THE LONG DIVISION

I've been following this band since their 2008 release "Narrow-Caster", which I liked a lot. Since then, 3RDegree have been hard at work on their follow-up, which was released in September 2012. The line-up has changed slightly, with Aaron Nobel replacing Rob Durham on drums and Eric Pseja added as a second guitarist. The Long Division has no weaknesses. This album surprises with every listen, revealing more and more complexities that weren't heard first time around. The band may be categorized as progressive, but I also hear aspects of classic rock, funk, soul, hard rock, jazz, avant-garde, alt-rock and much more. Rather than bore us with endless solos, 3RDegree creates music that is ripe with intelligent instrumentation and memorable melodies, somehow honing in on the optimal link between eclectic pop and progressive rock. Highlights on the album are the opener "You're Fooling Yourself", with its bitter indictment on the current state of divisive polemics in the two party system of the US, as well as "Memetic Pandemic" which occasionally hearkens back to Duke era Genesis, and anthemic closer "A Nihilist's Love Song", reminiscent of Pink Floyd's fantastic "Brain Damage/Eclipse". This album definitely lands in my top 10 of 2012. The Long Division is the perfect epitome of what prog in its current state should be: challenging the listener both lyrically and musically, accessible enough to reach a wider audience, and above all amazing.