A WANDERING MIND

ARCTIC PLANT is the solo project of Phil Rexilius, creative musical maestro of concept albums since 2013; he previously played as a hard drummer while listening to KING CRIMSON, YES and CAMEL, a clue. Self-taught, he embarks on his 3rd album based on the story of a wandering man in the forest, and the orchestral arrangements are epic, as his mentor Neal MORSE does. He claims to be a creator of musical emotion to engender desire and dreamlike joy. Note that he recorded all the voices in his car. 'The Quest Pt. 1: Desire' opens symphonic, characteristic Floydian guitar; vocal in the background, progressive nursery rhyme just in the frame, bringing 'The Forest' for a sympho-metal intro in the tradition of a SHADOW GALLERY, spleen horn, vibrating guitar, voice which returns to the tune of the start; it's both grandiose and repetitive, the title you tell yourself but it does what you expected. Sweetness, symphonic climbs with guitar and piano for a dithyrambic break and a finale worthy of a 'Mario Bros' so as not to take itself seriously. 'Brothers and Sisters' tumbles on a crazy rhythm from the start, enjoyable joust, bass to land, it starts again then the redundant verse on the first two tracks, we are of course on a concept album; break on a barrel organ then the madness of furious notes with a crescendo in two phases; another fabulous title, symphonic, majestic in the end breathtaking, deluge of instruments to no end; sequence with 'The Quest Pt. 2: Contemplation' well named to land after this musical journey into the beyond, sidereal interlude.

'Twist of Fate' for the symphonic piece like DREAM THEATER's 'Six Degrees part2' five minutes of enjoyable intro with trombone and maestro; the verse structure is posed, limited phrasing accompanied by a piano and the PINK FLOYD in the background then the TRANSATLANTIC for the musical cavalcade; halfway through the resemblance to the theater of dreams becomes obvious, just long enough to go on a vintage diagram at the Shadow Gallery; the voice becomes clear, a piano à la 'Silent Hill' and it goes on for a final batch, clutching on 'The Quest Pt. 3: Relief' second rest in the album, depressive musical anthem; it starts on a colorful military band, to cry. The terminal with 'Perception' and its little acoustic nursery rhyme then rising for the dreamy bombastic ending, thank you Phil!

Philipp Rexilius may not be as prodigious as his illustrious predecessor in his city, but he is an outstanding musician who released an end-of-year OMNI that I jealously keep in my top. Ah damn with this column you too will fall under the provocative spell; Too bad, this album is just overwhelming and brilliant.