FANTASY ABSENT REASON

Ovrfwrd

Heavy Prog

3.77 | 38 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

These musicians are ambitious, very ambitious musically. This is far from a failure. This second opus is a continuation of the first in terms of instrumental skill and song structure.

With its constant changes of rhythm, its increases in intensity, the music is never tiresome, at any time you do not feel fatigue or need for lyrics.

Fantasy Absent Reason" is impressive, alternating quiet moments traced by the keyboards, more especially the piano which sometimes operates in a free jazz spirit, and then very strong moments of tension with dominant and tortured guitar riffs recalling Robert Fripp. Then the piece becomes torrential, the guitar reaching a level of intensity that can remind Petrucci, while the piano seems to sow its notes in a space beyond reason. A brief lull leads the piece to a very rhythmic final. Obviously, these musicians know how to prevent the listener from a soporific comfort and they keep him careful and excited.

"Brother Jack McDuff" possesses a pretty vintage feeling : a rhythm section with an evident jazz-blues orientation, a very "1970's" organ, an aggressive guitar, all that reminds old memories and, suddenly, the musicians offer us a beautiful part of virtuosity.

"Dust nova" is a splendid piece with a more linear construction, but throughout which the intensity increased as a drama which is being prepared and finally occurs until a tension peak which finally falls, leaving us voiceless. Remarkable !

"Utopia Planitia" is probably the most complex track, the most difficult to assimilate fully, so the richest in my opinion. At least that's how it appears to me after three plays, from its beginning dominated by the beautiful flights of a flute, to the heavy final reminiscent of King Crimson "Lark's tongue" and "Red" with a relentless rhythm section and the repetitive riffs of a very "frippian" guitar while, however, the flute flies wildly.

Finally "Creature comforts" is the most accessible piece, almost too accessible ! A nice guitar in the Al di Meola way plays a minute before a curious and cheerful electronic theme. The musicians show here simplicity, perhaps to prove that they also know how to play in a most common way !

I think this record diserves between 4 and 4,5 stars according to Progarchives criters. I wish I could give it a more precise note that would highlight its qualities. But I highly recommend this CD to the fans of King Crimson and Dream Theater as well but also more widely to all lovers of elaborated musical structures and great musicianship.

Kjarks | 4/5 | 2016-4-10

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