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iamthemorning are a new and young band that have been making some big waves ever since they released their debut ~. This Russian band combines prog rock and neo classical music, but in a way that is very different to traditional Symphonic prog. In fact ~ is probably the most original release to come out of 2012 and they have a sound that is uniquely their own.

The 18 tracks present do a very good job blending and flowing into each other, so once you listen to one of the songs you will have a hard time pressing the stop button! The classical instruments (which are all professionally played due to the band's formal classical training) are energetically played and combined with Marjana's voice their is an uplifting and life affirming energy to their music. The only current band who can rival them in this are Big Big Train but unlike them their is no need for retro prog which makes iamthemorning fresher sounding.

Their songs are a perfect combination of accessibility but still keeping a complex edge. In fact some songs such as Burn, Touching II and Serenade could become hits on the radio if they had the advertisement. This does not mean the band are selling out as they are high quality songs that go beyond being catchy.

Songs such as Scotland and I.B.Too are proof that the band are capable of delivering a all-out prog assault without warning (as they both have a quiet intro) if they need to. But the constant flurry of activity from their classical instruments means that traditional prog is not essential to keep the proghead satisfied. They are not a one-trick pony either as Inside and Monsters are quite dark and unsettling. This ability to occasionally change the mood from light and free to dark and tense does just enough to keep you on your seat and not get bored. It also gives a depth to their sound making it more likely that this will be a prolific band who will have many strings to their bow.

Their aren't any weak tracks here, although quite a few of the Intermission interludes are by themselves nothing special and require the neighbouring songs for support. With so many songs under the 5 min mark (the 11 minute I.B.Too is just 3 tracks) one longer song would help the album have a focus point. Hopefully their next album will do this.

It is worth remembering that the band wrote this album when they were still focused on their university studies. So I am very exited to know what they will produce when furthering the band's success becomes their top priority! Their next album will let the prog world know if they are a flash in the pan or new prog legends in the making. But if nothing else ~ should stand the test of time as a classic. With ~ being free on their bandcamp webpage you have no reason not to get this!

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