1000 Prog Albums Over 46 Years: 1966-2011

842

One
Neal Morse

A review by Mellotron Storm:

I think anyone who is a fan of Spock’s Beard and Transatlantic will enjoy this release. There are some nuggets in the bonus disc as well, like ‘Back To The Garden’ bringing to mind the Joni Mitchell written ‘Woodstock’. ‘Day After Day’, a Badfinger cover, is fantastic, while ‘I'm Free/Sparks’ is my favourite of the bonus material, featuring some outstanding guitar and Neal shouting "I'm free", which certainly has more meaning then the original rendition.

Highlights for me on the first disc are the chorus in ‘The Creation’ as well as Phil Keaggy's guitar solo. This man is one of the greatest guitarist's of our generation. There is mellotron played during ‘One Mind’, ‘In A Perfect Light’ and ‘Where Are You’ sections of ‘The Creation’. ‘The Man's Gone’ is a really cool sounding song with reserved gentle vocals that I like a lot. My favourite though is the song ‘Author Of Confusion’ opening with heavy, pounding drums and a terrific guitar melody that just smokes. There are Gentle Giant-like vocal arrangments and check out Portnoy 9 minutes in; do you think he's having a blast! I kind of wish this song was heavy throughout instead of the about face after 5 minutes.

‘The Separated Man’ is the other epic with mellotron during the “I'm In A Cage" section. I like the "I Am the Man" section best, and there is another great guitar solo too. I have to admit I'm not too fond of ‘Cradle To The Grave’, the syrup is flowing too much for me. While ‘Father Of Forgiveness’ and ‘Reunion’ I find both rather weak. I guess if I'm going to sit and listen to a CD for almost 80 minutes, the last two tracks better be amazing, and these two are far from that. The sixth song ‘Help Me/The spirit And The Flesh’ has a jazzy feel at times and some good guitar, but how uplifting is “The Spirit And The Flesh” section!

Although this record has it's flaws, there certainly is enough great material to give it 4 stars.

A review by Gatot:

What a wonderful album this one is! Morse has proven himself to prog lovers that he can succeed by standing on his own creation. No question about his brilliant contribution to Spock's Beard; and this gentleman is definitely a prog genius! I'm truly honest on this even though I did not favor Spock's Beard early albums where I found too many mixture of styles between Gentle Giant, Yes, and Gypsy King (this one had made me reluctant with SB’s first album despite that I admired the musicianship of the band). I had Morse’s first solo album but it did not attract me at all. But his solo work after he left the band, "Testimony" and "One", are marvelous! This review is intended to give my deepest and personal appreciation to the gentleman named Neal Morse.

‘The Creation’ (18:22) is an epic track sectioned into four: I) One Mind, II) In a Perfect Light, III) Where Are You? IV) Reaching from the Heart. It starts off with an atmospheric keyboard and orchestra arrangement that reminds me of watching a "Holywood" movie or "Lord of The Rings". It has a powerful nuance of great music, and blasts off with Portnoy's work with his drum stools, keyboard, and guitar sounds backed with symphonic music. The intertwining guitar, drum and keyboard in a relatively fast tempo at the opening are really superb! The voice line then enters the music in a continuous stream of music accentuated with dynamic drumming and keyboard. Morse’s vocal and its harmony with backing vox are stunning. In some transitions and some passages, mellotron is used nicely. This track has a very tight structure that ties each musical passage beautifully in one cohesive way. I fail to identify any loose ties in any passage of its composition, all parts hold together tightly like a concrete structure, but it provides total musical enjoyment; a superb composition by any standard. All guitar and keyboard solos are packaged nicely. You will definitely agree with me if you listen to it. My personal experience is that I don't realize that I'm approaching the 18 minute part of the song where I never get bored during my journey with this song since the beginning. This track is an enhanced "Supper's Ready" of this millennium!

‘The Man's Gone’ (2:50) is a short track that features acoustic guitar and a percussive moderate tempo; performed with theatrical vocals. If I enjoy this track as one song it does not attract me much, it's just a good track, but when I listen to it as a transition between ‘The Creation’ and third track ‘Author of Confusion’, it is such a nice transition!

‘Author of Confusion’ (9:30) blasts off, with a fast tempo and complex music combining guitar, keyboard, drum and bass in a rocking mood. The music itself produces a sort of riff but it's unlike prog metal riffs. There are nice transitions featuring mellotron and dazzling drum work followed by lead guitar. The keyboard solo sometimes reminds me of Rick Wakeman, having a run through approximately 4 minutes, then the great vocal harmony ala Gentle Giant enters the music. This vocal harmony is completely superb! The music then turns into a moderate tempo with continuous flow. Mellotron work plays beautifully in the background. Electric guitar and keyboard works are stunning and it rocks! This track is and will be my long time favourite, so wonderfully crafted!

‘The Separated Man’ (17:58) is another epic with four sections. Composed in a moderate tempo, this track is less complex compared to the previous one, especially under the first section ‘I'm in a Cage’. The transition piece features Middle East nuances with an excellent vocal harmony that ends up with a "nice" scream followed by uplifting musical passages. The acoustic guitar work is excellent, and the ending part of the track features nice orchestra and vocal that concludes the song.

‘Cradle to the Grave’ (4:55) is a ballad track that reminds me of Spock's Beard’s ‘The Distance to The Sun’ from the "Day for Night" album. The opening acoustic guitar work reminds me of Pink Floyd's "Animals" album. But when the voice line enters, it's an entirely different thing; "Sometimes I don't understand why I was born at all". It's a mellow and melodic song.

‘Help Me/The Spirit and the Flesh’ (11:13) starts off with a great piano touch and flows naturally in a moderate tempo with Morse’s vocal followed by short lead guitar fills. There are jazz influences that appear in this track. This song is straight forward and there are stunning acoustic guitar fills. The music turns to another melody in the middle of the track with quieter passages and it moves into a happier mood. It ends up with symphonic music with excellent orchestration.

‘Father of Forgiveness’ (5:46) is a nice mellow track featuring piano and vocal at the opening, followed by orchestra and soft drumming. ‘Reunion’’s (9:11) opening is composed in a straight forward rock with orchestra. The tempo turns faster with dynamic drumming, violin and cello orchestration, augmented with lead guitar work. The music sometimes turns quieter with piano rhythms. The inclusion of female choirs is really good to conclude the album with "Make us One" in a symphonic style.

Overall, it's a masterpiece and highly recommended album. Rating 4.75 / 5.

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

An 80 minute journey into the spiritual creative mind of Neal Morse is always going to be a delight. I had listened to the “One Demos” album before this as it was cheap and easy to obtain. This featured outtakes and demo versions of these tracks that are the finished product. As a consequence I became very used to the demo unfinished versions. It was quite a surprise to finally hear how the songs turned out, not necessarily better, but definitely more polished and complex in terms of musicianship and structure. The album is a masterpiece from the great man that features some of most celebrated material.

It features two colossal epics, ‘The Creation’, and ‘The Separated Man’ that together clock 36 wonderful minutes of heavy to ambient emotionally-charged prog. Both songs are segemented into many sections, in the classic progressive style of a multi movement suite, many songs seamlessly becoming one, and both are in four distinct sections. They are also the best tracks on offer here. ‘The Separated Man’ is my favourite, with some gorgeous keyboard melancholia and some of the most beautiful acoustic guitar from the dextrous hand of Christian guitar legend Phil Keaggy. The songs follow the Biblical account of the fall of man, how he rejected God, the pursuit of God for man to find redemption, and consequently how we became separated by our sin from God, and ultimately how we can be brought back to God through Jesus Christ. Whether one believes in this or not there is no disputing the power of the music and the absolute brilliance of the melodic vocals and awesome musicianship.

Neal Morse plays keyboards, and some guitars, but it is his dominant crystalline vocals that lift this album into the heavens. Randy George is reliable on bass guitar and the power of Mike Portnoy’s percussion is flawless. ‘The Creation’ is a tour de force of symphonic orchestration mixed with passages of heavy prog and ambient beauty, depending on the storyline. It is meant to capture the creation of the planet at the hands of God who said “Let There be Light” and man “received the breath of life” in Genesis. The account of Adam and Eve, and the creation of the Earth, is by no means an original theme to bass an epic on as others have done so before, including early Genesis, The Flower Kings and PFM, but this version must be the most spiritual coming from a true believer. The passion of the vocals and music is unsurpassed; majestic and purely emotional. The music is always bright and uplifting; the keyboard runs, melodies and guitars work well together to create a positive atmosphere. Morse does not hold back with his lyrics about living to “Praise His name” and utilising Biblical passages paraphrased to suit the music. It ends with the cry of God to Adam “why are you hiding?” with Morse in his heaviest angry voice. This theme will appeal to the Christian as well as those who simply want to be blown away by incredible music. The lyrics really are uncompromising but it is all Bible based and is quite a mesmirising journey if you allow it to soak through your system. It makes a nice change from all the dark prog that is churned out.

‘Author of Confusion’ is another passionate composition with multilayered vocals and sweet melodies. It begins with a raucous prog tempo and then settles into beautiful harmonies and Mellotron. This is followed by melancholia and deepest heartfelt vocals with ‘Cradle to the Grave’. I liked the version better on “One Demos” as it follows seamlessly from the wonderful prog instrumental ‘Mayhem’ with heavy riffs and very powerful time sigs, thus balancing it out perfectly into quiet refelction after blazing guitars; like the calm following a tempestuous storm.

‘Help Me/The Spirit and the Flesh’ is a gorgeous spirit filled song, encompassing piano and jazz fills that lifts the spirit up, and the lovely melodies of ‘Father of Forgiveness’ has become a favourite ballad among the fan base. The album ends with the glorious ‘Reunion’ in 3 parts, making a splendiferous finale. Overall, this is an astonishing conceptual album with some of the all time greatest material from Neal Morse.

843

Marbles
Marillion

A review by Gatot:

This album has created a controversy for me as well as the prog community. As a hard core fan of symphonic and neo prog genre, this was my first impression when I received my pre-ordered package. I didn't understand why the band took 2 years to complete this album! For example, on the first track of disc 1, I couldn't catch the soul of the track even until 6 minutes passed. I could not bear it anymore, so I skipped to track 2; another lousy mellow track. And then track 3 is so poppy. The skip went on with each track consuming roughly 3 minutes, for my ears could not bear to listen to the CD. Then I turned to CD 2 and had the same feeling. Then I put this album on the shelf. For approximately a week I didn't want to touch it. Only one thing left in me after I skimmed through the two CDs, and that was that the sonic quality of the 2 CDs are excellent!

Then I gave it another try. This time I intentionally disregarded all expectations and/or definition of prog. Simply put, I didn't want to pigeon hole the band to a certain category of genre or use music boundaries. I just plainly used my ears and my mind to listen to the album completely. So here I am, in the boundary-less definition of anything, open my mind, sit down and relax (it seems like an opening words for Jethro Tull's "Bursting Out" live. Well, music has inspired me a lot, and this is my experience.

With a spacey touch in the intro part, a drum-loop and a bit of percussion sound with mellow keyboard, ‘The Invisible Man’ enters my mind. The first minute reminds me strongly of the intro part of ‘Assassing’, on the band's second album. But if combined with the keyboard sound, this first minute reminds me of the nuances of the intro part of Fish's ‘What Colour is God’ on “Sunsets on Empire” album. I am sure this is purely a coincidence, not intentional. Fortunately, when Hogarth's vocal slowly enters with other compositions, I have to admt that this track is terrific; well structured with a mixture of great sounds. Steve's guitar sound is really excellent. I guess he played it with his heart as the sound he produced is so smooth. Mark's keyboard sound is rich and sets the whole tone of the track.

Track 2 ‘Marbles I’ is pure easy listening pop music. I think the band tries to emulate what Rick Wakeman's ‘Lady of the Lake’ series does in the "King Arthur" album, as Marbles has 4 series (I-IV) wth 3 of them sharing the same melody, while ‘Marbles III’ is different from the others. Lyrically, Marbles tracks are weak as they tell the story about little Hogarth playing with marbles. So simplistic and not unique as many people have a similar experience during their childhood, I think.

Track 3 ‘Genie’ is nothing more than pop music and a little bit boring on its melody part. ‘Fantastic Place’ is a nice track. ‘The Only Unforgivable Thing’ is very good, still mellow, but the interlude is terrific, and this segment produces nice melodies with touchy guitar fills. The closing track ‘Ocean Cloud’ is an epic. Again, I rate highly on this track as it has a beautiful composition. Hogarth sings with his heart, and the nuances created in this track is similar to Pink Floyd's ‘High Hopes’ from "Division Bell" album. ‘Ocean Cloud’ is really excellent; the ending part of this track reminds me of early Marillion style, with stunning guitar supported by keyboard sound as a background.

‘Marbles III’ is the only one that has a different melody than other Marbles. ‘The Damage’ sounds completely like typical "Brit Pop" music and it reminds me of Radiohead or Muse. It's a nice track though. ‘Don't Hurt Yourself’ is similar, but it has a better melody. I like the acoustic guitar intro of this track. The music flows nicely and has a good melody when Hogarth sings "Don't Hurt Yourself." I also like the guitar sound produced here, it's a kind of Hawaiian style.

‘You're Gone’ is the band's single. It's a nice pop song, sounds like house music, with drum-loop. Again, I sense that the nuance at intro part is similar to Fish's ‘What Color is God?’ It's a coincidence, I believe but it's an enjoyable track. This track has reached UK chart no. 7. ‘Angelina’ starts with a radio tuning sound typical to the band's intro of ‘Forgotten Sons’ of "Script" album. Hogarth’s voice enters the track very nicely, and I like it.

‘Drilling Hole’ is really cool, the opening reminds me of Peter Gabriel solo albums such as "UP". I like ‘Drilling Hole’ very much as it has a great composition in the easy listening scheme; the keyboard playing is really excellent! The interlude part makes you fly, definitely! This track blows your mind! I rate it as high as ‘Ocean Cloud’ and ‘Invisible Man’.

‘Neverland’ is another epic and again, Hogarth sings completely with his heart. The keyboard background creates a solid nuance for the track. This is a track that may inspire you to create wild ideas. Listen to Steve guitar playing; so wonderful! The acoustic guitar part at minutes 4:26 is cool; I love this piece! Then it flows nicely with Steve’s stunning guitar playing. In this track also I can get a feel of Pete's tight bass guitar playing nicely.

Disc 2 is much better than 1 and this album deserves five stars. Overall for a 2 CD package, this album is excellent. It has created something different with some tracks that are sort of "derivative". It has a bit of Porcupine Tree (no wonder, the genius Steve Wilson got involved in this album), Pink Floyd and Radiohead, or Muse. The songwriting is good even though the lyrics are so simplistic in some tracks, the musicianship is terrific. One thing bothers me though: "where is the challenging job of Mr. Ian Mosley?" There is no dynamic drumming, and some tracks use drum-loop or programming; so, Ian's capability is not fully capitalized in this album. Such a waste actually, because I know that Ian is a terrific drummer. Hogarth’s voice is great, and Steve Rothery and Mark Kelly’s contributions are dominant, though Pete is not fully at his potential. If I should recommend, you should purchase the one CD version instead of 2 CD. Bravo Marillion!

844

Dark Matter
IQ

A review by SouthSideoftheSky:

Hardly born brilliant, but they finally became so with this album

I have never been particularly impressed by IQ before, but “Dark Matter” is, in my opinion, a very strong album and by far the best album by the band. Finally, after more than 20 years in the music business they reached their peak here. While “Dark Matter” is different in several ways from earlier albums by the band, it is still very much IQ. What makes this album stand out in the band's catalogue is that the compositions are all among IQ's strongest and most memorable ever, and that the sound is a bit more powerful than usual. But also, and this is more important, that I sense a new-found passion and enthusiasm in this music that creates a sense of urgency that I have often found lacking in IQ's music in the past. Most of the band's previous works have seemed a bit tired and almost lethargic to my ears and especially the longer songs have often been over long and a bit one-dimensional. Here they sound reinvigorated and energetic.

“Dark Matter” features only five tracks and runs for just over fifty minutes. The closing number, ‘Harvest Of Souls’, is a nearly 25 minute piece that far outshines the band's previous attempts on this grand scale. It moves through several themes and moods, but stays focused throughout with a great melody and compositional structure. The keyboards are varied and some vintage keyboards are used which creates a more organic sound without making it come across as "retro-Prog". The presence of (what sounds like a) Hammond organ gives substance and even brings a slight heaviness to the sound, which is not commonly associated with IQ. This is particularly evident on the opening and closing numbers. Also, (what sounds like a) church organ gives a haunting feel to some tracks. Overall, the sound and feel of this album is about as dark, mysterious and haunting as the great cover art. The production is impeccable and every instrument comes to its full right.

The shorter songs in between are equally strong and memorable and here we get to see the acoustic side of the band. This makes the album varied yet consistent. The vocals are very strong throughout as are the lyrics. Peter Nicholls sings like he means every word - like he is delivering a message he really cares about. Passion is, after all, the sign of great music. IQ's best, highly recommended!

A review by Mellotron Storm:

I think IQ have made 6 excellent studio albums (including this one) up to this point in time, and in my opinion this is the best one yet! I find this to be pretty amazing considering it's been 21 years from their debut to this one. I just can't find any fault with this record at all. Orford is simply incredible on this release, but it would be unfair to leave out Cook's fantastic drumming or Jowitt's subtle bass lines or Holmes tasteful guitar melodies or of course Nicholl's uplifting vocals. Everyone is at the top of their game on "Dark Matter".

It starts off with ‘Sacred Sound’ a song that I  cannot listen to without smiling. The guitar is so warm and inviting and Orford's a genius! Nicholls simply moves me emotionally on this track for some reason. About half way through Orford really reminds me of Banks in that great instrumental passage.We get a quiet section before the organ and vocals return. Actually I'm sure that's church organ I hear at one point. The guitar comes back late as well.

‘Red Dust Shadow’ opens with strummed acoustic guitar, gentle vocals and mellotron. 1 1/2 minutes in we get some Porcupine Tree sounding synths, actually the whole song including the intro has Porcupine Tree written all over it, and Mellotron is back 5 minutes in. This song is such a good change of pace for the band. ‘You Never Will’ features some upfront drumming like on the opening song. The lyrics are cool in this one, especially the way the title of it is used at the end of the sentence. A collage of sounds 3 1/2 minutes in is followed by pulsating keys, then the guitar arrives and it sounds so amazing as does Nicholls and the sampled mellotron throughout this tune.

‘Born Brilliant’ opens with lots of atmosphere and is very Pink Floyd sounding. Processed vocals before 2 minutes when the song kicks in, and this one has a good beat with fantastic organ. The guitar cries out in the background and the Pink Floyd vibe is back on this great tune.

‘Harvest Of Souls’ is a side long suite at almost 25 minutes. It opens with beautiful acoustic guitar and vocals. Mellotron comes in at 3 minutes as a fuller sound comes in a minute after that. Nice.The tempo picks up speed 6 1/2 minutes in and the mellotron is back.There is a beautiful section 10 1/2 minutes in, and pulsating keys ala Banks and mellotron follow. Piano melodies before 15 minutes, and then passionate vocals in another terrific passage before 17 minutes. The song eventually ends with some excellent guitar melodies.

I don't know how IQ can possibly top this one, and with word out that Martin Orford has left the band it's going to be difficult.

845

Vacuum
The Watch

A review by Mellotron Storm:

4.5 stars.This is a magical album for me, pushing the right buttons most of the time. Yes this sounds like an updated(Gabriel era) GENESIS album.The focus is on the absolutely amazing vocals of Simone, and also the hammond organ, keyboards and mellotron. I really enjoyed reading Hibou's review because i can tell she feels the same emotion as i do when listening to this album. In fact i'd go as far to say this is in my top ten of Neo-Prog records of all time.

"Hills" features reserved vocals and keys throughout.This is really a short intro track. "Damage Mode" is uptempo with vocals but there is some good contrasts here with the calm sections.This just sounds really good. I like when it settles right down with flute, vocals and keys after 3 minutes.Then at about the five minute mark a flood of mellotron washes in. Nice. "Wonderland" is one of my favourites with hammond organ and a rare guitar solo. It's so uplifting when it kicks in around 1 1/2 minutes.The mellotron is so majestic during the calm 4 1/2 minutes in.

"Shining Bald Heads" has these pulsating synths as drums come and go. Vocals before a minute. Excellent sound. A calm before 3 minutes with Gabriel-like vocals then it kicks back in. Themes are repeated. "Out Of The Land" is another great tune. It makes me emotional for some reason, i don't know, but it's wondrous. Very GENESIS-like and delicate. "Goddess" has some energy right out of the gate. I like the drum/synth sectuion 3 1/2 minutes in and the mellotron a minute later. "Deeper Still" is a mellotron laden beauty. Keys to open and fragile vocals. It's simply gorgeous when it kicks in after a minute. Love the synths after 2 1/2 minutes to end it. "The Vacuum" features moog, mellotron and hammond organ, what else could a person ask for ? I have to emphasize again, what a fantastic singer this man is. Another GENESIS-like tune.

A review by Gatot:

During the years when I enjoyed Genesis in the seventies I had no problem when Peter Gabriel left the band (don't get me wrong, I love Gabriel's theatrical singing style and voice quality) and Genesis continued with the excellent follow-up "A Trick of The Tail" with Phil Collins as front man. I did have a problem when Hackett left the band after "Wind and Wuthering" because the music direction changed. So, basically I love Genesis because of the music especially those with Hackett as guitarist and contributing songwriter in the band. When I knew of bands like Citizen Cain and The Night Watch in the nineties, I was so happy that the early Genesis sounds were still alive in the nineties. Simone Rossetti, the front man and excellent flautist of The Night Watch, went on with his new band The Watch. What's unique here is that the vocal quality of Simone Rossetti is very similar to Peter Gabriel and is better than Cyrus of Citizen Cain.

This album gives me full satisfaction as I have been so longing for the music which is similar to early Genesis. In a nutshell, "Vacuum" is what the Genesis would sound like if Hackett did not quit and Gabriel rejoined the band. It's like the follow-up album of "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" released right after "Wind and Wuthering", a great idea, isn't it? Let's have a look the album in detail.

‘Hills’ (1:26) opens the album featuring accentuated vocal by Rossetti accompanied with electric piano work by Gabriele Manzini, and augmented with soft howling guitar by Ettore Salati in the vein of Hackett. Even though this short prolog track is performed without drum and bass, it's energetic in style and it sets the whole atmosphere of the album. Great opening, and this track continues seamlessly to the next track.

‘Damage Mode’ (7:17) starts off with a full blast of the music with all players contributing with their own instruments. The opening part is really upbeat with riffs and dominated by powerful mellotron sounds. The music turns into a slower beat with intersecting powerful vocals and combined again with the mellotron work. Keyboard then follows up with background music to form a symphonic nuance. Rossetti performs his flute work on quiet passages with guitar fills reminiscent of early Genesis music. The ending part is really amazing: mellotron and electric guitar solos give a stunning sound. It's a wonderful masterpiece composition.

‘Wonderland’ (7:05) begins with powerful Gabriel-like voice by Rossetti "Bright lights and street signs wonderland ." accompanied with soft keyboard sound in slow tempo. The music moves steadily into an uplifting mood and I especially like when Rossetti sings, "Chain reaction on the razor's edge .." The guitar work this time is played with a different style when the vocalist sings, but it returns back to typical Genesis guitar fills especially during quiet passages with vocal. Keyboard and mellotron give a symphonic nuance.

‘Shining Bald Heads’ (5:55) brings the music in medium/fast tempo with dynamic singing style combined with rhythm sections comprising keyboard and guitar. Some segments of keyboard during the singing verse sounds like "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" (the song, not the album). The band puts a variation especially during piano and vocal line that reminds me of Supertramp's style. The song is rich in style and composition.

‘Out Of The Land’ (6:05) starts with a wonderful combination of voice line and guitar fills augmented with a very soft mellotron sound, continued with keyboard work. Halfway through the band performs this track in mellow style and in the middle of the track the music moves in crescendo and brings the music into a faster upbeat tempo with soaring keyboard, drums and electric guitar solo.

‘Goddess’ (5:48) is an upbeat track with riffs and organ-drone work. The composition reminds me of the music style of Genesis’ "Nursery Cryme". It has inventive keyboard work combined with guitar and dynamic drumming. The ending part of this track sees beautiful arrangements integrating the key instruments: keyboards, guitar with vocal.

‘Deeper Still’ (3:24) is a mellow track where some voice lines are done with distant vocal style. Having enjoyed some complex arrangements, it's good having this track featured at seventh as it provides a musical break. Not only providing a musical break, but this song is melodic and for my personal taste it's much better than having ‘More Fool Me’ in Genesis' "Selling England By The Pound" album.

‘The Vacuum’ (10:59) concludes the album with a multi-mood song combining mellow style at the opening, accompanied with guitar fills and segments with upbeat/ high register notes. The music immediately moves into higher register notes through the voice of Rossetti. This last song contains excellent composition which integrates soaring organ sounds, and a dynamic drum and powerful vocal. The music turns into fast tempo with long sustained keyboard, followed with wonderful guitar work and dazzling drums by Roberto Leoni. Vocal singing style seems like a theatrical act with excellent punctuation, strengthened by inventive organ/ keyboard work.

Conclusion

What can I say about this album? Wonderful, definitely, and the band is heavily influenced by early Genesis - plus a bit of influence from King Crimson - with lead singer’s voice quality and power identical to Peter Gabriel. But The Watch’s music is not something derivative as their compositions are mostly different, and not ripping off from the older band; especially when I look at the album track by track and segment by segment. Some compositions may have similar structures but the overall composition is different. For me personally, I'm glad that now I have at least three bands which still carry the torch of early Genesis sound: Citizen Cain especially through "Somewhere But Yesterday" album, and Hamadryad especially the new album "Safe in Conformity". If you are early Genesis music lovers and you don't mind other band carrying the torch of early Genesis music style then this album is really for you.

846

Before Became After
Proto-Kaw

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

One of the surprise packages of Contemporary Christian Prog.

I bought this album because I received a gift certificate for a Christian store and simply ordered this as I knew Christian prog could be very good (especially Neal Morse). I had no idea this was an incarnation of early Kansas, one of the great bands of the 70s that have released excellent material from “Leftoverture” and “The Point of Know Return” and of course their smash blockbuster ‘Carry On Wayward Son’. Proto-Kaw's “Before Became After” is an absolute delight from beginning to end; full on progressive with some of the best instrumental sections you will hear.

It begins with the wonderful 7 minute gem ‘Alt. More Worlds than Known’, featuring some emotive, reflective lyrics about the born again experience and the music focuses on bristling Hammond mixed with crunching guitar riffs. The bass line is a jazz inspired motif from Kew. Meredith's vocals are crystal clear and at times mesmirising.

‘Words of Honor’ is a similar style to the melancholy Neal Morse; a quiet, heartfelt song that has a catchy melody. Livgren has a beautiful acoustic style, very easy to listen to. Bolton adds a beautiful flute sound to the timbre.

‘Leaven’ begins with a majestic crescendo instrumental section. Livgren shines on keyboards, guitars, and drums on this track and other band members compliment this with incredible musical virtuosity. Livgren's guitar riff is as off kilter as any typical prog rhythm, fractured and bombastic, similar to Fripp or Hackett from the 70s. It is one of the best tracks on the CD. There are a lot of spoken words to add to the overall effect, and it changes course in tempo and metrical patterns with delicious Emerson style Hammond; sheer bliss.

‘Axolotl’ has a violin sound using keyboards and is a nice change in pace. ‘Quantum Leapfrog’ is laced with soaring saxophone and a killer bass riff, a very good track. ‘Greenburg, Glickstein, Charles, David, Smith and Jones’ is a curio that really grew on me. At first I was not sure but it stuck in my head, particularly the repeated title. The Hammond crashes down with furiosity and feels like Emerson and his infamous knife. It actually was first performed by the psychedelic 60s band The Cryan' Shames, but Proto-Kaw really give this a workout and the result is more than satisfying.

‘Gloriana’ sounds like the glory days of Kansas. It continues for 9 mins and never lets up the progressive feel. I was reminded of early Camel or Caravan for some reason, and it features a very long instrumental section that is simply brilliantly played. Other tracks include ‘Occasion of Your Honest Dreaming’ which has some nice lyrics about serenity or indeed sincerity of living life to the fullest; and ‘Heavenly Man, a heavy guitar track that grows on you after a few listens.

The finale is the multi movement suite ‘Theophany’ that runs for about 12 minutes with some excellent instrumental work from the band. The time signature changes are exquisite, ranging from 4/4 to 7/8 and beyond. In fact most of it feels like jazz improv or jazz fusion with eclectic staccato riffs and wild tempos. It is perhaps the best track on the album. It feels at times like a church service and at other times like a huge wall of sound of keyboards and guitar, it absolutely rocks. The lyrics are about the importance of giving your life to Jesus, a message I can readily relate to, though this may feel like a sermon for some listeners. Do not let any of the lyrics put you off though, because the music and subtlety in the lyrics mix beautifully to make this one of the best prog rock albums of 2004. I thoroughly recommend it and hope Proto-Kaw continue to produce this brand of music.

847

Shadowlands
Glass Hammer

A review by Gatot:

This is my first experience listening to the music of Glass Hammer. For me, this album is rewarding as the music is a combination of various styles with a keyboard-based rhythm section and solos ala Tony Banks of Genesis especially on later albums like "Duke" or "And Then There Were Three". There are some strong influences of classical music whereby some tracks really explore this influence with the use of violin in instrumental passages. Style-wise, it's prog naturally as I can find easily that there are many tempo changes and some complex arrangements. Guitar is also a pivotal element in this album, and the vocals are done with male and female voices.

‘So Close, So Far’ opens the album with a fast tempo acoustic guitar work played as a rhythm section followed with single layer keyboard work reminiscent of Tony Banks or Martin Orford (IQ). The opening part is really nice especially when there are some variations with quieter passages followed with a high tone keyboard punch. Voice lines enter in duet style, while keyboard/ organ serves as a main rhythm section augmented with acoustic guitar. There are beautiful sounds inserts from keyboard, and the guitar solo is truly stunning, reminding me of the style of Allan Holdsworth. Suddenly the style changes smoothly into a sort of blues music with some female voice lines. This part reminds me of Magenta, even though the voice timbre is different between the two female vocalists. This part is kind of like enjoying a psychedelic/ spacey music with voice; a very nice interlude! The song ends up with an uplifting mood where the beat is increasing through guitar rhythms interjected with great keyboard work.

‘Run Lisette’ continues my journey with this album through a medium tempo opening with solid basslines and drumming followed with organ sounds. Guitar enters the scene at the right time and provides musical enjoyment, especially when it is followed with a roaring keyboard sound and floating male voice line. I don't know whether this was done intentionally or it was a technical problem that, according to my ears, has the mixing of the organ turned too loud, as it muddies up the voice line. I would say this track is overdosed with the sounds of keyboard/ synthesizer/ organ. Don't get me wrong, the composition is really excellent for this track. The music flows smoothly and dynamically with organ as a dominant factor augmented by guitar. The guitar has its own space demonstrating its awesome solo even though it's not that long compared to organ.

‘Farewell To Shadowlands’ opens with a harmony produced by keyboard and guitar sounds. The opening is relatively long enough so it's gonna entertain those who love guitar and keyboard ventures. It's probably close to Tony Banks’ solo album “A Curious Feeling”, I would say. The female voice lines enter at the ending part of the song with floating keyboard coloring at the background augmented with nice organ punches. Howling guitar augmented by keyboard is a nice segment at the ending part; it's really an excellent track.

‘Longer’ starts off differently as it has a classical outfit using piano touch followed with nice entrance of keyboard sounds. Ok, this part reminds me of Magenta's music, really. The music moves smoothly into a medium keyboard-based style. The ending part resembles a style of neo progressive rock with keyboard-based rhythm and duo female and male vocals.

The concluding track is a twenty-minute epic ‘Behind the Great Beyond’ which starts off with nice classical outfit combining piano and violin in relatively long duration followed with the entrance of drums that highlights the start of the music. Keyboard still dominates the music, and female vocals enter in a relatively quiet passage, a bit spacey, followed with male vocal at the back. The music then turns into an acoustic guitar solo in a sudden way; I feel like it's a bit disjointed here as it does not flow smoothly from the previous part. Right after the acoustic guitar, the music and vocals enter again with augmentation of electric guitar in long sustain style. Very nice. The tempo changes faster with rapid-fire violin that characterizes the melody combined with keyboard. Despite nice composition for each part that constitutes the epic, I feel that most parts are like disjointed material.

Overall, this is an excellent album. Recommended, especially to those who like neo progressive rock vein which typically is melodic and nice; this album fits the criteria well.

848

Sirius B
Therion

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

A mind blowing blast of symphonic operatic prog like no other.

Therion were first introduced to me through listening to a variety of tracks streamed online and I was quite taken with the blend of metal and opera on their latest albums, so without hearing anything from “Sirius B” I took the plunge into the world of Therion. I was immediately blown away by the album cover work and booklet. The lyrics are dangerous, edgey interglactic hyper nonsense about some great interplanetary cult that is going to cause mass destruction.

Forget all that, I am not going to pretend to understand the strange lyrics, the real star here is the beautiful female operatic vocals and choirs over a soundscape of orchestra and metal riffs. It shouldn't work but it does! Every track adds to an overall grand concept that is headphone music bliss; reminiscent of Ayreon's albums in some ways. The sound is massive, a veritable wall of sound that at times pummels with metal distortion or huge choral intonations, and at other times is permeated by dreamy ambience.

The first few songs are quite heavy. ‘The Blood of the Kingu’ is the heaviest and I love that chugging riff and urgent vocal style. The pictures in the booklet actually enhance the experience and make some sense of what the lyrics are professing. I hope nobody takes thus stuff seriously. The true majesty of the blend of orchestra and crunching guitars is amazing; a spectacle of sound on every track. ‘Son of the Sun’ is wonderful with the female soprano shining again; everytime she sings, the album lifts to another level. There are huge instrumental breaks, violins, cellos, piano, mandolin, over 170 musicians creating a masterfully executed album. Highly recommended, extremelty weird and innovative, though not a masterpiece in my opinion, but edges very close.

“To Polo!”

849

The Sun Also Rises
Knight Area

A review by Gatot:

Excellent album with solid composition!

I am practically a newbie as far as Knight Area are concerned as I only heard of the band recently when a friend of mine introduced me to “The Sun Also Rises” album. It is 'neo-prog', not a favourite genre, so when I first spun the album, it sounded like the typical neo-prog where keyboard and guitar are dominant in the composition. But on the second spin I found the music was more interesting, especially on the brave guitar solos during the interlude section, or in between the musical segments. Not only that, the keyboard also plays a critical role in putting it all together in a solid composition throughout the album.

It has come to my attention, actually, that when we talk about neo-prog there are basically two categories. The first category is the kind of music that early Marillion (Fish era) plays where they are basically putting more high energy into the music (refer to songs like 'Assassing', 'Garden Party', 'Forgotten Sons', 'He Knows You Know'); Pallas ('Beat The Drum'); IQ ('The Wake', 'The Darkest Hour', 'Tunnel Vision'); and Arena ('A Crack In The Ice', 'Welcome to The Cage') may fall into this category. The second category is those bands who play in a mellow/ slower tempo music in moody, ambient style like the music of Camel. Bands under this category are Pendragon, Red Sand, and Knight Area. Under this category, the music is more digestible for wider audiences because it has stronger pop nuances.

My thoughts on the music of Knight Area in this album are as follows:

The opening overture 'Beyond' (0:27) sets an excellent tone for the whole album as it starts with ambient music featuring Latimer-like guitar playing. It flows nicely to the next excellent track 'The Gate of Eternity' (7:21) which starts with an ambient style followed by melodic vocal line, and accompanied by guitar fills and long sustained keyboard work in the background. I have to admit that the opening vocal line here is quite catchy and sometimes reminds me of the music of Symphonic Slam. What follows is a stunning guitar solo in the vein of Marillion's 'Sugar Mice' guitar interlude, but in a much slower tempo. You can imagine how slow the music is as compared to Marillion, because 'Sugar Mice' is basically a mellow track from “Clutching At Straws” album.

'Conspiracy' (5:38) brings more energy to the music with a keyboard-drenched intro in an interesting musical part. Even though I do not like the part when the vocal starts to roll, this song is excellent and you may recall the keyboard part of Marillion's 'Garden Party'. 'Forever now' (4:21) runs in a faster tempo and the music is something similar to Camel in style with more portions of keyboard. The keyboard solo is in fact very good, especially when it's combined with skillful guitar playing. The title track 'The Sun Also Rises' (5:51) is an instrumental piece in a mellow style. 'A New Day At Last' (5:12) starts with a catchy piano solo followed with melodic vocal line, backed by stunning guitar work.

I can recommend this album, especially if you love the mellow side of neo-prog and stunning guitar solos combined with keyboard.

850

Panopticon 

Isis

A review by UMUR:

“Panopticon” is the third full-length studio album by American post metal/ Experimental metal act Isis. This is where all the pieces begin to fit together. Having listened to and reviewed the first two albums by Isis “Celestial” (2000) and “Oceanic” (2002) without being totally blown away (both are great albums though and especially “Oceanic” (2002) has lots of excellent elements), I am really thrilled about “Panopticon”.

The music style on the album is unmistakably Isis but some things have changed for the better since “Oceanic” (2002). The characteristic slow and building heavy guitar riffs are still there but the mellow atmospheric post rock sections with clean guitars are even more pronounced on “Panopticon” than they were on “Oceanic” (2002). The music has become more melodic and the vocals, while still shouting, also features more melodic qualities which is something I appreciate and greatly enjoy (there are actually not that many vocals on the album though. Much of the album is instrumental). The vocals are still pretty low in the mix but it gives Isis’ music a special feel.

The production is professional and very well sounding, crushingly heavy but with lots of dynamic between the heavy sections and the atmospheric parts. The sound is actually very original. “Panopticon” is an excellent album by Isis and the first album by the band that I enjoy without reservations. It´s a seminal album in the genre for sure and a well deserved 4 star rating from me. I even considered giving the album 5 stars at one point.

A review by Bonnek:

“Panopticon” continues the personal sound that Isis had found on “Oceanic”. It's a mellowed out version of Neurosis-alike post-metal, or brain metal as I sometimes tend to call it. The music is not too heavy generally and features lots of brooding post-rock parts, with a keen sense for melody and tension building. It's mainly instrumental, with only a few short sections with gruff vocals.

‘So Did We’ for example kicks the album off in a stately fashion and is one of the better parts of the album. Also ‘In Fiction’, ‘Wills Dissolve’ and ‘Altered Course’ are very strong and atmospheric. The main Isis asset is to work out brooding pieces with rich harmonic and semi-dissonant chords, and to build those up to a forceful climax. They do that very well on those tracks.

Unfortunately, it turns out to be the third Isis album in a row that is not entirely satisfying. While the approach to each song is very similar, the quality of the material is not. ‘Backlit’ for example doesn't have one aspect that makes it remarkable, it mainly consists of predictable post-rock doodling, weak metal riffs and annoying vocals; ‘Syndic Calls’ is pretty average.

Overall, this album consists mostly of excellent music and is one of Isis' best. But there is also some average material that might be good enough for fans of the style, but that is only mildly engaging for post-sceptics like myself.

851 - live

Live at Budokan
Dream Theater

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

A strong live album in the glory days for Dream Theater ramming prog down the throats of Budokan fans. It is an incredible performance best seen than heard, though the audio experience offers much as a type of Dream Theater concoction of the best of the earlier years.

There are a few odd surprises scattered in the mammoth set list, but the classics are here and played to perfection. ‘Beyond This Life’ is a huge epic clocking 19:37, and with some dynamic lead guitar from Petrucci. ‘The Test That Stumped Them All’ is always a killer track live and sounds fresh and powerful with huge bass runs of Myung and Portnoy's slamming percussion.

‘Endless Sacrifice’ is an 11 minute gruelling journey into prog excess with a wild keyboard section from Rudess. The ‘Instrumedley’ to follow features some awesome musicianship. LaBrie is in fine form on soaring vocals, and shines on such compositions as the 14 minute ‘Trial Of Tears’ and ‘New Millennium’. It is always a pleasure to hear a Jordan Rudess keyboard solo and it is as inventive here as ever.

CD 3 features some amazing songs such as ‘Solitary Shell’, ‘Stream Of Consciousness’ and quintessential ‘Pull Me Under’. The set closes with colllossus 16 minute ‘In The Name Of God’. So overall this is a great set with power metal and tons of instrumental breaks. It is progressive and packed to the gills with mind bending virtuoso solos and material from some of their best albums. It was the "Train of Thought" tour so there is plenty from that album as well as "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" and "Images and Words" among others. All Dream Theater fans must have it.

A review by Mellotron Storm:

When I decided I needed to get a live Dream Theater album I noticed their last three were rated very highly by the fans. What swayed my decision to get this one was the fact it was for the "Train Of Thought" tour and I love that album. Besides I hear that this one rocks the hardest which is no surprise considering the album they were promoting. Almost all of "Train Of Thought" is on here.This is a three disc affair and really for me only the third disc slips a bit because of the three more laid back tracks on there, although they still are very good songs. "Live Scenes From New York" was tempting only because it has my favourite track on it by DT ‘A Change Of Seasons’.

Disc one starts off the concert with two tracks from "Train Of Thought" in ‘As I Am’ and ‘This Dying Soul’.The first opens with the crowd clapping along until they are wiped out by the sheer power of the band. Petrucci proceeds to rip it up before 5 1/2 minutes followed by Portnoy putting on a show. Speaking of Portnoy he opens up the second track with a barrage of drums fills. Some raw aggression follows that will come and go; two killer tracks to start.

‘Beyond This Life’ from "Metropolis: Scenes From A Memory" opens with some ripping guitar as the drums pound. It settles back before a minute with vocals but not for long as these contrasts continue. Rudess to the fore blazes after 8 1/2 minutes, and from after 6 minutes to before 14 minutes the guitar, bass and drums sound incredible on this fantastic song. ‘Hollow Years’ from "Falling Into Infinity" is fairly laid back overall. Good song though.

The next two are from "Sx Degrees Of Inner Turbulence" and they blend into one another making it one long track. ‘War Inside My Head’ and ‘The Test That Stumped Them All’ sound great live.

Disc two starts off with another "Train Of Thought" track in ‘Endless Sacrifice’; nice and heavy and it kicks in pretty good 5 minutes in. ‘Instrumedley’ is just that, not my favourite but yeah these guys can play. ‘Trail Of Tears’ is great, in fact the beginning and ending remind me of ‘Xanadu’ by Rush. I like this a lot more than the studio version on "Falling Into Infinity".

‘New Milleninum’ sounds incredible to start and I  like the synths after 5 minutes. ‘Keyboard Solo’ makes me laugh everytime; I have to give Rudess credit as the guy is innovative and he puts on an amazing show here, killer stuff. ‘Only A Matter Of Time’ from the debut is surprisingly well done; powerful to start and really this song sounds different from the rest so I like it.

Disc three begins with two straight tunes from "Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence", ‘Goodnight Kiss’ and ‘Solitary Shell’. They are both good but too laid back for my tastes. ‘Stream Of Consciousness’ changes that as this "Train Of Thought" track blows the doors off. "Disappear" is again fairly laid back before they end it with two excellent tracks in "Pull Me Under" the best version i've heard so far and "In The Name Of God" a thunderous track from "Train Of Thought".

All in all a very solid 4 stars and one I really enjoyed despite its length.

852

Second Life Syndrome
Riverside

A review by Bonnek:

“Second Life Syndrome” is the most representative of Riverside's first 3 albums. Riverside managed to add some nice surprises to their Anathema meets Marillion stew. The opener is the first of those, an a-cappella intro with beautiful vocal harmonies, some soft percussion and background synths; a strong and very atmospheric start. ‘Volte-Face’ and ‘Dance With The Shadow’ are typical Riverside epics, featuring long instrumental intros that go through a number of metal-proggy themes and riffs, followed by a rocking main body with lyrical vocals and ending on a dramatic climax. This is nthing revolutionary but enjoyable, especially the first one.

One of Riverside's strong sides is actually balladry and the short rock song. ‘Conceiving You’ is a fine example of that sugar-sweet pop style and ‘I Turned You Down’ is one of their best tracks ever. But they also manage the prog epic format quite well, the title track ‘Second Life Syndrome’ is flawless. The instrumental ‘Reality Dream III’ is another pleasant moment, it's one of the few places where I can actually hear them having some playing fun. There's a nice ELP vibe in the last minute. The album has only one weaker cut, ‘Artificial Smile’ which is rather artificial indeed, the gruff vocals are too overstated and sound out of place on this album. It all ends strongly in true Porcupine Tree fashion with a slow Floydian space epic.

There are few moments on this album that I get really excited about, as it's all pretty monotonous in the end, but I can't help loving it. It's a perfectly fine album that might serve as a good introduction into the prog rock sub-genre: Prog-Lite.

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

Riverside create an emotionally charged masterpiece of colossal power.

The second Riverside album features some of the most enduring material of the band and the heaviest work until the masterpiece "Anno Domine High Definition". Mariusz Duda is always excellent on lead vocals and also plays bass. The guitar work of Piotr Grudzinski is incredible on this album. Michal Lapaj is simply astonishing on keyboards and Piotr Kozieradzki is wonderful on drums. Every track on this album is superb, and some tracks are indispensable. 'After' begins with whispers that are rather chilling and then a very slow ambient Porcupine tree style sound takes over.

'Volte Face' has a driving heavy rhythm and wonderful guitar notes ringing out over the loud percussion and shimmering Hammond. Then that awesome riff with odd time sig crunches locks in and it is a prog metal sanctuary. The spacey vocals add to the atmospherics until we get to the first verse. The melody is pleasant in the quieter sections and it builds to the aggressive passage, "I'm not afraid", as the Hammond quivers over the crashing guitar chords; a masterpiece song without a doubt.

The piano solo that begins 'Conceiving You' is appropriate as Duda really delivers a powerhouse vocal, with emotion and vitality, "been conceiving you for too long, if only I could change all things around." The lead break cries and soars as the soundscape builds to a crescendo. The wall of sound that Riverside are able to create is astounding, and really touches the emotions powerfully.

The first epic is 'Second Life Syndrome', a 15 minute eargasm of intricate virtuoso musicianship and towering vocals. An instant classic, the song boasts one of the best structures of the band's repertoire. It begins with a drone and Pink Floyd style guitar riff and then it gets heavier building in intensity, with Hammond blazing and a divine bassline locks in. The vocals of Duda are crystalline and pleasant; "From day to day, From hand to mouth, We're turning around, Vicious ritual, Getting used to it all, Falling down again, We're waiting for, The decrees of providence." The melody is ultra-infectious and the heavy guitars augment the dark overtones. Soon the lead break takes over and it is superbly executed by Grudzinski. There is no mistaking the massive sound on the keyboards, violently hammered by Lapaj. The song settles into bassline and echoing keyboards, changing feel and allowing the music to breathe.

Duda is gentler on part two; "I just want to feel your sigh on my neck, Want to feel your breath, Feel your need to stay, You don't know my name, Don't know my face, Only thoughts I share in my secret place, Secret exhibition, Cure for loneliness, I've ground to a halt, There's no turning back, You know there are things I just can't forget, You've helped me so much, To learn to be detached." The second lead break is spacious and soars with sustained held high pitched notes.

Part three, ‘Vicious Ritual’, is an instrumental to finish this magnificent track. The music becomes spacey and whispers are heard with footsteps effects. The result is a creepy but compelling sound. As the bass joins in cadence with the whispers, guitars grind out a crushing distorted chord structure. A King Crimson polyphonic rhythm dominates, and some more vocal intonations, "you will never suffer." The last lead break is the final drawcard and caps off an absolutely brilliant track.

'Artificial Smile' follows with a fast heavy tempo and some sensuous synths over a melodic hook. The vocals are still clear though much faster, and he occasionally uses a raspy tone to emphasise the anger in the words; "I hate you cos they love you, I'm so happy when they left you, this is my life! Sell me your mind!" This may be one of the heaviest Riverside songs but still has the strong organic symphonic nuances and equable lead guitar.

'I Turned You Down' drips with an endearing bassline and peaceful guitar violining. The spacey textures are the sort of music that would permeate the next album. Very ambient verses follow; "I turned you down so hastily, and it's tearing me apart, in my heart of hearts I'm screaming, in my heart of hearts I cry and it's cold, you're so cold." The lead guitar swells are beautiful over the synths. A heavier riff threatens to break through before a lead break overwhelms the serenity, and it is a darker atmosphere that supervenes.

Following this is 'Reality Dream III' with nice reverberated harmonics in the intro until a bass rhythm fades up. The tempo locks in and becomes an unusual time sig. The instrumental makes a pleasant break and one can just become immersed in the music. There is a heavy metal riff that pounds and chugs along and then a heavy handed piano is heard. The guitars join this new time change and then the Hammond returns like an old friend.

'Dance With the Shadow' is the second epic of the album starting with a low drone and gentle vocals. The Gilmour-esque guitar is prevalent and then an extremely heavy guitar changes it and it is more like Dream Theater with Petrucci riffs. The synthesis of psych space prog and metal is a key feature. The middle section settles into a calmer tunnel. “I'm standing on the edge about to fall, in the middle of the point of no return, trying to forget those days I failed to act, I can almost see the light, feel its warmth, and as the moment I was waiting for so long, I carry all before me now the die is cast, with open arms I'm standing out against my past." At 10 minutes in, the sound builds up and a cataclysmic explosion of Hammond and metal dramatically clash and the riffs intensify till it ends; incredible breathtaking music.

The final track 'Before' is a slow calm after the storm. It builds to a forceful flurry of riffs and then it is all over, and you long to play the whole album again. The only conclusion that can be drawn after being treated to this extraordinary music is that this is a masterpiece from Riverside. Everything works perfectly to create some absolutely incredible music; the vocals, bass, guitars, keys and drums are an amalgamation that showcases all that is great about prog rock. Strong melodies, intricate complex time sigs, compelling lyrics and amazing musicianship. This, along with "Anno Domine High Definition", is one album that towers over all the rest.

853

The Future Kings Of England
The Future Kings Of England

A review by Mellotron Storm:

This has been my biggest discovery so far in 2008. These guys blend psychedelic, krautrock and post- rock like none I've ever heard before. This is modern sounding instrumental music that creates atmospheric and psychedelic soundscapes.The post-rock flavour is by far the strongest in my opinion. The album cover is very cool as well, especially the back cover.

‘At Long Last...’ is the one minute intro. They actually took part of King Edward VIII's abdication speech which begins with "At long last I am able to say a few words of my own". As he speaks there is a pleasant acoustic guitar melody playing. ‘10:66’ opens with eerie and haunting sounds as drums and guitar come in. There are some spoken words as the melody stops, then it comes back and slowly builds to a heavy duty sound before 5 minutes; this is great! The tempo picks up 6 minutes in although it's still pretty sludgey. The post-rock style guitars are peeling the paint at this point.

‘Humber Doucy Lane’ opens with a sinister bass line that is slowly picked. You can hear kids playing, then Mellotron floods the soundscape as drums and guitar tastefully play. It builds to a wonderful wall of sound with more Mellotron that stops before 4 minutes. Kids are back playing after 5 minutes to the end of the track. Mellotron comes in wave after wave 7 1/2 minutes in to the end of the song.

‘Silent And Invisible Converts’ opens with lots of aggression but settles down quickly to a gorgeous sound. It starts to build to a heavy punishing sound. It starts to calm back down 6 minutes in, but it doesn't last long, then there is an awesome ending. ‘October Moth’ isn't as heavy as what we were just listening to but it's raw, powerful, beautiful and uplifting; an excellent tune. ‘Lilly Lockwood’ opens with a guitar sound played slowly over and over. Mellotron comes in as bass, cymbals and guitar play in this pastoral section, then drums and a full sound are heard. It stops abruptly a minute later and a new melody arrives; you can hear voices as drums pound and spacey sounds howl. The guitar is playing as well, then the sound gets a little dissonant. An uplifting, heavenly sound (including mellotron) arrives 6 1/2 minutes in to end it. Nice.

‘The March Of The Mad Clowns’ opens with heavy drums that turn into a marching style rhythm. The guitar creates some psychedelic sounds. ‘Pigwhistle’ is the longest song at 14 minutes, then a nice heavy sound becomes quite intense 2 minutes in. It calms right down until all we can hear is a bass line and people speaking in the background faintly. This is very atmospheric, dark and haunting as sounds rise and fall. It changes after 8 minutes as the guitar plays gently and drums and mellotron join in. It builds to an amazing sound 11 1/2 minutes in. ‘God Save The King’ is the short conclusion; like they took part of the intro of the first song and processed it heavily making it very psychedelic much like these future kings.

The Future Kings of England create dark and atmospheric soundscapes in that post-rock style with plenty of mellotron. This album continues to get better with each listen. This is like exploring a new land and finding new things everytime I go back. There are so many amazing passages on this record that I am in awe.

A review by Bonnek:

Future Kings Of England's self-titled debut is a mesmerizing gem that almost everyone seems to have missed out on. The band released 2 more albums since this debut and, while they continued a high quality standard, none of them touches me as much as this one.

Future Kings Of England are a band that has found a unique spot for themselves in between majestic post-rock and psychedelic kraut/space-rock. You will also find traces of the mind-expanding 68-71 Floyd era, but it never really sounds like the Floyd to me. The band has more in common to Godspeed You! Black Emperor, be it with more attention to melody, and without those extreme quite-loud "dynamics", both are a plus as far as I'm concerned.

Most songs are quite long, and gradually build, rise and release tension while going through big multiple bars spanning melodies. Fans of minor-key guitar arpeggios and soaring spacious leads will lick their fingers clean on this one. The sound is very open and organic; a bit rough in the drum department but all instruments resonate loud and cleary.

With such a low number of reviews I would certainly dare to call this one low-rated, even though the happy few who have visited this beautiful album have all rated it very highly. Very recommended to lovers of instrumental post-rock and space-rock.

854

?
Neal Morse

A review by SouthSideoftheSky:

Solid as the sun.

The theme is again Christian here, but I do not find it 'preachy' in the way that I found “Testimony” and to a degree “One” too preachy. While the subject matter of the lyrics is the tabernacle, most of the songs can easily be given other meanings by the listener. The theme is partly historical and partly Morse's own theology according to which 'the temple of the living God is you'. For me as an atheist, I don't believe in this at all, but I find it an interesting idea that is more individualistic than most Christian doctrine.

The musical influences seem to be Pink Floyd, The Beatles and Kansas, and Morse can indeed be seen as a songwriter in the same class as Lennon/McCartney and Kerry Livgren. The melodies are often Beatles-esque and very strong throughout, all the songs are very memorable. “?” runs for less than an hour, which is great after the overlong “Testimony”, and the quite long “One”. This album is much more consistent than “Testimony” and the tracks flow perfectly into each other to create a strong unity. I found it very hard to listen to “Testimony” both because its length and its overly religious theme, but here it doesn't bother me at all.

Steve Hackett, one of my absolute favourite guitarists of all time, guests on this album to great effect. On ‘12’ Hackett's guitars are mesmerizing! “?” is a solid album and clearly one of Neal Morse's very best works, highly recommended!

855

Ghost Reveries
Opeth

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

Opeth's third best album!

“Ghost Reveries” is getting 5 star reviews and gushing praise from the respected prog community so I had to check it out. With a renewed interest in the band, after some horrible albums, I was pleased to revisit Opeth with such a progressive album. So here are my reactions to the tracks. 'Ghost of Perdition' has very dark lyrics and brutal death vocals. The cleaner vocals are well sung as always, especially "Dedicated hunter, Waits to pull us under, Rose up to its call, In his arms she'd fall, Mother light received, And a faithfull servant's free". Very strong riffs that are rhythmically akin to Tool. Very heavy guitars and growls balanced with gentler vocals and acoustics; a genuine Beauty and the Beast, and I love the innovative structure and killer riffing.

'The Baying of the Hounds' features the gravelly vocals that sound like Morbid Angel; I actually remembered parts of ‘Sacrificial Rites’ which I haven't heard for about 10 years. The cleaner sections are awesome, but the rriff is a bit boring at first, same as other Opeth songs. Great lead break with twin guitar solos from Mikael and Fredrik, Per's chiming keyboards are a great embellishment, and Steven Wilson style vocals set off the atmosphere admirably; "Drown in the deep mire, With past desires, Beneath the mire, Drown desire now with you." Powerful song.

'Beneath the Mire' continues the theme of previous lyrics, that are basically about the ghosts that rise after death or some such twaddle. I was never into Opeth's themes but the music more than makes up for any atheistic tendencies. Once again this begins with brutal vocals and then we have the cleaner style eventually. This seems to be a trademark of Opeth, moving from one style to another suddenly. The piano is very nice on this with gentle guitar, and the actual structure is again inventive and progressive. I was expecting more brutal vocals but most of this is actually the opposite. More death metal vocals do return though, and the guitar playing is incredibly complex. One of the best tracks on the album.

'Atonement' has East Indian melodies and guitars that are striking. The vocals are processed through a voice vocoder that makes them sound psychedelic and phased similar to Sabbath's ‘Planet Caravan’ or Beatles ‘Blue Jay Way’. I love this song and rank it among the finest the band have produced to this point. This is more like the latest “Heritage”'s feel than anything else on the album.

'Reverie / Harlequin Forest' is another track I heard first on the live Albert Hall DVD. It is a great track with very solid vocals from Mikael; "A trail of sickness, leading to me, If I am haunted then you will see." The melody is excellent with inspired manic drumming from Axenrot and complex time changes. The acoustic section is terrific, and the section at 5 minutes including wonderful melodic vocals and a divine twin guitar solo.

'Hours of Wealth' has an ambient intro with Per shining bright. Gentle vocals are so peaceful here, with a sweet melody and soulful reflective lyrics; "Looking through my window, I seem to recognize, All the people passing by, But I am alone, And far from home, And nobody knows me."

'The Grand Conjuration' has an unforgettable haunting melody and certainly dark brutal chorus. Great shredding lead break and crunching rhythm metrical patterns are heard. I saw this on the metal TV show with a bleak clip with a man tortured by a maniac and a girl disappearing down the toilet bowl. The album version is better, twice as long, more complex, and with extra lyrics.

'Isolation Years' is a paean to lost love as the protagonist discovers a suicide note; "There's a sense of longing in me, As I read Rosemary's letter, Her writing's honest, Can't forget the years she's lost." The quiet atmosphere is bleak but still reeks of beauty thanks to the pretty acoustics and sentimental melody.

There is something haunting about this album; it balances the brutality with beauty as all good Opeth albums do. This album is up there with “Still Life” and “Damnation” for my tastes. Now that I have heard all of their progressive albums I rank it as Opeth's third best (1. “Heritage”, 2. “Damnation”, 3. “Ghost Reveries”).

A review by Conor Fynes:

At the first spin of this album, I was quite taken aback by it's unique blend of heaviness and progression. However, I wasn't quite in love with it just yet, in fact, it took me almost a year and a half to completely let the album sink in, long after Opeth had become one of my favourite bands, and I was an owner of a considerable portion of their repetoire. Then one day, I decided to take it back out and give it another few listens. To say I was 'blown away' is only the beginning. From then on, “Ghost Reveries” has since become one of my favourite albums of all time, and arguably my most enjoyed Opeth release yet.

This album has everything that could be asked for in a Progressive Death Metal release. There is a sufficient level of weirdness to maintain interest for many, many listens, and there are parts that can only be described as earth-shatteringly heavy. However, despite these heavy leanings, Akerfeldt still manages to sneak in some more mellow, melodic ballads (such as the vocally powerful 'Hours Of Wealth' and the ever beautiful 'Isolation Years') into the album's tapestry.

“Ghost Reveries” has very few, if any 'boring' moments, the result of which is an album that is in no way a chore to listen to from start to finish. Songs like the grandiose 'Ghost of Perdition' and the depressingly romantic 'Isolation Years' stood out for me as being truly brilliant. A great album to start your Opeth fanhood with, and one of the few modern classics of metal.

856

The Art Of Navigating By The Stars
Sieges Even

A review by Mellotron Storm:

I would never have guessed this was a German band if I didn't know already. Also, I think it's a bit of a stretch to call this a Prog Metal album. I was more reminded of Echolyn than any other band with their harmonies, short instrumental outbursts and complex arrangements. Also, this is far more song oriented then the technical records of Sieges Even’s past.

The first song is a short intro with baby noises before we get into ‘The Weight’, the longest song on the record. The drumming is Tool-like in the intro before we get quick bursts of drums after the calm vocals.There are some good harmonies and a guitar solo 4 minutes in, but the sound after 8 minutes sounds beautiful. ‘The Lonely Views Of Condors’ opens with vocals and a guitar melody, while the bass and drums come and go. ‘Unbreakable’ is one of my favourites on the record. Drums slowly pound as the guitar plays a lazy melody, then vocals come in. 4 minutes in the pace picks up, and there’s a nice bass line as heavy guitar comes in and outbreaks of fast drums. The sound 6 and a half minutes in is full and heavy, it's great !

‘Stigamata’ has a Rush feel to it and gets better as it goes. The sound 8 minutes in is dark with Tool-like drumming. ‘Blue Wide Open’ is a mellow song with vocal harmonies to open. They are replaced by gentle guitar as vocals come back, and some good intricate guitar melodies. ‘To The Ones Who Have Failed’ is a good song, fairly heavy with meaningful lyrics, and the chorus is lighter with vocal harmonies. Nice guitar solo 5 minutes in with some killer drumming and bass to follow. ‘Lighthouse’ is a mellow tune, while the final tune ‘Styx’ opens with some beautiful guitar. The song gets heavy on and off, with some good harmonies.

Although this wasn't what I expected at all, it turned out to be an enjoyable, melodic album. I really appreciate how well these guys play and they pulled off something special here.

857

The Fullness of Time
Redemption

A review by UMUR:

“The Fullness of Time” is the second full-length studio album by US progressive metal act Redemption. Redemption started out as the brainchild of main composer/ guitarist/ keyboardist Nick van Dyk and the debut album “Redemption” (2002) sounded like a project more than a real band effort. There were lots of prominent guest appearences on that album like Ray Alder from Fates Warning on vocals (he only sang lead vocals on one song) and Jason Rullo from Symphony X on drums. I didn´t really enjoy the album much though and seldom listen to it. So I approached “The Fullness of Time” with some caution. As it turns out my fears were unfounded. “The Fullness of Time” sounds much more like a band effort compared to its predecessors project like sound. Ray Alderis, now a full-time member of the band, and lead guitarist Bernie Versailles (Agent Steel, Engine, Fates Warning) has also opted to become a full-time member. New members of Redemption are drummer Chris Quirarte (Prymary, Roswell Six) and bassist James Sherwood (Prymary).

The music on the album is progressive metal. It´s rather traditional with heavy guitar riffs, keyboards, a tight and technically skilled rhythm section and a strong and skillful vocalist (who of course is able to reach the high notes with ease). There are influences from bands such as Dream Theater, Fates Warning (well it´s hard not to sound like them when you share lead singer) and Symphony X (only when the piano kicks in, but when it does there´s an audible similarity). So far so good. Nothing out of the ordinary there. What is out of the ordinary on “The Fullness of Time” is that the compositions are of extremely high quality for the genre and the musicians are some of the best in that genre too. The development that´s taken place since Redemption is simply breathtaking. Many progressive metal acts tend to overuse keyboards, but the use of keyboards on “The Fullness of Time” is very tasteful and helps create the beautiful and at times desperate atmosphere on the album. The guitar riffs are intelligent and powerful. This is not pop AOR metal and thank you for that.

The choice of Ray Alder as the lead vocalist in Redemption could have been a dangerous one (comparisons with Fates Warning will forever cling to Redemption), but his performance here is so strong that any critique of the choice of him as the lead vocalist will be hard to justify. I think it´s an excellent choice. The new rhythm section is also a great new asset to the band. Drummer Chris Quirarte shines throughout the album. I mean, he is on fire and a comparison with Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, Transatlantic, OSI...etc.) is not far from the truth.

There are 8 songs on the album. The first four are seperate tracks but the last four (‘The Fullness of Time Suite’) seque into each other and form a concept. All songs are of high musical, lyrical and compositional standard. ‘Parker´s Eyes’ with its TV-reporter samples from the September 11th terrorist attack almost gives me goose bumps.

The production by prolific Danish producer Tommy Hansen (who used to be a musician himself and play with The Old Man & The Sea) is excellent; professional and clean and a very suitable sound for the music on this album.

If I have to be honest I´ve been blown back by the power and emotion behind “The Fullness of Time”. It´s very seldom these days that I´m impressed by progressive metal albums but this one is without a doubt one of the best albums in the genre that´s been released in the last 10 years. I´m almost handing out 5 stars here but a 4.5 rating will do for now. If the album stands the test of time I´ll upgrade my rating to 5 stars some time in the future. “The Fullness of Time” is mandatory listening for fans of progressive metal and I can only give my most warm recommendations.

858

Aerial

Kate Bush

A review by AtomicCrimsonRush:

“Aerial” is a tremendous album from Kate Bush who joined in a collaborative effort with the likes of Rolf Harris who is terrific on didgeridoo. Harris knows how to get just the right sound of the outback as he is an expert at capturing atmospherics such as on his famous Aboriginal paean ‘Sunarise’. This album in fact is Bush’s most atmospheric, encapsulating a very strong environment. Bush delves into some dark territory on this with haunting songs about loss, separation and returning to the painful past.

The package is stunning with beautiful haunting artwork, and over 2 CDs worth of studio material that tells a compelling story. Some unforgettable moments are captured as Kate sings about the washing line and the clothes waving as if they are alive, reminiscing on her long lost husband; how she hung his clothes out that seem to have manifested his spirit. Bush really captivates vocally on this stunning concept album; it is one of her finest works.

The bird song that is heard in places lends an unmitigated chilling vibe, along with other effects used to create an ambient tangible atmosphere. Kate's vocal performance, powering out poignant lyrics, are among the best thing she has done in a long and somewhat jaded career.

CD 2 is the 45 minute epic ‘An Endless Sky of Honey’ beginning with gorgeous piano, a child speaking and bird whistles. The epic blends a number of songs into one multimovement suite. The crystalline quality of Bush is mesmirising, as she moves to low husky tones and the trademark soprano high register. One can just get lost in this lovely piece, as it transfixes with exceptional emotional musicianship and a melancholy mood.

There are no other highlights to mention, as it’s all great quality and works as a long enchanting masterwork. I could almost give this 5 stars but it is not quite to that level. Nevertheless "Aerial" is an incredible piece of music and songs that are among Kate's best since her powerhouse opus’s "The Dreaming" and "Hounds Of Love".

A review by UMUR:

“Aerial” is the eighth full-length studio album by UK experimental pop/ rock artist Kate Bush. The album is a double CD album with an 80:02 minute long playing time. Kate Bush’s last album “The Red Shoes” was released in 1993, so “Aerial” has been 12 years in the making. Kate Bush became a mother during those years though and has dedicated much of her time on the task (enjoyment) of motherhood. I got the album when it was released in 2005 but it´s taken me a couple of years to fully appreciate. I was disappointed at first. Not that I expected much after the disaster that was “The Red Shoes”. I´ve come around though and after repeated listens in the last couple of years I´ve found the essence in the album and I greatly enjoy it now.

Kate Bush has matured quite a bit since the release of “The Red Shoes”, and while her music and her singing is easily recognisable as her style, it´s especially the lyrics that are different. The sensual themes are toned down and instead the songs are about everyday life. There´s a song about laundry (Mrs. Bartolozzi) and a song about her love for her son (Bertie). I find her new found lyrical approach quite charming, allthough it does lack the edge of former times.

With an 80 minute long playing time there´s always the possibility of fillers but I don´t think that´s the case with “Aerial”. Every song is well crafted and performed and it´s like I enjoy the songs more and more with each listen. The second CD with the title ‘An Endless Sky of Honey’ is a kind of concept piece. I like the way the songs on that CD compliment each other. The music on the album is rather typical for Kate Bush. There are the mellow piano and song oriented pieces, and the more keyboard dominated pop songs as usual. In most songs there are slightly experimental sections that lift her music above standard commercial pop/ rock tunes.

The musicianship is excellent. Kate Bush is an outstanding vocalist capable of putting all sorts of emotions into her singing. She has not lost anything in her twelve years absence in terms of range and emotional impact on me. The production is warm and pleasant and suits the music well.

“Aerial” is a great comeback, sitting with the beautiful booklet artwork as a companion and I find this album to be a real treat. Maybe not as accomplished as her best albums (the first five) but definitely worth a 3.5 - 4 star rating.

A review by Warthur:

Though Kate Bush had created an absolute classic in the form of “Hounds of Love”, her two subsequent releases (“The Sensual World” and “The Red Shoes”) both lacked something; the latter, in particular, seemed to have been badly compromised by an attempt to push the music in a more commercial direction, and twelve years of silence followed as Kate withdrew to recover her creative energies and be a full-time mother for a while. “Aerial” is a triumphant return to form which comes across almost as “Hounds of Love” part 2; like “Hounds of Love”, half the album consists of individual songs whilst the other half is a conceptual suite which includes a similarly wide range of influences (with a bit more Mediterranean music this time around) and a similar tendency to drop in voice samples for theatrical effect.

On the whole, I wouldn't say it's as good as “Hounds of Love”, and there are a few points where Kate seems to be retreading old ground, but it's still a very good album. Kate has clearly been paying attention to developments in music during her self-imposed hiatus, since it never feels like a nostalgia exercise in recapturing her old sound and instead does a great job of applying two decades of musical evolution to the style of “Hounds of Love”. If, like me, you found Kate's career went a little off the rails after that album, you'll find “Aerial” puts it right back on track.

859

The Way Up
Pat Metheny

A review by Conor Fynes:

Widely considered to be one of the best Jazz guitarists of the past three decades, Pat Metheny has been an influential force in the fusion world for years. Despite having had such a long career, the man and his supporting musicians still maintain a vivid fanbase and continue to make powerful music. While most artists produce their defining artistic acheivement early in their career and begin to fall into a rut of mediocrity as they age, Metheny's Grammy winning record “The Way Up” proves to be his magnum opus. Jaw dropping musicianship, mixed with the group's attention to fine detail make this out to be a masterpiece in every respect, and one of the best Jazz pieces to come out of the new millenium.

Broken into four tracks or 'parts' simply for the sake of CD navigation, “The Way Up” is in fact, an hour long running composition. To that end, the album flows together seamlessly; with little to no breaks in between the music to tarnish the music's cohesion. The sound here is probably best described as 'soft jazz' with a progressive edge. While the two styles sound like they don't go together at all, Metheny and company find a penchant at adding a dose of caffeine to the otherwise background music style to create something exciting. Described by the band as a “way to showcase their improvisation and dynamic”, “The Way Up” is endowed with hefty portions of both.

One of the greatest qualities of the music is its ability to switch effortlessly between a quiet, laid back section and a rapidfire burst of virtuoso proportion. There are certainly parts that are not so impressive (at times even getting a bit mundane) but they work magically as part of the overall work; the less active sections only intensify the energy that comes afterward. In terms of improvisation, it actually works out to be both one of the album's greatest assets, and one of its biggest detractors. Much of the soloing work (particularly Metheny's guitar playing itself) while being highly skilled and pleasant, ends up feeling like it doesn't have any real melody to back it up. While there are themes and musical motifs that recur throughout the piece, this is not a piece that will grab you for its catchiness and melodious sensibilities.

While the album might be sold on the household name of Pat Metheny, the rest of the musicians shine just as brightly as the main man himself, at times even outdoing the leader. Each musician (particularly the pianist) is a master at what they do; each note rings with the sort of feeling that most musicians fail to realize is so important for this sort of music. In any case, “The Way Up” is a gorgeous masterpiece that has made my jaw drop. The sheer amount of detail to the work's art lends plenty of listens and replay value. While the lack of catchy 'melodies' and conventional structure might put some off, it is a phenomenal piece of music and to date the most exciting Jazz Fusion record I have had the pleasure to listen to.

860

The Black Halo
Kamelot

A review by Mellotron Storm:

Listening to this record I couldn't help but think of some of the Ayreon projects. It's like your listening to the soundtrack of an epic movie. As a matter of fact, last week at work I was dealing with a customer out front, and the CD changed in my stereo and this came on. The man in his late forties looked to the back where the beginning of ‘March Of Mephisto’ could be heard and said, "Is that a movie coming on? It sounds like it could be the start of “Lord of the Rings” or something". I told him it was Kamelot, a rock band, and he said, "Oh yeah, there's the guitars", and the whole time he was smiling away. This is a grandious recording with all the elements I love about music; a great vocalist, scorching guitars and very melodic.

‘When The Lights Are Down’ opens with some nice bass and drum work. There is a good keyboard solo and the guitar is great. ‘The Haunting (somewhere in time)’ is another powerful song with Khan's amazing vocals accompanied with the female vocals of Simone from Epica and a terrific guitar melody. ‘Soul Society’ features some crunchy guitar and orchestral passages. I must say the first four songs before the ‘Interlude I’ are all 9 or 10 out of 10, what a way to open a record! ‘Abandoned’ is a beautiful song with piano, female vocals, strings and orchestal sounds.

‘The Pain’ is a heavy, melodic song with lots of guitar. ‘Moonlight’ opens with the sound of a wolf howling as piano and strings come in and later some good guitar riffs. Next is the second interlude. ‘The Black Halo’ is my favourite track, with a drum attack and a galloping rythmn driving this melodic song along. ‘Nothing Ever Dies’ is a fast paced song with some wondrous guitar after 3 minutes. ‘Momento Mori’ is my second favourite, but probably the best song on the album. This is a real trip, with beautiful vocals in the beginning to a heavy, intense passage.The album ends with ‘Serenade’, an uptempo, positive tune. If you are into metal, this one is for you. 4.5 stars.

A review by Gatot:

Great album with powerful composition.

I have been curious about this album since I heard Kamelot's "Karma" and collected their other albums “Fourth Legacy” and “Epica”. While “Karma” was my entry point to Kamelot, it represented my first love with power metal music. What I can say about this new album, in a nutshell, is that it's a brilliant combination of the band's previous three albums. As a band with power metal as the basis, it is no wonder that this album contains a lot of heavy yet beautiful guitar riffs by Thomas Youngblood.

On Composition

This offers a balance of styles: power metal with heavy guitar riffs, rich in arrangements, symphonic, heavily influenced by classical music, and melodic! Regardless of the style they are playing it's always melodic, and this can be heard clearly through the voice of Khan.

Unlike the previous album, “The Black Halo” does not start with a one minute duration overture; it goes straight to a full track opener ‘March of Mephisto’ that features a wonderful keyboard solo by Jens Johansson (of Stratovarious) and growling vocals by Shagrath (of Dimmu Borgir, in the vein of black metal). Even without an overture, the intro part of this song has already sounded like an overture, using keyboard sounds.

There is no bad or even mediocre tracks as all are of excellent quality. All tracks are well positioned to give the best listening pleasure. There are some tracks with progressive arrangements, for example ‘Memento Mori’, that has a melodic and classic piano intro featuring the powerful voice of Khan in low register notes, but with high power; a killer opening. Structurally, it's not a straight forward power metal sound as the music flows wonderfully from the soft opening to a heavy yet nice riff that brings the music into a fast tempo style with nice melody. The music turns a bit complex when drums are played dynamically in the middle of the track followed with great vocals and guitar solo. Shagrath enters his growling vocal wonderfully followed with female vocals. The style then turns completely different when the symphonic keyboard enters the scene and brings forward a beautiful orchestra that accompanies Khan's singing to close the song, "Some day we may come to peace, And reach beyond behind the lies, And I will await you, Until I close my eyes."

There are also some tracks that are composed in the vein of power metal music like ‘When The Lights Are Down’. The structure is straight forward using the same rhythm as the bass and the music moves forward in fast tempo with high energy, driving rhythms but still maintaining the melodic nature as usual with Kamelot. ‘The Black Halo’ is basically also a pure power metal song enriched with great orchestration in the background that has made the song so wonderful. But the structure is basically a power metal tune. What has made it different is the inclusion of orchestra in the middle of the track.

Kamelot has defined its own path in their career as their music is original in terms of ideas. This does not preclude them from the influences of other bands, of course. I can sense an influence of Luca Turili's (of Rhapsody) guitar style on this album, even though it's not that obvious on ‘Nothing Ever Dies’. Their songwriting is truly top notch and it makes it hard for other bands to follow their path. The quality of lyrics is also excellent combined with powerful arrangements. Having enjoyed this album through many spins, I have never experienced a sense of boredom, as all pieces hang together structurally and melodically; no argument about this.

On Musicianship

The original members of the band, Khan, Youngblood, Grillo, and Barry, have demonstrated their musicianship to perform this album with excellence. I have noticed that Thomas Youngblood has refined a lot on his techniques in producing guitar riffs that characterize the Kamelot sound; it's softer than previous albums. Casey Grillo plays his drums dynamically especially on ‘Memento Mori’, where he contributes in enriching the sounds during the interlude. He also plays wonderfully during the entrance of keyboard soloing by Jens Johansson in ‘March of Mephisto’. Khan has demonstrated his low register notes with high power wonderfully. His vocal quality has improved a lot since the “Epica” album. I especially like when he sings "close my eyes" on the first section of ‘Memento Mori’.

On Production

First, the sonic quality of this CD is really good; I can hear all details of sound effects and orchestra instruments clearly. This album is best enjoyed turned up loud on your power amplifier. Second, this album is still produced by two genius gentlemen, Sascha Paeth and Miro, who also contribute as players on the album. I salute these two gentlemen who have been very successful producing great albums like this one. I think Sascha Paeth and Miro are like the Bob Ezrin of power metal band.

Summary

Overall, it's a great album with immaculate composition, powerful songwriting and arrangement. For those who favor Dream Theater, Threshold, Symphony X, Evergrey, Rhapsody, Poverty's No Crime, Andromeda, Ice Age, or Pain of Salvation, they would definitely love this album. Those who are familiar with Stratovarius, Sonata Arctica, or Adagio would also find this album enjoyable. 

“Rules without exceptions last eternally. Every move you make creates your destiny”: - ‘When The Lights Are Down’.

861

Room V
Shadow Gallery

A review by Mellotron Storm:

"We will rock with the thunder of a thousand mighty horses", is a line from the song ‘Room V’, and is an apt description of a lot of what you hear on this album.

This is the same story line as was in "Tyranny" and so with "Room V" the story continues, beginning with ‘Manhunt’, that opens with violin, guitar and keys all played at a million miles an hour. Things get mellow though with light guitar and piano before this short instrumental is over. ‘Comfort Me’ sounds absolutely incredible! A duet with piano that features some great guitar before it ends.

‘The Andromeda Strain’ opens with an absolutely ripping guitar solo that comes back throughout the song. The guitar and keyboard interplay is fantastic. The vocal harmonies are wondrous as well, as well as the amazing guitar melody with the drums pounding away. ‘Vow’ features acoustic guitar and vocals that are quite moving with more awesome guitar. ‘Birth Of A Daughter’ is an instrumental with some heavy riffs. ‘Death Of A Mother’ is another instrumental that features some high speed guitar and piano. I was amazed at how fast he played the piano.

‘Lamentia’ is like a reprise of ‘Comfort Me’, so short and also so sad. ‘Seven Years’ is another instrumental with violin and flute and a guitar solo that is inspiring from none other than Arjen Lucassen; a great song! ‘Dark’ is a minute long song of samplings. ‘Torn’ has a beautiful guitar intro, with piano melodies, and I love the guitar and vocals working together; a powerful song.

‘The Archer Of Ben Salem’ features lots of tempo changes and powerful vocals. There is hammond organ as well as some wicked guitar and pounding drums. ‘Encrypted’ opens with gentle vocals and toned down guitars.This may be slower paced but is it ever powerful, with more amazing guitar towards the end of the song. ‘Room V’ is a heavy duty rocker that ends calmly with the sound of rain and piano. The final song ‘Rain’ opens with heavy riffs and a long scorching guitar solo followed by a fantastic guitar melody, then vocals. There is mind numbing guitar throughout this song. Shadow Gallery have come so far, from a good debut to this masterpiece!