SYMPHONY FOR A MISANTHROPE

American prog mastermind Trent Gardner has been releasing quality albums for almost 15 years now. If it's not with his multi-instrumentalist brother Wayne, with whom he already issued 5 albums under the Magellan moniker, it's with one of the giant projects he set up during the years, such as Leonardo and Explorer's Club. In 2003, when "Impossible Figures" followed only a year after "Hundred Year Flood", the Gardner brothers increased their album releasing tempo, which is still at full force in 2005, as they have just delivered their sixth album. Poetically entitled "Symphony For A Misanthrope", the disc builds further upon the traditional, ultra-solid Magellan foundations of complex and original progressive rock with a straight link to the seventies. Gardner, mostly singing and playing keyboards himself, has worked with the greatest on earth including the likes of James LaBrie (Dream Theater), Steve Walsh (Kansas, Streets) and Tony Levin (King Crimson) and is never too shy to gather guest musicians for a new album. This time he came up with the following list: Robert Berry (3, Alliance, Hush and now Ambrosia) on drums and guitars, Joe Franco (Widowmaker, The Ladder) on drums, Steve Walsh on keyboards, Stephen Imbler on piano and Dave Manion on keyboards. The song material is typical of Magellan, but always versatile enough. The only negative thing I can think of is the length of "Cranium Reef Suite", with its 18 minutes and counting a bit too long and repetitive in my opinion. Among the other tracks there's something for everyone: the melodic and complex "Why Water Weeds?", the thoughtful ballad "Wisdom", the instrumental "Pianissimo Intermission", the quite heavy mouthful "Doctor Concoctor" and finale "Every Bullet Needs Blood", which - just as "Why Water Weeds?" - leans towards traditional Magellan. If you're acquainted with the Gardner's work and like it, you can consider "Symphony For A Misanthrope" a definite purchase. If you still have to get into the band, you might want to start with one of their earlier albums. A good effort but not essential,3 stars.