PURIFIED

Dutch guitarist Ben van Gastel is the main figure behind this project, started in 2010 in Bussum.Under his leadership and with the help of his first bandmate Fred Boks, who played bass, drums and keyboards, he composed and recorded a 3-track EP, entitled ''Purified'' to give the public a first taste of Sylvium's sound.This short CD was self-published in early 2012.

Pretty close to compatriots CASUAL SILENCE and with a vibe from Americans VISUAL CLIFF, the duo played an emphatic and modern-sounding Heavy Prog with some great guitar work and a few symphonic ambiances placed between the more powerful moments.The music is all instrumental, only a few sporadic spoken parts appear actually during the second track, with excellent, atmospheric grooves and angular lead guitars, accompanied by spacey, orchestral keyboards and a solid rhythm section.Echoes of contemporary Prog with the use of some sound effects and loops are also in the menu, while the more synth-drenched parts have a discreet Neo Prog vibe.Melody is not absent either, especially during the dreamy closing moments of the last and longest track, and a good balance has been kept throughout a fresh Heavy Prog album with some very nice guitar parts.

''Purified'' is far from essential, mainly because of its short length time, but anyone willing to get in touch with Sylvium's early inspiration will be delighted to face some well-crafted and basically guitar-driven Heavy Prog with strong atmospheric doses.Recommended.