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Great band from Sweden which plays a keyboard oriented instrumental music with tasteful passages and good drumming. Some influences of old GENESIS are clear, and vocals in English were added on their second album as well as good guitar work, bringing the music more to a Camel approach. Above average stuff here.
GRAND STAND has just released their second CD “Tricks of Time” and really, it is a masterpiece. A nice and mellow mix of 70’s progressive rock in the vein of Genesis and Camel with some influences of the neo-progressive movement. The band has matured and everyone looking for melodic progressive rock should check this one out.
Neal Morse is a prominent figure in the world of Progressive Rock, with the incarnation of Spock’s Beard, Transatlantic and the string of albums he’s released since, he has reached exceptional musical heights and Sola Scriptura is no exception. This is a concept album written about the life of Martin Luther, an early 1500s Christian reformer.
What is respectable about Morse is his ability to seamlessly transition and go through many different styles in the course of one song, his vocals lean more towards a pop style (he tried his hand as a pop singer earlier on in his career for those that didn’t know), that coupled with his heavy use of his signature Hammond organ sound makes for a very unique musical combination that is instantly recognizable. Neal Morse’s brand of Progressive Rock is very melodically driven and theme-based, he is also a very proficient keyboard and guitar player, even if the music goes off on many different tangents, his attention to melody, harmony (especially vocal harmony) and use of themes keeps his songs cohesive and is arguably more accessible than other Prog groups.
The strengths of this album lie especially in the first two cuts “The Door” and “The Conflict”, clocking in at 29 and 25 minutes respectively. The songs takes many drastic turns throughout and many influences can be heard, from metal riffing to blues soloing to Beatles-influenced gospel sections to Latin-influenced sections that strongly recall Spanish folk dances to even a short Liszt-esque piano solo that emulates the bravura of a Classical concert pianist. Morse has always been an open book about his religious beliefs, starting from “Testimony”, most of his lyrics in his solo albums revolve around Christianity and his love for god in general, as shown on the ballad “Heaven In My Heart”. “The Conclusion” serves as a stunning finale to the album, quoting key musical themes from the preceding songs and rounding off the album in a way that is absolutely grandiose.
At certain moments, Morse will reprise certain musical themes heard earlier, bringing unity to the piece, he has a knack for reintroducing these themes at the right time, never making them sound out of place or like an afterthought. Long time band mates Randy George on bass and Mike Portnoy on drums really step up to the plate and aid Morse through his musical journey, at the same time infusing their own playing style into the music, Paul Gilbert guests on the album and plays two really awesome solos in “The Door” and “The Conflict”, arguably two of his least known solos but well worth a listen.
This is a musically diverse and ambitious album and a very solid offering from Morse and Co, whether you’re into prog, pop or metal, there is something for everyone here, personally I feel this is his best album with “Testimony 2” coming in at a close second. If you’re a Christian, there is no doubt Morse’s lyrics will speak out to you and his beliefs in tune with yours, if you aren’t religiously inclined (like me), that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying what he has to offer musically, some of his lyrics are very positive and uplifting and do not need to be interpreted religiously.
I liken Dream Theater to veteran football players. They innovated when they were young in their careers and long into their stride they brought something new to the game - an x-factor that was unparalleled by others, though often imitated. Yet, towards the end of their career, while they're still fan favorites with a bit left in the tank, they're mostly on the way out. Granted, I liken Dream Theater more to a Tony Gonzalez than a Brian Urlacher - more to give and often requested to knock around for another year for another shot at the title, but if you're looking for the apex of progressive metal, the torch has long since been passed.
That said, Dream Theater, an oddly self-titled affair for a band's twelfth outing, ups the band's game plan considerably from the likes of their previous outings and offers a noticeably brighter outlook on most things since 2005 (or, arguably, earlier, when Portnoy became fascinated with the darker side of metal on Train of Thought). While this can't be welcomed as any brilliant change of direction, since it was foreshadowed heavily by previous (and appropriately titled) outing A Dramatic Turn of Events, it certainly can be welcomed.
Most noticeable and appreciable among those elements on Dream Theater are the forward bearing roles of bassist John Myung and keyboard virtuoso extraordinaire, Jordan Rudess, who have expanded greatly on what felt like restrained roles in the latter half of the Portnoy era. Myung breathes a huge sigh of relief and a massive wind of interest into the group's tried and true sound with a bass sound that pops, fizzles, and grooves all throughout the album, while Rudess leads the light and melodic portion of the band's relatively formulaic approach to anti-formulaicness.
Guitarist John Petrucci continues to show that he can shred like nobody's business and lays down more than a few lightspeed polyrhythmic chugs and uber-technical solos which validate his appearance on the most recent Periphery album, but these are standard fare by now, as are James LaBrie's par-for-the-course vocals. They're not bad, mind you, but if you've heard one Dream Theater album, you've heard LaBrie's performance on this one. Seriously, listen to the end of "The Bigger Picture" - it's exactly the same as the end of "Strange Deja Vu."
Dream Theater as a whole is reminiscent of the Dream Theater from around Scenes From A Memory, but with an even more technical outlook that dips its toes into the pool of meaningfulness more often than on previous albums in recent history. That said, for the acquainted ear, it should be a treat to hear a little more purpose behind the punch of a Petrucci solo and the more atmospheric and, dare I say more prog-oriented (see "Illumination Theory") approach of Dream Theater classify it as a rising action for the previously downward-dipping quintet.
All that said, I'm not quite sure how to classify the involvement of Mike Mangini on this album. It seems my initial criticism of the band's choice in drummers holds true as Mangini proves to be a suitable but safe replacement for Portnoy. Even in crafting his own rhythms, Mangini adds very little to the band that's new or extraordinarily thought provoking and overall, that's how this album can be characterized. Two parts stepping forward and three parts right where they've been. On the whole, it's an improvement, but not enough to move things forward by any order of magnitude.
But after all, with twelve albums under their belts, can we really expect Dream Theater to reinvent the game? Probably not, but heck, it's still fun to watch them catch a touchdown pass here and there.
I liken Dream Theater to veteran football players. They innovated when they were young in their careers and long into their stride they brought something new to the game - an x-factor that was unparalleled by others, though often imitated. Yet, towards the end of their career, while they're still fan favorites with a bit left in the tank, they're mostly on the way out. Granted, I liken Dream Theater more to a Tony Gonzalez than a Brian Urlacher - more to give and often requested to knock around for another year for another shot at the title, but if you're looking for the apex of progressive metal, the torch has long since been passed.
That said, Dream Theater, an oddly self-titled affair for a band's twelfth outing, ups the band's game plan considerably from the likes of their previous outings and offers a noticeably brighter outlook on most things since 2005 (or, arguably, earlier, when Portnoy became fascinated with the darker side of metal on Train of Thought). While this can't be welcomed as any brilliant change of direction, since it was foreshadowed heavily by previous (and appropriately titled) outing A Dramatic Turn of Events, it certainly can be welcomed.
Most noticeable and appreciable among those elements on Dream Theater are the forward bearing roles of bassist John Myung and keyboard virtuoso extraordinaire, Jordan Rudess, who have expanded greatly on what felt like restrained roles in the latter half of the Portnoy era. Myung breathes a huge sigh of relief and a massive wind of interest into the group's tried and true sound with a bass sound that pops, fizzles, and grooves all throughout the album, while Rudess leads the light and melodic portion of the band's relatively formulaic approach to anti-formulaicness.
Guitarist John Petrucci continues to show that he can shred like nobody's business and lays down more than a few lightspeed polyrhythmic chugs and uber-technical solos which validate his appearance on the most recent Periphery album, but these are standard fare by now, as are James LaBrie's par-for-the-course vocals. They're not bad, mind you, but if you've heard one Dream Theater album, you've heard LaBrie's performance on this one. Seriously, listen to the end of "The Bigger Picture" - it's exactly the same as the end of "Strange Deja Vu."
Dream Theater as a whole is reminiscent of the Dream Theater from around Scenes From A Memory, but with an even more technical outlook that dips its toes into the pool of meaningfulness more often than on previous albums in recent history. That said, for the acquainted ear, it should be a treat to hear a little more purpose behind the punch of a Petrucci solo and the more atmospheric and, dare I say more prog-oriented (see "Illumination Theory") approach of Dream Theater classifies it as a rising action for the previously downward-dipping quintet.
All that said, I'm not quite sure how to classify the involvement of Mike Mangini on this album. It seems my initial criticism of the band's choice in drummers holds true as Mangini proves to be a suitable but safe replacement for Portnoy. Even in crafting his own rhythms, Mangini adds very little to the band that's new or extraordinarily thought provoking and overall, that's how this album can be characterized. Two parts stepping forward and three parts right where they've been. On the whole, it's an improvement, but not enough to move things forward by any order of magnitude.
But after all, with twelve albums under their belts, can we really expect Dream Theater to reinvent the game? Probably not, but heck, it's still fun to watch them catch a touchdown pass here and there.
ko voli PF anije znao za ovaj album