SKYLINE

If Echolyn and Man on Fire got together for a romantic evening of hot prog action, Barock Project's Skyline would be the offspring. Well, that's at least what came to mind upon my initial listen. Yeah, I know that's weird. Don't judge me.

This album has a lot going on -- Great harmonies, jazzy progressions, thick orchestral composition, and a nice use of space to paint pastoral landscapes and forge more emotional connections between explosions of noodly excess. There are Dream Theatery moments of technicality, fanciful echoes of early era Genesis, A.C.T. style musical pageantry, and "Ayreon meets Jethro Tull" acoustic folkiness all woven together with common threads of unique musical sensibility and well-developed technique.

Clocking in at a fat 70 minutes however, many listeners may find it hard to properly connect during casual listening, save for "Gold" and "Spinning Away", which I would consider to be the "singles" of the album. Both songs showcase a bit of everything that comprises Barock Project's sound. Unfortunately, there are moments in the rest of the album that, if taken separately from the whole, are a bit unengaging despite being well-crafted.

The bottom line is Skyline is still a fantastic album which demands your undivided attention if you are going to have any chance of fully digesting all the lovely intricacies, so strap on a pair of headphones and enjoy the ride.