RADIO SILENCE

Interesting and at times compelling album written and performed by Dale Simmons with help from guest drummers Josh Freese, Keith Carlock and Gavin Harrison and keyboard player Richard Barbieri adding another dimension. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the collective result often sounds somewhat similar to 'Fear of a Blank Planet' era Porcupine Tree. Simmons is good singer, and the lyrics are suitably powerful at times, poetic at others. Somewhat morosely, they chart sequentially the decline of a man into isolation and apparent madness. Simmons laces several tracks with some tasty guitar work and the hired band provide some robust backing. Of particular note is Simmons' control of dynamics: he knows well the art of leading the listener towards a ripping solo break. The weak point tends to be the lack of any notable musical surprises. I felt quite certain where the album was headed and sure enough, there were no left- turns to take us away from the guitar driven prog. This is not necessarily a weakness - the album has strong consistency throughout and the shifting of drummers is curiously not particularly notable. Yet those who want their prog with a dash of the unexpected might find it a little straight ahead rock.