THE WAITING SOLDIER

Each time I receive an album from my good friend Alfons Wohlmuth I ask myself how different would be the story of BLANK MANUSKRIPT if they had been born in the UK instead of Austria, because each and every one of their previous releases has been impeccable and brilliant, but never got the attention that many inferior British bands receive.

Their debut Tales from an Island - Impressions from Rapa Nui was excellent A Profound Path was too short but better musically , now I received the conceptual The Waiting Soldier, which is as good as all the previous but on a full length LP Format, so there's not a weak moment on their career.

My first positive impression was when I saw the cover, a beautiful presentation in LP format that made me remember my youth, after opening it read the lyrics and found an interesting concept in the form of a diary of a guy who wants to be called a soldier, but really isn't one neither too brilliant.

Now to the music: The Waiting Soldier is opened by Induction, a track that starts with the sound of marching boots and almost immediately leads to a guitar solo enhanced by the band that morphs into a jazzy flute section. But from them , we can expect almost anything, the band performs frenetic passages interrupted by soft melodic passages where the keyboard and vocals remind me of PINK FLOYD but with an aggressive side.

Public Enemy is a delightful heavy Prog song with s a strong melody and radical changes that go from oneiric and atmospheric moments to powerful explosions of sounds. The radical changes are delightful and the vocals remind me again of Pink Floyd. . Kites to Sky is a beautiful tune with the charming voice of Nora Sigl who creates a naive atmosphere that fuses perfectly with the dramatic guitar solo and the nostalgic feeling that the band provides. Tender song in contrast with the frenetic end experimental Doubts that brings ALAN PARSONS PROJECT to my mind, but only for a moment, because the operatic section (with a tenor's voice) and the vibrant flute finale blew my mind. Really exiting.

The Night is the longest track of the album and BLANK MANUSKRIPT explore places they never visited before, too hard to describe and words can only ruin the experience of guitar solos, lush keyboard passages and vibrant rhythm section with dramatic changes..:Better to listen it without having a hint of what's coming,

The album ends with Conclusion and Cloud, the first one, my favorite song, because somehow comprises all the story in one song that again has a bit of everything for the pleasure of Prog geeks like me. Cloud on the other hand is a collection of sound effects that in my opinion shows the chaotic state of mind of the "Waiting Soldier"

No problem with the rating, The Waiting Soldier is at least as good as A Profound Path, which received 5 stars from me, so have to go with the same rating.

Austrian band BLANK MANUSKRIPT is an ongoing project that started out back in 2007, instigated by Christian Breckner, Dominik Wallner and Alfons Wohlmuth. They have released one EP and two full length albums so far, of which "The Waiting Soldier" is the most recent.

Those who enjoy classic era symphonic progressive rock and the more sophisticated aspects of 70's art rock appears to me to be the perfect audience for this album. Mix, production and instruments all come with what I'd describe as a vintage touch to them, and when explored within the confines of a theme album this alone should hit most sweet spots for those who enjoy this breed of progressive rock. That the album is well made and features compelling compositions is, perhaps, needless to state.

Review #17

An intense concept album and listening experience.

Insert CD, turn on headphones. Here we go. The first track "Induction" begins. It sounds like Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull. My prog heart beats faster. But then the mood changes as the song progresses, metallic sounds emerge, an unusual vocal appears in the song and my first impression is renewed again and again. Well, that was roughly my first listening experience with the second studio album by Austrian band "Blank Manuskript", who don't just play symphonic prog on "The Waiting Soldier". Rather, the multi-member band presents us with a veritable firework display of different styles, ideas and influences that culminate in seven truly unique songs. In the second song we hear a rock influence, suddenly a Gentle Giant clavinet appears before the atmosphere develops further. Again, we are talking about just one song. Critics might claim that the band can't define itself stylistically. But in my opinion, this is exactly where the Austrians' greatest strength lies. In my opinion, this is the definition of outstanding prog music. A bit of jazz? No problem, listen to the third song "Kites to Sky" while the children's voice, the wind instruments and an elegiac guitar solo sweeten the moment. And as you delve deeper and deeper into the fascinating soundscapes of "Blank Manuskript" over the course of the album, you become increasingly aware of just how high-caliber the musicianship is here. In almost forty minutes, "Blank Manuskript" celebrate the progressive rock genre in all its facets. The song "Doubts" is a good example of this: the Gentle Giant clavinet appears once again, male operatic vocals are suddenly enthroned between rocking, groovy segments and are complemented by striking flute playing at the end. "The Night" is the longest song and the strongest song on the album. Elaborate spoken vocals, a juicy trombone, a floppy, RPWL- like basic atmosphere - great. The album closes with an almost schizophrenic sound collage that almost penetrates the subconscious.

The album is a clean in-house production, sounds absolutely transparent and adapts its sound to the album's thematic focus, as the concept album "The Waiting Soldier" refers to the loss of identity and alienation from society, a topic that could not be more topical, although the album does not define a specific point in time. The album is therefore also highly relevant on a thematic level.

The fact that "Blank Manuskript" have now performed at the legendary Night Of The Prog Festival comes as no surprise to me with such musical quality. With their second album, the Austrians have captured my full attention as a passionate prog listener, so I will now continue to work my way through their discography. To be continued...

Considering the modern times we live in, The lack of the "cut an album and then go on tour" business model; meaning musicians need to have the ability to survive as well as thrive with their own resources. Therefore, there seems to be a bit of snobbery or nostalgia surrounding recent albums of progressive rock in general, whereby people either compare the output to 70s Prog or just feel that the music itself is not anything special. What I can say about a BLANK MANUSKRIPT is that these musicians are self-sufficient, they have nothing to prove, they are merely writing and composing and creating according to their own very special and idiosyncratic view of the world as it relates to how they all occupy a region, a culture, a shared set of ideas, and some serious musical practice and rehearsal as well as the joy of playing together. This album is about as good as you are going to find - if you are tired of playing Thick as a Brick for the 50th time or Close to the Edge for the 10th time or Alan Parsons Tales of Mystery and Imagination for the umpteenth time. This is new - it is fresh. it sounds important. It sounds well composed it sounds historical yet modern, it's impeccably crafted and it is absolutely a lovely lovely listening experience for fans of progressive rock dating back to the heyday. Congratulations to this wonderful Austrian group on creating a symphonic progressive rock album that immediately makes you pick up your ears and think oh wow could this be as good as Selling England by the Pound? Four stars, 4.5 really and the reason it is not five is you can tell that these guys are certainly not mimicking but listen to a boatload of 70s Prog. However, this is not pastiche or mere homage. This is Top flight composition and superb playing. Well done gentlemen and ladies!!!! 4.5 STARS