THERE ARE NO ORDINARY MOMENTS

1. "Red Blanket" (8:13) heavy drum and bass play, two chords, alternating back and forth, while "flute," "trumpet," and electric guitars take turns front-lining as soloists. It's okay if you're into long jams, but the lack of change (their is one key change around the three-minute mark and a dynamic dim around 4:00 as well as a turn into heavy metal rock territory at 5:26) and development is a bit disappointing. The trumpet sounds almost real, but, since it is uncredited, it must be assumed that it's keyboard generated. The multiple tracks dedicated to multiple guitars works well. (13.125/15)

2. "Eagle Plains" (7:58) opens like a still summer's day standing on a bluff looking out over the sea. Piano and heavily- chorused slide guitar join in, slowly establishing a sound palette, before heavy guitar power chords and deep pulsing bass and drum enter to provide the full sonic field. Something in the drum sound sounds off (muted recording of the snare and toms?) while Chris Malmgren's piano sounds too "in house" alongside his Mellotron chords, Arp-strings solo lines and Mark Ilaug's raunchy guitar shredding. Melodically, I'd say this song is a step above the previous one for intrigue and allure, it's just so jumbled and messy/murky. (13.25/15)

3. "The Virtue of..." (5:52) (/10) 4. "Flatlander" (3:14) (/10) 5. "Tramp Hollow" (5:28) (/10)

6. "Notes of the Concubine" (8:20) Chris Malmgren's piano and Hammond give this heavy, rather plodding song a little much-needed spice and variety. Mark Ilaug's lead guitar work is impressive and refined but has too much polish and not enough soul. (17.5/20)

7. "Eyota" (12:39) this song is opened by some solo classical lounge piano before the rest of the band join in around the 30-second mark. Their reunion is notable for the John Coltrane/Mahavishnu Orcehstra way they seem to feel around each other without quite going anywhere for over three minutes before settling into a forward-moving motif-- which is also piano-led. I've always liked the experimental nature of these musicians' career, and this just perpetuates this feeling. Experimenting and growing. My only wish for them (one that I've expressed before) is that they somehow figure out how to let a vocalist into their fold--maybe not even until the music is finished--just to add that further dimension and variable to their wonderful weaves. At 6:10 a heartrending blues-jazzy melody is presented by the piano and lead guitar and further developed, also in tandem, as the bass and drums support the drama. At the end of the ninth minute the motif is taken into the domain of more sophisticated prog bombast for about a minute before every one backs off to let the "classical" piano again have sole possession of the spotlight. In the eleventh minute the other band members rally around Chris's piano playing with the warm layering of an Eskimo out in the cold. Lead guitar gets another go at a bit of a solo just before it's time to draw to a close. Not what you'd expect from a prog band--or jazz-rock fusion. Not even the Italians are usually as maudlin and extravagant as this one. (21.75/25)

8. "Chateau La Barre" (2:12) (/5) 9. "Serpentine" (6:54) (/15) 10. "The Way" (7:30) (/15)

Total Time 68:20

An album of pleasant, rather innocuous and perhaps standard fare that I just don't care to finish reviewing.

3.5 stars; a good but non-essential album. Recommended for your own determination.

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