THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS

This Winter Machine is a UK band which I discovered recently. The band is a quintet, including good and experienced musicians, which becomes rather obvious upon listening to The Man who Never Was.

I here influences by Marillion and IQ in there sound. Which Isn't a bad thing. There style is Neo - Progressive Rock, with beautiful melodies, interesting time changes, lots of piano and keyboard passages, as well as beautiful guitar riffs and solos through out.

The album opens with the title song, a 16-minute-long suite in 4 parts, which has emotive melodies, effective lyrical content and a soaring vocal delivery that exudes class and style. It is one of the best songs on the album, and gives the listener a good idea about the band's style and influences. Lyrically, the focus is on desolation, a serious sense of disconnect and identity crisis, that surely reflect the apathetic universe we live in today. The agonizing beauty of 'After Tomorrow Comes' has the pain of a broken union, a perennial source of mankind's unrelenting search for stability and understanding. Which is assaulted by all those characteristics that make us all human: guilt, disappointment, frustration, ego and desperation. Terrific song! And as always, the slow pathway towards healing, and somehow finding resolution, is found on the final piece 'Fractured'. A compelling end to a satisfying release, hopefully with many more to come.

The Man Who Never Was is a perfect addition to any Prog Rock discography, and especially those who are fond of Neo Prog, will definitely enjoy it! Give it a try!