PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE

Brainticket opened my eyes to how many top shelf obscure progressive rock groups there are out there. There latest offering, Past Present and Future, comes fifteen years after 2000's Alchemic Universe which saw Joel, the leader, try to fuse his vision with contemporary European dancefloor rhythms. I came around to it, but it generally seems to be regarded as the weakest Brainticket album. If that was the weakest, this must be its polar opposite. This is krautspace 2015 with the emphasis on rock. The Dancing on a Volcano twofer runs through all the progressive gauntlets and emerges victorious. The second *side* showcases jammy guitar and swirling synth songs that work well low volume or on 11. It took me a while to appreciate the depth of this album but it really will reward the dedicated prog rock fanatic. My only quibble is the female lyrics are dispensed by what I'd classify as an amateur. It would seem Joel snuck into the nearest high school and grabbed the first girl (not woman) to add lyrical color to his record. It doesn't detract from the glory for me too much as the music created is awe inspiring. My favorite track has become Reality of Dreams 4.5 stars