AN ENDLESS SPORADIC

"An Endless Sporadic" is certainly one of the best prog albums of 2009, and in my mind, it is truly a masterpiece. In short, it is a brilliantly written, brilliantly performed mesh of eclectic prog and a little bit of metal.

The composing and arranging quality has greatly improved from that of their mediocre EP of a year ago. Although entirely instrumental, the number of styles and textures include in a span of only 33 minutes is remarkable. Styles range from the distortion guitar-driven sound of progressive metal, to an almost impressionist style solo piano piece and at times the classic prog sound of guitar, synth, and organ.

In 9 relatively short tracks, AN ENDLESS SPORADIC has managed to show us that they are capable of producing some incredible music. Better yet, the youth of their career has made me wonder what even greater works they may come up with in the future.

Instant classic! An Endless Sporadic is absolutely one of the best release this year. I'm not sure that Progressive Metal is the right category to put in. I personally think it sounds leaning toward Symphonic (and a bit Neo-Prog.)

This album is very fun, energetic and creative instrumental prog. Though It's my first try of this band, I fell in love with it already. Not too complex and accessible but very proggy. Great musicianship. You may try imagine Exivious fusion with Transatlantic. This band is that good!

All 9 tracks is equally great. No bad track at all. The only drawback is, I think, the length. It just 33 minutes. However, like Traced in Air, It is completed in itself.

I'm temped to give them 5 stars. 4.3 stars is more appropriate. A must try anyway!

An Endless Sporadic had previously made a good EP ("Ameliorate", 2008). It consisted of just 4 tracks, but not a bad one in the bunch. For An Endless Sporadic's proper debut they decided to call on the help of fellow prog musicians. Roine Stolt and Jonas Reingold were up for the task of helping Zach Kamins and Andy Gentile for this album. Reingold contributed bass on all tracks (lightening the load for Zach, who previously had to play bass on "Ameliorate") and also engineered the album while famous prog guitarist Roine Stolt produced the album. In case you don't know, Stolt and Reingold are members of popular Swedish prog band The Flower Kings.

The album plays as a suite with no pauses between tracks (except for those few seconds between Tracks 6 and 7) and recurring themes.

1. "Waking Hours": This song serves as a good opener to the album. It is just an acoustic guitar piece that states the main theme of the album. It is a great piece but can't be listened to without the following songs.

2. "From The Blue": A strange thing for An Endless Sporadic (until this album) was the keyboard driven track. "From The Blue" is abundant in organ and synthesizer melodies from Kamins. It is a fantastic song that is the most popular on the album.

3. "Point Of No Return": This is the heaviest track AES has ever done. It delivers punishing riffs and killer guitar hooks. The lightning-speed guitar solo is the center of this track. This is actually the weakest song on the album, however, but it is very short.

4. "Shell": Following the heaviest track is the softest one. "Shell" is a piano driven tune which features jazzy arrangements. It repeats it's main riff over and over again, but that isn't a problem since the melody is so good.

5. "Treading Water": this is one of the best songs on the album. It starts off as another piano driven song before erupting into a fierce, melodic guitar solo. The last 30 seconds of the song is atmospheric noises which segue into the next track.

6. "The Triangular Race Through Space": This one follows in the footsteps of "Point Of No Return", though not as heavy. It is another metal piece, though not as good as the other songs on the album.

7. "Eternal Bloom": This is the best song on the album. Beginning with a long acoustic guitar solo (with muffled guitar and drums in the background) it then changes into a great jazz/metal/prog guitar driven song.

8. "Subliminal Effect": Another keyboard song, it delivers the main theme of the album with different instruments such as organ, mellotron, and synthesizers.

9. "Beyond The Horizon": One of the best tracks, it closes the album in epic fashion.

And that's that, An Endless Sporadic delivers once again with another spellbinding album. Not really progressive metal, but maybe symphonic prog. It is certainly the best release of 2009: blowing "Black Clouds And Silver Linings" out of the water, and beating "The Whirlwind" and "The Incident" by a hair. Actually, this is one of the best albums ever and maybe the best instrumental album ever. It is a great experience to listen to and they will certainly follow this one up with another fantastic effort.

As the band's first album, I was really surprised at the upgrade from the EP. Probably the best thing about it was the repition of musical themes that held it together. If that was not present, the two and three minute songs would have been a detriment. (I'm no fan of short songs) Also, the fact that Flower kings bassist Jonas reingold played on some of the tracks adds a big plus. But the thing is, not many of the tracks are very good in and of themselves.

Waking Hours- An ambient track that sets the scene. A good atmosphere is created. 7/10

From the Blue- One of the better points. Upbeat song with a really cool keyboard part. 8/10

Point of no return- This one is really crazy and metal-like. When this band ventures to the heavier side of things, it usually goes bad. 5/10

Shell- Totally chill song with smooth melodic piano. When the rest of the instruments come in at the end, it's amazing. 10/10

Treading Water- If it weren't for the ending, this would be the best song on the album. The more this band leans toward jazz and lighter prog, the better they get. Sadly, near the end a wish-it-was-metal guitar solo comes up and ruins the awesome jazzy groove that was previously created. It's actually a pretty cool solo, but it just doesn't fit with the rest of the piece. at the climax of the solo, it ends with an "explosion ending" (a huge cop-out). 7/10

The Triangular Race through Space- An upbeat guitar driven song with some nice arpeggios. Their best metal effort in my opinion. 7/10

Eternal Bloom- This song is how all the other 2-3:00 minute ones should be. Longer. Great intro to a calm acoustic guitar driven piece. 9/10

Subliminal Effect- basically a slow ambient version of the main theme, though half way through, in comes a fast groove with great keyboards. It doesn't last nearly as long as it should. 7/10

Beyond the Horizon- Another slow version of the main theme. cool bass solo at the begining. overall a great epic sounding ending though. 8/10

The main problem with this album is that all the short songs had very much potential to be longer, but they were cut off in ways that weren't the best. the 33 minutes run time could have been boosted up at least 15 minutes and not have had one boring or repetitive part.

Okay, I will admit that I am in love with this album, so I'll start by breaking it down by song to avoid ranting.

"Waking Hours" - A more ambient track which slowly fades and builds, swelling into the main theme and becoming more and more busy instrumentally. Sound effects such as chirping birds almost remind me of Close to the Edge by Yes. Almost. 4/5

"From the Blue" - As the title indicates, this bright, energetic, keyboard-heavy track starts suddenly and doesn't slow down. Definitely one of the album's highlights. Although it is a tad repetitive, there is certainly enough change to keep the listener engaged. The short recap of the main theme from Waking Hours is a nice touch. 4.5/5

"Point of No Return" - This track leans towards progressive metal, but it's not quite there. Quite heavy though. Still a tad repetitive, but not enough to bore the listener. The beginning is a little rough; I'm not entirely sure where the first few notes are going. Despite that, the song leads quite well into the next track. 4.5/5

"Shell" - A nice break after the last two energetic tracks. This is a calming track with some very good piano playing. Definitely a jazz influence present. Subtle synth effects near the beginning link the song thematically to the last... More on that later. This song is another buildup, with the mood switching from sad, sweet, and slow to something a bit more optimistic. A gong hit with a foreboding chord at the end leave an opening that the next song fills nicely. Well done. 5/5

"Treading Water" - A nice transition song and great on its own as well. Definitely a lot going on here. Jazzy piano chords, a few brief variations of the theme introduced in Waking Hours, and a nice 3 over 2 feel (as in duplets over tripets, not a 3/2 time signature). The buildup continues into the album's climax (which occurs in the next song). A stronger gong hit and some spacey effects.... Not the best ending if you were to listen to the song on its own, but still a great introduction to the next song. More on that later. 4.5/5

"The Triangular Race through Space" - In my opinion, the heaviest song on the album. Not quite metal, but heavy, heavy stuff. A quiet lead-in and then the chaos ensues. Slightly repetitive, but once again, not nearly enough to be boring. I like the tom-tom work near the beginning. I also like how it carries the 3 over 2 feel from the previous song. Full of energy. 5/5

"Eternal Bloom" - Another nice break after so much energy. Beautiful chord work. More variations from the main theme show up in a spacey fashion, but as strange as it seems, it's hardly out-of place. I love the swell at 2:40 - here a very catchy synth lead is introduced with a sporadic guitar theme soon following. It ends with a gong hit and another short quote of the main theme. One of my favorite tracks. 5/5

"Subliminal Effect" - This is very, very much like the first track with the birds are replaced by something more sinister. However, instead of simply swelling into the next song like Waking Hours, it takes the listener somewhere completely different - a happier 7/8 segment. You can definitely tell the album is coming to a close... if it were a book, I'd consider this the falling action. 4.5/5

"Beyond the Horizon" - The resolution of this strange and wonderful journey. A great closer to a great album. 5/5

Now, the album as a whole. I was surprised to see I had only listened to 33 minutes of music. For an album, this is quite short. I like to view the entire album as one song because they fit together so well. With imaginative titles and abundant sound effects, the whole thing feels like, as Jordan Rudess describes it, "a wild progressive sonic ride." The active listener can definitely form a story in their mind while listening. I highly, highly recommend this album - this ENTIRE album. Although these songs can stand on their own (some better than others) they work much better when they're put together. I look forward to seeing what music this band is capable of producing next.

An Endless Sporadic - An Endless Sporadic - 8/10

An Endless Sporadic are a quite little known (despite appearing in Guitar Hero) band. In my opinion one of the most unfairly overlooked bands around. They released a fantastic EP called "Ameliorate", with a handful of fantastic tracks (Sun of Pear is so good!).

Now they've released a full length! Good news - it's keeps the originality of "Ameliorate's" awesomely catchy metal/rock/jazz fusions. The tracks on this self titled release all flow very well, with a good sense of consistency, but enough change for one to easily be able to listen to this album in one sitting. The original duo are joined by seasoned prog veterans Jonas Reingold (offering some typically fantastic bass playing) and Roine Stolt, who I believe just mixed this album (I don't think he contributed an guitar work).

As far as categorization goes, this band straddles the thin line between Symphonic Prog and Progressive Metal. The heavy, wide metal chords and palm muted riffs mingle with keyboard and even mellotron-style fake string sections and choirs. This makes for a pretty unique sound. I'm sure some people will compare them to Dream Theater and perhaps The Flower Kings, but then again, everyone here seems to be adamant that everyone ripped off Dream Theater/Genesis/Yes.

Some stand-out tracks for me are "Constant Bloom", a beautiful acoustic guitar track which get heavier as it goes on, and "Into the Blue" a fantastic synth driven piece. There aren't really much in the way of weak tracks here, they're all very good! The album is very short at 33 minutes, but those are some good 33 minutes!

In closing, I'd like to say I'm very surprised/confused that this hasn't been reviewed by a single collaborator yet! It's an amazing album which deserves a lot more credit!

Here is a good surprise ! An instrumental music by a progressive metal band, which does not sound very much metal (good or bad ?... good for me).

The musical themes are different from what is out there, giving this CD an original room in the prog world. It is very easy to listen to, with lots of variations in tempos and power. The main interest of this production is that musical themes are constantly there, from a track to another (often), with original variations, even in more "mellow" moments, which are evoking "elevator" music... But it is very well done, and the instrumentists are brilliant, with strong virtuosity. Some very well known fellows have helped them, i.e. Roine Stolt at the production (I think) and Jonas Reingold, from the Flower Kings (and others), and my first thought when seeing that is the production would be top-notch : it is, a lot ! It is a gage a quality, and you hear it instantly.

Of course, the main defect is its shortness (around 35 minutes), and hearing this special instrumental opus pushes you to the will of having some more... Anyway, a very good short CD, quite unique and most interesting.

I go for somewhere between 4.2 and 4.4. To be discovered. Oh ! The "pochette" (cover) is very nice !!!

I was instantly hooked on AES ever since I heard the fantastic song "Impulse" on Guitar Hero II. Then another good song "Anything" was featured on another Guitar Hero game, along with "Sun Of Pearl" on Tony Hawk's American Wasteland. These songs, plus another one, made the great Ameliorate EP, released in 2008.

For their debut album, the duo of Zach Kamins and Andy Gentile called upon the help of Jonas Reingold and Roine Stolt. In the end, An Endless Sporadic made an album better than anything that The Flower Kings ever accomplished.

The album opens in a relaxing mood with "Waking Hours", which is a nice acoustic song musically stating the main themes of the album. The energetic "From The Blue" follows, and this is a real treat. It is keyboard driven, which is unlike anything on Ameliorate, and features some great, fast-paced melodies. "Point Of No Return" is a decent track, it doesn't really do much for me. The piano-led "Shell" excels and is the best song so far (Reingold adds some great jazzy bass). Following on the jazz sound is "Treading Water", an even better song than "Shell". "Treading Water" features a tight guitar solo that is amazing. It is easily the second best song on the album. Another song that doesn't do that much for me is "The Triangular Race Through Space", which is prog metal.

"Eternal Bloom" is the best song on the album, definitely. The guitars are just so fantastic. Following this is another great song, "Subliminal Effect". Closing out this album in epic fashion is "Beyond The Horizon".

This is truly a great album and makes at least into my TOP 20 ALBUMS OF ALL TIME.

An Endless Sporadic are an amazing instrumental prog duo that does not get the attention it deserves. This is very true, as evidenced by their self-titled album, a masterpiece that has only 17 reviews! This is not prog metal, as progarchives classifies it as, so purist prog fans don't be scared away. This is symphonic prog with heavy jazz influences (but still with hints of metal, most notably in great songs like "Point Of No Return" and "The Triangular Race Through Space").

My favorite songs from the album are "Eternal Bloom", "Treading Water", and "Subliminal Effect". The only (small) faults I find in this masterpiece is the fact it is only 33 minutes long and also that the closing song ("Beyond The Horizon") isn't as much a climax as it should be, although it gets the job done.

An Endless Sporadic is an unbelievable album, and along with The Way Up by Metheny, Liquid Tension Experiment, and Romantic Warrior by Return To Forever, is one of the best prog instrumental albums of all time.

The album An Endless Sporadic certainly deserves to be discussed within the "Top Prog Albums Of 2009" conversation. They have made something out of seemingly nothing: two friends who kept musically in touch via the Internet, and then got together in California to make a prog band. If it wasn't for the fact that three of their four songs from their stellar "Ameliorate" EP weren't featured on various Guitar Hero games, then this duo of guitar/keyboard virtuoso Zach Kamins and exceptional drummer Andy Gentile would be virtually unknown.

But other prog masters took notice of them: Roine Stolt (needs no introduction) and Jonas Reingold (of The Flower Kings and The Tangent). These two Swedish proggers helped contribute to the album: Stolt produced while Reingold lent his own beautiful jazzy bass talents to the album. The jazzy bass really adds to the sound. After the album was made, Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater called this album and band a "wild progressive ride". Not too shabby.

But still, the band is relatively unknown here on ProgArchives. It is ranked in the Top 25 of 2009 Albums, for God's sake! But it is totally undeserved of its spot...it should be higher.

The album plays like a single song (though it isn't): themes are repeated throughout this ENTIRELY INSTRUMENTAL SUITE. Its styles range from acoustic ("Waking Hours") to jazz without horns ("Shell", "Treading Water"), from beautifully poignant ("Eternal Bloom") to jaggedly heavy ("Point Of No Return", "The Triangular Race Through Space"), from full-blown symphonic prog ("Subliminal Effect") to unbelievable epic conclusion ("Beyond The Horizon"). This album is truly a masterpiece, and it contains the fantastic "Eternal Bloom", which features about 5 different guitar solos.

The only thing about this album is that it's too short (only 33 minutes). It leaves you begging for more. Since the band is on hiatus at the moment, hopefully the wait won't be too short.

This is a prog masterpiece.

Interesting. This new american prog metal duo is much praised here. And certainly their are good, have talent and potential. However, I found the songs here a little too much on the tentative side of things for my taste, with a couple of exceptions. The mix of metal, symphonic rock and jazzrock/fusion is very good, and certainly this duo has both the chops and the songwriting knack for writing good, cathy melodies. So I don´t really understand why the songs are so short. the longest track is only 6 minutes, while the others stay around the 3 minute mark. For an instrumental album, this is quite short. They could have explore the themes a lot more. It seems they are still writing for video games.

I dont´want to sound too harsh. The CD is quite pleasant and varied. But I can´t see why 5 stars ratings are poping out already. For me at least, they have a long way before getting such status. Highlights are Eternal Bloom and the last track, the very dreamy and beautiful Beyond The Horizon (again, like most of the other cuts in here, cut short too soon).

Rating: 3.5 stars. Promising. I´m looking forward to hear their next works.

An Endless Sporatic is an instrumental progressive metal/jazz fusion band from USA with only 2 members guitarist/keyboard player Zach Kamins & drummer Andy Gentile, but aswell they are helped by famous already bass player from The Flower KIngs, Karmakanic, etc - Jones Reingold. Another important musicin from progressive rock relam handling the production of this album no other then Roine Stilt. The music has diffrent moods, from more energic and up tempo moments who are the best btw like on From the Blue and The Triangular Race Through Space to a more releaxed passages like the opening track or Shell who are less intrsting for me. The musicianship is top notch but I think the album suffers in great ideas, I mean this kind of jazz fusion metal I've heared before on LTE albums, 7 for 4, Gordian Knot and others alike. Not bad that is for sure, but the spicey moments are not present here to really knock me off, even this type of music is in my area of intrest for long time. Groovy bass lines, great guitar, good druming overall, the musicians play with an amazing ease, but something is missing to give more then 3 stars. Good album but nothing more. I see that this kind of music got lot of praise lately on diffrent progressive pages and with some work maybe they will come in the future with something more grandious.

An Endless Sporadic's first full album is very similar to their EP, but this time they've slowed down and took some time to perfect these songs. They also improved on the production greatly so that I'm no longer listening to stick-hitting-a-brick drums.

The progressive metal riffs and jazz fusion feel is still here, which is good. They are also able to obtain sort of a lounge feel in songs like 'Shell' and 'Treading Water' due to the nice piano playing.

'From the Blue,' 'Point of No Return,' and 'The Trangular Race Through Space' are the more metal oriented songs.

They also experiment with a more subdued and ambient styles in songs like 'Walking Hours,' 'Subliminal Effect' and 'Beyond the Horizon.' However my favorite song on the album is easily Eternal Bloom, which combines all these styles into a song that progresses beautifully.

It's a shame this album is so short because the music is good it's over in no time. Very strong effort from this dynamic duo.

9/10

This is a short album just over 33 minutes long, but it is packed full of great instrumental progressive music which is varied in texture, sound and style. It is a very good collection of jazz fusion instrumentals. The band is listed as a Progressive Metal act, and there are some short bursts that approach a slight progressive metal sound, but in this album, they have advanced to a huge variety of sounds, so the real style here is closer to a Rock/Jazz fusion. Some passages are surprisingly well orchestrated and beautifully executed. From mellow and expansive ballads to hard, fast and technical jams, this album has all sorts of styles and sounds. The tracks each have a lot of progressive elements such as changing meters which are anything but standard. The shortcoming of the album is in the shortness of the tracks and the overall album. Because of this, the songs are underdeveloped. But what you have here is a collection of mature and well executed instrumentals that at times become quite complex. The variety is awesome and it never gets boring, so this music would be easy to expand on without worrying about overstaying it's welcome. This is great music that deserves a 4 star rating, and with some more development of the songs, this could have easily been a masterpiece.