MILLIONTOWN

Closely related to the most commercially digestible and massive music, the producer and keyboardist Jem Godfrey decides to move out of his comfort zone and ventures down more challenging paths, very much connected to modernity, based on the enormous possibilities that technology already offered in the recording rooms in the 2000s. To this end, he summoned renowned musicians from progressive rock bands to bring them together under the Frost* umbrella and release "Milliontown" (2006), their first album.

"Milliontown" is a refreshed take on neo-progressive, at times furious and muscular, at times calm, at times electronic, but always determined and intense. From the excellent "Hyperventilate", a development that goes back and forth between the instrumental overflow and Godfrey's slow piano notes, the album's proposal goes beyond the imaginary boundaries of the genre, and brings together elements from other musical trends such as nu-metal, although more domesticated in the hurried "No Me No You", the translucent and watery simplicity of "Snowman", or the industrialised pop of "The Other Me".

But it is in its final stretch where the work shines with special brilliance, with the exquisite guitar solos of John Mitchell (Arena/It Bites) supported by the tangled industrial and atmospheric arrangements of Godfrey's synthesizers in "Black Light Machine", and above all in the suite "Milliontown", a massive and excellent progressive display divided into seven sections with restful and hypnotic episodes such as 'a) One Underground', nods to Dream Theater's progressive metal in 'b) Abracadaver' and 'd) Core', digitised and intriguing vocals in 'c) The Only Survivors' and 'e) The Chosen Few', and an epic instrumental display for 'f) Two Underground', sustained by the solid rhythmic base built by the experienced John Jowitt (IQ) on bass and Andy Edwards (also IQ) on percussion, which concludes the vigorous suite. Simply unmissable.

As is sometimes the case with supergroups, expectations can be high and the results sometimes fall short of the presumed levels of quality. Fortunately, this is not the case with Frost*, "Milliontown" is a very good and promising debut album.

4 stars