals (5)
- Anette Askvik / vocals (9)
- Daniel Johnston / narration as Acolyte Zero (10)
1. "Glimpse (3:36) sounds like an even more theatric version of TOOL and Maynard James Keenan. A little over the top, but a great start to a virtually seemless story exposition. (9.5/10)
2. "The Seer" (5:30) heavy prog carrying over the melodies from the opening song. Having been a long fan of fellow Aussies KARNIVOOL, I feel there are many similarities here to that later band. But vocalist Jim Grey is far more theatric and risk-taking than Ian Kenny--is more on a par with THAT JOE PAYNE--and may be even more talented than the Karnivool lead singer. The music is good, with lots of proggy time, theme, and stylistic variations, and the instrumental talents of the band members are very good, but there is something in the sound rendering that make the tracks seem a bit too clean, too separate, and too "constricted." But what a talent is this Jim Grey! (8.75/10)
3. "The Malice (7:21) Drums, bass, and keys shine the most for me on this heavy, at-time-brooding and dramatic number. Nice lead guitar and Hammond interchanges in the fourth minute, with the guitar sound and style beginning to sound more like AL DI MEOLA the further we get into the song. Great song! Jim Grey's That Joe Payne-like performance in the second half is worthy of all the superlatives you can come up with. (14/15)
4. "The First Silent Year" (1:19) cool effected organ with effected lead guitar soloing soul-fully over the top. (4.25/5)
5. "Secret" (7:18) "glockenspiel" takes up the main melody from the previous ditty before bursting into a oddly soft yet dynamic TOOL-like performance song. Jim Grey: Wow! A vocal performance for the ages. Intersting to hear Hammond soloing "metal"style within those power chords and then followed and teamed by searing electric guitar runs. Great ORPHANED LAND sound in the fifth and sixth minutes. Then a small children vocalising the main melody a cappella (!) before the band joins in! (13.75/15)
6. "Fading" (11:58) sensitive strumming around the electric guitar fretboard while Jim Grey sings in his most delicate upper register voice. So cool! Band with piano joins in to provide rolling, relaxing background for continued beautiful singing. At 3:30 the power chords begin to amp up the sound palette until the walls are fully built early into the fifth minute. Wow! I am so impressed by this band's capacity to support melody with its multi-varied musical textures! A wonderful song that somehow doesn't ever rise to the heights of its initial promise. (22.5/25)
7. "The Second Silent Year" (1:48) solo piano with a heart-felt Billy Joel feel to it. Nice exploration of other themes/motifs from the album. (4.5/5)
8. "May 26" (3:17) muted, scratchy guitar, bass, and drums weave a perfect triad of sequences while piano's upper register tinkles away as if in its own universe and Maynard Jim Grey sings a breathy vocal somewhere in the middle. Another surprisingly unique, original, and cool take on the heavy prog/prog metal sound palette. (9.25/10)
9. "The Third Silent Year" (2:29) (not present on my digital copy from Bandcamp of the album.)
10. "Asylum: Acolyte Zero" (13:04) opens with full-on walls of sound metal, once again conveying those Middle Eastern melodic sensibilities. Even when it moves into the rapid fire/machine gun guitar, bass, and drum playing in the second minute, it's still ORPHANED LAND/YOSSI SASSI I hear--even more pronounced int the stepped down 'scapes of the third and fourth minutes. (21.75/25)
11. "Whisper" (1:45) the bookend finish to a great story rendering. Does a great job reminding us of the talents of this singer, Jim Grey. (4.5/5)
Total time: 59:25
90.40 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of wonderfully fresh-sounding heavy prog, one of my favorite prog-on-the-heavy-side albums of the Naughties and, in my opinion, an essential listening experience for any prog lover.
ÄNGLAGÅRD Viljans Ôga
I want to make this clear: This is by no means a perfect album; I do not consider this to be one of the guiding lights by which progressive rock music should be compared or to which artists should aspire. This is partly because, IMHO, it lacks the commitment and courage of using lyrics and vocals. It is, however, an incredible gathering of talented artists who have made a complete effort to create intricate compositions fully displaying their top-notch instrumental wizardry. And, for once, Änglagård has mastered tying into its complicated compositions both melody and emotion. (Something I have criticized them of in the past.) I believe it is through their maturity that they have been able to discipline such an amazing collaboration. And, yes, I agree, that the stronger prominence of both acoustic guitars and woodwinds have helped bring this album to this level of not only masterful performance and presentation but to universal accessibility and acceptance.
While I appreciated the technical and instrumental mastery that it took to create Hybris, I found it repellingly cold and cerebral. While I found Epilog more engaging and melodic, not so pretentious, I still felt no long-term love for it. After intense and frequent revisits (even now) I still find little to no attraction to either of those albums. Viljans Ôga, however, has entered my heart. I play it often. It has the pastoral, spacious, melodic sections--and lots of them!--that my soul seems to require in order for me to want to come back to music--my favorite music. I especially enjoy the slow-to-develop structures of these songs, and really love the prominent place the flutes and mellotron and keyboards are allowed to have. And "Snardom" has an absolutely irresistable hook around which the entire song is built. It easily my favorite song from Änglagård.
1. "Ur Vilande" (15:47) is probably the biggest surprise because, as the opening song, I am continually surprised at its patient, slow, rather soft acoustic development--with flute, cellos and tuned percussion, piano and acoustic guitar dominating the pastoral scenery for fully the first minutes two minutes. And then continuing with a kind of STEVE HACKETT Voyage of the Acolyte/KING CRIMSON In the Court of the Crimson King sound for another exquisitely delicate two minutes. Is this really Änglagård or is it Spain's KOTEBEL? There are even moments reminiscent of GENTLE GIANT (whole band syncopation at the 8 minute mark) and SANTANA (guitar at the 9 minute mark). (27/30)
2. I like the beginning (and ending) folk melodies and cinematic layering that "Sorgmantel" (12:06) (18/20) is built upon.
3. "Snardom" (16:15) again reminds me a lot of YES and KOTEBEL. It is also blessed with the album's most catchy, melodic riff--around which the entire song is built. The interesting thing is the broadly dynamic way in which this little riff is explored. Again, I can't help but point out that this is quite the way Carlos Plaza Vega and KOTEBEL construct 90% of their songs. Very dramatic, very classical/symphonic. All it needs now is a vocal (and boy does it scream for GENESIS' Peter Gabriel!)(28.5/30).
4. The YES-like almost-avant/borderline chaos of "Langtans Klocka" (13:22) after the 4:45 mark, and after the 10:50 mark, I find quite entertaining and amusing--kind of like listening to UNEXPECT, THINKING PLAGUE, or even ZAPPA. (19/20)
Whether Viljans Ôgo will make my All-time Top 100 is doubtful. Whether music listeners will want to rank this up there in the PA all-time Top 10 is not for me to say, but then, I do not consider Thick as a Brick, Godbluff, or Wish You Were Here, among the ten most seminal, influential standard bearers of progressive rock music. I like the construction and flow of the first and last songs on Viljans Ôga, and the other two songs are good but, IMO, a little more disjointed. What I do find odd is how similar the music of Viljans Ôga is to that of Kotebel--how often I hear Kotebel while listening to Änglagård. And yet, nobody seems to give Kotebel the attention and praise that one would think it deserves--especially in relation to how much Anglagard receives.
92.5 on the Fish scales = A/five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music.
KETTLESPIDER Kettlespider
Solid, polished, refreshing heavy prog rock from Down Under.
Line-up/Musicians:
Colin Andrews - Bass
Scott Ashburn - Guitars
Haris Boyd-Gerny - Guitars
Geoffrey Fyfe - Keyboards
Simon Wood - Drums
With:
Fabian Acuña - Trumpet (2, 5)
1. "The Climber" (2:24) the opening thirty seconds reminds me of some of the classic rock songs of the 70s--Damn Yankees or Loverboy or somebody like that--but then it switches at the forty-five second mark to something more complicated, more prog rock-like, more metal-like. (8.5/10)
2. "Circus" (4:34) the jazzy, delicate, melodic central third is the prize here. (9/10)
3. "Samsara" (2:31) opens with acoustic guitar being gently picked before keys and the rest of the band join in on the weave. They manage to maintain a nice melodic sense throughout this medium-paced instrumental. (9/10)
4. "Break The Safe, Pt. 1" (3:18) opens delicately but then becomes quite in your face in a kind of King Crimson way. Over and over they kind of "trick" you into relaxing and enjoying their beautiful sound groove before they bring in the distorted guitars and power chords. The final odd-time-signatured section is nice. (8.5/10)
5. "Anubis" (7:16) this one has quite a RUSH-like sound and feel to my ears (think of the excellent instrumental music of "Subdivisions"). The shift at the end of the second minute to a gentle and spacious section is quite unexpected and interesting. Steven Wilson comes to mind. Then comes the gun at 3:05 and they're off to the races, breaking into a heavy metal guitar-shredding section that tries to turn jazzy but then gets funneled back into the heavy prog world until 4:15 when another tricky, quirky, almost avant/RIO switcheroo tries to take hold. Just kidding! We're still heavy progging! But that trumpet is trying to say otherwise. Damn the influence of that Latin lover! I like this song because of its tricks and turns, surprises and maintained high quality and high entertainment value. Well done, arachnids! (14.25/15)
6. "Life" (6:06) Djent! Now they're getting into my comfort zone! (Don't know why I love those djenty guitar chords.) But then they turn sharp left in the second minute, trying to trick me again, but, no, it's just a short cut into some heavy prog, semi-djented. Nice work on the batterie, by the way, Simon. And props go out to precision bass work of Colin Andrews. Loving the fourth and fifth minutes: much more humane! And the guitar "ascending" from out of the birth canal effect is brilliant! My favorite song on the album! (10/10)
7. "Rebirth" (7:01) Oh, oh! Are we in for some Norse Black Metal? O Dark :30 and I'm still not sure. Even the delicate soft interlude at the one minute mark has me on pins and needles. 1:40: Here it comes. It's building! 2:10: Oh! It's so cute! It's just a big Totoro! 3:00: or is it the bad Stay Puft Marshmallow Man? We'll know soon. 3:45: He's leaving! He's not going to kill us or destroy our city! He likes Nature! 4:30: And video games. He's social! He has a family! And friends! Aww! He was just looking for his own kind! And they're going to live happily ever after! Such a cinematic gem! (13.5/15)
8. "Break The Safe, Pt. 2" (4:18) Safe. Solid. Unbreakable. Cohesive. Even pretty. And hypnotic. Cool Devy Townsend ending. Likable and yet unspectacular. (9/10)
Total Time 37:28
90.625 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of instrumental progressive rock music. While I see lots of potential for improvement--both is sound and composition--these guys are definitely on to something!
FEN Epoch (2011)
While I, too, am not much of a fan of black metal, doom metal or even metal, I have become more 'used to' the vocal stylings (thanks to the likes of MAUDLIN OF THE WELL, AGALLOCH, and ALCEST) of this music--as long as the music is good. And this is GREAT music! Even a notch above ALCEST's 2010 gem, Écailles de lune, whose combination of the shoegaze guitars and the black metal vocals and heaviness are similar. The difference is in the changes in tempo, key and even, sometimes, sound and structure within each song, but more, it's in the emotional impact of these songs. There are times that I feel exhausted, drained at the end of a single song they are so powerful, so deeply emotional. Also, as one reviewer already put it, I love the 1970's 'feel' to the recording/production (especially the drums!). Some absolutely beautiful, deeply affecting music the lyrics of which I have yet to try to figure out (and, frankly, could really care less about: it's the music that reigns supreme for me!) I don't yet have a favorite (though "Of Wilderness and Ruin" [8:18] [9/10] is incredible!) There is such a great, almost seamless, flow and continuity to the album, from start to finish. I don't think any one song is that much better or worse than any other. In fact, all the songs need each other to be able to attain the effect of transporting the listener to such a distant planet as it does. One reviewer also mentioned how this album exhibits the way in which a truly excellent drummer can elevate an album to such incredible heights. I couldn't agree more. Nothing too flashy, just great rhythm which, you can tell, is 'the glue that binds.' Love the band members' names!
"The Watcher / vocals, guitars
Grungyn / bass, backing vocals
Æðelwalh / synthesizers, backing vocals
Theutus / drums."
***** 5 star songs: ALL . . . but the finale, "Ashbringer," which earns, IMO, 4 stars. My favorites: "The Gibbet Elms" (6:30) (10/10); the final three-quarters of "Carrier of Echoes" (6:30) (9/10), the shocking opener, "Epoch" 6:18) (9/10) and the emotional rollercoaster of "A Waning Solace" (9:51) (18/20).
90.0 on the Fish scales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music.
THE OCEAN Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic
My introduction to this eclectic prog metal band from Germany. You'll want to hear this one for yourselves. It's good!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Loïc Rossetti / vocals
- Paul Seidel / drums
- Mattias Hägerstrand / bass
- Peter Voigtmann / keyboards
- David Ramis Åhfeldt / guitars
- Robin Staps / guitars
With:
- Jonas Renkse / vocals
1. "Triassic" (8:31) slow, spaced out electric guitar strums accompanied by flutey-trumpet sound are soon joined by bass, low synths, stick percussion, and drums. Very cool development and build as chunky goes into an early, pre-singing solo. Singing doesn't even begin until the third minute as sticks, strums and chugging GENESIS Duke-like rhythm guitar back robotic multi-voice vocals. Very cool! Brief growled chorus before moving back into the same motif for the second verse. The second time through the chorus sees a drawing out of the growls--this time being antiphoned by the robotic choir--before we trans into an instrumental section for two-tracks of guitars soloing. Near the six-minute mark we move back into the chorus--version II with robot voices answering/alternating with growler. Then the growler gets complete lead for the 7:00 mark until finally being rejoined by the robot voices and then returning to a repeat of the two-guitar instrumental section. Brilliant song! (19/20)
2. "Jurassic | Cretaceous" (13:24) Part TOOL, part LEPROUS, big part OPETH, there is enough refreshing creativity here to make me want to listen and like this music, but, in the end, aside from its lyrics and despite it's awesome intro, it is 80% rehashing what other Death Metal bands have done before. (26.25/30)
3. "Palaeocene" (4:00) standard growl death metal. Aside from the lyrics, there's nothing new here. (7.75/10)
4. "Eocene" (3:57) using a different singer with a more melodic, gentle, KEVIN MOORE/CHROMA KEY-like approach--until the chorus, then it turns more like Bath/Leaving Your Body Map-era MAUDLIN OF THE WELL. The second verse sounds more like French band KLONE. Well done, if lacking any real climax. (9/10)
5. "Oligocene" (4:00) ANATHEMA or VOTUM-like atmospheric opening has me tuned in. Completely. Now this is a band I could follow! (9.5/10)
6. "Miocene | Pliocene" (4:40) steady psych/kosmische music over which vocalist growl-screams his message. I like the fact that he's singing slowly enough that I can understand his lyrics. (They're in English). The chorus is interestingly in a multi-track vocal format that sounds incredibly similar to LINKIN PARK. For music/songs like this I can tolerate the growling vocal deliveries. (9/10)
7. "Pleistocene" (6:40) more KEVIN MOORE/OSI like pulsing music over which the LINKIN PARK voice sings plaintively (or like a human Einar Solberg (LEPROUS). Growls scream the chorus. Second verse has high-pitched upper octave background singer mirroring the lyrics and lead vocalist's melody. After the second verse the music amps up and shifts into a slightly higher gear (third and, later, fourth)) while growler likewise increases the emotion behind his rant. It's effective! The chord play around the 6:00 mark is straight out of the LEPROUS/PROGHMA-C handbook. Nice ending and, though interesting and creative, overall it somehow falls a little short of great. (8.75/10)
8. "Holocene" (5:47) a steady, pleasurable song that has an OSI, TONY PATTERSON, or LUNATIC SOUL feel and sound to it. It keeps me engaged but disappoints in its failure to intensify and/or climax or resolve. (8.75/10)
Total Time 50:59
Total Time 50:59
89.09 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of creative, inventive heavy progressive rock or experimental/post metal music. Definitely highly recommended for every prog lover to to check out.
CALIGULA'S HORSE In Contact
This album definitely qualifies as one of the top three or four heavy prog/prog metal albums of the year. Though there are many segments in which the similarities to Australian band KARNIVOOL come crashing into my face, this is an extremely well produced album of well-conceived and performed songs.
Line-up / Musicians:
Sam Vallen / Guitars
Jim Grey / Vocals
Dave Couper / Bass
Josh Griffin / Drums
Adrian Goleby / Guitars
1. "Dream the Dead" (8:09) great opener--ominous metallic sounds from the opening are soon held in check for the arrival of the gorgeous vocal but they're there: lurking beneath, you can feel them waiting to pounce despite the pretty music and singing. Very KARNIVOOL-like--Karnivool at its best. (14.25/15)
2. "Will's Song (Let the Colours Run)" (4:42) opens with a fairly simple melody played over aggressive djenty guitar chords and machine gun bass drumming. Before the first minute ends, the music scales back to make room for the vocal--which is nice--soft and breathy with great, edgie melodies. The chorus bursts forth again sounding very much like KARNIVOOL--a sound that seems to carry forward into the next verse section as the singer sings in full Ian Kenny voice. Impressive guitar solo at the 2:55 mark. Again, the KARNIVOOL sounds and styles are unmistakable--especially in the chorus--but it's a great sound! (9.5/10)
3. "The Hands are the Hardest" (4:46) Before the age of metal and djent, this could have been a great techno-pop song. Great melodies. Strange that the line "love conquers all" appears in the chorus. The guitar-strum murky final minute is actually awesome! (9/10)
4. "Love Conquers All" (2:21) delicate acoustic guitar arpeggi open this one before rhythm track enters beneath. Multiple guitars set up a melody before everything cuts out, resets, and Jim's vocals start. The multi-voice-supported chorus enters with only a minute left! and then we restore the opening vocal theme for the finish. Simple, odd, pretty. (8.5/10)
5. "Songs for No One" (7:43) opens with voice that is quickly joined by the full-force of the band. Nothing held back here! Almost a "metal shoegaze" guitar sound here! The lyric and vocal, however, fails to grab me while the rest of the music in support is fairly simple--until the quiet passage beginning at 1:40. Effective; gives the listener a better appreciation for the construction of the fuller, heavier passages. At 2:30 there is another lull, this time without vocals, before power chords and drums come bursting back in. Nice variety with djent-guitar during the bridge before the second chorus. The choruses, however, just don't do it for me. Nice vocal-lead guitar handoff at the 4:10 mark--followed by a sweet guitar solo. Another lull at the end of the fifth minute, with whispery vocals and floating guitar notes, sustains itself into a beautiful gentle choral section before we fly back into the fast lane. Vocal growls shout out in the background of the next high-octane instrumental section. An interesting song with some clever highlights and mildly disappointing situations. (13.5/15)
6. "Capulet" (3:23) gorgeous, emotionally delivered upper-octave vocal supported by acoustic guitar-led trio. I like the middle octave backing of the second voice. I also like the change in upper end dynamics of the guitar and organ in the final minute. Cool! (9/10)
7. "Fill My Heart" (6:42) an edgy, aggressive song with a nice melody that is set up by a catchy chord progression. Interesting contrast between the active drums and simple guitar picking. Deep bass notes sneak in during the third minute. Ominous syncopated instrument play at the halfway point. Long high note singing reminds me of Ian Kenny from Karnivool. Blistering guitar solo in the sixth minute sets up the final repetitions of the chorus. Nice heavy prog song. (13.5/15)
8. "Inertia and the Weapon of the Wall" (2:57) theatric stage soliloquy--no doubt from some play.
9. "The Cannon's Mouth" (5:56) opens with a very chunky, djenty sound--over which lead guitarist wails intently. When the vocals enter, over a very quiet, spacious foundation of sparse music, it feels/sounds like a continuation of the previous song's thespian vocal delivery, except for the fact that the music amps up to full metal guitar chopping with the choruses. Slow, Ian Kenny-like high-voice singing at the end of the third minute. The chorus gets heavier next time around. Nice melodies. (9/10)
10. "Graves" (15:31) this prog epic contains many moments that remind me of the sounds and work of Poland's 1990s prog revivalists, COLLAGE: instrumental and vocal melodies, synth sounds and even drumming style. Still, the highs and lows and overall effect of the song is not anything that feels innovative or even refreshing; there is nothing new here. And the fact that the chorus starts each time with the familiar words and sound of KARNIVOOL's "We are" detracts and distracts. The presence of piano and sax are different (yet add nothing new or exciting). (24/30)
88.20 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music.
GREEN CARNATION Leaves of Yesteryear
After a 15 year absence, these Norwegian veterans are back with an amazing album of strong songs--so well constructed and composed as to have both spaciousness and density, great melody and harmony, uniquity and cleverness, as well as an outstanding vocalist in Kjetil Nordhus and great sound production.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Kjetil Nordhus / vocals
- Michael Krumins / guitar
- Terje Vik Schei "Tchort" / guitar
- Kenneth Silden / keyboards
- Stein Roger Sordal / bass, guitar
- Tommy Jacksonville / drums
1. "Leaves of Yesteryear" (8:03) opens with the metal sounds and ANATHEMA-like keyboard atmospherics we expect before shifting into a more ULVER-esque ominous spaciousness. The dominant metal riffing sounds like a cross between URIAH HEEP and OPETH. Weak chorus. Nice FLOYDian interlude in the middle. Turns full-on Death Metal at the six minute mark, but then returns to a more symphonic heavy prog style for the finish. (13/15)
2. "Sentinels" (5:42) BLACK SABBATH-like simplicity to the heavy opening, turns a speed corner at 1:10 into more modern metal style for the chorus section. Cool guitar play with syncopated chords and space in the middle before falling back into a machine gun chorus section. Clever codas here and there to transition from Sabbath section to bullet-pace and back and forth. (8.5/10)
3. "My Dark Reflections of Life and Death" (15:35) nice slow, spacious, ominous intro before everybody comes crashing in at 2:12 with an alien spacecraft synth in the lead. This switches to electric guitar in the fourth minute as the hard-driving music continues to establish itself. At 3:30, then, there's a pretty little interlude barely containing a lot of potential energy. Then Kjetil begins singing as the band comes back to full throttle. Some cool textural shifts going on beneath his singing. Everything comes to a standstill at 5:30 for some spacey synth notes before Kjetil burst into the fray with a deep tenor and the slower-paced metal chord progression accompanies him. Another standstill at 7:10 which gets filled by a distant-sounding rolling bass and then treated electric piano. Kjetil's John Wetton voice returns with some tom-tom play and piano arpeggi with the bass and synths before a nylon string guitar's up-sliding arpeggi take over. By the end of the tenth minute, the four-chord organ-led heavy metal progression and Kjetil's projecting voice return but then there is another shift into more symphonic palette for a RIVERSIDE-like guitar solo and singing section. This pattern continues, building in intensity, with both singing and instrumental sections, until 13:15 when an almost disco beat establishes to enter a full-on multi-instrumental metal onslaught in which Kjetil does not return until the final 45 seconds. Certainly a labyrinthine song. (27/30)
4. "Hounds" (10:09) great simplicity for a metal song with great melodies and other hooks (including Kjetil's strikingly-similar GREG LAKE voice). My favorite song on the album. (18/20)
5. "Solitude" (5:05) piano, acoustic guitar and gentle background keys and bass are not what you expect from one of the innovators of the metal world early 21st Century. Nice song but never really goes anywhere special. (8.5/10)
Total Time 44:34
My first impression is that Kjetil Nordhus must have been taking GREG LAKE/JOHN WETTON elocution/singing lessons over the past 15 years: the similarities at times are uncanny.
88.23 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music--and a great comeback from these long-absent veterans.
DISTORTED HARMONY Chain Reaction
An intelligent heavy prog with moderated use of the elements that often make metal music too abrasive for my senses. In this I would compare them to Tool, Karnivool, Proghma-C, and even Haken and Muse in their ability to salvage sensitivity and melody within their music.
An intelligent heavy prog with moderated use of the elements that often make metal music too abrasive for my senses. In this I would compare them to Tool, Karnivool, Proghma-C, and even Haken and Muse in their ability to salvage sensitivity and melody within their music.
1. “Every Time She Smiles” (6:46) Stylistically and vocally this song almost could have come off of FREDDEGREDDE’s Brighter Skies album. It even has quite a few attributes of the music coming from Indie-pop band COLDPLAY or maybe MUSE. Nice. (13.5/15)
2. “Children of Red” (5:08) There is a heavier, more metallic musical foundation to this one, yet their are still parts (mostly vocally) that remind me of COLDPLAY—at least until the growl-vocals at the end of the third minute. Then it reverts back to the more Indie-pop style choral vocals. Back to machine gun kick drum-led metal sound before fading delicately. A bit incongruous. (7/10)
3. “Misguided” (8:30) opens with some layered, multi-insturmental presentation of an engaging melodic riff before settling into a song that sounds straight from HAKEN’s Vision album. Then around 1:35 a cool multiple chord bridge takes us into another FREDDEGREDDE-like section. The first exposition of the chorus at 2:20 reminds me of KARNIVOOL. A nice FROST*-like instrumental midsection ends with some awesome lead guitar blending into screaming voice (treated) and keyboard before returning to the chorus. This one is a keeper. (18/20)
4. “Nothing (But the Rain) (2:16) is a very nice, melodic keyboard- and industrial sound-based instrumental interlude that builds on a repetitive chord progression into a quick climax. (5/5)
5. “As One” (5:48) begins softly with treated guitar and keys before the full band comes kicking in. At the one minute mark a “normal” vocal enters over some straightforward though heavier Indie rock sound. Chorus and later vocal sections are heavier and treated with effects. The number of tempo and style changes is again reminiscent of “quick change artist” FREDDEGREDDE, though the music is more similar to HAKEN. Cool song. (9/10)
6. “Hollow” (6:07) opens with some gentle, emotional, slowly strummed electric guitar and piano chords. How deceiving! All hell breaks loose at 0:44 with a creeping, haunting insistent heavy sound. The “I am the wave…” section only adds to this unsettled feeling. A very cool song with all kinds of sonic incidentals to surprise and/or distract you. Super high pitch fret-tapping guitar solo blasts its way in at 3:44. Wow! The three sections of the chorus return but with all balls out—to great effect. Great finish à la PROGHMA-C. (10/10)
7. “As You Go” (3:12) sounds like a nice MOON SAFARI or RPWL song. A nice break from the heaviness before (and to follow). (8/10)
8. “Natural Selection” (5:14) begins with an aggression that belies its melodic vocal sections. Kind of LINCOLN PARK-like in its two-facedness (even the “it doesn’t matter” lyric!) The band seems like it’s kind of draping a couple songs together into one. Again, FROST*s Experiments in Mass Appeal come to mind here: too much being compacted into five minutes. (7/10)
9. “Methylene Blue” (7:43) opens with a synth arpeggio repeating itself. Gentle almost whispered vocal enters soon. At 1:25 the voice moves up an octave as other instruments begin to join in. At 2:10 a piano-based section takes over for a bit. Gentle NOSOUND-like treated vocal begins. Very pretty section. Very sensitive and emotional—dreamy. At 3:50 the full band kicks in for “Praise the sun before she goes away” lyric. Electric guitar solo bridges between another louder, more aggressive section. Then, at the five minute mark, a drum-led staccato odd timed section ensues. Wonderful to hear the band weave their way in and out of this rhythmically complicated section. Just as suddenly it all drops out and we are restored to the piano arpeggios beneath the plaintive treated voice singing “Methylene blue. I am sorry for killing you” over a few time till the song’s end. Great tune! Feels like it should be accompanied by a sci-fi video (like KARNIVOOL’s awesome “We Are.”) (15/15)
Probably my favorite prog metal/heavy prog album of the year (I eventually find one or two). Fully worth four stars and more. Excellent instrumentalists playing some awesomely complex and yet engaging and beautiful music—all topped off with a great vocalist. Their future is bright! I, for one, will be watching!
88.09 on the Fish scales = 4.5 stars, a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music.
88.09 on the Fish scales = 4.5 stars, a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music.
ATMOSPHERES Reach
Atmospheric, djenty Prog not unlike bands VOTUM, PROGHMA-C, and KARNIVOOL. Vocals are almost like Tears for Fears' Roland Orzabul . . . without the punch and feeling.
Line-up / Musicians:
Stef Exelmans - vocals, guitar
Mathieu Rachmajda - bass
Bastiaan Jonniaux - drums, electronics
1. "Time I" (2:51) clock ticking and ominous droning synth opens before bass drum and woodblock hit join in. A second eerie synth buzz enters in the second minute before drums sounds start to expand and breathy, airy higher pitched vocals enter. Pretty amazing opening! (10/10)
2. "Time II" (5:41) add djenty guitars and bass and odd time signature drumming and we have a new albeit still unsettling sound. An 80s-effected vocal joins in during a lull then the full wall of sound melds. The vocal almost doesn't work. The best part of this song remains that two-chord synth drone in the foundation. (9/10)
3. "Time III" (1:27) the song's electro-atmospheric breakdown and fadeout. ("Time" should be one continuous song. (4/5)
4. "Nul" (4:26) a great multi-voice chorus almost lifts this one into prominence. (8.5/10)
5. "Mezame" (4:56) a very nice vocal melody in the verses cannot lift this one alone. (8.5/10)
6. "Morph" (5:43) solid but nothing very special here. (8/10)
7. "Gravity" (6:00) love the deep throng of the bass chord dominating the distant vocal during the opening section but, unfortunately, that and a fairly nice chorus melody are the highlights of this one. (8.5/10)
8. "Inertia" (6:20) great MASERATI-like opening riff! Love the slow addition of slow cymbol, synth, and bass before all hell breaks loose! Reprieve for the vocal would work if the vocals weren't so sedate/seem full of indifference. Still, great melodies and the stop-and-start heaviness works well on this one. GREAT fifth minute build and dénouement! (9/10)
9. "Reach" (5:09) the stage-by-stage, levels of development on this song plus the use of "tricks" like the bouncy/staccato female or pitch-altered voice in the second and fourth minutes is what I've been looking for. More! (9/10)
10. "Evolve" (10:00) the magic here is the ear-worm-like melodic hooks in the slow build of the opening four minutes--guitar strums, percussives, rolling bass, and vocal--as well as the neat ambient electronic second half. Brilliant restraint. (10/10)
Total Time 52:33
A collection of underwhelming music that has somehow dug itself deep into my brain. Most of the songs are not very complex; they are long enough to show more development, to include more flash and flourish. This album kind of reminds me of last year's release from GODSTICKS; ATMOSPHERES is a band straddling two different musical genres. Great potential!
88.0 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of atmospheric djenty prog.
Mirroring the ULVER / OPETH path.
- Haris / synths
- Theoharis Liratzakis / lead vocals, guitars
- J. Demian / bass, acoustic guitars
With:
- Lars Nedland (Borknagar / Solefald) / vocals (4)
- Ioannis Giahoudis / drums
- Dimitris Dimitrakopoulos / vocals
1. "Darwinian Beasts" (2:18) great song that introduces the futuristic sound and music that is to follow. (4.25/5)
2. "Incense Swirls" (7:14) sustained synth note is followed by pounding rock marching us forward. Jakub Roszak (RETROSPECTIVE)-like voice enters to begin telling us the story as the music trots along. Bass gets some interesting lee-way during fourth minute. Then vocalist(s) return singing int two different octaves. Nice! Scaled back instrumental passage in the fifth minute is cool--and is followed by a return to the higher-voiced chorus. The the marching beat is reestablished over which some interesting not-flashy synthesizer solos preceding the introduction of a new theme: a guitar arpeggio. Underwhelming ending. (Just prepping us for the next song?) (13.25/15)
3. "Alien Lip Reading" (6:36) great thick atmosphere with a very satisfying PAIN OF SALVATION-like wall-of-sound melodies, chord shifts, and feel. A top three song for me. (9.25/10)
4. "Crossroads" (5:09) opens with Gregorian chant-like effected male vocal before guitars and band launch into a drag race to the next song at the one minute mark. The simple and straightforward metal with simple synth riffs are fairly funny for their generic sound. The only saving grace is/are the vocals. What voices! (8.25/10)
5. "The Devil's Blind Spot" (3:42) guitar and synth created horn sounds open this one before full band enters to establish the foundation. But then it stays instrumental (other than some kind of growlish screams). Builds to a solid one minute finale. (8.75/10)
6. "The First Ape on New Earth" (7:26) it's off to the races from the opening note. The computer-esque drone voice of the lead singer is half BLUE ÖYSTER CULT half PAIN OF SALVATION--and the lyrics couldn't be more appropriate to both. Great tremolo strum in the fifth minute to pick things up. This, then, leads into a couple of nice whole-band power weaves. Very cool. Great bass play. Nice melodies that gradually, subtly worm their way into one's brain. Another top three song. (13.5/15)
7. "Automata 1980" (10:20) opens like a TODD RUNDGREN/TANGERINE DREAM/ "Twilight Zone" electronica experiment. Drums join in during the third minute while keys continue to do weirdness only. At 3:45 deep male voice enters with bank of Mellotron angelic voices. At 4:45 drums stop for cymbal crashes and heavily-treated choral voices singing "oohs" until 5:45 when the music smooths out into an equal palette of guitars and synths and more solid, laid back metal drumming while vocals become multi-tracked to sound multiplied. tremolo guitar slo in the eighth minute is very cool--gives the song a kind of "Court of the Crimson King" feel to it. Finishes with a Berlin School like sequencer sound as Gregorian voices vocalise in the far background. My favorite song on the album and oh, so different from the others! (18/20)
Total Time 42:45
My favorite aspect of this music are the vocals: they are excellent. It is also very refreshing to hear such adventurousness from a Prog Metal keyboardist!
87.94 on the Fishscales = B+/four stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection.
CONSIDER THE SOURCE You Are Literally a Metaphor
Some of the strangest music I've ever heard, combining all kinds of synthesized electric guitar work and computer-glitch/noise like sounds with heavy, technically jaw-dropping stop-n-start music--and all from a trio! Some of it is like music intended as soundtrack to computer games that has gone wild and others like hyperactive traditional Middle Eastern folk-rock! And GREAT song titles!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Gabriel Marin / Guitars
- John Ferrara / Bass
- John Ferrara / Bass
- Jeff Mann / Drums, Percussion
1. "Sketches from a Blind Man" (7:29) great opening/opening song to lure listeners in: spacey eerie guitar-generated sound over chunky avant-garde bass and aggressive drums in an odd time signature. The eeirie lead guitar sound actually creates a repeatable melody that gets into your head and stays there. Lots of incidental computer-like sounds flitting in and out of the soundscapes. In the fourth minute, guitar sound drops an octave or two, tempo straightens out and bass sound and style also shift, as guitar melodies change, though also remaining engaging and interesting. The bass player is really good! Another sound change at 5:40 in guitar lead and drum-triggered bass before everybody kicks back into full octane to give one heck of a show for the final minute. (13.5/15)
2. "The One Who Knocks" (7:43) acoustic guitar (!) and high-end bass open this before drums kick in to signal shift into full song structure with chunky active bass and low-end guitar plucking. Around 0:50 there is another shift in sounds and structure with guitar producing more high end tremolo or e-bow solo melody-making. Some nice Latin chords and sounds in bridges and several sections. It's like being on a motorcycle taking a trip through some big city, witnessing the wide diversity in neighborhoods with each turn down different streets. "Trombone" sound generated by the guitar in scaled down fifth minute, shape-shifts into flugelhorn and then into MetalSantana for the sixth. Bass and drums go into wild frenzy at 6:15 to bridge to more melodic, high-powered final minute. (13.5/15)
3. "Unfulfilled and Alienated" (3:04) opens with launch into full-speed reminiscent of the classically-based power metal of Yngwie Malmsteen. The melodies are almost Gypsy/Eastern European/klezmer, the bass play just like Les Claypool. High skills on display here! (9/10)
4. "It is Known" (11:45) gentle two-note bass chord arpeggi and bare-bones drumming support another spacey guitar sound in the lead. The melodies played by the guitar in the first two minutes are very Hawaiian sounding. At the two minute mark a "chorus"/B section begins with more frenetic drum and bass play as guitar doubles up and plays a higher octave, more piercing sound for its voicing of the melody. The A-B cycle takes about 90 seconds to come around again, but then in the fifth minute the music drops into a spacious lounge-bluesy support mode as Jeff Beck-like guitar squeals and screams its slide-guitar-like swamp blues. The rhythm section intensifies a bit at the 6:00 mark before bridging into an all-out MAHAVISHNU jam. Wow! This guitarist can move! The bass player, too! Machine gun notes throughout the eighth minutes. I am totally caught by surprise and blown away! The eighth and ninth minutes see a trading off of rapid fire noodling between the bass player and the guitarist, the former at the high end of his instrument, the latter in the lower end of his. At 10:25 they come back together to support the recapitulation of the melody themes used in the first two sections to the finish. (22.5/25)
5. "They Call Him the Smiling Assassin" (7:29) opening like the introductory melding that occurs in a lot of Middle Eastern music, finally coming together at 0:35 to establish a very Middle Eastern sounding song. The instruments are playing in very syncopated, staccato, and unified fashion until a switch after 90 seconds in which the guitar begins to sound like a Middle Eastern violin. The pacing becomes almost a Wild West cadence as guitar changes and shifts his sound in ways that seem to mimic a variety of traditional Middle Eastern instruments--though, in the fourth minute he brings it all into the 21st Century with a highly synthetic sound. Then there is a quiet section in which guitar disappears and drums perform an interesting solo on "traditional" Middle Eastern percussion instruments. Then there is a wild and schizophrenic bass guitar solo in the sixth minute in which several lines (tracks?) are occurring simultaneously. More hand percussives in the seventh minute before an acoustic ME instrument rejoins and re-builds the comradery that the song opened with to the finish. (14/15)
6. "Misinterpretive Dance" (9:20) opens with an instrumental weave that displays some of the softer sounds and playing styles of the band members. Nice. Computer synth incidentals (from overdubs) begin making their appearances in the second minute as the second verse plays. Chorus in the third minute. The guitar sound and styling is quite reminiscent of some of AL DI MEOLA's Spanish-styled electric guitar sounds from early in his solo career. The music turns heavy with walls of sounds and PRIMUS-like humor in the music in third and fourth minutes before returning to a more steady jazz-metal sonic wall for the sixth. Odd rising guitar note in the seventh minute supports bass soloing before going bat-crazy in an Outer Limits synthesizer display while bass and drum frenzy. Things smooth out around 7:20 to return to the AL DI theme before shifting back into the SLEEPMAKESWAVES-like opening themes for the ninth minute and then going metal crazy in the final minute. (18/20)
7. "You Won a Goat!" (7:19) if Jeff Beck had been born in Harlem in the 1990s this is what he and his band may have sounded like. Again, Middle Easterns sounds, styles, and melodies seem prevalent here. It's as if the guitarist is trying to be both Jeff Beck, Jan Hammer, and Jean-Luc Ponty! (13.5/15)
8. "When You've Loved and Lost Like Frankie Has" (6:51) a This Is Spinal Tap reference (from the title)! The music opens like it's from a Hawaiian-Rastafarian ballad! So weird and surreal! (12/15)
9. "Enemies of magicK" (11:47) like a crazy ride inside a pinball machine! Definitely the song with the weirdest sound palette on the album. (21.75/25)
Total Time: 72:47
All stunningly performed songs with totally unpredictable flows and sound palettes, I'm just not sure I like it; I don't hate or dislike this music but my brain hurts!
2. "The One Who Knocks" (7:43) acoustic guitar (!) and high-end bass open this before drums kick in to signal shift into full song structure with chunky active bass and low-end guitar plucking. Around 0:50 there is another shift in sounds and structure with guitar producing more high end tremolo or e-bow solo melody-making. Some nice Latin chords and sounds in bridges and several sections. It's like being on a motorcycle taking a trip through some big city, witnessing the wide diversity in neighborhoods with each turn down different streets. "Trombone" sound generated by the guitar in scaled down fifth minute, shape-shifts into flugelhorn and then into MetalSantana for the sixth. Bass and drums go into wild frenzy at 6:15 to bridge to more melodic, high-powered final minute. (13.5/15)
3. "Unfulfilled and Alienated" (3:04) opens with launch into full-speed reminiscent of the classically-based power metal of Yngwie Malmsteen. The melodies are almost Gypsy/Eastern European/klezmer, the bass play just like Les Claypool. High skills on display here! (9/10)
4. "It is Known" (11:45) gentle two-note bass chord arpeggi and bare-bones drumming support another spacey guitar sound in the lead. The melodies played by the guitar in the first two minutes are very Hawaiian sounding. At the two minute mark a "chorus"/B section begins with more frenetic drum and bass play as guitar doubles up and plays a higher octave, more piercing sound for its voicing of the melody. The A-B cycle takes about 90 seconds to come around again, but then in the fifth minute the music drops into a spacious lounge-bluesy support mode as Jeff Beck-like guitar squeals and screams its slide-guitar-like swamp blues. The rhythm section intensifies a bit at the 6:00 mark before bridging into an all-out MAHAVISHNU jam. Wow! This guitarist can move! The bass player, too! Machine gun notes throughout the eighth minutes. I am totally caught by surprise and blown away! The eighth and ninth minutes see a trading off of rapid fire noodling between the bass player and the guitarist, the former at the high end of his instrument, the latter in the lower end of his. At 10:25 they come back together to support the recapitulation of the melody themes used in the first two sections to the finish. (22.5/25)
5. "They Call Him the Smiling Assassin" (7:29) opening like the introductory melding that occurs in a lot of Middle Eastern music, finally coming together at 0:35 to establish a very Middle Eastern sounding song. The instruments are playing in very syncopated, staccato, and unified fashion until a switch after 90 seconds in which the guitar begins to sound like a Middle Eastern violin. The pacing becomes almost a Wild West cadence as guitar changes and shifts his sound in ways that seem to mimic a variety of traditional Middle Eastern instruments--though, in the fourth minute he brings it all into the 21st Century with a highly synthetic sound. Then there is a quiet section in which guitar disappears and drums perform an interesting solo on "traditional" Middle Eastern percussion instruments. Then there is a wild and schizophrenic bass guitar solo in the sixth minute in which several lines (tracks?) are occurring simultaneously. More hand percussives in the seventh minute before an acoustic ME instrument rejoins and re-builds the comradery that the song opened with to the finish. (14/15)
6. "Misinterpretive Dance" (9:20) opens with an instrumental weave that displays some of the softer sounds and playing styles of the band members. Nice. Computer synth incidentals (from overdubs) begin making their appearances in the second minute as the second verse plays. Chorus in the third minute. The guitar sound and styling is quite reminiscent of some of AL DI MEOLA's Spanish-styled electric guitar sounds from early in his solo career. The music turns heavy with walls of sounds and PRIMUS-like humor in the music in third and fourth minutes before returning to a more steady jazz-metal sonic wall for the sixth. Odd rising guitar note in the seventh minute supports bass soloing before going bat-crazy in an Outer Limits synthesizer display while bass and drum frenzy. Things smooth out around 7:20 to return to the AL DI theme before shifting back into the SLEEPMAKESWAVES-like opening themes for the ninth minute and then going metal crazy in the final minute. (18/20)
7. "You Won a Goat!" (7:19) if Jeff Beck had been born in Harlem in the 1990s this is what he and his band may have sounded like. Again, Middle Easterns sounds, styles, and melodies seem prevalent here. It's as if the guitarist is trying to be both Jeff Beck, Jan Hammer, and Jean-Luc Ponty! (13.5/15)
8. "When You've Loved and Lost Like Frankie Has" (6:51) a This Is Spinal Tap reference (from the title)! The music opens like it's from a Hawaiian-Rastafarian ballad! So weird and surreal! (12/15)
9. "Enemies of magicK" (11:47) like a crazy ride inside a pinball machine! Definitely the song with the weirdest sound palette on the album. (21.75/25)
Total Time: 72:47
All stunningly performed songs with totally unpredictable flows and sound palettes, I'm just not sure I like it; I don't hate or dislike this music but my brain hurts!
89.52 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music that truly lives up to the "progressive" aspect of that title as this music is definitely pushing boundaries!
MYRATH Legacy
Awesome metal from Tunisia. Accessible, bombastic, passionate, skillful, well-produced, this music will definitely get you pumped up! Constructed a bit like a Broadway show (it even opens with an overture-like instrumental), it has the plus of being totally energizing and very well polished. At times the performances get to feel as if they're a little SPINAL TAP-over-the-top--especially in the vocal department--but the many instances of Middle Eastern music inputs really add something to awesome to this music--making it very engaging. The rock/metal foundations of the music (drums, guitars, vocal stylings) can get a little cliched in a 80s "hair band" kind of way. In fact, it's the orchestral-like keyboards and traditional Middle Eastern sounds and stylings that make this album as good as it is for me. Singer Zaher Zorgatti is uber-talented--singing in both the English language with its rock/metal traditions as well as in other languages (probably Arabian) with their vocal traditions' stylings. His lyrical pronunciation is impeccable and very much appreciated. If there is a weakness in the album it is probably in the unwavering high energy of the music. Even the gentler side of the band as expressed in songs like "Through Your Eyes" and "I Want to Die" (two of my favorite songs) are often so "big" and bombastic in their production as to be quite overwhelming. Listening through the entire album in one sitting is a taxing, draining experience; the constancy of their musical approach is a bit numbing and, eventually, disengaging. Plus, there is the afore-mentioned undeniable sound and style similarity to 80s hair bands like Guns'n'Roses, Skid Row, Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, and Faith No More.
Favorite songs: 6. "Through Your Eyes" (5:37) (10/10); 4. "Nobody's Lives" (5:43) (10/10); 8. "I Want To Die" (4:39) (9/10), and; 2. "Believer" (4:32) (9/10).
87.27 on the Fish scales = 4.5 stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection; an album that is interesting for the influence and input of Arabian sounds and stylings.
VOLA Inmazes
Who says djent isn't prog? I STRONGLY disagree. Denmark's Vola demonstrates a refreshing album of progressive rock music by melding the keyboard techno-wizardry of the 1980s with an outstanding rhythm section of djenters who absolutely refuse to play anything in a straight time. Think TEARS FOR FEARS or DEPECHE MODE teaming with MESHUGGAH, TOOL, or PROGHMA-C and you'll have a pretty good image for the aural soundscapes these guys paint on Inmazes.
The album starts out much more heavily, more djenty, and then starts to show more of the band's 80s synth-pop roots in the second half.
1. "The Same War" (5:19) opens with some truly abrasive industrial djent sound before opening up into a full-on TOOL-like onslaught. When the vocals of guitarist Asger Mygind enter I am immediately struck by the similarity of his tone and sense of melody to that of David Gahan of the 1980s New Wave band, DEPECHE MODE.
I need to point out that throughout the album the work of the bass, drums, and djent guitar play is absolutely top notch and amazing. I love the unpredictable syncopated and multi-octave guitar melody at the four minute mark. (9/10)
2. "Stray the Skies" (4:13) opens rather melodically, hooking the listener in with the album's most haunting melody, before sliding into a very heavy, very djenty, almost abrasive A Section. The Chorus returns us to the opening melody and synth chords, but then the following section becomes even more sparsely djenty. Back and forth the music goes, start to finish. Awesome contrast! (9/10)
3. "Starburn" (6:05) opens with some spacey atmospherics joined by an electronic tuned percussion arpeggio before the djent crew brings down the wrecking ball. This one even incorporates some vocal growls/screams. The shift at 1:55 into the melodic and harmonic realm of 1980s New Wave is a bit incongruous and perhaps denotes the weakest moment/transition of the album--the only place where the djent-New Wave partnership might not work. The prolonged guitar djent chord play that plays out over the second half of the song is interesting but never really goes anywhere new or fresh. Unfortunately, this is the album's low point. The good news is: it is virtually its only one! (7/10)
4. "Owls" (5:51) opens with a prolonged TOOL-like drum, bass and guitar section. When the vocalist joins in the band once again tries to marry the melodic, almost syrupy New Wave vocals with the abrasive, syncopated and less-than predictable staccato of its djent rhythm section. Here it works pretty well. Early SIMPLE MINDS on steroids. (8/10)
5. "Your Mind as Helpless Dreamer" (5:21) opens with perhaps the most high energy, ambitious rhythms and pace. Fast-paced midi-ed keyboard chords join in (in a NEW ORDER kind of way) while the vocals are presented with a much heavier, more aggressive fashion--very similar to the wonderful sound and work of Australia's KARNIVOOL. This song is working and barreling along on all cylinders! (10/10)
6. The delicate and techno-edgy "Emily" (3:01) plays out like a very emotional Roland Orzabel (TEARS FOR FEARS) masterpiece--though it has strong DEPECHE MODE leanings, too. Beautiful song. (10/10)
7. "Gutter Moon" (3:55) opens with a treated (compressed) keyboard riff before spilling out with some rather restrained djenty-yet-fuzzy bass and guitars. The B section takes on more of a DREAM ACADEMY/PREFAB SPROUT feel and synth pop sound. Then the djent rhythm section comes out in almost full force as the melody, vocals and synth keys sustain their 1980s sound and feel. Nice, interesting song. (9/10)
8. "A Stare Without Eyes" (4:58) opens heavily, though compressed, before settling into a melody sounding very much like a DEPECHE MODE song, just heavier. The lead vocal starts out heavily treated before coming somewhat forward for the first chorus. By the second A Section all holds have been taken off of the vocal, the song remains heavy but still retains this familiar DEPECHE MODE feel to it--as if the Mode merely upped their angst and aggression and let it show in the treatments of their instruments. Not quite as catchy with melodies here, but a good song. (8/10)
9. "Feed the Creatures" (5:37) opens heavily before letting all abrasive sounds drop away in lieu of sustained organ chords and computer-pop noises acting as percussives to support the delicate Jonas Bjerre (MEW)-like vocals. The heavy chorus at the three minute mark followed by the delicate piano chords and gorgeous soft vocal over the heavier TEARS FOR FEARS-like electro-rhythms is brilliant! Amazing! Great song. GReat blend of sounds and technology of the 80s, 90s and 21st Century. (9/10)
10. "Inmazes" opens with an odd keyboard pulsing between two chords in a straight time before it is joined by fairly straightforward electric guitar playing a fairly dissonant and discordant arpeggio. The tension is enhanced when the full band joins in with its full heaviness and PORCUPINE TREE-like sound (think "Blackest Eyes") and odd time signature playing over the still audible, still pulsing odd keyboard of the opening. The vocals that ensue are very much in the vein of those of DEPECHE MODE's David Gahan or even NEW ORDER's Bernard Sumner. I like the long, even outro, too. Great song! (9/10)
A wonderfully refreshing album from a group of young Danes who are attempting something quite ambitious in their blend of New Wave techno-synth pop with TOOL/MESHUGGAH djent. The point is: They succeed! Wonderfully!
88.0 on the Fish scales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music.
LEPROUS The Congregation
I'm going to agree with the many reviewers here who are extolling the virtues of this album. It is, in my opinion, a very powerful Prog Metal album which displays the continued refinement and maturation of these musician/songwriters. Vocalist Einar Solberg continues to show virtuosic mastery of his craft--yet with continued refinements in his restraint, control, and use of space and simplicity. All powerful developments for the overall impact of the songs here.
Coal was a real step forward from Bilateral and Tall Poppy Syndrome which both had a lot of elements of quirk, humor and pop woven into the song and melody structures, but The Congregation seems to show of a band that is finally comfortable with its style--a band that knows and uses its strengths through and through.
While I find this overall a very powerful album, there are weaker songs and then there are absolute masterpieces.
5 star songs: "Rewind" (7:07) (10/10); "Slave" (6:38) (10/10); "Moon" (7:13) (9/10); "The Flood" (9/10); "Down" (6:26) (9/10); "Lower" (4:34) (9/10), and; "Red" (6:36) (8/10).
Album of the Year? I don't know. It's a great one! "Rewind" and "Slave" are must hears! Two of the best of the year, to be sure!
87.27 on the Fish scales = B/four stars; a wonderful contribution of heavy progressive rock music.
VAURA Selenelion
This is an intriguing and surprisingly easy album to access and like. Over and over I find myself being reminded of 2011's excellent album by FEN, Epoch, but also a great deal of Selenelion sounds like I'm hearing the reincarnation of one of rock's all-time greatest bands, THE CLASH. Though Mellotron Storm calls this a Metal album, I am in no way having to brace my ears (and soul) as I have had to for metal bands (even for early maudlin of the Well albums). The engaging melodies and copious and numerous special effects take all of the rough edges off of this music. The opening song, "Souvenirs" begins like something off of an early U2 album. Heck, the mostly acoustic title track hails back to some of the psychedelic folk stuff from the 60s and 70s! (remember early Moody Blues and Greg Lake's contributions to ELP everybody?) Vocalist Joshua Strawn's very laid-back, pleasant voice is so heavily reverbed that I feel like I'm listening to THE CLIENTELE! (though Strawn's vocals are much further back in the mix.) There isn't a song on the album that I don't like. I definitely think this Experimental/ Post Metal album should have the added "Psychedelic" label somewhere.
Favorite tracks: "Souvenirs" (4:43) (9/10); "En/Soph" (5:11) (9/10); "Relics" (4:49) (10/10); "The Column's Vein" (2:29) (8/10); "Vanth" (5:53) (10/10); "Selenelion" (7:03) (10/10), and; "The Zahir" (7:42) (10/10).
89.9 on the Fish scales = B+/4.5 star album that I'm going to rate up because of consistency of quality and freshness, variety, and the fact that album keeps sounding and feeling better and better with each listen. Try it! If you like Fen, The Clash, Toby Driver, and "gentle metal," you'll probably like this one.
LIZARD Master and M
Probably the coolest album I’ve heard from 2013 and definitely the one I’m most hooked on. Not since MAD CRAYON’s 2009 release, Preda, have I heard an album with so many diverse influences so well melded together. There’s KING CRIMSON—lots of King Crimson—but the band has somehow enmeshed within it sounds and styles from 80s techno pop (I hear THE BLOW MONKEYS, KAJAGOOGOO, ABC, ICEHOUSE, GENE LOVES JEZEBEL, and, especially, MINIMAL COMPACT), 70s metal (the reminder of BLUE OYSTER CULT—especially in Buck Dharma-like lead guitar soli—is strong), 80s pop metal (DEF LEPPARD and WHITESNAKE immediately come to mind) and even late-70s jazz fusion (e.g., EARL KLUGH, BOB JAMES, FREDDY HUBBARD, NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN), all covered with amazingly gorgeous and powerful vocals—all sung in Polish! Infinitely melodious yet interestingly constructed and, amazingly well mixed/engineered and produced.
Amazingly, I have to give five star ratings to all of the songs (all given the simple designation of “Chapter,” I through V) with four of near-perfect marks. If the album has a weakness it would be in the fairly straightforward drumming and predominance of straight rock time signatures. The singing of founding member, Damian Bydliński, the bass playing of the only other member from the original band, Janusz Tanistra, the keyboard work of newcomer Pawel Fabrowicz, and the electric guitar work of Daniel Kurtyka are all extraordinary—top notch—each a real joy to tune into.
"Chapter I" (13:55) (27.25/30)
"Chapter II" (/10:37) (19/20)
"Chapter III" (7:00) (12.5/15)
"Chapter IV" (7:08) (14/15)
"Chapter V" (13:26) (27.75/30)
Man! Poland and Italy are where it’s at in ProgWorld these days!
90.83 on the Fish scales = 5 stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music. Great creative originality.
P.S. Check out their awesome website! as well as these YouTube links: "Chapter II" (10:37) (/20); "Chapter V" (13:26) (28/30), and; "Chapter I (Single Edit)" (9:19).
RETROSPECTIVE Latent Advidity
A nice return to form for these heavy proggers from Leszno (Poland). Like French band Children in Paradise (Dam Kat), they display a great command of how simple heavy prog can be. Plus they come up with great melodies.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Jakub Roszak / lead vocal
- Beata Łagoda / keyboard, backing vocal
- Maciej Klimek / guitar
- Łukasz Marszałek / bass guitar
- Robert Kusik / drums
1. "Intro" (0:49) atmospherics with clock ticking. (4.5/5)
2. "Still There" (6:07) great opening chord--sound and sequence. Vocals in verse and chorus are quite engaging. Nice guitar solo in the second and third minutes. Great background vocals and SAGA-like finale. (9.25/10)
3. "Loneliness" (5:13) another great opening with female lead vocal stepping in from the start. Jakub Roszak provides some awesome background and harmony vocals. Great FLOCK OF SEAGULLS guitar to support the bridge between the first two verses (which becomes the foundation for the chorus later). Great song design and construction. (8.75/10)
4. "The Seed Has Been Sown" (7:32) a song that takes some surprising twists and turns--turning more spacious just when you expect the power chords, vocals going artsy when you expect metal screams. The song final pulses with the expected heaviness during the "C" instrumental part in support of the guitar solo but then turns very quiet with pregnant latency for a brief delicate vocal before another soaring, emotional guitar solo takes us to the end. (13.5/15)
5. "Stop for a While" (5:53) opens with gravelly voice of Jakub Roszak singing plaintively with only the support of a piano. Spacious electric guitar notes take over for the second verse before the full band kicks in with something cool. Great drumming here! Synth washes and background vocals support the next verse as Jakub sings in a higher octave. I really love this more-spacious version of Retrospective! Final verses are sung with equal vocal weight given to Jakub and Beata. It's a love song! Nice! Great finish with synths, steady bass and drums and sensitive guitar solo followed by Jakub and Beata repeating their shared story once more. Beautiful! (9.25/10)
6. "In the Middle of the Forest" (6:50) solid SYLVAN/LIZARD-esque song. (13/15)
7. "Programmed Fear" (5:24) opens with a little VOTUM-like sound (guitar arpeggi) but the near-militaristic drumming is a bit off-putting. Again, excellent vocal work on all layers. (8.5/10)
8. "What Will Be Next?" (10:41) A good, solid, engaging heavy prog epic. Great vocal harmonies in the final couple minutes. Great finish! (17.5/20)
88.68 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock on the heavy side. I swear: I'd rather listen to Retrospective than Riverside.
THANK YOU SCIENTIST Terraformer
How is this not the runaway Best Progressive Rock Album of 2019? My theory is that it's because of the band's machine gun approach to instrument playing: it numbs the brain of the listener into a state of cowering submission and overriding apathy.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Salvatore Marrano / vocals
- Tom Monda / guitars, producer
- Ben Karas / violin
- Joe Gullace / trumpet
- Sam Greenfield / saxophone
- Cody McCorry / bass
- Joe Fadem / drums
1. "Wrinkle" (2:32) What an opener! So positive and upbeat! Reminds me of something from a MONOBODY or TREE TOPS album. (4.75/5)
2. "FXMLDR" (7:56) incredibly catchy melodies within a very complex, fast moving jazz tune. Reminds me of 3RDEGREE or MOTH VELLUM or very early RUSH ("Fly by Night")--or how bout if early RUSH and early KANSAS had merged! The very complex instrumental performances are so clean and tight! (14.5/15)
3. "Swarm" (6:25) Though the horns are smooth and melodic, this is the first song whose metal qualities make it a little grating to these ears. The chord, horn, and vocal melody lines are quite pleasant, it's just the pace and rapid-fire notes from drums, bass, rhythm guitar, and violin--excellently performed but just a bit overwhelming for my sensitive nervous system to accommodate--that is, until the smooth section in the fifth minute. Still, I cannot deny the amazingness of this song. (9/10)
4. "Son of a Serpent" (8:06) led by the stunning vocals of JOHANNES LULEY- and JOFF WILKS-sound-a-like Salvatore Marrano there is a fresh creativity to this song that is in its ability to bridge heavy and metal prog sounds and pacing (machine gun bass drumming, djenty fast-changing guitar chord sequences, chunky virtuosic bass). (14/15)
5. "Birdwatching" (3:41) very soft and scaled down in comparison to other songs. The vocal is central and delicate though very strong. I love the bass chords, the simpler yet insistent drums and the spacey keys. (8.75/10)
6. "Everyday Ghosts" (10:03) opens with some more sensitive though intricate instrumental displays, morphing into a bit of a Spanish sound as the horns come together, but then things turn a different direction to establish another quirky, spasmodic drive through some MOTH VELLUM-like territory (though always a little harsher and with more fast-paced charts from each of the instruments in the weave). Were it not for the fast technical speed of the instruments this might even be a kind of Journey-like classic rock song. As it is, it sounds a lot like a song from contemporaries FREDDEGREDDE or PERFECT BEINGS. (17/20)
7. "Chromology" (9:49) such virtuosic performances throughout the length of this frenetically paced frenzy of crazy weaves. Every single instrument in this ten-minute instrumental is on such a wild and yet tightly scripted contribution to the overall fabric, yet beautiful melodies are flying at us in the form of both single lines as well as those shaped by the amazing chord sequences. Despite all of these amazing displays, both individually and collectively, Cody McCorry's bass play steals this one! (And I am amazed by the way he is recorded so cleanly, so "visibly," so perfectly in the mix!) Definitely a "big band jazz" feel to this one. (18/20)
8. "Geronimo" (6:15) again JOHANNES LULEY comes to mind in this more sensitive song. A little sappy. More like a BIG BAD WOLF pop-jazz song. (8.25/10)
9. "Life of Vermin" (8:11) a trend here: the quality of the songs remain high the ability to suck me in and keep my attention seem to be diminishing as I move down the album's song list (except for "Chromology"). This one is creating the same effect on me that Rush albums do: can't keep me interested, inaccessible. It's a good song with excellent performances, just not a great song, not a fresh or refreshing arrangement. My theory is that my increasing boredom and inattentiveness is the result of the Franz Josef effect: "Too many notes!" My brain has become numb from being pulverized by too many notes! (12/15)
10. "Shatner's Lament" (1:13) a kind of horn-led jazzy Broadway interlude. (4.25/5)
11. "Anchor" (9:56) this sounds like a great song from a KLONE, VOLA, or even PLINI album. (17.5/20)
12. "New Moon" (2:01) floating, lilting on an old wind up clock, Sebastian sings about the effects of the new moon. (4.25/5)
13. "Terraformer" (8:07) is a song in which the horns are doubling up on notes within the chords being played by the rest of the rhythm section, thus, the song has a much more tech-metal feel to it than some of the others. The vocals here sound as if they come straight out of one of AC-DC's classic albums. Awesome guitar solo in the seventh minute. The band tightens up for the final minute into more of a classic rock spectrum--at least until that final instrumental 20 seconds. (13.125/15)
2. "FXMLDR" (7:56) incredibly catchy melodies within a very complex, fast moving jazz tune. Reminds me of 3RDEGREE or MOTH VELLUM or very early RUSH ("Fly by Night")--or how bout if early RUSH and early KANSAS had merged! The very complex instrumental performances are so clean and tight! (14.5/15)
3. "Swarm" (6:25) Though the horns are smooth and melodic, this is the first song whose metal qualities make it a little grating to these ears. The chord, horn, and vocal melody lines are quite pleasant, it's just the pace and rapid-fire notes from drums, bass, rhythm guitar, and violin--excellently performed but just a bit overwhelming for my sensitive nervous system to accommodate--that is, until the smooth section in the fifth minute. Still, I cannot deny the amazingness of this song. (9/10)
4. "Son of a Serpent" (8:06) led by the stunning vocals of JOHANNES LULEY- and JOFF WILKS-sound-a-like Salvatore Marrano there is a fresh creativity to this song that is in its ability to bridge heavy and metal prog sounds and pacing (machine gun bass drumming, djenty fast-changing guitar chord sequences, chunky virtuosic bass). (14/15)
5. "Birdwatching" (3:41) very soft and scaled down in comparison to other songs. The vocal is central and delicate though very strong. I love the bass chords, the simpler yet insistent drums and the spacey keys. (8.75/10)
6. "Everyday Ghosts" (10:03) opens with some more sensitive though intricate instrumental displays, morphing into a bit of a Spanish sound as the horns come together, but then things turn a different direction to establish another quirky, spasmodic drive through some MOTH VELLUM-like territory (though always a little harsher and with more fast-paced charts from each of the instruments in the weave). Were it not for the fast technical speed of the instruments this might even be a kind of Journey-like classic rock song. As it is, it sounds a lot like a song from contemporaries FREDDEGREDDE or PERFECT BEINGS. (17/20)
7. "Chromology" (9:49) such virtuosic performances throughout the length of this frenetically paced frenzy of crazy weaves. Every single instrument in this ten-minute instrumental is on such a wild and yet tightly scripted contribution to the overall fabric, yet beautiful melodies are flying at us in the form of both single lines as well as those shaped by the amazing chord sequences. Despite all of these amazing displays, both individually and collectively, Cody McCorry's bass play steals this one! (And I am amazed by the way he is recorded so cleanly, so "visibly," so perfectly in the mix!) Definitely a "big band jazz" feel to this one. (18/20)
8. "Geronimo" (6:15) again JOHANNES LULEY comes to mind in this more sensitive song. A little sappy. More like a BIG BAD WOLF pop-jazz song. (8.25/10)
9. "Life of Vermin" (8:11) a trend here: the quality of the songs remain high the ability to suck me in and keep my attention seem to be diminishing as I move down the album's song list (except for "Chromology"). This one is creating the same effect on me that Rush albums do: can't keep me interested, inaccessible. It's a good song with excellent performances, just not a great song, not a fresh or refreshing arrangement. My theory is that my increasing boredom and inattentiveness is the result of the Franz Josef effect: "Too many notes!" My brain has become numb from being pulverized by too many notes! (12/15)
10. "Shatner's Lament" (1:13) a kind of horn-led jazzy Broadway interlude. (4.25/5)
11. "Anchor" (9:56) this sounds like a great song from a KLONE, VOLA, or even PLINI album. (17.5/20)
12. "New Moon" (2:01) floating, lilting on an old wind up clock, Sebastian sings about the effects of the new moon. (4.25/5)
13. "Terraformer" (8:07) is a song in which the horns are doubling up on notes within the chords being played by the rest of the rhythm section, thus, the song has a much more tech-metal feel to it than some of the others. The vocals here sound as if they come straight out of one of AC-DC's classic albums. Awesome guitar solo in the seventh minute. The band tightens up for the final minute into more of a classic rock spectrum--at least until that final instrumental 20 seconds. (13.125/15)
Total Time 82:15
88.11 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece and an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection. I think the lesson I've learned thanks to this album is that no matter how excellent are the musicians and how clever and technical the song constructs, a brain can only take so much of being constantly peppered by such an onslaught of notes.
DEVIN TOWNSEND Empath
I have to admit that I lood forward to every Devin Townsend album despite the fact that I rarely come away wanting to hear them again. I just appreciate this guy's unique genius and unpredictable chameleonic eclecticism. What a talent.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Devin Townsend / vocals, guitar, bass, synth, computer, orchestrations, co-producer, mixing
With:
- Rayne Townsend / vocals
- Elliot Desgagnés / death metal vocals (2-5,7,10)
- Ché Aimee Dorval / vocals (2)
- Adam Getgood / vocals (5)
- Josefa Torres / vocals (5)
- Chad Kroeger / vocals (6)
- Jess Vaira / vocals (8)
- Anneke Van Giersbergen / vocals (6,10,bonus 2)
- The Elektra Women's Choir / chorus vocals (2-5,7-10)
- Moma Edmundson /choir director
- Mike Keneally / guitar & keyboards (2,7,8,10), vocals (8), co-producer
- Shaun Verreault / pedal steel guitar
- Ryan Dhale / guitar & keyboards (8)
- Scott Reinson / guitar & keyboards (8)
- Steve Vai / guitar solo (10)
- Callum Marinho / whistle (10)
- Nathan Navarro / bass
- Anup Sastry / drums
- Morgan Ågren / drums
- Sam Paulicelli / drums
- The Lords Of The Sound / orchestra
- Erik Severinsen / arrangements, vocals (8)
- Niels Bye Nielsen / orchestrations
- Ron Getgood / spoken voice (5)
1. "Castaway" (2:29) spacious echo guitar--to Hawaii and beyond! With the joinder of the angelic choir for the final minute, this must be suggesting that we have arrived at Heaven. (4.5/5)
2. "Genesis" (6:06) where this song begins and "Castaway" ends is unsure, but I'm filled with a kind of ecstatic religiosity as I listen to this (aren't I?). Weird timelessness to this: it has moments that seem to span all of my six decades. You sure you weren't channeling EDGE OF SANITY (Crimson) when you created this, Devy? (8.25/10)
3. "Spirits will Collide" (4:40) This is the first song I heard from Empath. My reaction was similar to the one I had when I first heard Kirk Franklin's "Stomp!" and The Nu Nation Project in the late 1990s: someone taking church/religious music into a (refreshing) new direction. A church choir! (Is Devvy a Christian rocker?) With hard-drivin' rock/metal. I'm also reminded of the Christian thrash metal song from the 1990s in which the lead singer screamed one word, "repent," the entire song. This is not those songs or artists, but the one-track, one-dimensionality of this song does remind me of songs like those. (7.75/10)
4. "Evermore" (5:30) contains some very interesting dynamics, styles, transitions, and messages but, to these ears/mind it's too disjointed and all-over the place; there's not enough coherence and directness here to make a point. (7.75/10)
5. "Sprite" (6:37) Devy's contribution to fairy tales (in the UTOPIA "Singring" tradition). Dull and one-dimensional for over half of the song, then, after it goes church-religious, too weird (though I do like the Tangerine Dream-like fairy-travels bit in sixth minute). Devy's really stretching himself with the Celtic sprite in the beginning to the Gollum finish. (8.25/10)
6. "Hear Me" (6:30) sounds like cartoon music. Until the women's choir joins in. Then Devy takes over and it really is loony toons. The chorus is decent. The group skill to keep in time is insane (unless it's all auto-synced.) The song actually works because of the contrast of extremes. (8.75/10)
7. "Why?" (4:59) opens like a BBC theme song. Boy, Devy has a gorgeous voice. I truly wish he would sing more like this--give Josh Grobin and Roy Orbison a run for their money. LOL! (9/10)
8. "Borderlands" (11:03) a wild hodge-podge of styles melded into "one" while, thankfully, staying away from the freneticism of thrash/doom styles. I LOVE the centre section (ending with "it's tragic, it's love"). (18/20)
9. "Requiem" (2:47) an interlude into heavenly clouds and eternal light. Again, this talented dude could compose music for any genre he likes! GORGEOUS cinematic choir piece! (5/5)
10. "Singularity" (23:33) an excellent song with great movement, great stylistic shifts and development, brilliant use of his choir and, believe it or not, less thrash metal walls of sound than I'm used to hearing on a Devin song. My one beef with this (and many of Devvy's songs) is that we get sensitive, angelic pre-pubescent- and Josh Grobin-like vocals alternated with Ziltoid growls, doom metal guitars, and machine gun bass drumming: Is Devy all tongue-in-cheek--is he just laughing as he makes this music and laughing at us for taking it seriously?
Nice to hear him shredding in refreshing ways in the "Silicon Scientists" section. Nice to hear the uplifting feel and message of the final "Here Comes the Sun" section. (45.5/50):
- Part 1 - Adrift (4.75/5) 2. "Genesis" (6:06) where this song begins and "Castaway" ends is unsure, but I'm filled with a kind of ecstatic religiosity as I listen to this (aren't I?). Weird timelessness to this: it has moments that seem to span all of my six decades. You sure you weren't channeling EDGE OF SANITY (Crimson) when you created this, Devy? (8.25/10)
3. "Spirits will Collide" (4:40) This is the first song I heard from Empath. My reaction was similar to the one I had when I first heard Kirk Franklin's "Stomp!" and The Nu Nation Project in the late 1990s: someone taking church/religious music into a (refreshing) new direction. A church choir! (Is Devvy a Christian rocker?) With hard-drivin' rock/metal. I'm also reminded of the Christian thrash metal song from the 1990s in which the lead singer screamed one word, "repent," the entire song. This is not those songs or artists, but the one-track, one-dimensionality of this song does remind me of songs like those. (7.75/10)
4. "Evermore" (5:30) contains some very interesting dynamics, styles, transitions, and messages but, to these ears/mind it's too disjointed and all-over the place; there's not enough coherence and directness here to make a point. (7.75/10)
5. "Sprite" (6:37) Devy's contribution to fairy tales (in the UTOPIA "Singring" tradition). Dull and one-dimensional for over half of the song, then, after it goes church-religious, too weird (though I do like the Tangerine Dream-like fairy-travels bit in sixth minute). Devy's really stretching himself with the Celtic sprite in the beginning to the Gollum finish. (8.25/10)
6. "Hear Me" (6:30) sounds like cartoon music. Until the women's choir joins in. Then Devy takes over and it really is loony toons. The chorus is decent. The group skill to keep in time is insane (unless it's all auto-synced.) The song actually works because of the contrast of extremes. (8.75/10)
7. "Why?" (4:59) opens like a BBC theme song. Boy, Devy has a gorgeous voice. I truly wish he would sing more like this--give Josh Grobin and Roy Orbison a run for their money. LOL! (9/10)
8. "Borderlands" (11:03) a wild hodge-podge of styles melded into "one" while, thankfully, staying away from the freneticism of thrash/doom styles. I LOVE the centre section (ending with "it's tragic, it's love"). (18/20)
9. "Requiem" (2:47) an interlude into heavenly clouds and eternal light. Again, this talented dude could compose music for any genre he likes! GORGEOUS cinematic choir piece! (5/5)
10. "Singularity" (23:33) an excellent song with great movement, great stylistic shifts and development, brilliant use of his choir and, believe it or not, less thrash metal walls of sound than I'm used to hearing on a Devin song. My one beef with this (and many of Devvy's songs) is that we get sensitive, angelic pre-pubescent- and Josh Grobin-like vocals alternated with Ziltoid growls, doom metal guitars, and machine gun bass drumming: Is Devy all tongue-in-cheek--is he just laughing as he makes this music and laughing at us for taking it seriously?
Nice to hear him shredding in refreshing ways in the "Silicon Scientists" section. Nice to hear the uplifting feel and message of the final "Here Comes the Sun" section. (45.5/50):
- Part 2 - I Am I (5/5)
- Part 3 - There Be Monsters (9/10)
- Part 4 - Curious Gods (8/10)
- Part 5 - Silicon Scientists (9.75/10)
- Part 6 - Here Comes the Sun (9/10)
Total Time 74:08
Devin Townsend is a genius: he is uber-creative, mega-talented, warped, and totally unique. It this is an album that I'll want to revisit. I like it!
Devin Townsend is a genius: he is uber-creative, mega-talented, warped, and totally unique. It this is an album that I'll want to revisit. I like it!
87.68 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music.
OPETH In Cauda Venenum
As my esteemed colleague siLLy puPPy stated in his review of this same album, the OPETH sound has never been one to draw me into the fold of Opeth lovers (or haters, for that matter). I totally respect and admire Mikael Åkerfeldt's tremendous talent and commitment to progressive rock music--it's on a par with that of prolific stalwarts STEVE HACKETT, STEVEN WILSON, and ROINE STOLT. And I completely recognize the masterful performance skills of all musicians involved, I'm just not drawn back to any Opeth music--songs, albums, periods, or styles. It all washes over me--wows me while I listen, but then I'm done, I leave and move on.
"Heart in Hand" is the standout song for me. It's awesome! It kicks some ass and haunts me like the ear-candy of Terry Jacks or ABBA. I happen to like the Swedish version better because I can't understand a word the singer is singing which plays perfectly into my disability of only hearing voices as other contributors to the overall weave of music--as creators of threads of linear melody making, just like another instrument. (I cannot sing the entire lyric of any song--even my favorite songs from childhood--because I do not have a compartment in my brain for the comprehension of their meanings). Still, the heavy first half and the gorgeous sensitive second work for me! Some of the others feel/sound like other OXYGEN radio play bands or like Grunge era classics, Jimmy Page acoustic stuff. I also like the subtle intricacies throughout "Continuum."
As my esteemed colleague siLLy puPPy stated in his review of this same album, the OPETH sound has never been one to draw me into the fold of Opeth lovers (or haters, for that matter). I totally respect and admire Mikael Åkerfeldt's tremendous talent and commitment to progressive rock music--it's on a par with that of prolific stalwarts STEVE HACKETT, STEVEN WILSON, and ROINE STOLT. And I completely recognize the masterful performance skills of all musicians involved, I'm just not drawn back to any Opeth music--songs, albums, periods, or styles. It all washes over me--wows me while I listen, but then I'm done, I leave and move on.
"Heart in Hand" is the standout song for me. It's awesome! It kicks some ass and haunts me like the ear-candy of Terry Jacks or ABBA. I happen to like the Swedish version better because I can't understand a word the singer is singing which plays perfectly into my disability of only hearing voices as other contributors to the overall weave of music--as creators of threads of linear melody making, just like another instrument. (I cannot sing the entire lyric of any song--even my favorite songs from childhood--because I do not have a compartment in my brain for the comprehension of their meanings). Still, the heavy first half and the gorgeous sensitive second work for me! Some of the others feel/sound like other OXYGEN radio play bands or like Grunge era classics, Jimmy Page acoustic stuff. I also like the subtle intricacies throughout "Continuum."
The hard-drivin'/heavy vs. soft/delicate interplay is okay once or twice but in every song (sauf the opener)? Not even Pearl Jam can get away with that! There are no bad songs, not even any "bad" sections of songs--I even enjoy/smile at the forays into new and unusual musical styles Mikael has the band explore (á la GINO VANELLI-like "Garroter").
1. Garden Of Earthly Delights (3:29) (7.5/10)
2. Dignity (6:37) (8.75/10)
3. Heart In Hand (8:30) (19/20)
4. Next Of Kin (7:10) (12.75/15)
5. Lovelorn Crime (6:34) (8.25/10)
6. Charlatan (5:29) (8.5/10)
7. Universal Truth (7:22) (12.25/15)
8. The Garroter (6:44) (13/15)
9. Continuum (7:23) (13.5/15)
10. All Things Will Pass (8:31 (8.25/20)
All in all this album sounds like a more complicated, more mature form of early 1970s URIAH HEEP.
86.96 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection despite the Jeckyll and Hyde musical circles it leads one in.
TAYLOR WATSON (A)Synchronous
A remarkable debut record from son of Fusion legend Dean Watson on which Taylor plays all the instruments! This music has a fusion going on of its own; there are many times that I feel that I'm hearing the syncopated, djenty, walls of sound of DEVIN TOWNSEND's guitar-heavy work or TOOL. But, at the same time, I hear many more melodic moments, variations, and I can access much more of the individual instruments' work here.
All-instrumental, Taylor weaves some very interesting themes and riffs together in a singular and fresh way--which is why I can tolerate this type of metal/extreme metal better than I can Devin's. The music is complex and the musicianship virtuosic (with some great engineering tricks) but not over-the-top nor sacrificing quirk or engaging melodies. I also find myself reminded of one of my all-time favorite albums, PROGHMA-C's Bar-do Travel while listening to many parts of this album (especially "Connection" and "Moments").
If this is where young Mr. Watson is starting then, watch out world! We're going to see (and hear) great things in the future from this musical wiz-kid.
5 star songs: 3. "(A)Synchronous" (6:00) (9.25/10), 5. "Moments" (6:36) (9.75/10), and 6. "Tarnished Rendition" (7:05) (13.5/15).
Solid four star songs: 1. "Fuse" (6:46) (12.5/15); 2. "Connection" (4:24) (8.5/10); 4. "Ransom"(5:55) (8/10), and; 7. "Confided" (6:15) (8/10).
86.875 on the Fishscales = B/a very solid four star album. Kudos, Taylor!
KLONE Here Comes the Sun
10% 1976 BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, 10% 1990 THE CURE ~1990, 20% FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM around 2004, and 60% 1992 ALICE IN CHAINS, Klone represents a very welcome if nostalgic musical hybrid all blended very much into a progressive rock package. I can only imagine the awesome power this band must pack live in concert as lead singer Yann Linger's voice must surely fill any auditorium! Even in "softer" songs like "Nebulous"--no, maybe more in softer songs like "Nebulous"--Yann's LAYNE STALEY-like voice stands out as the main attraction. It is not often that one comes across that kind of commanding presence in a front man, but Yann Linger has it--just as Layne Staley had it. (In my humble opinion, Staley was probably the most distinctive, central representative of the 1990's "grunge" movement--yes, even more than Eddie Vedder or Kurt Cobain.)
Here Comes the Sun flows with such addictive power that one cannot help but want to hear more once one has started. Just a great sound, top to bottom, with the addition of a great saxophone player and great sound engineering and production. This is surely one of the gems of 2015! It simply must be listened to in order to be believed!
Five star songs: 4. "The Drifter" (6:13) (10/10); the ALICE IN CHAINS-like 8. "Come Undone" (4:25) (10/10); 1. "Immersion" (5:11) (9/10); "Grim Dance" (5:27) (9/10), and; the instrumental 6. "Gleaming" (2:53) (9/10).
Four star songs: 9. "The Last Experience" (7:18) (8/10); 5. "Nebulous" (5:53) (8/10); 2. "Fog" (4:48), and; the POLICE "Messsage in a Bottle"-like "Gone Up in Flames" (3:59) (8/10).
87.0 on the Fish scales = B/four stars; a great contribution of progressive rock music.
NATIVE CONSTRUCT Quiet World
Impressive avant prog metal vaudeville from Berklee College of Music students. The question is: Are these guys joking or will we hear more (and better) stuff like this from them in the future? The quirky changes and total mood shifts mid song--multiple times--makes one wonder what the goals/aims of these shifts are? It's almost as if multiple personalities are each given their turn at presenting the song's message. Interesting but often a bit jarring, unsettling (though never so much as in an UneXpect song).
HUIS Neither in Heaven
Heavy Prog
Line-up:
Sylvain Descôteaux: vocals, keyboards
Michel St-Père (Mystery): guitars, keyboards
Michel Joncas: bass, Taurus bass pedals, keyboards
William Régnier: drums, percussion, keyboards
With:
Johnny Maz: keyboards
Gerben Klazinga (Knight Area): keyboards
Nathan Vanheuverzwijn: piano
Benoit Dupuis (Mystery): keyboards
Johanne Laplante: flute
1. "Neither In Heaven" (2:40) (/10)
2. "Synesthesia" (13:09) (21/25)
3. "Insane" (5:47) (/10)
4. "Even Angels Sometimes Fall" (5:28)
5. "Entering The Gallery" (3:41)
6. "The Man On The Hill" (7:44)
7. "The Red Gypsy" (6:25)
8. "Memories" (8:43) (17/20)
9. "I Held" (3:35)
10. "Not On Earth" (11:41) (/20)
Total Time 68:53
ALCEST Écailles de lune
While the "shoegaze" and "death metal" labels are understandable with regards to Écailles de lune, there is a lot more to this music. There is a "freshness" to the styles Neige has combined in this album. While neither song structures nor instrumental variety and virtuosity are very special here--and the songs do sometimes get a bit . . . monotonous--there is still enough here to keep me smiling (growl vocals en francais!), and keep me pushing "replay" again and again. Good but not essential. Four stars because it keeps me coming back and because the album is consistently good, start to finish. Try it: You might like it!
4 stars--could've been higher with a little more variation.
HAKEN Aquarius
'The age of Aquarius' this is not. After repeated listenings to any and every sample and full-length song stream I can find including the band's own MySpace site--I am going to go out on a limb and write a review. Aquarius is a well-crafted, well-constructed, well-engineered, awesomely performed album--and I LOVE "Point of No Return" (vocals reminds me of Wetton with UK)--but this is just not my cup of tea. Even the slowed-down "Sun" with it's acoustic guitar arpeggios, fretless bass (Lord knows I'm a sucker for fretless), congas, piano, monk-like male background vocals, and eccentric vampire-themed lyrics, can't convince me to actually buy this album. It would never get played! I have to admit, (again?): I don't like heavy metal or even heavy prog much. Sure, the occasional work, like ALCEST, ORPHANED LAND and some PORCUPINE TREE have won me over, but, on the whole, I've always gone for subtlety and beauty over power and volume. I've never been won over by even RUSH or KANSAS, so obviously this album is not going to bring me into the fold.
It's so difficult for me to see this album atop the ProgArchives poll for best album of 2010 because it just shows me how mediocre--how unexceptional--2010 has been so far. And my favorite album of the year, COLLAPSE UNDER THE EMPIRE's The Sirens Sound hasn't even arrived on ProgArchives yet!
4 stars; higher for some, lower for others.
UNEXPECT Fables of the Sleepless Empire
Not quite as innovative or stunningly fresh as 2006's In a Flesh Aquarium, this is still a music that is so unique, so intricate and layered, filled with such amazing instrumental (those voices, too!) performances that I can rate it nothing less than "essential." As noted by previous reviewers, this is a step forward, a maturation of the songwriting and skillful performing abilities of the band members. Amazing work. More immediately accessible than IaFA, too. (That was one crazy album!) But still out there--WAY out there. What's in the water and air in Quebec to produce such amazing music/musicians and creativity? Pick this one up, you 2011 naysayers. It's an earful--and then some! (P.S. "In the Mind of the Last Whale" has got to be one of the most poignant, emotion-packed, spot-on renderings of post-industrial--post-human?---Earth.)
Album highlights: 1. "Unsolved Ideas of a Distorted Guest" (6:55) (10/10); 2. "Words" (5:58) (10/10); the middle section of # 4, "Mechanical Phoenix" (6:56) (8/10); the title of #6, a kind of amped up B-52s, "Unfed Pendulum" (7:55) (8/10); 7. "In the Mind of the Last Whale" (2:59) (10/10), the hillariously humerous 'operatic' "Silence This Parasite" (5:19) (8/1), and; 9. "A Fading Stance" (2:06) (9/10).
4.5 stars, rated down for the fact that this abrasive, amphetamine music is NOT for everyone. Metalheads, avant/RIOers, doomers, and lovers of gypsy rock will like this. A lot.
Album highlights: 1. "Unsolved Ideas of a Distorted Guest" (6:55) (10/10); 2. "Words" (5:58) (10/10); the middle section of # 4, "Mechanical Phoenix" (6:56) (8/10); the title of #6, a kind of amped up B-52s, "Unfed Pendulum" (7:55) (8/10); 7. "In the Mind of the Last Whale" (2:59) (10/10), the hillariously humerous 'operatic' "Silence This Parasite" (5:19) (8/1), and; 9. "A Fading Stance" (2:06) (9/10).
4.5 stars, rated down for the fact that this abrasive, amphetamine music is NOT for everyone. Metalheads, avant/RIOers, doomers, and lovers of gypsy rock will like this. A lot.
OPETH Heritage
Fascinating album! How many times can a band re-invent themselves? Like Conor above, I was immediately impressed with the drumming on this album. It is absolutely stunning. ANd, overall, I have to say that this is my favorite Opeth sound. I love the keys, am blown away by all musicians' skills and touch, actually really enjoy the vocals, but agree that the music seems to never really go anywhere. There is so little structure and/or point to each song's development as to leave me wondering--after almost every song--what were they trying to do there? These are not so much songs as impressionist pieces, or, better, Zen pieces: every moment could and does lead to something raw and unexpected. More RIO/Avant, to my ears. I am more reminded of YUGEN, HENRY COW, and UNIVERS ZERO (and maybe a little JETHRO TULL??--even ZAPPA) here than anything else. Still, this is a very interesting album--one that I will return to many times, I'm sure--which is more than I can say for "Still Life," "Blackwater Park" or "Damnation"--all of which I appreciate. I just don't feel the desire to revisit them very often. Nice job, OPETH. Check this album out. It really is worth it.
HAKEN The Mountain
While I’ve listened to all of the Haken releases so far, and have been very impressed with the musicianship and compositional skills of the band, this is the first album in which I feel that the boys aren’t just trying to “show off”—in which they aren’t trying to purposely wow and dazzle. The slowed down compositional approach allows a more broad-spectrum emotional side of the band to be exhibited—which is what I’ve needed to feel engaged, drawn into the music. Both Aquarius and Visions are albums of impressive music, but The Mountain is the first I’ve liked well enough to actually buy.
The impressive YouTube video for “Pariedolia” (10:51) (9/10) is what got me into really giving this album a serious listen. (Link is to YouTube "Official Video.") What makes me critical of this album, however, is the fact that virtually every song sounds familiar. “Atlas Stone” (7:34) (9/10) as excellent as it is, keeps reminding me of ANATHEMA, NEMO, Jem Godfrey’s FROST* and AMPLIFIER’s Octopus; “Cockroach King” (8:15) (9/10) seems like the band’s foray into ‘heavy’ GENTLE GIANT and 10CC territory; “In Memoriam” (4:17) (8/10) brings me again to FROST*, ANATHEMA and STEVEN WILSON’s recent more stuff (especially the vocals and lyrics); “Because It’s There” (4:24) (7/10) out Moon’s MOON SAFARI, but, in the end, it’s just Moon Safari, isn’t it? “Falling Back to Earth” (11:51) (9/10) has a cool combination of heavy metal and jazz in a MAD CRAYON/RIVERSIDE kind of way (excellent vocal, btw); “As Death Embraces” (3:14) (9/10) returns to a very STEVEN WILSON/RADIOHEAD kind of minimalist form (with better vocals, I must admit); “Pariedolia”, as awesome as it is, could easily come from a PORCUPINE TREE album, and; “Somebody” (9:01) (8/10) plays out just like an ANATHEMA song, despite the silly “I wish I could have been somebody” vocal rondo section. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been enjoying this album—as a whole and as individual songs come up on my iPod shuffle. Sometimes I just get a little frustrated with the lack of originality or lack of innovation in today’s music.
86.67 on the Fish scales = 4.5 stars; a near masterpiece of progressive rock music.
86.67 on the Fish scales = 4.5 stars; a near masterpiece of progressive rock music.
AMPLIFIER The Octopus
Some really great, though very dense (as in, 'very interesting; requiring a lot of the listener's attention') music covering nearly two hours! Wow! How luxurious would that be to be able to sit with headphones for a two hour musical journey! But, music of this calibur--production value, sound quality and compositional skill on par with the likes of PORCUPINE TREE, RIVERSIDE, ANATHEMA, PHIDEAUX and LUNATIC SOUL--may be worth it! As a matter of fact, if you're a fan of the above listed bands, you'll find a lot of sounds, riffs, and and structures to be very similar to each of those. Nice MARIUSZ DUDA-like vocals and beats throughout, lots of post-2002 PORCUPINE TREE heaviness, many of the subtleties for which PHIDEAUX is known and loved, and frequent reminders of the Post Rock feel of ANATHEMA and LUNATIC SOUL. Overall, though, I'd place thses guys--and particularly this album--in the category of 'RIVERSIDE/PORCUPINE TREE 2006;' probably better than In Absentia and head and shoulders with Second Life Syndrome. Well done. No weak songs. Just . . . a lot of music.
Four stars; definitely an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection.
GODSTICKS Faced with Rage
One of the best collection of Prog Metal songs I've heard all year: tight, concise, well-composed and -performed with competent skill (though all-too little flash) and incredible clarity of sound (especially considering this is prog metal--a typically muddy and murky sub-genre of music). My main complaint is that the music is sometimes too conservative and too simplistic--soft around the edges--especially for djenty prog metal.
Line-up / Musicians:
Darran Charles - Guitars, Vocals, Keys, Synths
Line-up / Musicians:
Darran Charles - Guitars, Vocals, Keys, Synths
Tom Price - Drums
Dan Nelson - Bass
Gavin Bushell - Guitar, Synths
1. "Guilt" (4:31) musically a nice start, but then the singing, verses and horrible chord progression for the chorus enter into play. Some of the things going on within the music are interesting--until they get too repetitive and old. (8/10)
2. "Hard to Face" (6:10) "simple" prog metal or heavy metal--a song that would get a lot of play on XM/Sirius's Octane station. (9/10)
Dan Nelson - Bass
Gavin Bushell - Guitar, Synths
1. "Guilt" (4:31) musically a nice start, but then the singing, verses and horrible chord progression for the chorus enter into play. Some of the things going on within the music are interesting--until they get too repetitive and old. (8/10)
2. "Hard to Face" (6:10) "simple" prog metal or heavy metal--a song that would get a lot of play on XM/Sirius's Octane station. (9/10)
3. "Open Your Eyes" (5:04) nothing very new or exciting on this standard heavy prog song.(7.5/10)
4. "We Are Leaving" (6:49) opens like a delicate ANATHEMA song, drums and bass joining in during the second verse. The song then goes into KARNIVOOL realms with Ian Kenny-like vocal. It evens tells the sci-fi like story of leaving (the planet?) Things amp up (slightly) at 4:35 while never getting too crazy (or even crazy at all; it's very restrained). Pretty but nothing very special. (8.5/10)
5. "Angry Concern" (6:34) a little edgier, djentier sounding, despite some nice solos, the song never really develops into anything better than an ALICE IN CHAINS b-side. (8/10)
6. "Avenge" (3:56) solid but too straightforward with no unexpected moments, none of the nuance surprises that feed my soul. (8.5/10)
7. "Revere" (4:24) opens in a cool almost-rehearsal way before turning into a radio-friendly ALICE IN CHAINS/KLONE song. Still, the sounds, weaves, melodies, and vocals are all perfectly matched. This is a heavy pop song that I would request and replay. (9/10)
8. "Unforgivable" (5:56) Finally! some thick, heavy bass and guitar chord play. Nice subtlety touches within the music--with and without the singing. I just wish there were a few twists or turns--and a little more exciting soloing. Still, a top three song for me. (9/10)
9. "Everdrive" (8:02) A song that feels like a true prog metal song with its djenty staccato time signature changes and full-on band soundscape explorations. One of the few songs in which the music attracts my attention over the vocals. And they even take a few surprising turns along the way. More of this, please! (9.5/10)
10. "Fame and Silence" (5:03) almost feels a personalized take on LED ZEPPELIN's "Kashmir." Very nice lead guitar solo in the third minute. Gets a little more dense, heavy, and full toward the end, but still leaves me disappointed. This could be so much more! (8.5/10)
Total Time 56:51
85.5 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a very good contribution of progressive rock music, one that is worth checking out by all prog lovers.
DREAM THE ELECTRIC SLEEP Heretics
Some of the best music I've heard all year. The music has an energy and urgency and excitement that is rarely felt in modern studio music. Great songwriting, great musicianship, great vocals, songs that pack a wallop yet are filled with many unexpected twists and turns. Heretics puts up some awesome, but not over-the-top, walls of sound. If there is a drawback to some of it, it's that it often sounds and feels too derivative of the music of U2--including the vocal stylings sounding like U2 lead singer, Bono. Otherwise, this is, start to finish, an exciting album of high-energy rock. I have a feeling that Heretics will win over a lot of new fans for this group of American alt/prog rockers. There are some very special songs on this album, especially the title song opener, "Heretics" (4:51) (9.5/10), which takes The Beatles and King Crimson to places they never dreamed of going! It opens with powerful chords that hook you in from the opening riffs. The closer, "Ashes Fall" (8:08) (9/10), is another stunner, this time for the continuous list of "waiting"s heart-wrenchingly read by a female voice.
Favorite songs: "Heretics;" the U2 War-ish and doves-like "Elizabeth" (8:22) (18/20); the doves-like "Utopic" (6:38) (9/10); the brief folk-with-Bono-ish "Lost Our Faith" (2:06) (4.25/5); the full-out U2 sounding "How Long We Wait" (9:29) (16.5/20), and, of course; "Ashes Fall" (8:08) (12/15)
85.50 on the Fishscales = B/a solid four star album of high quality, highly creative, highly detailed music.
LEPROUS Bilateral
Probably the most accessible and melodic example of 'tech-extreme metal' (if in fact this album can still be categorized as such) I've heard since NEGURA BUNGET's 2006 masterpiece, Om. The songs are theatric--at times stage-like--and the lyrics quite comprehensible (with out crib sheet) and sung at a pace more akin to QUEEN or A PERFECT CIRCLE, instead of the frenetic psycho-pace of UNEXPECT. I am enjoying this album ten times more than Tall Poppy Syndrome--though I appreciated the skill and freshness of the latter. I still feel the fresh and unusual approach to song delivery of this band--and the skill of the performers--especially Einar's vocals.
A strong four stars--perhaps even in line for some recognition for Top 10 of 2011 status
NEW KEEPER OF THE WATER TOWERS The Cosmic Child
A heavy prog gourd which sounds like it has been heavily influenced by AGOLLOCH, ALICE IN CHAINS, Ozzie/Sabbath & IRON MAIDEN.
1. "The Great Leveler" (6:37) is just too grungy for me. (7/10)
2. "Visions of Death" (9:25) has a great AGOLLOCH feel to it except with a bit more complexity and layers. (18/20)
3. "Pyre for The Red Sage" (12:05) sounds like a drawn out classic ALICE IN CHAINS song--except at its halfway point it totally shifts with an organ into PINK FLOYD mode--until at 7:40 some high octane guitar strumming and riffing takes us into the realm of old Heavy Metal artists like IRON MAIDEN. Then, at 9:44 we are brought into the warm sludge of the ALICE IN CHAINS world. Man does this vocal sound like Layne Staley! (20/25)
4."Cosmosis" (3:27) is a gorgeous little song that feels bigger than its length. A bit of the AGOLLOCH feel to it because of its strumming acoustic guitar foundation but instead of the growls there are heavily treated voices. (8/10)
5. "Lapse" (12:32) has a very peaceful pace and feel for its first minutes--even into the ethereal higher range male vocal which commences with the third minute. The first sign of any ramping up occurs with some electric guitar picking at the 4:35 mark--but this only a little ripple in the pond. At 5:30, however, a repetitious, pulsating bass takes over while keys, drums, and electric guitar provide incidental notes, chords, and odd sounds around it. At the seven minute mark the music returns to a full band progression while some interesting DOORS-like guitar sounds play around. With the arrival of the ninth minute things get heavier, fuller, with power chords and rousing lead guitar work. Then, at 8:50, things freeze for a moment before the bass sets up a fast-pcaed plucked version of its earlier repetitions progression until at 9:25 strumming electric guitar and then drums kick in to usher in a ramped up rocking' section in which a couple of awesome electric guitar soli present themselves--duelling. Well composed/structured song. (22.5/25)
6. "The Cosmic Child" (2:51) is a little instrumental 'lullaby' contrasting picked acoustic and electric guitars. The song feels a little out of place--like the little lost child among all of these ploddingly heavy 'storm' songs. (4/5)
83.68 on the Fish scales = solid four star album; an excellent addition to any progressive rock lover's music collection.
HAKEN Visions
Okay. It's time. As of the time of my writing this review, Visions has been around for eight weeks. I've given its due time to percolate, sink in, resonate (or not). Sleek, polished, more refined and, IMO, less urgent to impress, than Aquarius, I find it fresh . . . and yet familiar. Full of melodies and hooks, interesting shifts and changes, and enough sophistication and subtlety to offset the forays into Devin Townsend/Porcupine Tree-like heavy/metal sound-walling. As a matter of fact, Haken sound as if they were a group of four or five Steve Wilson-Devin Townsend types who collaboratively come up with more fully developed ideas than the singular man ever could.
I love the Latin rhythms in "Insomnia" (9/10)--though not quite sure of their relevance (nor of "history"'s) to one another. "The Mind's Eye" (8/10) is a bit too familiar and simple--kind of like a STYX song from Crystal Ball era. "Deathless" (8/10) is quite pretty, with a very patient, mature-sounding serenity in it. "Premonition" (6/10) and "Portals" (7/10)--though both full of interesting technical and very creative intricacies--are just too heavy to keep me listening. "Shapeshifter" (7/10) is all-too-familiar from so many Porcupine Tree albums. The two epics, "Nocturnal Conspiracy" (8/10) and "Visions" (8/10) are quite listenable, polished pieces that both pack a punch while never growing stale or boring. Ross Jennings' singing has definitely gotten stronger and more confident--as has the ensemble's collaborative compositional work. This is a very fine piece of artistry--very hard to find fault with, and masterful in many ways, yet, somehow, like Aquarius (and much of PT and DT) this just doesn't hit it for me--I have had to force myself back to Visions (as I did for Aquarius) time and again--not with enthusiasm or magnetism, but with duty and obligation: "Everybody else is saying this is a masterpiece, so I've got to give it a chance." And I have. Here is my review. Here is my rating. Like with Aquarius, it is doubtful I will ever be listening to this album again.
I love the Latin rhythms in "Insomnia" (9/10)--though not quite sure of their relevance (nor of "history"'s) to one another. "The Mind's Eye" (8/10) is a bit too familiar and simple--kind of like a STYX song from Crystal Ball era. "Deathless" (8/10) is quite pretty, with a very patient, mature-sounding serenity in it. "Premonition" (6/10) and "Portals" (7/10)--though both full of interesting technical and very creative intricacies--are just too heavy to keep me listening. "Shapeshifter" (7/10) is all-too-familiar from so many Porcupine Tree albums. The two epics, "Nocturnal Conspiracy" (8/10) and "Visions" (8/10) are quite listenable, polished pieces that both pack a punch while never growing stale or boring. Ross Jennings' singing has definitely gotten stronger and more confident--as has the ensemble's collaborative compositional work. This is a very fine piece of artistry--very hard to find fault with, and masterful in many ways, yet, somehow, like Aquarius (and much of PT and DT) this just doesn't hit it for me--I have had to force myself back to Visions (as I did for Aquarius) time and again--not with enthusiasm or magnetism, but with duty and obligation: "Everybody else is saying this is a masterpiece, so I've got to give it a chance." And I have. Here is my review. Here is my rating. Like with Aquarius, it is doubtful I will ever be listening to this album again.
TO-MERA Exile
As polished production as the previous album, it's amazing to consider that there is only one member remaining from 2007's brilliant Transcendental album--singer, Julie Kiss. Mega kudos, Julie, for holding clear and tight to the original vision of To-Mera! Though the presence of HAKEN keyboard wizard Henshall does seem to have smoothed out the sonic textures of To-Mera's music (except maybe in "Broken"), I'm not sure I like this change--part of what has made me come back again and again to Transcendental is that album's songs' sudden, quirky, and never predictable changes mid-song (not quite as chaotic as those of UNEXPECT, nor ever as heavy), I like this album better than the more recent releases from bands to whom To-Mera are compared--Within Temptation, Epica, Nightwish, After Forever. There are some absolutely gorgeous passages and melodies here.
Lone remainder of the founding group, Julie Kiss, continues to beguile me with her extraordinary voice, and overall I think this album the most accessible of the band’s output, but I’m not sure this is a good thing. Gone are the rough edges, the sharp and sudden turns, everything has been smoothed out. I’m not sure if it’s the keyboard work, but this album has far less of the abrasive, unpredictableness of either Transcendental or Traces. Instead, I feel as if I am listening more to NIGHTWISH or EPICA or WITHIN TEMPTATION. Sometimes the ‘new’ To-Mera is a positive (I often found some of the radical within-song shifts from previous albums disconcerting or distancing—though never so much as within, say, an UNEXPECT song), but I am also saddened at the loss of quirky surprise. Even the songs I find closest to the ‘old’ To-Mera are still surprisingly smooth, melodic, and “pretty.”
So, herein lies the difficulty of the decision to rate this album: I miss the sudden, drastic mid-song changes in mood, tempo, and/or instrumentation, but I do find myself enjoying the more melodic, smoothness of the new music—especially as added by the keyboard player. And I do not begrudge the group it’s movement away from Heavy Metal. But I do know this: I love the voice of Julie Kiss, I love the bass playing of Mark Harrington, I love the incorporations of Near Eastern instruments and sounds. I do not like the way the drums sound and often find myself questioning the choice of keyboard sounds (they're often quite cheezy, almost more like PAUL HARDCASTLE).
"Inviting the Storm” (3:02) (8/10)
“The Illusionist” (7:21) (8/10)
“The Descent” (7:54) (7/10)
“The Descent” (7:54) (7/10)
4 “Deep Inside” (6:46) (8/10)
5 “Broken” (10:04) (8/10)
“End Game” (6:13) (9/10)
“Surrender” (11:05) (9/10)
8 “All I Am” (12:46) (9/10)
82.5 on the Fish scales = solid four star album. Nice consistency and continued high level creativity.
AYREON The Theory of Everything
This is an album that I picked up upon release, I don't know why, since I had not particularly loved any of AYREON's previous albums. I love his sounds, his collaborators, his ideas, but there was always too much--too much content, too much bombast, too much predictability, too much sound. BUT, I remember enjoying what I was hearing with this album. The problem came with its length and density: I simply did not want to invest the time in getting to know--getting to really know--this album the way that it seemed to be asking me to. So, I put if off.
Now it's time.
This is an album that I picked up upon release, I don't know why, since I had not particularly loved any of AYREON's previous albums. I love his sounds, his collaborators, his ideas, but there was always too much--too much content, too much bombast, too much predictability, too much sound. BUT, I remember enjoying what I was hearing with this album. The problem came with its length and density: I simply did not want to invest the time in getting to know--getting to really know--this album the way that it seemed to be asking me to. So, I put if off.
Now it's time.
DISTORTED HARMONY Utopia
Listening to this album has been a mixed bag: I enjoy the symphonic and jazz elements of this tremendously but am not an avid fan of heavy prog. Still, this is, to my ears, very good progresssive rock--the vocals being the weakest element of the music, the keyboards being the strongest. While not quite up there with Tool's Lateralus, Karnivool's Sound Awake, Porcupine Tree's Fear of a Blank Planet, and Riverside's Second Life Syndrome; it is on a par with Sylvan's Posthumous Silence, Gösta Berlings Saga's Detta Har Hänt , Rishloo's Feathergun, and Von Hertzen Brothers' Love Remains the Same.
Favorite songs: "Kono Yume" (8:41) (9/10); "Obsession" (9:12) (8/10), and; "Utopia" (12:31) (8/10).
PAVLOV(3) Curvature Induce Symmetry.. Breaking
An album of excellent heavy instrumental prog in the tradition of some of KING CRIMSON's raw and heavier moments, Curvature is the project of bassist/Chapman Stick/U8 Deluxe Touch Guitar player Matt TATE. Matt really brings it home with a collection of diversely styled and paced songs all using unorthodox time signatures.
Favorite songs: 1. "Elastic Surface Patterns" (3:58) (10/10); 6. "Being+Time/Closure" (8:37) (10/10); 5. "Unruhe" (5:44) (9/10), and; 4. "Singularity" (3:59) (8/10)
A special shout out for the awesome contribution of drummer Paul Szlachta.
An album of excellent heavy instrumental prog in the tradition of some of KING CRIMSON's raw and heavier moments, Curvature is the project of bassist/Chapman Stick/U8 Deluxe Touch Guitar player Matt TATE. Matt really brings it home with a collection of diversely styled and paced songs all using unorthodox time signatures.
Favorite songs: 1. "Elastic Surface Patterns" (3:58) (10/10); 6. "Being+Time/Closure" (8:37) (10/10); 5. "Unruhe" (5:44) (9/10), and; 4. "Singularity" (3:59) (8/10)
A special shout out for the awesome contribution of drummer Paul Szlachta.
CALIGULA'S HORSE Bloom
An enigmatic band that seems to be having trouble defining their style, what they like, or who they want to be. They feel as if they are kind of lurking in the shadows of LEPROUS and KARNIVOOL. They could turn into something special . . . if they find their own identity.
SPACEKING The Piper at the Gates of Stone
This band from Russia has great sound. Bass, drums, guitars each fill the soundscape perfectly. As a matter of fact, were I to put together my own instrumental Prog Metal band, these are sounds, both individually and collectively, to which I would aspire. Also, the sound engineering and production here is flawless--I can actually hear all of the instruments even though the music present the stereotypic "walls of sound" that is common among heavy/metal music.
Line-up:
Ivan Zakharov - Bass, Saz, FX
Stanislav Matveev - Guitar
Ilya Yakunov - Guitar
Daniil Kornev - Drums
1. "Ruins" (5:58) a great opener of nice variety, layering, and melody showing great promise for this instrumental band of heavy rock. (7.5/10)
2. "Metamorph" (7:49) Starts out a little slowly, a little too RUSH-like, repetitiously, but then gets interesting with LED ZEPPELIN riffs and keyboards in the second half. (8.5/10)
3. "Silent Widow" (5:51) seems to get stuck in the opening riff for all of its six minutes. (6/10)
4. "44" (4:18) Where's the variation, where's the development? (7/10)
5. "Dwarf" (5:02) something different! An atmospheric opening! And there is more variation and development than the previous two songs--and it doesn't sound so much like somebody else (as far as I know). By far my favorite song on the album--because it sounds original! (9/10)
6. "The Piper At The Gates Of Stone" (6:06) a little bit of world music instrumentation in the opening! Yay! Develops into a little cross between IHNSAHN and U2. (8/10)
7. "Collapse" (7:01) a slightly milder, slower start helps me gain access to this song. The melody line and sound remind me a lot of Irish Post Rock band GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT. The problem is that there is not enough dynamic variation or sonic development, just riffing at pretty much one tempo. As in the opener, great electric guitar sound during its soloing. (8/10)
Total time 42:05
These instrumentalists have certainly done their homework, they have certainly learned and mastered the riffs and sounds of the Masters of Metal. My problem is that most of the songs and their component parts sound as if they came straight our of someone else's "greatest hits"--as if the instrumentalists and collective here are trying to string together songs or parts of songs built from the great riffs of all-time--other people's riffs. Rush, Led Zeppelin, Megadeth, Metallica, and probably a number of other bands whose "classic" hits and riffs I do not know because I've never been much of a collector of metal music. If this band with its great sound and incredible engineering and production ever chooses to create its own music--as it does in the fifth song here, "Dwarf" and the intro of "Silent Widow"--then we may have something truly worth shouting about. Until then, this is, to my ears, a great sounding album of mostly regurgitated classic heavy metal music.
77.14 on the Fishscales = solid three star album; a good representation of progressive rock, the hard instrumental metal version.
"Cinematic metal" with all of the requisite djenty guitar power chords, machine gun bass drumming and male vocal screams/growls, yet interlaced within and between are plenty of soft, atmospheric, and even ambient sections--over which voice samples from a wide variety of languages are often on display. Interesting, surprising, and well recorded.
Favorite tracks: If Pink Floyd went metal we might get something like, "III. West Shore: Where We Lost the Ones" (10:31) (9/10) and insistent "V. Central Shore: Tio" (5:26) which is sung emotionally in Spanish (9/10).
Also good: the dreamy piano-based opener, "I. East Shore: Landscape in the Mist" (1:42) (8/10), the TUNE Lucid Moments-like "VI. North Shore: The Abstract Line" (6:56) (8/10), and; "VIII. The South Shore: Blind Man's Eye" (15:10) (8/10).
I found myself often reminded of the brilliant 2011 album Lucid Moments by Poland's TUNE while listening to this. Despite the growls and heavy sections (which are actually in the minority) this album is well worthy of repeated listens.
78.75 on the Fish scales = four stars.
HEADSPACE All that You Fear Is Gone
Very well produced, great sounding heavy prog rock. As a whole the album has great recording and engineering of very competent musical compositions with great theatric vocals from DAMIAN WILSON and awesomely controlled performances from all instrumentalists--including keyboard player Adam WAKEMAN, bass/Chapman Stick player Lee POMEROY, and drummer Adam FAULKNER and guitarist Pete RINALDI. The journey the band takes me on makes me feel as though I am listening to a modern, heavier, almost-metal version of Jesus Christ Superstar.
These guys are all polished pros. I just wish there was something new here, something wowing. It is very competent, beautiful sounding heavy prog, but nothing much more. All songs are good--very polished with pretty amazing sonic clarity and power. It's just missing something. And it's too long. (73 minutes.) Maybe the real problem is that it does, in fact, sound so much like their debut; it's as if they have just rehashed previously travelled material with new lyrics. Or maybe it's the feeling that I'm listening to the modern version of FOREIGNER.
Best songs: the prog epic 6. "The Science Within Us" (13:14) and the finale, "Secular Soul" (10:36).
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