DAEDALUS

1. "Journey Through the Spiral Mind Part 1" (14:10) reminiscent of past DAAL works, this one seems unfinished and unenthusiastic. I don't feel any connection to any "spiral mind." I like, however, the band's choice to return to less- treated, more analog-sounding sound engineering choices. Bravo! Halfway through, we get an almost full shift in sound, textures, style and mood with lots of cacophonous guitar, industrial synths, and untethered drumming before things settle down into a rather meditative synth & organ passage at the end of the tenth minute. This then yields into a piano-supported section in which guitar, bass, and Mellotron take over as the lead instruments (with drums right there with them). Very nice melody-supporting chord progression here. (26/30)

2. "Icarus Dreams" (7:30) Active human drumming beneath more conservative, slowed down "21st Century Schizoid Man" chords and soundscape. If the sophistication of the drumming were only matched by the other instruments. (12.75/15)

3. "Painting Wings" (9:22) slow, simple MIDI keyboard arpeggi and chords leave one thinking this is a contemplative play by an artist alone with his keyboard. Near the end of the second minute saw and two-note guitar arpeggi join in with bass to give this a little more chordal structure and progression. Bridge at 3:!3 into heavy organ-centric VDGG-like passage is not weak, clich'ed--as is the organ play. Some Crimsonian chord progressions and sound palette follow. At the six-minute mark the full soundscape retracts to the second motif with saw and guitar, bass, and keyboard arpeggi woven together into a simple fabric. Song deconstructs nearly symmetrically to the opening. (16.25/20)

4. "Labyrinth 66 Part 1 & 2" (13:07) sinister and old (1970s) sounding, like GOBLIN, the music slowly develops into a zombi-paced nighttime scavenger hunt with boots-marching, metallic clanging, harpsichord-imitation, and saw- synths, establishing quite a somber cinematic walk through the cemetery. Part 2 sees a shift into jazz-rock mode with heavy use of Mellotron and arpeggi coming from every which way. I very much like the old "analog" sound of this piece as a whole. Calming "flute" and searing electric guitar take off at the same moment, providing quite an interesting contrast--with a third droning electric guitar later added to complicate the mix. Interesting! Very cinematic. Well done! (22.5/25)

5. "In My Time of Shadow" (6:30) Too conservative and controlled; everybody feels confined and expressionless. Nice guitar work in both the "strings" passage and the wah-guitar section. I also like the fretless bass play. Melodies make such a difference for me--to a song's likability--and this one I like. (Cool video!) (8.75/10)

6. "Journey Through the Spiral Mind Part 2" (7:51) solo electric guitar strums through the chord progression established in the second half of the album's opening song, "Journey Through the Spiral Mind Part 1." When the full compliment of rock instruments join in it sounds quite a little like the final song of the film score to 1981 James Caan film, Thief, "Confrontation" (a song credited to Craig Safan due to Tangerine Dream's completion of their own commitments to the soundtrack.) At 2:40 we get a full transition into a Emerson, Lake and Palmer-like passage. Then we hear more GOBLIN-like references from a piano riff before the music settles into a more typical, plodding DAAL section until 6:30 when a pretty solo Mellotron passage takes over to the song (and album's) aqueous end. (12.5/15)

Total Time 58:30

I like the "live" in the studio sound and feel of the drums. I don't like the conservative, Math Rock-like structures of the rest of the music: it's as if the musicians are trapped into the forms of the song's chord structures with little of no freedom to express individuality (except for the drummer).

B/four stars; a very nice addition to any prog lover's music collection.

Share this DAAL review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to BrufordFreak
• Report this review (#2846550)
• Buy DAAL music online with PA partners
• Show all DAAL MP3/Stream
• Go to DAAL page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Daedalus page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for DAAL related discussions