AVIATION

LEGACY PILOTS is releasing its 2nd album here. LEGACY PILOTS with Frank US at the helm can also do concept or side-project or progressive rock-project by bringing here a few sizes that we have to mention from the start: Pete TREWAVAS, Marco MINNEMANN, Jordan RUDESS, Steve MORSE or even John MITCHELL. He had previously composed music for jingles and private companies and here allows himself to return to his major influence in progressive rock. A de facto tribute album, but not only in view of the guests who had free rein on their own parts; an album that just needs to be peeled after several free listenings, yes the holidays are also a bit of a change in habits.

"The Squad Is Back" begins with a symphonic and airy instrumental, it's good considering the cover, yes I sometimes want to be spiritual, in short an animated, punchy and almost dancing intro with the emphasis on synths, a space exploration which can recall certain prog developments of TOTO or MANFRED MANN, a remarkable intro of sensitivity, to listen! "A Different League" is therefore the 1st title sung by Jake, the punchy synth is here held by Jordan from DREAM THEATER and it feels, it drops as serious as I like, it rises in crescendo, it smells good 80's prog in addition to energetic. "Dreamers" follows with a title pulling towards the pop-rock there, a little of ALAN PARSONS by the intonation, title which has its musical break at mid-term decorated with choirs, return to the central theme by an evanescent piano, ballad who still flirts with TOTO in my opinion. "Innocent" and some crystalline notes for the start follows in the same vein with a borderline soulful, intimate pop title and with jazz-prog sounds here; it's sweet, syrupy, it denotes with the entry which let consider the heavy, a soft ballad "Wide Wide World" I announce it direct, is worth by the place left to John as much to the voice as to the guitar, timbre of voice at times which always reminds me of that of the Archangel during the verses; the clear, uncluttered chorus to play on a national radio station (yes I still imagine that the world will wake up and finally start listening to good music!); well that smells more of LONELY ROBOT than ARENA here for info and the fast guitar solo holds up well.

"Fear Pt. One (Proximity and Distance)" comes here to offer a more sought after sound with an evolving crescendo and by the voice and by the instruments, heavy rhythm, heavy, almost aggressive, interesting in fact, little more for the guitar solo which adds to the instrumentation. "Fear Pt Two (Hope and Failure)" follows but not chained, small disappointment of short duration because instrumental piece based on the percussions of Marco forward and airy synths filling the speakers, rhythmic a little Sicilian, then air by James BOND, in less than 5 minutes you have it for your ears, it's exactly the song that I love and that I can replay all afternoon because it is stamped prog-music! "Saccadian Rhythms" attacks the end of the album with an acoustic guitar tune, basic title with voice and chorus, piano which gives way to the guitar for a few moments, nursery rhyme that advances, BANKS synths for a slightly passable title all over. "Immortal" then tumbles with THE title of the album, Pete's recognizable bass, an intro that imposes it, I recognize a bit of an ANGEL or even Phil COLLINS solo, well I'll let you look there, and do not hesitate to tell me which one you have chosen, a drums with always Marco on the drums and a playful air, Génésisienne digression towards 3'30 '' with arrival of the voice almost in the middle of the title, which imposes alternating softness and flights; note her daughter's voice on it; final with a synth solo that will still delight fans of Tony BANKS, in short, listen and enjoy, my best simply. "To The Stars" with its refined piano then its acoustic guitar takes you on a ballad as if to recharge your batteries, to recover from the previous title, a very smooth title bordering on slow itself. "An Adventurous Journey" and the last track, cover of "Fear Pt Two" at the start, clean acoustics then mounted in two stages, at 1.15 "we enter the timeless work, epic as we like to say; also instrumental but full title, a deluge of musical sequences honoring many major groups of the progressive era, a piece which innovates in the experimentation and the composition of rock with various drawers on a common framework, a must which may make you want to listen to it again immediately, which I have done now, a sign that there is a lot of progressive musical material in it.

LEGACY PILOTS struck a big blow here by offering fairly conventional pop-rock ballads mixed with other remarkable titles, real progressive pearls, sophisticated rock titles, epic-progressive works where the emphasis is above all on the composition rather than on the deluge of notes. A concept album mixing soft with ballads and epic with majestic and masterful flights, remember this album that will make people talk.