THE ART OF NAVIGATING BY THE STARS

Of the many new (and resurging) prog-rock bands, Sieges Even has made greater strides than almost any band worldwide, with the possible exception of Marillion. When listening to this CD, it is hard to distunguish just how many instrumentalists are involved if one does not have familiarity with the band's lineup (which actually is 4, one being strictly the vocalist). The layering and texturing of the guitar work is truly imaginative and unique to anything I've heard before.

Comparisons have been made between Sieges Even and Rush, but in my mind it must have been their earlier releases that prompted such a comparison. I don't hear anything even remotely resembling Rush on this CD. It does hit listeners where they live, as I've introduced this to several friends (even some very hard to please) who are as impressed as I am with the band's creativity and skill in both instrumentation and in songwriting.

Standout track for me would have to be 'Unbreakable', but there isn't a dog on the whole CD.