PEACE AMONG THE RUINS

According to Presto Ballet's website this CD was suppose to be an "old school" album "Evoking a classic 70's feel, their debut album "Peace Among The Ruins" heralds a return to a time when music was at its most colorful and influential. An album full of tasteful guitar parts, crunching Hammond organ and rich vocals, the band follows a path previously tread by rock pioneers such as Kansas, Yes, Genesis and Deep Purple"

Well sort of. The instruments are from the 70's but I am not sure that this band has any Genesis, Yes or Kansas in it. Very much has a lot of Styx, Deep Purple and Rush though. Think of Styx with no Dennis De Young songs, a harder sounding guitar and a Hammond with James Young on lead vocals. The best of example of that is in the songs The Fringes and Seasons. Find the Time sounds like it was developed along the "Snowblind" formula.

Most of the songs have a metal feel to them and not surprising since the project leader is guitarist Kurt Vanderhoof from Metal Church. Sometimes I get images of early Def Leopard and Led Zeppelin. Do not take that as a criticism it just sounds like all of this music has been done before.

The two best tracks are Sunshine and Bringin' it On. Both add a little acoustic guitar and harmonies. The former sounds like it could have been a late 60's Moody Blues track. The latter sounds very Pink Floyd in the vein of Wish You Hear or Alan Parson's Dream Within a Dream but also some Styx like vocals but even adds some 80's power ballad. Pretty decent tracks and maybe the closest you will get on this CD to what Presto Ballet could have become if they continued this project further. I am going to give this effort three stars but really more like 2.5.