NATURAL CAUSES

Israel may not have the most abundant progressive rock scene in the world, but the latest outing from Solstice Coil proves that the country is far from empty. Natural Causes is a unique album that blends styles old and new into an original modern prog rock concoction. You'll hear melancholic progressive rock, pop, jazz, alternative rock, post rock, and metal before this CD is over, yet Solstice Coil manages to combine all of their influences in a way that doesn't feel forced or inconsistent. Natural Causes isn't an absolutely flawless masterpiece, but it's an extremely promising sophomore effort and I'll be curious to hear where Solstice Coil heads in the future. This is an outstanding effort that fans of progressive rock with modern connotations should investigate.

I'd say that the music here lies somewhere between Porcupine Tree, Pain of Salvation, Radiohead, Marillion, and Spock's Beard. Although an eclectic list of bands for sure, the heavy-edged, energetic, and often melancholic modern progressive rock that Solstice Coil creates here brings each of these acts to mind a few times. The songwriting is generally very strong, and "Singalong Deathtrap" is my personal favorite track here - the busy rhythm section combined with the beautiful vocal melodies make this one of the finest songs I've heard all year. In terms of production and musicianship, Solstice Coil are also absolutely top-notch. This is a tight-playing and professional act, and the sleek production helps accentuate every note that is played. My only real complaint with the entire album is that it's a bit too long for its own good. Even though all of the songs are good, a solid fifteen minutes or so could have easily been shaved off of the 70 minute playing time for a more well- rounded experience. It's a minor issue, though, and I'm sure it won't detract from anybody's enjoyment of Natural Causes.

Solstice Coil is a new band to me, but they have definitely shown their worth with this fantastic observation. An album that manages to find the perfect balance between eclecticism, memorability, and complexity immediately gains my attention, and the overall strength of the music easily makes Natural Causes one of the year's most recommendable progressive rock releases. People who enjoy progressive rock with a modern and slightly melancholic touch should find plenty to love here - I know that I did. 4 stars are very well-deserved for this impressive effort. I have no doubt that this Israeli band has a very bright future ahead of them.