TIME MIRROR

Returning after some 9 years away Par Lindh returns with a new line up and a new attitude. There was a music DVD released last year but that was mainly a retread of earlier works with a small amount of new material. This CD has 4 new tracks as well as a new drummer (AL Lewis) compared to the DVD line up although the excellent bass guitarist William Kopecky is still in attendance. This three peice line is clearly designed to indulge Par Lindh's love of all things keyboard with very obvious nods to Keith Emerson and ELP.The 17 minute title track could easily be Emerson with all the flourishes and bombast you associate with that legend. The sound though is much more modern Emerson and not to be confused with symphonic prog like Tarkus and Pirates. This is closer to the style of Emerson's solo album recorded recently with Marc Bonilla although with a bit more power and energy. Another difference is the vocalist (Al Lewis doubling up) who sounds remarkably like Jon Anderson. Lindh prefers his vocalists to be on the higher ranges. The title track also features a reworking of ELP's version Peter Gunn and very nice it is. Good stuff and an absolute stonking start to the album.

The next track Waltz Street is my favourite on the whole album. How much fun can you pack into 4 and 1/2 minutes? Tons apparently. Really nice upright piano from Par and superb playing from all. Conjures up images of depression era America but brought into the modern setting with the global meltdown et al.

After this I feel that the album takes a bit of downturn. With Death Reconciled is actually beginning to get a bit irritiating after 4-5 listens with just too much repitition for my liking although it is redeemed by some nice organ work (Hammond and church).

Finally comes the only instrumental on the album Sky Door. Quite a nice peice of music but lacking enough content to make it really interesting. Nice keyboard sound and bang on the money drumming but after a while this could become a tad boring.

In summation this is very good borderline excellent keyboard prog album.Not the best thing Par Lindh has ever done (probably about third of the four PLP studio albums) . Objectively this should rate at about 3.5 stars but I'll round up as is my want and because there is so little keyboard driven stuff out there worth talking about.

Swedish keyboardist and composer Par Lindh has been given much credit for the renewed interest in symphonic progressive rock, due to his role in the establishment of The Swedish Art Rock Society and his output with PAR LINDH PROJECT that both started in the early 90's. "Time Mirror" is the latest effort from his band, their fourth full length studio album, and follows almost a decade after their previous CD "Veni Vidi Vici".

If you love symphonic progressive rock, have more than a passing interest in the genre or merely are curious as to how a high quality production of this genre sounds like, "Time Mirror" is a disc you should add to your purchase list straight away. Those who know they have strong opinions as far as lead vocals go might want to sample this disc prior to making a purchasing decision, but that minor detail aside this a CD that comes warmly recommended.

An acquired taste

A decade after Veni Vidi Vici the release of Time Mirror took me by surprise, mostly because this is no longer the wonderful mini orchestra called PÄR LINDH PROJECT but a power trio headed by Par Lindh and William Kopecy plus four different drummers (Al Lewis who also takes the role of lead vocalist, Svetlan Råket from the DVD In Concert - Live in Poland, Stefan Bergman and Pär himself), one for each tack.

I don't have any problem with the new band because Pär is exceptional as usual, William Kopecy is an outstanding bass player,. the four drummers are capable and Al Lewis does a great job in the vocals (Sounds like a not annoying Jon Anderson) but something is missing, maybe the lack of guitars, or the magic of a real band instead of a keyboard driven trio, the point is that they are technically flawless but part of the magic is gone..

Until now I always disagreed wit the people who said that PLP was strongly influenced by ELP, as a fact I always considered that Pär is cleaner with more classic approach, surely less spectacular, but technically superb, now I have to agree with them, because in his new role as a one man orchestra he borrows a lot from Emerson, mainly in the first two songs..

The first track Time Mirror is chance for Pär to demonstrate his skills, with church organ solos as usual, and Jazz fugues, but seems that he has too much work covering the instruments he usually added, yes it's pompous and brilliant, but as I said before there's something missing.

The first half of Waltz Street seems like a comedy relief track in the vein of "Jeremy Bender" or "The Sheriff", but a few organ solos in the instrumental break make the difference, a good song but not in the level of previous material.

With Death Unreconciled reminds me more of the old PÄR LINDH PROJECT, the piano and organ work are simply delightful and Pär Lindh allows himself to be the keyboardist we all admire again, much more original and imaginative, even the vocals and percussion remind me of Gothic Impressions, all the Keith Emerson references are left behind, the magic is back, at least for one song.

The album ends with Sky Door, a very interesting instrumental, because represents a change in the bands sound, even when doesn't remind of previous albums, they keep a healthy distance from ELP and again Par Lindh sounds as Par Lindh, they sound lighter than the rest of the album but must recognize that the sound is absolutely original.

The header of this review, says "An acquired taste", because used to fall in love with every PLP release at the first listen, but Time Mirror took me several attempts, as a fact I felt that I wasn't before PÄR LINDH PROJECT except for With Dead Unreconciled, but once I got used to the new atmosphere and sound, discovered an excellent album that deserves no less than four stars.