TECHNATURA

These guys from Karlstad, Sweden have put together about as close to a perfect heavy prog album as I've heard in a long time, gracefully executed and free of the hokiness that taints the genre. The songs are conceptually substantial and sonically meaty. Great vocals in both English and Swedish. A well-rounded band with a strong rhythm section that's metrically inventive without being contrived or convoluted. Wonderful intermingling of keyboards and guitar, with numerous moments of fairly breathtaking beauty. If you're into this style, this could be your album of the year. I love it. Although the album's uniformly good, I'd go with "Bewildering Conception Of Truth" and "Sp'kskepp" as standout tracks.