TIME VOYAGER

Italy's BAROCK PROJECT has been going strong for over two decades now and continues to craft catchy yet complex progressive rock albums that meld all the best elements of the golden years of symphonic prog along with nods to bands of the arena rock era which together allow the band to expand their sound into the brave new world of the 21st century. Formed in Bologna, Italy in 2003 and led by the indefatigable keyboardist / guitarist Luca Zabbini, BAROCK PROJECT has released seven well regarded albums and now in 2024 is back with its eighth and latest effort TIME VOYAGER which explores the idea of a journey through the folds of time where time itself isn't a linear concept but rather one that unfolds a labyrinth of endless possibilities. This theme is overarching on BAROCK PROJECTS latest exploration of progressive rock with a collection of 12 new tracks that will take up 71 minutes of your attention span.

The band continues to feature a stable lineup and with the addition of Alex Mari as lead vocalist for the third album in a row and it seems the band has broken new ground on its newest release TIME VOYAGER. Steeply based on the melodic side of prog, the band isn't afraid to unleash some excellent off-kilter time signature workouts and equally engages in heavy rock dominated tracks as well as tender ballads. The album features one of the band's most diverse efforts yet and proves to find the band evolving its sound into the very expansiveness the concept of the album refers to. Graced by a stellar modern production sheen, the music on TIME VOYAGER evokes the classics of the past without compromising the band's original approach of mixing the Keith Emerson inspired keyboard heft along with touches of folk, jazz, hard rock and of course the now well established Baroque classical touches that has been the band's signature stylistic approach since the debut "Misterioevoci."

BAROCK PROJECT introduces TIME VOYAGER with the opening "Carry On" which opens with a dramatic orchestral sounding intro before breaking into the jittery keyboard heft that reminds me of classic 70s Kansas or Yes. The album immediately hooks you in with strong melodic ear candy that features beautiful vocal harmonies and staccato guitar heft. In some ways the band sounds like a much more progressive version of 70s bands like Styx, Toto and Mari's vocals reminds me at times of Dennis DeYoung, at others the vocalist in Toto and at his most energetic and daring moments the singer Fran Cosmo of the short-lived band Orion The Hunter as well as the 90s version of Boston. Often even Dream Theater comes to mind. The track perfectly displays BAROCK PROJECT's penchant for delivering a diverse roller coast of heavy choppy prog splendor with tender moments that evoke a whiff of Neil Morse and Spock's Beard however just when you the band reminds of you of some past glory the songs quickly move beyond their influences.

The album is chock full of delectable melodic touches and although not sounding like a typical neo-prog band retains those lush symphonic atmospheric backdrops that keep it connected to that side of the prog fence. TIME VOYAGER embarks on a much more expansive musical approach. While the first three tracks evoke the classic Kansas sounds as heard on "Point Of No Return" or "Leftoverature" at its proggiest moments, the band isn't afraid to weave in traditional folks sounds as heard on "The Lost Ship Tavern" or more orchestral sci-fi journey of "Voyager" or the piano ballad turned heavy rock with Brian May guitar tones on "Morning Train." Likewise the spirited "Propaganda" takes on a Steely Dan vibe with a jazz rock groove and a nice mix of pop immediacy with progressive outbursts of energy. Personally i find the first half of the album to be extremely compelling but then it seems to lapse starting with "Shibuya 3 A.M." when the energy level dips a bit. More ballads, less prog excess however the grand finale "Voyager's Homecoming" picks up speed again and delivers a nice energetic exit strategy.

BAROCK PROJECT has delivered another delectable album's worth of material with TIME VOYAGER and shows no sign of slowing down two decades into its career. The album could've been trimmed down a bit as i find the last four songs on the album to be least compelling as the momentum dies down and ideas begin to sound recycled however even the lesser tracks are not in the least bit unpleasant. It just seems the quality is unbalanced on the first half of the album versus the second part. Overall this is a decent modern slice of melodic prog that evokes the spirit of many past greats all the while navigating the band into the next level of its ever unfolding stylistic approach. The band continues its quirky mix of key-heavy heft mixed with all the myriad accompaniments and scores in crafting another compelling album that is polished to a sheen. While the album has a few lagger tracks for my liking, there's no doubt that the majority of the album is top notch melodic prog that electrifies the senses.