FORCE OF GRAVITY

The 2009 release "Force of Gravity" by Sylvan carries on the band's strong points (strong melodies, passionate singing), more on a song-structure basis than on "Posthoumous Silence". FoG is inferior as a result than this last, but almost 70 minutes of music are anyway a treat. Some heavier guitars and rifffs are present here and there, and even some more pop ("Embedded") and AOR ("God of Rubbish") moments: though these features are not elevating FoG in prog terms, they are not even dimming the lights on the entire work. As I've noticed scarce reviews so far on PA, in my opinion "Force of Gravity" deserves attention and a place on a music collection. Not all of the 11 numbers are on the same level, but many pieces are really interesting, and I will give a few notes on the most remarkable ones. "Force of Gravity" is a great opener, evolving and well constructed. "Isle in me" is driven by a really moving melody, starting with ethereal piano, one of the best of the album. "Turn of the tide" also has a similar development as the previous, but more on a melancholic mood. "MIdnight sun" is a slow tempo, with great duet with female singer that sings really like Kate Bush! Wonderful song. "King Porn" is another standout track, with interesting lyrics about a "modern times" phenomenon. It seems to start with brutal riff, than it swirls to a more calm feel, with a bluesy section, that end up in crescendo to full sympho rock. "Vapour trail" is made up of 14:30 duration, and it develops from an ethereal string intro to a variety of moods, never forced, and you feel really like suspended on air, until a very noticeable mid-part, wehere the song seens to get stuck in a monotone singing by Marco, greatly resolved, I have to say, with some genius-placed bars of jazz (!) flavour, introducing one of the best symphonic rock finale of this year (mmm...or of the last years...). All in all I would give this one 3,75 - but well deserves to be rounded up to 4 for the highlights described above.