DAYS

This was a side-project of Wojciech Szadkowski, leader of the great Prog band Satellite and also among the members of the legendary Collage.For the creation of Peter Pan he collaborated with guitarist Radoslaw Chwieralski, keyboardist Konrad Biliński and bassist Jarosław Michalski, musicians mostly with a Metal background.Their only album ''Days'' came out in 2007 on the Polish label Mystic Production.

This neither Satellite nor Collage, this is more of a Hard Prog/Prog Metal meet Heavy Rock affair, containing some straight rockin' material, lacking the artistic generosity of the aforementioned bands, still offering branches of Prog Rock throughout, but bear in mind that the material in here is much heavier/ more powerful than any of Szadkowski's main groups.You'll get some Hard Rock tunes, DREAM THEATER-like keyboard twists and lots of mascular guitar riffs, passionate singing and frenetic synths with ''Days'', but quite often you'll also feel like listening to a harder version of MARILLION, the emotional parts and atmospheric keyboard- and guitar textures and solos seem like based on the Neo Prog archetype.The pair of laid-back pieces could have easily ended up in a SATELLITE album with the expressive voices and smooth instrumental plays, but most of the tracks are amazingly dynamic compared to what Szadkowski had offered thus far.Despite the less progressive vein of the album, ''Days'' is full of striking melodies and impressive grooves/instrumental solos, offering some space for virtuosic executions with the most proggy vibes adding a nice complementary status to an otherwise very energetic and angular music, often overpowered by irritating vocals.

This work opened the doors for Michalski to join Satellite, as he later appeared in the 2009 ''Into the night'' album.As for Peter Pan, the project was actually a one-shot documentary in a harder version of Polish Prog with elaborate parts snipping in the more fiery themes.Cool stuff, recommended.