SLAVNOST PRO JEDNOHO (CELEBRATION FOR ONE)

A band from Ostrava, trying to keep the long tradition of Czechoslocakian Prog alive.Formed in 2005 by singer David Tobiasz, basist Martin Simicek, keyboardist Robert Hejduk, guitarist Jan Gajdica and drummer Viktor Doricak, they started primarly as a Yes cover band, but they decided soon to write their own material.The result of their efforts becomes reality in 2007, when they released their first, self-produced CD ''Slavnost Pro Jednoho''.

In this first album the band displays a nice collection of vintage influences, mainly performed under a heavy atmosphere, but the one thing that trully becomes clear is that Jeseter show big respect for the old scene of their country, singing in Czech and adding a personal aspect in their music.The bulk of the presented compositions are long and interesting, there are strong influences by SBB, OTA PETRINA and PROGRES 2 in an album, which comes as a mix of Heavy Rock with discreet psychedelic and more apparent symphonic and Fusion orientations.Their retro character comes in evidence not only through singing in Czech but also through using analog keyboards, as the album contains a good bunch of 70's armor like Mellotron, Hammond organ and electric piano alongside the flashy synthesizers.The powerful guitar is the basic reason of a more modern approach.Soundwise the pieces are quite great with numerous shifting climates and a good balance between rhythmic and atmospheric parts, featuring a great vocalist and rich executions.Guitar/organ-driven grooves and melancholic, symphonic interludes end up in technical, jazzy interplays or guitar solos and acoustic moments.Music is tight and well-composed with spacey performances, pounding Heavy Rock attacks and elaborate, Classical-drenched instrumentals.And the presence of the flashy keyboards and the more straight guitar plays even burst a light, symphonic-flavored Neo character for a band, which never forgets to rock with a couple of nice rockers setting up a more cheerful mood.

They started as a Yes-influenced band, but Jeseter present a more original sound in their debut, mostly influenced by the old scene of Czechoslovakia with the appropriate influences from Heavy, Symphonic and Psychedelic/Space Rock.Pretty good and recommended album.