A STREET BETWEEN SUNRISE AND SUNSET

By its very label, neo-progressive rock is unashamedly derivative. This branch of prog rock, then, has more than its fair share of bands struggling to find their own voice. SATELLITE is not one of them.

Instead, this band come out of the box with a fully-formed album of very high quality. This is because SATELLITE has risen from the grave of COLLAGE, a well-regarded Polish band from the 1990s, and contains three of its members. So this is not really a debut album, and as a result the band quickly finds a voice of its own within the constricting confines of neo-prog.

Nowhere is this clearer than in the first two tracks, both neo-prog epics of the highest order. Of the two, I personally favour the bustle and keyboard lyricism of 'The Evening Wind' over the extended guitar soloing and calmer pace of 'On the Run.' Had the album kept this high standard it would be a competitor for 'best neo-prog album', but the shorter tracks, while good, do not engage the listener to the same degree. This is, it seems, a band born to the epic.

There's a very loose concept here, but the vocals are understated, rendering the concept rather innocuous. However, there are some common themes in the music, the start of the third epic 'Now' linking back to the beginning of the album. This track packs a stronger punch - not in any way hard-edged, but robust, with an excellent chorus. 'Fight' returns to the shorter song formula, a short song padded out with an extended solo, then the final epic, the overlong title track, meanders a little towards the album's close. 'Children' finishes the album on a melancholy note.

Like most neo-prog albums, this album will not satisfy the adventurous soul's quest for bleeding-edge originality. However, if you simply want an enjoyable, melodic listen, this album will fit well into your collection, and for a while may even get high rotation.