PERFECT MACHINE

Spiral Key are a prog-metal band with echoes of neo-prog. Only two persons are involved in the project, but every instrument is played professionnally and despite being programmed, drums have enough twists to sound like played for real. Lead vocals are passionate - somewhere between Jon Anderson (Yes) and Aluisio Maggini (Clepsydra) - they are accompanied by more frail ones (more akin to Roger McGuinn (The Byrds)) on two of the seven tracks, the contrast between the two voices adding some spice to the whole.

On the opening track, "At Sixes and Sevens", buzzing guitars and keyboards cover syncopated drums all along and provide a threatening feel. In-between those buzzing passages, extinguishing guitars accompany the pleading theatrical voice, a short dreamy passage reminds the softer moments in neo-prog act Clepsydra, and a pompous keyboard solo brings to mind the uplifting soloing of Kevin Moore at the time he was with Dream Theater.

"Colder than Heaven" is a melancholic balad. Orchestral keyboards share the space with imploring voice and regular cheerful piano touches, while drums move with care. The awakening guitar and passionate vocals in the chorus are like keys to the door that opens to Hope. However, a passage with prudent drums, eerie keyboards and low voice signal that the road to Hope has not come to end yet. Alarming guitar/piano interplay is like the sign that the opening of the door to Hope is imminent. Guitar and drums move then more confident, together with more prominent piano, like excited at the sight of the opening gate. The voice gains in assurance and is backed by more upbeat orchestrated keyboards.

"Love Is" starts in a folk-pop way with Jon Anderson inflections in the voice, throbbing acoustic guitar and swirling piano. It morphs into more intricate territories with complex drumming, tortuous and possessed vocals, backed by frail vocals, that will nevertheless take over the lyrics when the mood calms down, first backed by "pointillistic" Hammond and aquatic bass, then by innocent acoustic guitar. A mid-tempo hard rock section, with pompous keyboards adding a dancing pulse, concludes the song. This is the first song to feature both vocals, and the contrast between the eccentric vocals and the more introspective ones works perfectly fine.

"I, Parts 1 and 2" starts with the frenetic Dream Theater's theme in the overture to the closing section of "Learning To Live" on 'Images And Words'. Then some atmospheric keyboards and aerial guitar soothe the air. The guitar turns somewhat dissident when the mesmerizing solo bursts, keyboards then go into a panic. Drums follow the movement with their faster pace. A "marching" passage with majestic keyboards marks the transition to the sung part of this epic track. Vocals are pleading, and interspersed with the majestic thread theme. A happy grandiose ending with a last wink to Dream Theater's theme from "Learning To Live" closes the song.

"Eyes Open Wide" starts with repetitive keyboard touches like in a Clepsydra song, interspersed with orchestral keyboards and cheerful voices. The song takes a thrilling turn when guitars and drums, soon followed by bass and keyboards sound all very excited, as if a great news just dropped. It ends with prudently moving forward guitars and drums, together with exaggeratly high- pitched voice.

In "People are People", the frail voice returns, backed by the passionate high-pitched voice. The pace is slow and the guitar layers, extending to infinite without apparent focus, together with short dubious keyboard touches, give a haunting feel to the song as well as a questioning on the direction the song should take (this is even matched by the lyrics: "middle-West, middle-East?").

"Words are Never Enough" is an upbeat song with angry chant, orchestral keyboards and daring guitars. The anger gives up in when the light keyboard touches and the cheerful guitar licks take over.

Spiral Key's 'Perfect machine' is a great example of a band that manages to bring together the enchanting keyboards and expressive voice of neo-prog acts like Clepsydra and the harsher and more complex side of prog-metal bands like Dream Theater.