TOMORROW

Heavy Neo Prog perhaps in the vein of countrymates SYLVAN but, to these ears, more like now-defunct Aussie proggers, UNITOPIA and some of Arjun Lucassen's AYREON albums. This year's satisfier of my need for djenty guitars with beautiful atmospheric synth-washed melodies and GREAT vocals.

1. "Intro" (1:16) 2. "Silver Laughter" (8:46) wonderfully engaging music and vocals bouncing from melodic symphonic sounds to heavy guitar riffs, this is Neo Prog at its best--like UNITOPIA taken to the A Level. I love the multiple ways the engineering staff chooses to treat and locate lead singer Ben Knabe's voice throughout. (18.5/20)

3. "Pun Intended" (7:24) opens with some funny-punny lyrics and music. There's a little QUEEN-meets-THE CLASH feel to this until it turns into a nice DEVIN TOWNSEND piece with the chorus. The clavinet-supported Jeff-Beck-like instrumental guitar section in the fourth minute is unexpected--as is the death metal screams that follow. Even Yes and KANSAS' "Carry on Your Wayward Son" are conjured up several times in this complex, convoluted song. Interesting, refreshing, and, ultimately, entertaining if not thoroughly engaging. (13/15)

4. "Another Way To Fly" (6:27) opens with some great bass-grounded Neo Prog sound like Nick Beggs or IQ before synth-support and treated vocal enters in the second half of the second minute. In fact, there is quite a little similarity to the sound of LIFESIGNS' debut album on this song. Great chorus (that I can't stop humming long after the album has finished). (9/10)

5. "Easy For Us" (10:01) more UNITOPIA sounds in the one minute intro. I love the delicately fingered electric guitar! Great bass with multi-layered guitar soundscape over which another awesome Ben Knabe vocal performance occurs. There's even a little DOVES sound here (in the chorus) just before the song goes (briefly) screamin' heavy. The instrumental section that follows has some very nice understated guitar and synth soli. I also love the gentle and prolonged end section. (18.5/20)

6. "More To This" (9:27) solid but lacking in development (too lyric-dependent for me) and having a poor chorus. (15.34/20)

7. "Tomorrow" (11:12) opens like a DOVES song, gorgeous multi-vocal weave over organ until at lead vocal pops up right in front of us at 1:12. Chunky intermittent bass riffs appear as synths washes fill the background until guitar arpeggi at 2:11 signal an amping up--which occurs big time ten seconds later. Powerful though the vocal melodies are not engaging to me (nor are they quite fitting with the music). Perhaps the mix of the instrumentation is too big, too forward, making the vocals seem really small and distant. (17/20)

Total Time 43:21

Four stars; a very nice Neo Prog contribution to the Prog catalogue. It's as if UNITOPIA went on break and came back better than ever!