Progressive Positivity Reviews

After kicking off the 21st century with the ever-increasingly obligatory "covers" album (hey... Rush and Styx recently did the same thing too!)... the band Toto returns to form with a new studio album brimming with creative energy, sterling musicianship, and - surprisingly enough - even some Proggie and Fusion moments!   The album is titled "Falling In Between". Here's the "track by track" walk-through...

The CD opens with the title track featuring an uncharacteristically crunchy guitar tone - foreshadowing the variety that is yet to come. This is perhaps the most proggie tune of the album due to its nicely shifting times - sometimes 5 - other times 6 - or 8 - beats per measure.

Song Two "Dying on My Feet" is nicely reminiscent of Steely Dan... Steve Lukather has a tuneful and expressive guitar solo on this song but the track's highlight is saved for the surprise ending horn chart contributed by Jimmy Pankow of Chicago) The performances of Roy Hargrove and Tom Scott bring it to life. A wonderful ending to an already strong tune...

Next, we are briefly transported "back in time" as ex-Toto vocalist Joseph Williams makes a guest appearance, crooning over the 6/8 African groove of the song "Bottom of your Soul". Williams says
it "was as if no time passed since we last worked together. The difference this time was that the stress and the pressure was missing, allowing creativity and musicality to rule the day." Interviews and more at:
http://www.toto99.com/releases/toto/fibrelease.shtml

"King of the World" features 3 lead singers! Each singer represents a distinct point of view regarding the Enron scandal: First, the everyday citizen/observer, watching events unfold from the "outside". Second, a low level worker at the company. And third, a top executive at the firm. Another top-notch performance was contributed from the ranks of the rock-band Chicago... Jason Scheff adds vocal harmonies to the tune.

Steve Porcarro contributes a cool array of keyboard and electronic sounds to the grooving hard rock march of "Hooked"... The guitar solo in the middle section *scorches*... For those that dare to ask themselves "can a Toto song possibly get any better than this?" Yes it can. Listen for the fantastic flute-work of Ian Anderson toward the end... Wow.

Next up is one of those patented Steve Lukather ballads... Mike Porcaro contributes a wonderful bass line melody at the end of this 2:22 gem, summing up the song "Simple Life" in a single-word description... "Gorgeous".

Crank up the volume as an unmistakable Eddie Van Halen inspired guitar riff carries the tune "Taint Your World". Even the background vox on the chorus appropriate the patented EVH harmonies.   Strong end with a monster guitar run from the mighty Lukather. (WARNING: This song has an obscenity in the lyric of the chorus. I was so very "tuned in" to the guitar-riff that I didn't notice it but DJMoses caught it on first listen.)

The great musicianship continues with "Let if Go", a wonderfully unified blend of funky bass, rock guitar, and fusion inspired drums and keys. Don't give up on this song during the first 45 seconds... Trust me... It continues to picks up momentum every step of the journey... transitioning effortlessly from the most inspired guitar solo of the album and culminating in an all-too-brief fusion-fest of keys and drums interplay.

Track 9 is an inspirational ballad titled "Spiritual Man". Not a lot of fireworks on this song and perhaps that's the point. At times sounding more like a hymn than a rock or pop tune... it is well performed, thought provoking and uplifting if also somewhat ambiguous.

The closing tune features the album's most passionate vocal performance, openly lamenting that America's military conflict in Iraq has "No End in Sight". No simple answers are given - most probably because no simple answers exist. Political affiliations aside, the song left me hard-pressed to find fault in the heart-felt sincerity, struggle, and pain conveyed by the songwriter.

The Japanese pressing has a bonus instrumental track named "The Reefer Man".   I haven't heard it - but have been told it is a very short, yet very good jam session inspired by Miles Davis' early Fusion era work.

One final note: For those of us that sort-of lost touch with Toto after Jeff Porcaro passed away in 1992... Guess who the band's drummer is *now*... None other than... SIMON PHILLIPS!!! He had impossibly big shoes to fill... but still... Phillips is a monster drummer in his own right... Great catch!

1. Falling In Between
2. Dying On My Feet
3. Bottom Of Your Soul
4. King Of the World
5. Hooked
6. Simple Life
7. Taint Your World
8. Let It Go
9. Spiritual Man
10. No End In Sight

FEATURE SPOTLIGHT CD - NOVEMBER 2005

THE SYN - SYNDESTRUCTIBLE (2005)

One of those rare reunion projects that surpasses the original!
SYNDESTRUCTIBLE is a MUST LISTEN CD for ALL Art-Rock fans (not just Yes-fans!)!

Syndestructible Album Cover

Chris Squire reunites with Stephen Nardelli to finally deliver their long awaited debut album of new songs titled "Syndestructible" If you don't already know all about the legendary story of THE SYN's musical adventures in the 1960's, and how they influenced the future development of Prog Rock as we now know it... immediately proceed to http://www.synmusic.net! (Do not pass "go". Do not collect $200!!)

Program your CD player to read Syndestructible’s first 3 tracks as a single twelve-minute-long song. Track One (Breaking Down Walls) immediately absolves the listener of any lingering doubts as to whether Chris Squire’s vocals will play a prominent role. Of course they will!! Some of Chris’ best vocal work since Fish Out of Water is on this disc!

The Prog-Rock landscape is littered with no shortage of "Jon Anderson-ites". Scores of “almost but not quite tenors" strain to attain that angelic, elfish yet ethereal rhaspy tone that only Jon Anderson can truly deliver. Nardelli avoids this trap entirely, unapologetically and uncompromisingly bringing his own character and vocal tone to THE SYN. (After all, he sang and harmonized in this band with Chris before Yes even existed!) New listeners may slightly bristle at first, but, oddly enough, once Stephen’s vocal character is established, a serendipitously uncontrived Yes-like sensibility emerges! That having been said, the songwriting, instrumentation, and vocal harmonies are more restrained than one would expect to hear from Yes. No other band sounds quite like THE SYN!

The CD’s “single” Cathedral of Love is finally given the 8:38 art-rock arrangement and jam it deserves. Every track is a certified winner, with the possible exception of the curiously delivered “Golden Age”. Imagine Lou Reed and the Rolling Stones doing art-rock – yet somewhow pulling it off convincingly well!! Even the weakest tune on this album sparkles!

Syndestructible clocks in at a little less than an hour, which is part of its beauty. When the final track (another masterpiece titled “The Promise”) re-visits the "Breaking Down Walls" passage from Track One, it is still fresh enough in our mind's ear for each track of the album to coalesce into a meanginful and singular musical statement... a hallmark indication of a truly great album!

From songwriting to arrangements, and vocals and instrumentation, everything on Syndestructible is sublimely understated, creating a uniquely disarming and sensitive brand of art-rock music.

(Obligatory prog-purist warning: Although this music is intelligent, catchy, and creative, if your prog music must have lots of odd time signatures, virtuosic extended jam solos, and dissonant strands of challenging harmony, this disc may *not* be for you.)

Gerard Johnson and Oasis brothers Paul and Jeremy Stacy round out the 2005 lineup of THE SYN.

Breaking Down Walls
Some Time, Some Way
Reach Outro
Cathedral Of Love
City Of Dreams
Golden Age
The Promise

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FEATURE SPOTLIGHT CD OCTOBER 2005

KARCIUS - SPHERE (2004)

Album Cover

On Karcius’ 2004 debut CD “Sphere”, Guitarist Simon L’esperance exudes expressive solos, pyrotechnics and jazz-rock riffs galore, keyboardist/composer Mingan Suriol contributes a strong jazz-piano sensibility, bassist Dominique Blouin adds a dash of psychedelic noise to the mix, and drummer Thomas Brodeur keeps everyone in time with his chameleon-like ability to instantaneously and fluidly morph from one style, tempo and rhythm to the next without missing a beat.

The album’s opener “Kunide” features Karcius’ diverse and eclectic approach well, starting mellow and expansive, transitioning into a harder rock jam, and then allowing time for each member to stretch their musical muscles in the direction of their own personality. Strong guitar and bass solos abound with keys providing an integral rhythmic and tonal complement to the timbre throughout.

http://www.karcius.com/

BASS: DOMINIQUE BLOUIN King Crimson and Jaco Pastorius. Though Dominique is the most quiet member of the group, his musical personnality is very expressive and the psychedelic sound on some tracks of the Sphere album are his

GUITAR: SIMON L'ESPÉRANCE Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck et Steve Vai as well as by jazzmen such as Jonh Mclauglin, Chick Corea, Scott Henderson, John Coltrane and Pat Metheny.

KEYS: MINGAN SAURIOL (Chick Corea & Keith Emerson)

DRUMS: THOMAS BRODEUR He is also influenced by groups such as Porcupine Tree, Liquid Tension, Genesis, Mr Bungle, Rush, Pink Floyd and Yes, and likes fusion music from the late

FEATURE SPOTLIGHT CD - FEBRUARY 2005

Revelation Project - Revelation Project (2005)

Most often compared to Dream Theater, Symphony X, and other progressive metal bands, I hear a much wider range of expression in the music of Revelation Project than is typically implied by such associations.

From the frenzied anthemic progressive rock pulse of "Decay" to the quiet and pensive longing tones of "Promise", REVELATION PROJECT clearly is a band willing to explore vast musical territory in order to convey the mood of their album's storyline. Indeed, "Promise" sounds more like a Vangelis tune than a Prog-metal interlude. And my mind's ear can easily hear the band Kansas performing "Millenium". Such is the diversity of the "prog-metal" band REVELATION PROJECT.

Set in Biblical 'end-times', Revelation Project does more than musically depict the colorful imagery and futuristic drama of the book of prophecy from which they derive their name. This rock opera takes us on a journey through the mind of a persecuted Christian hearing the book of Revelation for the very first time. It is this character's interpretation and understanding which provides the personal perspective to fuel the storyline depicted by the songs on this CD.

Although I'm a *fan* of concept albums, I'll also be the first to admit that many are collections of songs that seem either vaguely esoteric (Pink Floyd's 'The Wall'), rather loosely connected (Styx's - Kilroy was Here), or somewhat contrived (Spock's Beard's 'Snow'). RP's self-titled debut CD, however, is *none* of these. The storyline is surprisingly easy to follow. They even provide extra references to *assist* the adventure-seeking listener in following the plotline!

I came to this CD prepared for some 'spoken word' passages and prog metal flourishes (which I *do* enjoy from time to time!) But I readily admit that I was *also* pleasantly *greeted* by a strong keyboard presence and a refreshing emphasis on vocal harmony!

Hard rock fans seeking good musicianship, quality songwriting, melodic vocals, and prog-metal instrumental passages can find much to appreciate here!

Hear tracks from Revelation Project's debut CD on ProgPositivity.com at:

http://www.progpositivity.com

When you like what you hear, purchase your very own copy at:

http://www.revelationproject.com/index.php?INC=merchandise.php

Revelation Project - Revelation Project (2005)

1. Revelation
2. Decay
3. Children
4. Falling
5. Liars
6. Marked
7. Martyrs
8. Judgment
9. Promise
10.Millennium
11.Eternity
12.Glory
13.Delivered
14.Doxology