MOONBABIES

Heh heh, look - these guys are undeniably good musicians who can really rip, and I can certainly appreciate that. When I find myself getting temporarily bored with the typical prog and fusion played in the 1970's style, I'll turn to the likes of Finneus Gauge, Satriani, Hellborg, Syzygy, Rush or even Boud Deun or Ozone Quartet for a more aggressive, psyched-up testosterone fest. These groups all play fast and furious, with melody and cleverness.....without the metal.

And I just don't like the metal.

I know it's only a matter of personal taste, but I wish that virtuosos like Sherinian, MacAlpine and Donati didn't waste their awesome talents on this type of music. I was hoping that they could excite me without venturing into metal territory, and many of the reviews I've read about Moonbabies and Planet X in general implied as much. I was misled; while there truly are some moments of inventiveness and excitement on this cd, the group ultimately relies too much on dumbing it down to prog metal cliches and shred, and too little on feeling.

I will just never understand why great musicians think that they have to play mind-bogglingly fast, up and down the classical scales, just to show that they can do it in odd time signatures at hyper-speed. I mean, I LOVE odd time signatures too, but show me that you also possess the creativity to invent a melody or unique rhythm figure at the same time (or different time, as the case may be!).

Here's a little analogy: If you're shivering outside at a winter carnival watching a chainsaw artist carve perfect geometric shapes (triangles, obelisks, polygons, etc...) out of blocks of ice in less than five minutes, you're initially impressed with his skill....but still left feeling cold. If that same guy took fifteen minutes longer to carve and shave the likeness of a swan or a Greek goddess, you'd feel warm inside at knowing that you had just witnessed the creation of something beautiful through the synthesis of great skill AND the expression of emotion...and I believe we call that "art". It's a subtle difference, but a critical aspect that's missing here on this cd.

So this review is just a warning for any other progressive music lovers out there who might think that this cd could be a nice diversion into jazz fusion or fast prog - it's not. This is for prog METAL enthusiasts only who are looking for something that leans into the jazz realm; it is modern, prog metal/fusion with little soul, scant melody, and no warmth. Personally, I just don't need it. "2-1/2 stars" for non-metal prog lovers.

Now, for a quick fix, I'm gonna listen to Rush's "Where's My Thing?"...