ACCELERATION THEORY, PART TWO - ANNIHILATION

In Continuum is another project from Dave Kerzner after the end of Sound of Contact because of the departure of 2 members and financial problems. The music here is an evolution of Sound of Contact with the same inspiration of Dave coming from the 70's prog of Yes, Genesis and more obvious Pink Floyd later period. We have plenty of accessible symphonic prog rock music centered around a sci-fi story around the concept of love. We can feel an uplifting atmosphere throughout the album carried by some impressive work from the vocals and some sumptuous keyboard melodies. If you hope to find some guitar solos here, you won't find much here, it's the keys, piano and the vocals that have the lead. Dave always chooses some big prog rock musicians to help him and which gives a variety of styles and textures. This album is like part two of a double album that you can listen to like one big piece reflecting the different parts of the story with some ambient passages, some short heavier parts and some of the themes that are nicely repeated throughout the album. I enjoy those short and darker passages, some instrumental sections even though most of the album is driven by light and joyful, sometimes nostalgic atmosphere that is centered around strong melodies. Often an album loses his intensity before the end, but in this case, Dave has created music that you can't stop listening after more than an hour.

I'll Be the Light

Dave Kerzner and friends have a cosmic vision, and thanks to the heavens- there's hope!

There are certainly dark days for the planet Earth- we nakedly vulnerable, insufferably arrogant, almost irredeemably destructive, love-lorn creatures have, in this futuristic tale, nearly done ourselves in. Hubris, pride, violence...and the powerful beings who brought us to life and did their best to guide us into better, brighter paths, have given up.

All they can imagine is destruction of this failure to thrive, for the good of the solar system and all the universe, it must be so.

The music is grandeur and spiritual cinema

We are treated to enormities of talent, the highest levels of musicianship. The cast of characters who comprise "In Continuum" are reflective of the genius Dave and company bring to this project.

There are the soaring keyboards- piano, organ, synthesizers.

There are the impeccable components of the rhythm section that are so dangerously precise the listener can nearly overlook the meticulous construction undergirding these compositions.

There are the vocalists who each bring something to the table, the sinister, the sublime, the searching.

The Music

Melody, atmosphere, tastefulness, gentleness, yearning, hope (!), love, longing, searching- set with sounds of space, battle, glory, destruction, and reunion.

Songs begin simply, and the first half of the album allows various characters to develop.

Then comes the epic soul of the album, "Annihilation", which twists and winds and propels the story forward, inexorably toward the final reunion of nearly lost love.

The flaws

Oddly, what keeps me from giving this 5 stars has to do with the sheen of nearly impenetrable perfection that casts a spell over this massive work.

There were times I wanted more rage, more passion. I wanted something more raw and urgent and imminent.

There is such polish and poise in this production that it was hard for this flawed human listener to fully relate- although I suspected that the themes within this album are entirely relevant to our times- even if it is set in the future.

Isn't it relevant that human militancy, arrogance, hubris, and pride have brought our planet to the brink of disaster?

Such shining perfection keeps some of this horror at arms length for me as the listener. I wanted to get closer to the fray, to sense more keenly the urgency, pathos, and drama that was unfolding.

In conclusion

A remarkable, grand follow-up to the first chapter, driving us onward yes, with hope.

My rating: 4.5 glistening globes

IN CONTINUUM was born from the ashes of SOUND OF CONTACT, following the departure of a large part of its members. He goes through Dave Kerzner his second album that year, always on the history of alien attack, with a love story between two entities of both worlds, upsetting the end of the programmed destruction earth, but feel free to read the review of "part one" of the new year for not getting lost in this locker history and / or rebound. The sound always pulls reminiscent of GENESIS, PINK FLOYD and YES to some rendering SF Symphony; tapped out of the 70's and 80's starting with prestigious guests from the ROTHERY STEVE BAND, BIG BIG TRAIN and The Aristocrats, PORCUPINE TREE, SAGA and Dave Kerzner; the songs also come from the writings of Simon Collins, Matt DORSEY playing on SOUND OF CONTACT; share beautiful course given to synths for rendering of atmosphere and causing his current well in the crossover line.

"Impending Annihilation" attack input with an instrumental fruity, phenomenal in the advent of a symphonic organ in the footsteps of Tony BANKS period "And Then There Were Three" twirling. "You Do not Know How It Feels" follows on a song to ALAN PARSONS PROJECT, calm, gentle and varied voices including that of Michael recognizable SADLER midterm still high and angelic. "The Path" follows a slow tempo and an air flirting with PINK FLOYD "A Momentary 'voices and forth with a cool synth solo and her rather g'n'sisien. "In Her Cocoon" for an interlude with female voice, intimate and ambient piano allowing "Aliena Part2" send us back to the famous catchy tune of the 1st CD, always catchy melody. "Vampires Of The Soul" off again on the plot with the famous evil aliens willing to destroy the Earth before she does it herself all alone in the end can not access the knowledge acceleration; a well struck riff, a piano intimate for the future or the fate of our planet.

"Made Of Stars" tumbles by divine atmospheric ballad in the tradition of great SIGUR ROS with the enchanting voice of Jon, a beautiful title that I like. "Know That You Are" occurs when track for a soft limit slow at first, a bit of APP or BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST, but quickly flew to a progressive and instrumental excursion to Steve HACKETT or Rick MILLER and finally GENESIS; explosive song in the end, but that hides his game; room to listen before following the album! "The War Room" and "All That Is" follow two titles short interludes full of sounds SF sound effects, countdown, hit return riff (but why reminds me of Iron Maiden on "Seventh Son of A Seventh Son"?) 2nd its cascading refers here to outright verbal jousting Jon ANDERSON like what Jon Davison has a nice tone of voice. "Annihilation" arrives with his 20minutes (intro, battle, invasion and the mother ship) for the annihilation of our last resistance, violins, theme John Murphy and his famous Adagio, exploding with thunderous chorus and ambient passage , sidereal I say random ?; short sound effects take over and lead us here literally in the film; is built with successive drawers, guitar wants nervous, we are still at that time in the extermination of the human species !, brief synth becomes too aggressive, twirling and does not let the evil atmosphere end of the world. Sometimes, little reminders of g'n'sisiens sounds like the fabulous solo on "Burning Rope" good there it's downright enjoyable and I can not remain mere chronicler before this title during the break to 12 minutes orgasmic with voiceover and angelic; then we know that we will be saved, that we can listen to the album until the end quite simple, almost redundant and decreasing on a solo guitar a little plaintive. "Interstellar Reunion" occurs to conclude on an ersatz SIGUR ROS with a guitar full of energy, a bouncy synth posed a piano; there is the oxymoron in the air again with icy beauty, melancholy splashing in its clarity, as that we finally returns to Earth without anyone noticing. right there it's downright enjoyable and I can not remain mere chronicler before this title during the break to 12 minutes orgasmic with voiceover and angelic; then we know that we will be saved, that we can listen to the album until the end quite simple, almost redundant and decreasing on a solo guitar a little plaintive. "Interstellar Reunion" occurs to conclude on an ersatz SIGUR ROS with a guitar full of energy, a bouncy synth posed a piano; there is the oxymoron in the air again with icy beauty, melancholy splashing in its clarity, as that we finally returns to Earth without anyone noticing. right there it's downright enjoyable and I can not remain mere chronicler before this title during the break to 12 minutes orgasmic with voiceover and angelic; then we know that we will be saved, that we can listen to the album until the end quite simple, almost redundant and decreasing on a solo guitar a little plaintive. "Interstellar Reunion" occurs to conclude on an ersatz SIGUR ROS with a guitar full of energy, a bouncy synth posed a piano; there is the oxymoron in the air again with icy beauty, melancholy splashing in its clarity, as that we finally returns to Earth without anyone noticing. almost redundant and decreasing on a solo guitar a little plaintive. "Interstellar Reunion" occurs to conclude on an ersatz SIGUR ROS with a guitar full of energy, a bouncy synth posed a piano; there is the oxymoron in the air again with icy beauty, melancholy splashing in its clarity, as that we finally returns to Earth without anyone noticing. almost redundant and decreasing on a solo guitar a little plaintive. "Interstellar Reunion" occurs to conclude on an ersatz SIGUR ROS with a guitar full of energy, a bouncy synth posed a piano; there is the oxymoron in the air again with icy beauty, melancholy splashing in its clarity, as that we finally returns to Earth without anyone noticing.

Good on 'Acceleration Theory Part 2 ", failing to reach their acceleration to know, we can claim in these last moments of 2019 to approach the musical nirvana by this CD at all sumptuous point almost perfect as the 1st grind. Having broken "Annihilation" in two albums avoids the musical saturation, lets go then look for soundtracks sitting on both albums. The downside here is to have been warned earlier this year that musical beauty was passed by IN CONTINUUM. Just great, intimate and astonishing.

Singer, keyboard player and guitarist Dave Kerzner (Sound of Contact) is back with the second album from In Continuum, continuing the story which started in 'Acceleration Theory, Part One ? AlienA', and is based on a science fiction short from Dave, set in the year 2074. The core band is the same as before, with singer Gabriel Agudo (Steve Rothery Band, Bad Dreams), bassist Matt Dorsey (Sound of Contact), guitarist Randy McStine (Sound of Contact, The Fringe), and drummer Marco Minnemann. This project has always expected to bring in more musicians as the need arises, and among the additional singers we get both Jon Davidson and Michael Sadler, while Nick D'Virgilio, Fernando Perdomo and Joe Deninzon all make welcome returns as well as other musicians.

In Continuum continues the style of commercial heavily polished progressive rock I have come to expect from Kerzner, which is always incredibly easy to get into and contains multiple layers yet somehow manages to maintain a pop simplicity. In just one song the guys can move all over the place, so much so that "Made of Stars" commences life as a Devin Townsend Project number (although not as heavy) before moving into Gabriel territory, then throwing in some Porcupine Tree for good measure. There are plenty of moments in songs when one thinks "that's a bit like classic Genesis" or similar, but before the brain has time to register the music has moved on. My favourite song is the title track, which is near the end of the album. Gentle keyboards overlay the sounds of war, the piano comes in, and slowly we start to build but then it all fades away leaving just the radio transmissions. I don't know which drummer plays on this track, but I would lay money on this being Nick as he brings in the rest of the band with his bombastic style, all over the kit, and then all of a sudden we are off and running with some rock riffs. This song has everything for me, pace, dynamics, great performances, and oh yes, it is 20 minutes long and I love every bit of it.

In Continuum have now released two great albums, definitely worth investigating by anyone into commercial layered and modern polished progressive rock.