OBLIVION DAYS

1997 sees the Rocket Scientists of Norlander/McCrite/Schiff along with drummer Amato touring throughout the States and visiting Europe, leading in 1998 to the first live album of the band ''Earth below and sky above''.However heading to the next album only Norlander and McCrite appeared to be among the official members of the band, although both Schiff and Amato were involved in the recordings.Bassist Tony Franklin (Derek Sherinian, Tadashi Goto, Docker's Guild, Arjen Anthony Lucassen on guitars, Lana Lane on vocals and Greg Ellis on drums, all helped during the sessions and ''Oblivion days'' became reality in 1999, released on the Dutch label Transmission.

The band worked on its style and developed their modern sound even more, ''Oblivion days'' is a tad heavier compared to ''Brutal architecture'', which is pretty reasonable, when seeing all these guests associated with the heavier stylings of Prog Rock and Metal music.But their arrangements kept going through symphonic paths with KANSAS being one of the dominant influences and what was quite exciting was the fact that all of these flashy synthesizers, angular guitar moves, rockin' edges and pounding grooves were combined with the mighty sounds of the Mellotron and the organ in several tracks.Of course Rocket Scientists remained basically a Prog Rock band and certain pieces move even deeper to the classic offerings of the old groups (like the very GENTLE GIANT-esque instrumental ''Archimedes'') and they even explored the sound of Jazz Fusion at times with neurotic keyboards and more technical playing.At this point they remind me a lot of NEAL MORSE's personal efforts minus the poppier tracks, a heavy, symphonic sound with endless instrumental space for time signatures, soaring synths and punchy guitar solos, bombastic orchestrations and a fairly symphonic orientation.Plus Norlander was always keen for some cinematic arrangements and powerful electronic explorations and he shows it in almost every single track in here.

The timeline was moving forward for the sake of Rocket Scientists.They leave the 90's with a very strong effort, a mixture of Heavy Prog and old-school Symphonic Rock, performed with tension, passion and dynamics.Nice and strongly recommended stuff...3.5 stars.