SPHERE

Karcius is a Canadian quartet of instrumental Prog-Fusion, created in 2001. The debut "Spheres" had an independent release in 2004 but the reissue that I have in hand is a 2006 remastered version by the Canadian label Unicorn. I never got to listen to the original edition but, the sound in this remastered is excellent. The cover artwork is not that original or interesting but, it achieves its purpose, which is to perfectly reflect the sound of the album. This is a mix of Progressive Rock with a lot of fusion jazz (which is not my musical preference), with some Latin influences ("Evolution" sounds like a jam session with Santana) to some traditional Rock. There are a few above-average tracks, such as "1111" (the best track on the record) and "Kunid'", but for me, this type of Prog-oriented instrumental Jazz becomes boring after a few tracks. I'm not able to listen to the CD from beginning to end. Don't get me wrong, the album is not bad, the guys know what they're doing, they're great musicians, but this is not the kind of music I listen to in a daily basis. Besides, being a good musician is different from being a good composer. This sounds very mechanical and uninspired. A little more soul and some experimentalism could add extra interest to the band and their work. This is the kind of material that will appeal only to diehard fans of Progressive Rock / Jazz-Fusion and to musicians obsessed by musical perfection rather than by heartfelt and soulful music.