POLAR HUMAN CIRCLE

I must admit that Raven Sad's 2011 album "Layers of Stratosphere" left an indelible mark on my psyche, as per my review on Progarchives will attest. For unknown reasons, their follow-up ten years later, "The Leaf and the Wing" needs a return visit as it just simply did not stick in my mind enough to do an instant review, a flaw that I will correct asap, as it is highly rated and esteemed in the community. Things happen, I am not a robot, and I am happy to be flawed. This new album arrived recently, I have already given it a few whirls and I like what I know about this wardrobe. Samuele Santanna is a supremely talented guitarist, and the rest of the crew is top notch as well.

Pianist Fabrizio Trinci launches this album with ornate flair on "Andenes", as Gabriele Marconcini elegantly emotes on the microphone, very much in the Steve Hogarth mode of sensitively dense vocalizations. When the forceful lead guitar enters the fray, the stage is sonically set for a rather comprehensive roller coaster of contrasts between styles that make this album so appealing. "When the Summer Collapses into Fall" appears, the ringing the Edge style guitar is quite unexpected, a deviation that can only underline a desire to boldly stretch the stylistics, in this particular case, an upbeat track that waves goodbye to the warm months, as it heads into the grace of autumn melancholia. Punchy rhythmic workout that seeks only to dazzle the senses with raw emotion. The core quality of the album arrives to the front as the atmosphere rises even further on the 2-part section, "Coda: A Tiny Passage to Outer State", a savory instrumental introduction that captivates the listener with shimmering orchestral delight as it leads into "Point Nemo", a sensitive tour de force that instantly pleases the ear, a clearly constructed anthem with soaring melodic sorrow, brooding pace and charged vocals as it 'polarizes' the event surrounding Nautilus' last voyage .

The heavy section: "The Obsidian Mirror" and "The Bringer of Light" showcase those stylistic wanderings mentioned earlier, the first veering into a harder territory, led by a buzzing bass twirl, crunchy riffs and screeching Santanna solo while the second opts for a much heavier bluesy sound which starts with the previous piece. Laden with broiling organ and athletic rhythmic support, the stride is maintained at all costs, evoking past heavy rock masters like Deep Purple and Uriah Heep. The axe solo is stunning to say the least!

Title track is a 26-minute adventure that ultimately combines into one musical chapter, all of the intricacies mentioned above. The size and scope proposes a wide berth to play with, and the musicians certainly feel extraordinarily comfortable in taking their time building this massive story. The restraint exhibited is fancifully obvious and much to be admired. The vocals, the ringing guitars, the sombre keyboards, and the tight bass/drum duo mesh together perfectly. The quieter sections are crushingly pristine, the piano work astounding and hypnotic, perfectly capturing the polar reality. Throw in slices of ornamental orchestrations when required, some forlorn vocals, and some outright blistering lead guitar form Santanna. The overpowering and complex parts are equally impressive, a river of constant change, yet firmly controlled and visionary.

A thoroughly enjoyable release, the final track being a serious masterstroke, perhaps not unseating my love for "Layers" but most worthy of discovery from avid listeners of this style. If you enjoy Moongarden, Clepsydra, Gran Torino, FEM band etc?, this will go down as an arctic storm. 4 Tuxedoed Penguins