Neo-Prog Review: Fish - Weltschmerz

Date: September 25, 2020

Label: Chocolate Frog Records (Self Released)

Website

The new, and final studio album from Fish (David Dick), is the superb Weltschmerz, which is album No 11 from the ex-lead singer of Marillion (1981-1988). The debut release of Vigil In A Wilderness of Mirrors was issued 30 years ago (1990) and we have now reached the end of the line.

The album is available as a 2CD, 2CD and Blu-Ray deluxe edition, a digital version and a 2-album vinyl version.

The band on Weltschmerz is Fish (Vocals), Steve Vantis (bass/keyboards and guitar), Robin Boult (guitar), John Mitchell (guitar), Craig Blundell (drums), Dave Stewart (drums), David Jackson (saxophones), Liam Holmes (keyboards), Foss Paterson (keyboards), Doris Brendel (vocals), Mikey Owers (brass) and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (strings). Many of these musicians have been long term members of the Fish band and hence the band members are comfortable with what is required of them.

I have at this point to state that I preferred the Fish led Marillion rather than the post-Fish band, but I was never “blown away” by his solo material. There were some great tracks, but I tended to feel that the consistency of the music could be variable. That state of affairs however changed with the release of Feast Of Consequences, album No 10, which was a superb piece of work, especially the 5 part "High Woods Suite." I have looked forward to this final studio release from Fish for several months before the release.

The title, Weltschmerz, translates as world pain or world-weariness and may well sum up the feelings of the artist at the time, but the contents of this superb double album certainly are a long way from that downbeat title.
 
The Fish voice has been described as both distinct and also as a fusing of Roger Daltrey (The Who) and Peter Gabriel (Genesis), but it is his lyrics, classed as “poetic prose” that add an additional facet to the mans’ music. Fish can and does, interject spoken word lyrics into his music which seem to accentuate the storytelling aspect of his work.

Weltschmerz is a 10 track release with a total playing time of 84:30 minutes, track 5 “Rose Of Damascus” being the longest track at 15:45 minutes and track 4, “This Party’s Over” being the shortest at under 5 minutes (4:22).

The opening track, “Grace of God” (8:19), is exactly what I want to hear when listening to a new album, and that is something that immediately grabs the interest of the listener. There is a sparseness about the music behind the voice of Fish as he ventures into his storytelling, which is somehow very compelling. The lyrics paint such detailed scenarios that the listener becomes immersed in that storytelling.

The longest track, “Rose Of Damascus" (15:45) brings together the aspects that make the area in question such a volatile area to exist in, as seen through a young woman (Rose) who is trying to flee the war-torn area. In under 16 minutes, the listener is taken on a long journey through different sections with those superb lyrics tying everything together and trying to make sense of the problems that exist. The music twists and turns and holds the listener almost spellbound as the storyline unfolds.

Starting the second album is track 6, "Garden of Remembrance" (6:07) and is, for me, the most powerful, emotive track on Weltschmerz. Based on the changes in a relationship due to Alzheimer's, the lyrics are simple but literally oozing emotion as Fish relates the interaction, or rather, the lack of interaction between husband and wife. Musically there is a beautiful melody on piano behind his voice which underpins those lyrics, and latterly, a superb orchestral theme.

As a final studio album, Weltschmerz is an excellent way to bow out of further studio recording. Early in the review, I suggested that with the title translating as world-weariness, that could sum up how Fish must have felt with the personal situations that he had to confront during the recording process. Over the 5 years that Weltschmerz took to get to completion, he has touched on these moments throughout the ten superb, if very different, tracks and has produced a stunning swan song.

If you haven’t already purchased the album, I would humbly suggest that you give Weltschmerz a listen from start to finish and then part with some of your money to add the album to your collection.

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson Prog Rock Music Staff 

February 9, 2021

Tracks:

CD 1:   1. Grace Of God (8:19)
            2. Man With A Stick (6:27)
            3. Walking On Eggshells (7:18)
            4. This Party’s Over (4:22)
            5. Rose Of Damascus (15:45)

CD 2:     1. Garden Of Remembrance (6:07)
             2. C Song (The Trondheim Waltz) (4:41)
             3. Little Man What Now? (10:54)
             4. Waverley Steps (End Of The Line) (13:45)
             5. Weltschmerz (6:51)

Crossover Prog Review: Gazpacho-Fireworker

Release Date: September 18, 2020

Label: K Scope

Website

Gazpacho hail from Norway and was formed back in 1996. The release under review is the 11th studio album from the band, Fireworker, and the debut was released in 2003, Bravo. I have liked this band for several years after hearing a track on a sampler CD and have enjoyed their music immensely.

Briefly, they are one of the few bands that seem to be able to generate majestic atmospheric soundscapes, where the quiet (and even silent) moments are as important to the overall effect of the music as the superb skills of the musicians.

The band has been relatively settled, with Jan Henrik Ohme (vocals), Thomas Alexander Anderson (keyboards), and Jon Arne Vilbo (guitars) all original members of the band, who were then joined by Mikael Kromer (violin/mandolin) and Kristian Torp (bass) as guest musicians on the album No 3, Firebird, in 2005 and band members on the next release, album No 4, Night, in 2007. Finally, Lars Erik Asp (drums) appears in the band on the album No 6, Missa Atropos, in 2010 and that band has remained constant in the intervening years.

Fireworker is a 5-track album with a total playing time of just over 50 minutes (50:23), with track 1, “Space Cowboy,” the longest on offer at 19:41 minutes and track 2, “Hourglass,” the shortest at 4:15 minutes.

Gazpacho has a tradition of producing albums that fuse various situations, from deep philosophical questions to the intricacies and complexities of the human mind. Isolation was the key on earlier albums, Night and Missa Atropos, dramatic scenarios on Tick Tock and Soyuz, and theological /scientific questions on Demon and Molok.

Fireworker deals with an entity that inhabits everyone and ensures that it survives from generation to generation and can, at times, control our actions. The entity is known by several names, Fireworker, Lizard, or Space Cowboy. The entity exerts control by rewarding or punishing the individual. So, you will have gathered this is not a light-hearted musical album, but it is a wonderfully atmospheric piece of work.

The opening track, “Space Cowboy” (19:41) is a stunning piece of music by the band. Starting very simply with the superb voice of Jan Henrik Ohme, backed with subdued bass, piano, and violin, setting the scene before the band moves up a notch around the 2-minute mark. The track moves on with changing tempo from time to time. Around the 5-minute mark, a choir appears which is a warning to the individual not to get closer to the entity within. The lyrics are in a pre-language, so no easy to follow lyrics. The track then swings from Jan Henrik led atmospheric vocals and music, back and forth to the choir. Around the 13-minute point, the band moves into a more hard-hitting passage.

I will admit that this opening track did take me several listens, as well as checking the band’s explanation of the track on Facebook, before the sheer magnitude and power of the opening 19+ minutes hit home. Not the easiest track to open the album with, but when you “get it,” it is superb. A track that makes you work hard to understand it.

The next three tracks, “Hourglass” (4:15), “Fireworker” (4:41), and “Antique” (6:24) are shorter and easier to get into while continuing the atmosphere generated by the opening track.

“Hourglass” is more up-tempo with superb piano in the opening portion and a church-style organ passage before the choir re-entering. The stunning, haunting violin played by Mikael, the superb piano passages, and those crystal-clear Jan Henrik vocals make “Hourglass” and excellent 4+ minutes.

The title track, “Fireworker,” is a quite different style of a track which simply rips along, from the violin enhanced early passages, through the vocals and allows the band to flex those musical muscles. Tempo changes drive the track towards its finale which sees the song simply fade away.
“Antique” continues the gentle atmospheric soundscape with the band in superb form, little bass lines, exquisite drumming, superb piano, and guitar, all contributing behind that powerful vocal. The violin has another great passage just after 3 minutes and then moves behind the vocals, bass, drums, and keyboards as the song finishes.

The final track, “Sapien” (15:22) has a keyboard and drum intro before the rest of the band pitch in and the vocals enter just after a minute. The melodic vocal weaves its way along before becoming more forceful around the 2:30 minute point. The haunting melody drifts along, almost as a touchstone as the track progresses. Around the 5:15 minute, the band leaves a keyboard and Jan Henrik’s voice to continue the story, then return under a minute later. A gentle piano and synth passage follows and the vocals re-enter. This passage is an excellent example of how to produce an atmospheric soundscape. The musicians make it seem so simple, but they are experts at this style. The tempo rises slightly before leaving just the drums, bass, and piano to continue to build the atmosphere. At 11:00 minutes, those beautiful vocals reappear and start to carry the track towards the finale. Returning to a previous theme, the band set about completing this superb soundscape. Sparse instrumentation behind the vocals slowly builds and the track starts to fade just before the 15-minute mark.

Fireworker is simply a majestic album that requires several listens and a fair bit of work on the side of the listener, but I would suggest that the listener spends the time and makes the effort. The reward will be the full appreciation of a superb piece of work by a group of dedicated, and very skilled, musicians.

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson – Prog Rock Music Talk Staff
November 12, 2020

Tracks:
1. Space Cowboy (19:41)
2. Hourglass (04:15)
3. Fireworker (04:41)
4. Antique (06:24)
5. Sapien (15:22)

Prog Review: Jon Anderson-1000 Hands Chapter One

Release Date:  July 31, 2020

Label: Blue Elan Records

Website

The name, Jon Anderson, is inextricably linked with the band Yes, as the unique vocalist has appeared on at least 15 of the albums released by the band, but as a solo artist, Jon has released 16 albums. The debut, Olias Of Sunhillow was released in 1976 and the newest release, 1000 Hands Chapter One, is scheduled for release in July 2020.

Jon has a very characteristic voice which he describes as an alto tenor, although some reviewers wrongly class his voice as falsetto. The album being reviewed, 1000 Hands Chapter One, has its origins back in 1990, when much of the material was produced. It was then put on the back burner due to the commitments of Yes. Fast forward to 2016 and the idea of using this previously taped material to produce a finished album resurfaced. The list of musicians involved reads like a “Who’s Who” of major name musicians, including Steve Howe, Larry Coryell, Chick Corea, Rick Wakeman, Ian Anderson, Jean Luc Ponty, Billy Cobham, and Carmine Appice.

1000 Hands Chapter One is an 11 track album with a total running time of just over 50 minutes (50:32), with track 6, “Now Variation,” the shortest at 1:02 minutes and track 4, “Activate,” the longest, with a playing time of 8:51 minutes.

The opening track, “Now” (1:13) is a short acoustic track that highlights the stunning Jon Anderson voice. Acoustic guitar and a vocal, so simple, but so atmospheric, and a wonderful opener to the album, which leads straight into track 2, “Ramalama” (3.49). The tempo has notched up a little, and the opening minute is acapella, with Jon’s voice being multitracked, before the instruments joining in. The track fills out with banjo (?), drums and violin, and has a sing-along feel to it, almost tempting the listener to join in, before gently fading out.

Track 3, “First Born Leaders” (5:22) takes off in another direction, starting with a gospel “call and answer” style vocal, again in acapella style. A steel band enters and changes the feel of the track, with the vocals settling into a gentle meander. Instruments appear and disappear over the main part of the piece, such as guitar and trumpet, as that superb vocal carries everything along. It is that amazing voice that holds the track together, together with the brass sound at times. At the last minute, the song reverts to the opening passage before Jon escorts the track to the sudden ending.

The finale to the album is track 11, “Now and Again” (3:39) and is a revisiting of the opening track but fleshed out a bit more, and forms the perfect ending to the album, having come full circle through a variety of different styles.

1000 Hands Chapter One touches many styles as it moves through the 11 tracks, acapella, steel band, gospel, strings, world music, and I even detected a little nod in the direction of Olias of Sunhillow, Jon’s debut album. On first hearing, I will admit that my thoughts were that this was a very different Jon Anderson album to previous releases, but repeated hearings suggest that this is an album that Jon has set out to produce and has done so excellently. His use of the different styles and the recurring themes reminded me of a similar album released by David Gilmour, Rattle That Lock, back in 2015, which was a very different style of the album from David.

1000 Hands Chapter One is certainly worth a few listens and it will then be up to the individual listeners to make up their minds. In my opinion, it is an excellent album, which seems to have different hooks each time it is played.

Jim Lawson-Prog Rock Music Talk Staff
June 28, 2020

Tracks:
01. Now (1:13)
02. Ramalama (3.49)
03. First Born Leaders (5:22)
04. Activate (8:51)
05. Makes Me Happy (3:50)
06. Now Variation (1:02)
07. I Found Myself (5:05)
08. Twice In A Lifetime (5:06)
09. WDMCF (4:11)
10. 1000 Hands (Come Up) (8:24)
11. Now And Again (3.39)

Progressive Metal Review: Voyager-V

Release Date: June 2, 2014

Label: Nightmare Records

Website

If there is one band from the progressive metal that you need to get yourself acquainted with, it is the Australian band Voyager.   Describing their sound as “Australian pop sensibility with modern progressive heaviness,” Voyager’s music will leave a lasting impression long after the final chord has been played.  Hailing from Perth, Western Australia, Voyager formed in 1999 and consists of Daniel Estrin (vocals, keyboards), Simone Dew (guitars), Alex Canion (bass, backing vocals), Scott Kay (guitars), and Ashley Doodkorte (drums).

V is Voyager’s fifth album and to call it a masterpiece is not a stretch of the imagination by any means.  It is just another remainder of why I think that progressive metal is probably the strongest genre of music going today.  It is hard not to come away from this album impressed.  They have all the right moves with seemingly no missteps.  They are highly creative and know how to blend various influences into their progressive metal sound. 

Voyager knows how to hook an audience with its opening track.  “Hyperventilating” is the type of beginning song that gets one excited for the rest of the album.  It has the right touch of soaring metal riffs with pulsating drums and shredding guitars to get things popping. And then there is the chorus, which is just melodic and hypnotic goodness.  Following it up is the up-tempo, hard-rocking “Breaking Down.” It is another melodic and catchy song that is also has a very radio friendly sound.

With its energetic opening, “A Beautiful Mistake” is a vibrant song that becomes really memorable in its second half.  This is because of guest vocalist Zemyna Kuliukas and her hauntingly beautiful voice.  The blend of the two vocalists is astounding.  The short, spacey “Fortune Favors the Blind” leads directly into

“You the Shallow,” which is the type of song that seeks to destroy your ears from the beginning with some pulsating metal music.  The vocals are crisp and clear, as to be expected by now, and the tempo changes are done flawlessly.

‘Embrace the Limitless” switches things up, perhaps a little too much.  The synthesizer and the classic video game sound clashes a bit with the main rock sound.  I think that it is kind of song that might grow on some people after repeat listens, but not for all.  The synth-lead “Orpheus” makes for a great hybrid electronic/metal sound and the mixing of clean vocals and growls add a little something extra to the song’s atmosphere.  “The Domination Game” comes out killing it with some unrelenting metal riffs, which lead into a melodic chorus for the sprinkles on top.  The subtle and enchanting opening of “Peacekeeper” is like nothing else on the album.

The robust opening sets the tone for “It’s a Wonder.”  Its manic energy is electric and the sound moves fluidly between aggressive and melodic.  The hammering opening of “The Morning Light” is reminiscent of the theme for the Terminator movies.  It then moves to a more euphonic and uplifting sound.  “Summer Always Comes Again” is short and sweet and beautifully sad. “Seasons of Age” is a slow building song with a piano and drums before the guitar jumps in to spice it up.  The crisp drums end the album on a high note.   

Voyager’s V is the kind of album that makes people become fans on the first listen.  It is unique, sophisticated, emotional, beautiful, and so much more.  I cannot recommend V enough to fans of the genre, and to others, this is the type of album that will broaden your musical horizons. It shows these music veterans performing at a top level, which is on display in every song. Voyager is the type of band who push the genre forward, and that is always a good thing when it comes to music.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: ALL

Tracks: 
01.Hyperventilating
02.Breaking Down
03.A Beautiful Mistake
04.Fortune Favors the Blind
05.You the Shallow
06.Embrace the Limitless
07.Orpheus
08.The Domination Game
09.Peacekeeper
10.It’s a Wonder
11.The Morning Light
12.Summer Always Comes Again
13.Seasons of Age 

Brian McKinnon

August 15, 2014

Review Provided By Prog Rock Music Talk

Progressive Metal Review: Voyager-V

Release Date: June 2, 2014

Label: Nightmare Records

Website

If there is one band from the progressive metal that you need to get yourself acquainted with, it is the Australian band Voyager.   Describing their sound as “Australian pop sensibility with modern progressive heaviness,” Voyager’s music will leave a lasting impression long after the final chord has been played.  Hailing from Perth, Western Australia, Voyager formed in 1999 and consists of Daniel Estrin (vocals, keyboards), Simone Dew (guitars), Alex Canion (bass, backing vocals), Scott Kay (guitars), and Ashley Doodkorte (drums).

V is Voyager’s fifth album and to call it a masterpiece is not a stretch of the imagination by any means.  It is just another remainder of why I think that progressive metal is probably the strongest genre of music going today.  It is hard not to come away from this album impressed.  They have all the right moves with seemingly no missteps.  They are highly creative and know how to blend various influences into their progressive metal sound. 

Voyager knows how to hook an audience with its opening track.  “Hyperventilating” is the type of beginning song that gets one excited for the rest of the album.  It has the right touch of soaring metal riffs with pulsating drums and shredding guitars to get things popping. And then there is the chorus, which is just melodic and hypnotic goodness.  Following it up is the up-tempo, hard-rocking “Breaking Down.” It is another melodic and catchy song that is also has a very radio friendly sound.

With its energetic opening, “A Beautiful Mistake” is a vibrant song that becomes really memorable in its second half.  This is because of guest vocalist Zemyna Kuliukas and her hauntingly beautiful voice.  The blend of the two vocalists is astounding.  The short, spacey “Fortune Favors the Blind” leads directly into

“You the Shallow,” which is the type of song that seeks to destroy your ears from the beginning with some pulsating metal music.  The vocals are crisp and clear, as to be expected by now, and the tempo changes are done flawlessly.

‘Embrace the Limitless” switches things up, perhaps a little too much.  The synthesizer and the classic video game sound clashes a bit with the main rock sound.  I think that it is kind of song that might grow on some people after repeat listens, but not for all.  The synth-lead “Orpheus” makes for a great hybrid electronic/metal sound and the mixing of clean vocals and growls add a little something extra to the song’s atmosphere.  “The Domination Game” comes out killing it with some unrelenting metal riffs, which lead into a melodic chorus for the sprinkles on top.  The subtle and enchanting opening of “Peacekeeper” is like nothing else on the album.

The robust opening sets the tone for “It’s a Wonder.”  Its manic energy is electric and the sound moves fluidly between aggressive and melodic.  The hammering opening of “The Morning Light” is reminiscent of the theme for the Terminator movies.  It then moves to a more euphonic and uplifting sound.  “Summer Always Comes Again” is short and sweet and beautifully sad. “Seasons of Age” is a slow building song with a piano and drums before the guitar jumps in to spice it up.  The crisp drums end the album on a high note.   

Voyager’s V is the kind of album that makes people become fans on the first listen.  It is unique, sophisticated, emotional, beautiful, and so much more.  I cannot recommend V enough to fans of the genre, and to others, this is the type of album that will broaden your musical horizons. It shows these music veterans performing at a top level, which is on display in every song. Voyager is the type of band who push the genre forward, and that is always a good thing when it comes to music.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: ALL

Tracks: 
01.Hyperventilating
02.Breaking Down
03.A Beautiful Mistake
04.Fortune Favors the Blind
05.You the Shallow
06.Embrace the Limitless
07.Orpheus
08.The Domination Game
09.Peacekeeper
10.It’s a Wonder
11.The Morning Light
12.Summer Always Comes Again
13.Seasons of Age 

Brian McKinnon

August 15, 2014

Review Provided By Prog Rock Music Talk

Instrumental Progressive Rock Review: OVRFWRD-Beyond The Visible Light

Release Date: 1^stJan 2104 

Label: Rock Slack Music

Website

This is the first time I have been sent an album to review and found myself struggling a little with the band name, OVRFWRD, but at least I don’t have to pronounce it to review them. It also tends to catch the attention on the cover of the album. The album is Beyond The Visible Light and is the debut album from the band that was formed in 2012.

OVRFWRD is a four piece instrumental/art rock band that has stated their influences as Pink Floyd, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Iron Maiden. Rush, Yes, Joni Mitchell and Django Reinhardt among others, so they have a very diverse set of influences. The band comprises, Rikki Davenport (drums, percussion), Kyle Lund (bass), Mark Ilang (guitars) and Chris Malmgren (keyboards), and the band came about literally by chance. Rikki and Mark had talked about an instrumental band, while part of another band, and when their vocalist failed to turn up at a recording, the die was cast. With Kyle and Chris, the band recorded a track and have now completed and released the full album.

Beyond The Visible Light is a 5 track album which has a total playing time of around 47 minutes. None of the tracks really fall into the “short” category, although “Can We Keep The Elephant” is the shortest track on offer at 8:03 minutes with the longest track, “Raviji” clocking in at 11:18 minutes.

As an opening track, “Can We Keep The Elephant” (8:03), is instantly memorable, simply for the title alone. The band are off and running very quickly at the start of this track and into an interesting passage with keyboards leading into a strumming guitar. All of this is underpinned by an extremely solid rhythm unit provided by Rikki and Kyle. Mark shows that he is an excellent guitarist and those terrific keyboards from Chris are always there or thereabouts. A couple of minutes into the track and the tempo drops to strummed guitar on its own, before the other 3 group members rejoin proceedings, maintaining the slow gentle melodic nature of the track, which then morphs into a neat jagged guitar riff backed by some  insistent keyboards. This bit of interplay between guitar and keyboards continues to carry the track onwards and returns to the original starting theme which takes the track out. This is a good solid start to the album, with enough light and dark to help maintain the interest of the listener.

“Stones of Temperance” (8:49) has the guitar riffs interplaying with a superb piano passage, before a tempo change introduces a stunning acoustic guitar section. “The Man with No Shoes” (10:48) has a similar configuration of guitar/piano which moves into synths and a more jagged guitar playing area, allowing Mark to show his skills further, especially on those slower sections. The final track, “Dark Star” (8:56) has a simple guitar keyboard passage introduction which slowly builds and the tempo switches up a gear. The keyboards become replaced by that superb piano before the guitar gets a bit looser and drives the track along with the rest of the band contributing to the gradual increase in build-up to see the track make its exit.

“Raviji” (11:18), the longest track on Beyond The Visible Light, and the first track that the band recorded, is a slow burner at the start, with a “little bit more grunt” as it hits the 4 minute mark, with superb guitar/keyboard interaction before a stripping away of everything leaves a solitary piano and a passage which is simply sublime. A gentle acoustic guitar joins the piano to keep things moving along until the rhythm engine sneaks in to add a little more “oomph.”  Bits of slightly distorted guitar appear, but I didn’t feel that they added anything to the track, indeed they seemed to detract a little from what was going on. A sudden tempo change is an indication that the track is close to finishing and it goes out with more piano.

Beyond The Visible Light is a good debut album which has passages that grab the listener and there is no doubt that there are four very able musicians on show. My only concern, and regular readers of my reviews will be aware of this, is that to fully engage a listener over the course of an album, an instrumental album needs something unique to grab that attention. Although I enjoyed all 5 tracks, I did tend to find that my attention either drifted or looked for a vocalist to vary what was happening at times, and while I will definitely dip into the album again and again, it isn’t an album I would put on and listen from start to finish.

4/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Can We Keep The Elephant, Raviji, Darkest Star

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk

February 9, 2014


Tracks:
Can We Keep The Elephant
Stones Of Temperance
Raviji
The Man With No Shoes
Darkest Star

Sell your beats online at ReverbNation.com

Instrumental Progressive Rock Review: OVRFWRD-Beyond The Visible Light

Release Date: 1^stJan 2104

Label: Rock Slack Music

Website

This is the first time I have been sent an album to review and found myself struggling a little with the band name, OVRFWRD, but at least I don’t have to pronounce it to review them. It also tends to catch the attention on the cover of the album. The album is Beyond The Visible Light and is the debut album from the band that was formed in 2012.

OVRFWRD is a four piece instrumental/art rock band that has stated their influences as Pink Floyd, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Iron Maiden. Rush, Yes, Joni Mitchell and Django Reinhardt among others, so they have a very diverse set of influences. The band comprises, Rikki Davenport (drums, percussion), Kyle Lund (bass), Mark Ilang (guitars) and Chris Malmgren (keyboards), and the band came about literally by chance. Rikki and Mark had talked about an instrumental band, while part of another band, and when their vocalist failed to turn up at a recording, the die was cast. With Kyle and Chris, the band recorded a track and have now completed and released the full album.

Beyond The Visible Light is a 5 track album which has a total playing time of around 47 minutes. None of the tracks really fall into the “short” category, although “Can We Keep The Elephant” is the shortest track on offer at 8:03 minutes with the longest track, “Raviji” clocking in at 11:18 minutes.

As an opening track, “Can We Keep The Elephant” (8:03), is instantly memorable, simply for the title alone. The band are off and running very quickly at the start of this track and into an interesting passage with keyboards leading into a strumming guitar. All of this is underpinned by an extremely solid rhythm unit provided by Rikki and Kyle. Mark shows that he is an excellent guitarist and those terrific keyboards from Chris are always there or thereabouts. A couple of minutes into the track and the tempo drops to strummed guitar on its own, before the other 3 group members rejoin proceedings, maintaining the slow gentle melodic nature of the track, which then morphs into a neat jagged guitar riff backed by some  insistent keyboards. This bit of interplay between guitar and keyboards continues to carry the track onwards and returns to the original starting theme which takes the track out. This is a good solid start to the album, with enough light and dark to help maintain the interest of the listener.

“Stones of Temperance” (8:49) has the guitar riffs interplaying with a superb piano passage, before a tempo change introduces a stunning acoustic guitar section. “The Man with No Shoes” (10:48) has a similar configuration of guitar/piano which moves into synths and a more jagged guitar playing area, allowing Mark to show his skills further, especially on those slower sections. The final track, “Dark Star” (8:56) has a simple guitar keyboard passage introduction which slowly builds and the tempo switches up a gear. The keyboards become replaced by that superb piano before the guitar gets a bit looser and drives the track along with the rest of the band contributing to the gradual increase in build-up to see the track make its exit.

“Raviji” (11:18), the longest track on Beyond The Visible Light, and the first track that the band recorded, is a slow burner at the start, with a “little bit more grunt” as it hits the 4 minute mark, with superb guitar/keyboard interaction before a stripping away of everything leaves a solitary piano and a passage which is simply sublime. A gentle acoustic guitar joins the piano to keep things moving along until the rhythm engine sneaks in to add a little more “oomph.”  Bits of slightly distorted guitar appear, but I didn’t feel that they added anything to the track, indeed they seemed to detract a little from what was going on. A sudden tempo change is an indication that the track is close to finishing and it goes out with more piano.

Beyond The Visible Light is a good debut album which has passages that grab the listener and there is no doubt that there are four very able musicians on show. My only concern, and regular readers of my reviews will be aware of this, is that to fully engage a listener over the course of an album, an instrumental album needs something unique to grab that attention. Although I enjoyed all 5 tracks, I did tend to find that my attention either drifted or looked for a vocalist to vary what was happening at times, and while I will definitely dip into the album again and again, it isn’t an album I would put on and listen from start to finish.

4/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Can We Keep The Elephant, Raviji, Darkest Star

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk

February 9, 2014


Tracks:
Can We Keep The Elephant
Stones Of Temperance
Raviji
The Man With No Shoes
Darkest Star

Review Provided By Write A Music Review

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