2. "Trovommi Amor" (4:39) (7/10). A song that fails to really get up and go anywhere.
3. "Temptasyon" (3:20) (9/10).
4. "San'c fuy belha ne Prezada" (1:36) (7/10).
6. "The Lament" (3:27) (7/10). Lackluster vocals brings down some extraordinary instrumental performances.
7. "
Musa venit Carmine" (3:27) (10/10). Amazing arrangement of myriad vocal layers all performed over an ensemble of hand percussives.
8. "Kilmeny" (3:59) (9/10). Another unexpected and beautiful arrangement of layers of vocals and wonderful Renaissance instrumentation.
9. "Lhiannan Shee" (2:56) (8/10). One of the group's signature eerie yet mesmerizing vocal arrangements.
10. "
Umlahi" (2:15) (10/10). Beautiful, church-like vocal arrangement, almost a cappella (finger cymbols).
11. "Cittern Segue" (0:52). A brief solo instrumental that feeds into:
12. "Return of the Birds" (3:45) (8/10). a very upbeat dance-like medieval song sung in ensemble form in a foreign language. (Latin?)
13. "
Tam Lin" (4:24) (10/10). An incredibly stripped down and eerie version of this traditional Celtic folk song. The few and seldom modern effects and incidentals add immeasurably to the eeriness of this song.
14. "Scarborough Fayre" (3:24) (8/10). Yes, the same one we're all familiar with (thanks to Simon and Garfunkle) only arranged in a truer-to-traditional medieval folk 'dance' tune.
15. "Come My Sweet" (3:21). An upbeat ensemble piece that builds as it goes along. (10/10)
16. "Märk Hure Vår Skugga" (3:43) (10/10). A traditional Scandinavian folk song performed in a very delicate, bare-bones style.
17. "The World Fareth as a Fantasye" (4:08) (10/10). Is a beautiful song-a-long dance to Nature song with wonderfully uplifting instrumental performances and sultry, siren-like vocal performances.
18. "Away" (2:20) (8/10) ends the album with a very classical Palestrina-like sound.
88.89 on the Fish scales = B=/4.5 stars; a masterpiece of Progressive Folk music and a near-masterpiece of progressive music.
14. IZZ My River Flows
A New York-based band that simply must have some background in theater/Broadway music.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Anmarie Byrnes / vocals (2,8)
- Laura Meade / vocals (3-5,8)
- Paul Bremner / electric guitar
- Tom Galgano / keyboards (1-5,8), piano (2,4,5,8), organ (3,5,6), vocals (1,2,4,5,8), co-producer
- John Galgano / bass (2-6,8), electric (1) & acoustic (2,4,6,7) guitars, piano (3,6), vocals (1-3,5-7)
- Brian Coralian / drum programming, acoustic (1,2,4,5,8) & electronic (2,8) percussion
- Greg DiMiceli / drums (1-3,5,6,8), percussion (1,2)
1. "My River Flows" (5:28) more jagged with highly-distorted electric guitar chords and vocals from the opening notes. (8.667/10)
2. "Late Night Salvation "(12:16) a wonderful PT-like song with great pace, flow, power, and engageability--and a GREAT drum solo! A really special composition. (23/25)
3. "Rose Colored Lenses" (3:40) despite the proggy sound palette, this song has a Broadway musical feel to its initial sound and structure. (8.75/10)
4. "Deception "(7:17) accordion, acoustic guitar, and bouncy WHAM! "squishy synth" backs this Broadway friendly song. These guys have a lot in common with fellow New York-based bands THE TEA CLUB and 3RDEGREE. In the middle, there, lead singer John Galgano and back up Laura Meade definitely roam onto some Broadway stage; perhaps they think they're in The Phantom or something. It's very well done, just not quite what I expect from my prog--which is probably why this passage is finished off with some very proggy instrumental soloing. (13.25/15)
5. "Crossfire" (8:33) a very melodic piano and voice opening becomes even more pop-oriented as more instruments join in and then the catchy chorus of "Hah-ahhs" take over. Enter some RUSH-like music for the instrumental "C" part. Quite a skilled and refreshing song. (18/20)
6. "Anything I Can Dream" (3:22) quite an upbeat, light-hearted, BEATLES-like tune. Quite poppy. Why couldn't this have been like a 1970s Andrew Gold pop hit? (8.7/10)
7. "Abby's Song" (3:48) this one sounds and feels like a foray into Andy Partridge/XTC territory ("Love on a Farmboy's Wages"). Nice! (8.8/10)
8. "Deafening Silence" (21:36) a pretty good epic with the help of female vocalists Anmarie Byrnes and Laura Meade. Not as melodic as I like: very few hooks that pull me in. Kind of more ELP-like in that way: sophisticated composition lacking melody. In the second half we have a kind of "Awaken" extended interlude before the heart-felt emotional three-part drama of the seventeenth and eighteenth minutes. Is it possible that Neal Morse or Arjen Anthony Lucassen (AYREON) provided inspiration for this song? (35.5/40) :
- i. Realization
- ii. Lesson from the Heart
- iii. Deafening Silence
- iv. Passage of Life
- v. Sanctuary
- vi. Illumination
Total Time 66:00
8.833 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece cornucopia of eclectic crossover progressive rock music. Nice and refreshing music! An excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection.
Norwegian Neo-prog artists Wobbler have put together an album of three instrumental symphonic epics, none of which are less than 12 minutes long, all of it in the vein of Swedish prog revivalist legends, Änglagård.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Tony Johannessen / lead vocals
- Morten Andreas Eriksen / electric & acoustic guitars (mandolin, tambourine & kazoo unconfirmed)
- Lars Fredrik Frøislie / glockenspiel, clavinet, Mellotron, Hammond, Minimoog, grand piano, harpsichord (ARP, Wurlitzer, Fender Rhodes & Stylophone unconfirmed)
- Kristian Karl Hultgren / bass, alto & tenor saxophones
- Martin Nordrum Kneppen / drums & percussion (recorder unconfirmed)
With:
- Ketil Vestrum Einarsen / flutes, backing vocals
- Ulrik Gaston Larsen / theorbo, baroque guitar
- Pauliina Fred / recorder
- Aage Moltke Schou / percussion
1. "Serenade for 1652" (0:41)
2. "Hinterland" (27:47) Over the the rhythm tracks often feel like something from a 1960s DOORS song. Then, at 8:25, the band tries to move into GENTLE GIANT territory for a bit. In the eleventh minute, then, they move into one of the GENESIS "Supper's Ready" motifs before segueing into a mediæval lute-like piece which then gets joined by recorder and harpsichord. Very cool! (And very GRYPHON-like). At the begining of the fourteenth minute the band slowly transitions back into 20th century instruments (thick Chris-Squire-like bass and tons of Mellotron) before hitting some VDGG and ELP themes. (Sounds so much like 2020s DAAL!) Unfortunately, the second half of the song's motifs don't always find their mark--get a little dull and tedious (even repetitive with the acoustic guitar break/interlude in the 23rd minute). I guess we're exploring some of the territory traversed by the past RPI masters (not always my favorites). A little too plodding and Hammond centered. (49/55)
3. "Rubato Industry" (12:45) The Änglagård School of Modern Prog definitely comes through with this one, though there are flashes of Future Wobbler in a couple richly harmonized vocal passages and quite some URIAH HEEP present in the second half. Decent! (21.667/25)
4. "Clair Obscur" (15:37) long Mellotron solo opens and lasts two minutes. Then piano and flute introduce an entirely new passage. Int he fourth minute we switch to gently plucked 12-string guitar and Mellotron flute notes as Rickenbacker bass and Hammond creep up from the background. For the next three minutes Hammond and 'trons are backed by YES-like rhythm section with a Steve Howe clone playing C&W guitar in a
very YES-familiar passage. Great imitation/replication. I'm just looking for a little more originality--if not sonically or dynamically, at least compositionally. Ominous ninth minute bass play evolves into a NIL-like passage which slowly morphs into a VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR motif before switching suddenly into GENTLE GIANT before going BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO. There's even a little TONY BANKS/MIKE OLDFIELD homage in the final 90 seconds. Beautiful! (26.75/30)
Total Time 56:50
Nice work if, also like Änglagård, lacking the hooks and pulls that draw the listener in and holds them there. The 28-minute title song is probably my favorite due to its varied styles, themes, and broad dynamics. I really appreciate the band's avoidance of gated drum effects for the drums (makes the drummer seem much more alive and noticeable). Both the instrumental and compositional skills of the entire band are top notch--and this is only their first album!
88.56 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection. If you love hearing and trying to spot all of the reverent homage moments of a retro-focused band's music, this is one album for you!
16. SEIGES EVEN The Art of Navigating by the Stars
A German band led by the stalwart Holzwarth brothers (bass and guitars), the band has its roots in Prog Metal--where much of their previous music may have fallen, but this one would be more appropriately labeled Heavy Prog, in my opinion, or even Crossover (due to the remarkably smooth and harmonic CSN&Y-like multi-voice vocal harmonies.)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Arno Menses / vocals
- Markus Steffen / electric & acoustic guitars
- Oliver Holzwarth / bass
- Alex Holzwarth / drums
With:
- Walter Dorn / flute (8)
1. "Intro: Navigating by the Stars" (0:30) effected baby noises with background synths.
2. "Sequence I: The Weight" (10:14) heavy, rolling bass and guitars with solid drums and a few rounds of gattling guns set the stage for sparse musical support of vocalist Arno Menses opening salvos--which are surprisingly soft and pretty. His voice (and the music) sounds a bit like RUSH's "Fly by Night" but the music develops and shifts in many more surprising directions--especially the CSN&Y-like perfect harmonized choral voices. At 4:20 we shift a couple gears into a faster pace for an instrumental section --though still sounding surprisingly like RUSH. Great song with some incredibly engaging music and vocals (both Arno and the harmonized collective banks); where it falls short is in failing to deliver a "knockout punch." (18/20)
3. "Sequence II: The Lonely Views of Condors" (6:14) a good song with interesting music and lots of nice use of space; they just don't deliver enough melodic hooks in the music or in the vocals. (8.5/10)
4. "Sequence III: Unbreakable" (9:00) third song in a row in which the guitarist is using the same chorus effect. When the bass and drums join in to underline the slow pace, I'm reminded of both Nina Hagen's amazing debut band (SPLIFF). And then the vocals enter reminding me of soon-to-arrive on the scene IAN KENNY from Aussie band, Karnivool. At 3:50 we switch into another "Fly By Night" motif for 100 seconds of instrumental "discipline" and soli. Then everything cuts out save for some delicately picked acoustic guitar as Arno sings plaintively. When he is joined by choral bank harmony singers it signals a shift back into more upbeat pacing--where the music almost becomes straightforward classic rock. Though they're rather infrequent, the CSN&Y-like bolts of vocal lightning are so bewitching. Still, there is something lacking… (18/20)
5. "Sequence IV: Stigmata" (8:22) more RUSH ideas taken further and made Seiges' own. Until the fifth minute, I hear a lot similarities to WOBBLER's Rites at Dawn in this song, but then it almost goes Post Rock and Brothers Johnson "Strawberry Letter 23"! GREAT shift/change at 7:40--so close to the end--to give us a kind of TOOL ending! (17.5/20)
6. "Sequence V: Blue Wide Open" (5:13) a cappella choral vocals open this one before giving way to a weave of picked acoustic guitars (at least three). In the second minute, Arno's classic rock voice sings--using two tracks to time his continuos delivery--which the guitars continue to pick away. Just before the two minute mark, the guitars switch to strumming for the chorus, but then they cut back and turn to a display of classical flourishes (two or three tracks) before returning to the picking weave of the opening section. There's a little Steve Hackett/Genesis feel here--as well as FIREFALL ("Strange Way [to Say I Love You"]). Pretty song with some awful nice guitar play and recording ideas. (9/10)
7. "Sequence VI: To the Ones Who Have Failed" (7:26) if Rush were composing for TRIUMPH, TOTO, AMBROSIA, or REO SPEEDWAGON. Then it turns THIN LIZZY in the middle instrumental section before returning to the TRIUMPH motifs of the opening half. Nice song. (13.25/15)
8. "Sequence VII: Lighthouse" (7:41) guitar harmonics with plaintive singing by Arno, but then the harmonized choral approach enters to set up the slow ramp up to full power. As we get to third gear in the fourth minute, I'm again reminded of some of the country-tinged song and vocal sound palettes. Nice classical guitar solo in the fifth minute is followed by a relaxing pastoral flute solo before everything shifts into fourth gear. Little River Band and Ambrosia come to mind here. Very nice song--also very unexpected (on a "metal" album). (13.25/15)
9. "Sequence VIII: Styx" (8:55) sadly, this one has the weakest songwriting and instrumental showmanship on this otherwise-wonderful album--almost "RUSH--for-beginners, by-the-numbers". It's not until the 4:45 mark that the band seems to finally come alive--and it does in fine fashion, in a kind of KING CRIMSON way--at least until it returns to the Southern Rock sound/style with Arno's vocal. (What happened to all of those magical choral vocals?) Fortunately, the wonderful final two minutes help salvage some of the magic. (17/20)
Total Time 63:35
There is a lot of RUSH-influence in these songs: sounds, chords, riffs, changes/shifts, drumming, even the vocals. And yet, they manage to make it sound fresh and like it's all their own. Plus, they use--to great effect--much more space and spaciousness than Rush. I love the unusual prominence of the bass and the fascinating way in which the instrumentalists play off each other both harmonically and rhythmically. Truly interesting and refreshing. Again, if this is "metal," then I'm a convert! (It's not: I'm not quite there yet.) Also, if this is a concept album, I've not found it (i.e. the common thread).
88.52 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a wonderful addition to any prog lover's music collection and one of my favorite "heavy" albums of the Naughties.
17. GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT All Is Violent, All Is Bright
Though I am a relatively new- and late-comer to the "Post Rock/Math Rock" and seemingly related "Experimental/Post Metal" Progressive Rock sub-genres, I am fascinated and enjoying these two areas immensely. IMO, here is where "progress" is truly being made in music--where boundaries are being challenged, the envelope being pushed. The work of Sigur Rós and Toby Driver alone lead the way in what I call the groundbreaking, mind-opening progress happening in music recently. The 60s saw The Beatles, Lou Reed, and King Crimson pushing the envelope. The 70s had Robert Fripp, Brian Eno, and Christian Vander exploring untested territories. The 80s saw the compositions and productions of the likes of David Byrne, Mickey Hart, Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel and others trying to bring attention to and appreciation for musics, instruments and musicians of the world. (The 80s also saw the advent of the computer age with things like 'midi,' 'sequencing,' 'sampling' and the Fairlight exerting considerable influence, while on the quiet artists like David Sylvian and Robert Fripp continued to test sound in the forms and structures that we call 'music.') In the 90s we saw Mark Hollis, Sigur Rós, and Radiohead pushing boundaries. Which brings us to the most recent decade, the first of the 21st Century, in which we were witnesses to the innovation, courage, and artistry of Toby Driver (an asterisk of mention to the members of Animal Collective.) While my diatribe admittedly reflects an Anglo-American-centricity, I hope you readers will accept the fact that, for good or not, most of the music made publicly accessible through commerce has been able to rise to the public eye (and ear) through Anglo-American corporate endorsement. With all of this in mind, my review of God Is An Astronaut's All Is Violent, All Is Bright constitute's my first in this sub-genre. The reason being, it is the first "Post Rock/Math Rock" album that I have heard that I absolutely love start to finish, every song in the collection. No album from Sigur Rós, Red Sparowes, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Russian Circles, Mogwai, Mono, Don Caballero, 65Daysof Static, Do Make Say Think, or Explosions in the Sky has captivated me so well as All Is Violent, All Is Bright. ULVER's Shadows of the Sun is the only one yet I've heard that I like more, but it is a very different experience from the Post Rock/Math Rock experience I receive from the others mentioned. I would not even place Shadows of the Sun in this category, it is so different.
Some Post Rock/Math Rock album/artists are a bit too harsh/too metallic for me (Russian Circles, Godspeed come to mind), some too repetitive or formulaic in their patterns and structures (Mono, Explosions, even, at times, Sigur Ros). A few are less consistent with the high standard/quality (Mogwai, Do Make Say Think, and 65Days). For some reason I prefer Red Sparowes (especially Every Red Heart Shines Toward the Red Sun), much of Sigur Rós (Ágaetis Byrjun, Takk..., and ( ) [untitled]), and this God Is An Astronaut album.
What I like so much about this album is its diversity, it's atmospheric sound field, and its use of catchy melodies. While Post Rock/Math Rock does seem to have its formulaic structures, the songs on this album each have their own identities, each have disparate styles and 'influences.' Plus, I have to admit, I rather like their relative brevity. The tendency within this sub-genre is to go a bit long. Once or twice an album is great, but every song eight to twelve minutes? No thank you. Unfortunately, I just don't have time to listen to songs like that all day. I also quite enjoy GIAA's use of vocals: they're like a fifth instrument--another keyboard or a violin or something.
1. "Fragile" (4:34) is the album's introductory piece that reminds me very much of an older SIGUR RÓS song. Nice slow beat, building slowly, with a very SIGUR RÓS-like use of voices, even through the requisite slam of drums, cymbals, bass and synths which arrives at the 2:40 mark and then disengages a minute later for a very slow and peaceful fade. Short, sweet, and to the point. (8.667/10)
2. "All Is Violent, All Is Bright" (4:14) is right out of a CURE playbook: rolling bass, guitar effects, background keyboard effects, same drums, Cure cords and definitely a Cure pace. Beautiful song. Awesome finale beginning at the 3:15 mark. Go crazy, Robert! I mean, Kinsella brothers! This one could've bee a little longer. (8.5/10)
3. "Forever Lost" (6:22) is BUDD/ENO meets COCTEAU TWINS/MASSIVE ATTACK. Great soundtrack music. Great atmospheric piano and synths. Typical build and climax. (8.667/10)
4. "
Fire Flies and Empty Skies" (3:55) begins with more fast-tempo CURE-ish bass and guitar until the drums enter followed by the song's melody played on sliding up and down a guitar's fretboard. Something is so pleasantly familiar about this song and its melodies. The isolated distorted bass beginning at 3:15 mark and flowing to the end as the song's outro section is a great touch. Some OCEANSIZE feel here, too. (9/10)
5. "A Deafening Distance" (3:49) slows the pace down until the drums and guitar power chords double time at the 2:40 mark. Great synth melody eeking its presence out from behind the rhythm section. (8.5/10)
6. "Infinite Horizons" (2:28) slows it down to an almost ambient pace with a very ROBIN GUTHRIE-like feel and sound. Nice. (8.667/10)
7. "
Suicide by Star" (4:38) Begins like an ominous yet intriguing soundtrack song. A Jason Bourne movie theme or something. Builds with the drums and lead guitar moving up to the foreground at the 1:30 mark. Great song, great feel, my favorite song on the album. Reminds me of U2's early experimental work with BRIAN ENO and DANIEL LANOIS--like "Boomerang" and others from the
Unforgettable Fire period. Awesome. I love the end/climax where the bass drum is pumping frenetically while the ride cymbal paces calmly along at the same slow pace with which it started. (10/10)
8. "
Remembrance Day" (4:16) begins with quite a different feel than the rest of the album--like a CHROMA KEY piece--with piano, bass keyboards and very treated/synthesized vocals. Then at the 1:48 mark the woofer-low synthetic bass, drums, and sliding guitar sounds enter. Wow! Space has never felt so cool! Then the 2:48 mark sees the song take a different turn into a more upbeat, uptempo, up-power level with a new melody line introduce on synths(?). The song finally decays back to the echoed piano. Cool and unusual! (9/10)
9. "
Dust and Echoes" (4:13) again begins with such a different feel. Kind of pop-mainstream with weird synth washes flowing, floating behind the rhythm section. If you've ever heard the great music of PERPLEXA and/or WEST INDIAN GIRL, this has that same awesome, upbeat psychedelic feel. The song builds by the 2:40 point, vocals again serving a very cool and important role, before interestingly decaying early into an unusually long (for this genre) fadeaway. Great song. Another fave. (9/10)
10. "When Everything Dies" (10:00) is the album's only real long song (10:00 minutes). Beginning with another HAROLD BUDD-treated by BRIAN ENO piano, the main difference is the eerie and unsettling presence of a synth bass. A shift occurs at the 3:00 mark into a more pounding, speedy version of the intro piano them joined by a very treated, almost electronic MASSIVE ATTACK-like drum riff. Some FRIPP-like guitar arpeggios join at the 4:25 mark as the background rhythmatists build the intensity of their chords until 5:20 everybody drops out save the drums, bass and synth-wash, which then also drop out and fade until from 5:55 to 7:30 we are left without sound! Everything has apparently died! The first sounds to reenter our aural atmosphere are synthesized waves on a beach sound followed by a computer-robot sounding synth riff floating around the L-R aural screen. By 9:00 a piano, very distant drum beat, and new synth make their presences known before finally all fading away in the end. Weird, eerie and interesting. Not as heavy as ULVER's Shadows of the Sun LP and message, but interesting. (18/20)
11. "Disturbance." (3:44) Another ENO-BUDD sounding piece--as if from the Apollo album, or from the 2001: A Space Odyssey soundtrack--definitely presents as if we are in space or on a space journey. More of a concept finisher than a song with its own interesting presence. (8/10)
Great album; one of my favorites from this subgenre.
88.33 on the Fish scales = B+/four stars; an excellent and highly engaging, melodic masterpiece of Post Rock music (a rare thing) though perhaps not as highly deserving in the overall world of progressive rock music. For the sake of it's high consistency and for being one of the standards by which I measure other albums from this sub-genre.
