EARTHLY PARADISE

Epipdaurus's debut is a keyboard-dominated one- expect little in the way of guitars here. That said, the band accomplished a brief but admirable album near the twilight of progressive rock's glory days. To my ear, Christine Wand sounds quite similar to Becky Stark (who played Margaret in The Decemeberist's 2009 masterpiece The Hazards of Love), but my only complaint is that she's not always on top of her notes and occasionally sounds flat. The music itself teeters on generic and minimalistic for symphonic rock, but I still find it a pleasure to hear nonetheless.

"Actions and Reactions" The album wastes no time launching directly into phenomenal symphonic rock waters. Various keyboards provide a smooth ride buoyed by a capable rhythm section. Over sparse instrumentation, the operatic female vocal enters. The synthesizer solo is accomplished though repetitive.

"Silas Marner" Wind and twelve-string guitar, soon joined by a lonely flute, create a mythical piece of music. The synthesizer is a fantastic addition. It picks up tempo and changes face, introducing organ, strings, and those operatic vocals. Stark Mellotron returns to listener to the bleak, windy twelve-string opening with flute flourishes.

"Wings of the Dove" Dirty, clicking organ in 15/8 gives way to Mellotron-drenched piano. Various keyboards take turns in the fore, including Mellotron, organ, piano, and a wicked synthesizer. The rhythmic changes keep the piece fresh.

"Andas" Austere piano opens the fourth track as experimental synthetic sounds take over abruptly. It leaps into a style and sound similar to early Yes, augmented by Mellotron, wild synthesizer, and flute. The piece takes discordant excursions I don't particularly care for, but otherwise, it is a very strong example of symphonic rock.

"Mitternachtstraum" The final piece maintains a steady bass line in 5/4 time with various keyboards swirling around it. For the most part, I am reminded of Camel.