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Although this album has nothing on it that makes it sound like a seventies
styled prog-rock album, the fact is undeniable that those influences
shine through throughout. Although this album does not sound like
anything like what the more contemporary prog bands are doing, it has
their influences shining through. Although this album is wholly
original, it is unquestionably, successfully and pleasurably an out
and out, bona-fide prog-rock classic.
Everything about this album reeks of class and quality - the
singing, playing, production, writing, arranging - the works. Many of
the songs have you recalling Yes and Spocks Beard, while all sorts of
glimpses of other influences occur along the way. Although 12 tracks
are listed, this plays out as one vast seventy two minute concept
epic. The breadth of vision that created this album is positively
staggering - it starts out sedately and to say it builds as it goes
on, would be an understatement. I don't think I've heard a prog album
in recent years with as much of a perfect set of dynamics as this -
slowly but surely the intensity is increased so that you get songs
mid-way that are really on fire - but then they'll drop back almost
organically for the next phase of the process to begin. Throughout
the album there are tons of instrumental passages where the lead
guitars and synths, mellotron and keys just soar into life and have
the hairs on the back of your neck standing up, time after time. The
vocals exude all sorts of qualities - from Peter Gabriel to Steve Perry
- it's one of the most impassioned performances you'll ever hear.
The lyrics are excellent - lyrics that you'll listen to
as much as any other aspect of the album. On top of that, the harmony
and multi-tracked vocals are finer than anything any of the
aforementioned bands could come up with. Then the production -
perfection, it surely is as it allows you to hear every facet of the
music, crystalline and fragile when soft, then every subtlety and
nuance of the passages where harmony vocals, guitars, synths and
rhythm section are all piled high and wide. Arranged to perfection
also, the whole thing flows so naturally, you are totally taken along
with it and find yourself enjoying it so much that you're simply
unaware that you're spending well over an hour listening to it - the
mark of an exceptional album, for sure. This is the sound of
prog-rock in the year 2006, taken to a whole new level - the
benchmark by which a modern day prog-rock album should be judged.
Toddzirra |5/5 |
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