DIMENSIONAUT

A very solid freshman release from Simon Collins' new band! Their neo-Genesis-meets-Marillion sound is brilliant; Simon plays and sings like his father but also has a unique warmth to his style. Not quite as edgy as Phil - and actually a little more melodic, as one can hear on "Not Coming Down" and "Pale Blue Dot."

The band is in full force on "Cosmic Distance Ladder" an trippy, churning instrumental that borrows a lot of Genesis and Yes elements (and even a little Rush!) while still sounding fresh. "Mobius Slip" is the epic - a spacey-yet-dynamic 20-minute tour-de-force. There's not a bad track on here, though there isn't one that particularly blows me away, either. Most of them are nevertheless good to great, so I feel very comfortable giving this a very solid 4 stars.

Definitely check out this band if you're a fan of Porcupine Tree, Steve Hackett, Genesis, Yes, or Phil Collins himself.

Album Highlights:

+ "Cosmic Distance Ladder"

+ "Pale Blue Dot"

+ "Mobius Slip"

+ "Beyond Illumination"

Weakest Links:

- "Realm of In-Organic Beings"

- "Only Breathing Out'