GOODBYE TO DUSK FAREWELL TO DAWN

This album was recommended to me by Prog Reviewer sinkadotentree (John Davie). Since we have quite a similar taste in music (Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree, Blackfield, Green Carnation, Sylvan) I decided to buy it straight away, without any regrets!

The Amber Light is 4 man band of guys just over 20 years of age. That they are quite young is simply amazing, because their music sounds so "mature". It's like you are listening to a progressive rock band with years of experience! And Louis Gabbiani's voice is simply perfect to fit the music. Very clean and velvet-like voice with the absence of any "German accent", which is maybe due to the fact that he's Italian? I really can't tell, because his English also doesn't have any "Italian accent" either. Some lyrics are even sung in Italian, giving a real international feel to it all.

All songs are simply beautiful, slowly in build up, usually with keyboard/piano intro and later on accompanied by guitars, drum and bass. Usually ending up in great melodies and great choruses blending all instruments really harmonic. The only "misser" on this album IMHO is the track "gangsters", which is quite a bit noisy and seems more like an experimental jamming session reminding me of King Crimson's "Moonchild", or Paatos' "Quits", which I both really hate. (Sorry Paatos, sorry KC)

Like John I also really like the following passage in "Tartaros", which might be one of the best track of this album; "Stumble through the wilderness you may. taking all the things that you create, stumble through the wilderness you may. diggin' all the things that you create".

"The Drowning Man In My Hands" is another epic of this album. Making the build-up really slow makes you enjoy the bombastic ending even more! I love the part where the strong melodic piano kicks in (05:30) accompanied by Louis' chorus "We travel trough the light". Wow! Simply marvellous!

Another great track is "Clock Hands Heart". Very delicate dreamy song. Lasting over 14 minutes it lacks a bit of diversity though.

All and all THE AMBER LIGHT is a very promising young band making excellent progressive rock music that will appeal to fans of SYLVAN, RADIOHEAD, PORCUPINE TREE and RIVERSIDE, but is not really comparable to anyone of them! The create their own "AMBER LIGHT" sound!

I think this album almost deserves 5 stars, but the track "Gangsters" on it deteriorates it a bit. As I also just read on their website that they have almost finished a new album I will rate "Goodbye To Dusk Farewell To Dawn" 4 stars, leaving space for some improvement.