LIFE'S ROAD

2011 has turned out to be a very good year in the field of heavy prog. Releases from the likes of Haken, Sky Architect, Uriah Heep, and many others appeared throughout the year. Along with the veterans, semi-veterans, and not-so-veterans were hoards of newbies crowding the scene. As a fan and team member on the heavy team, I was happy to see so many new bands picking up the Hammond and overdriven guitar as well as the more modern post-punk and prog style. One of the former types was Swedish newbies Three Seasons, formed of former members of 90s heavy proggers Siena Root. Formed in 2010, the trio was quick to write and record their debut album, Life's Road. The album was a dynamic display of hard-hitting blues rock and prog rock, a standard placard for many 70s heavy prog bands. The band's overdriven guitar led sound has a heavy stoner/psych rock and jam band feel, making for a great debut from this Swedish band.

For anyone familiar with fellow Swedish rockers Siena Root, Three Season's style is relatively similar. The bombastic mix of blues rock, chunky rhythms, blocky guitar and Hammond riffs, and a near funky undertone make for a great retro-prog albums with a more vintage flair than a modern one - a sound that comes straight from the early 70s prog hard rock scene. The dense, strong willed songs really soar in their pure, crunchy sound on the album. Each song also has enough character and flair to stand up on their own as well, not relying on the entire album as a whole to prop them up.

The instrumental side of the album is fun and upbeat, making for a really great listen. The Hammond and guitar harmonies are really nice, and the organic tone of the Hammond present on the album really meshes well with the crunchy guitar tone. This, combined with Sartez Faraj's great vocal quality (as well as the vocal effect added on) makes for a truly great heavy prog musical journey. And luckily the whole album is not entirely a massive bluesy jam session; the album presents many moments of mellow, quasi-acoustic emotional bouts of prog to the listener, making the diverse and dynamic album all the more enjoyable.

Overall, Three Seasons's Life's Road, while not being the most experimental or forward thinking album available, presents a wonderfully orchestrated look at retro heavy prog. The crunchy pulsating lines of bluesy psych prog makes for a great listen for any avid heavy prog fan, and the album's mix of dynamic and diversity makes it a great prog album overall. The new trio's debut is surely to make ripples in the prog community, and the band is likely to continue making some fine, quality prog. A great listen and great release from this new Swedish outfit. 4 stars.