Issue 2024-064
Aurora Clara — IV
You know the feeling when the key glides into the lock and the door easily opens. It's so satisfying when the parts interconnect correctly and every component appears to work in harmony.
You probably also know the feeling when everything about an album smoothly glides and feels exactly right. Time spent in its company quickly passes by. Just like a perfectly formed key, the music can breach and open opportunities to a range of different perspectives. The vistas and images conjured up by the shapes, peaks and valleys of a vivid musical landscape lingers colourfully in the memory and stubbornly refuses to fade to grey.
Aurora Clara's latest album certainly fits this description and much more.
The band's first album was excellent and their last two albums (Clear Dawn and Dreams) received positive reviews at DPRP. Given the impressive standard of their discography, the band have set an extremely high bar to match, or even exceed.
Nevertheless, IV is probably the Spanish bands most consistent and satisfying release yet. Given the qualities of the previous albums that says a lot about the excellence of their latest work.
On the surface, the new album has lots in common with the style and sound of the bands previous release. In many ways, just like a favourite well-worn pair of headphones, the familiarity of the dual role of the flute and guitar in the bands repertoire ensures that everything sits comfortably on the ears and does not scrape against the lobes and bones.
The fluidity and accessibility of the guitar and flute lines also ensures that superficially at least, everything about IV feels about as reassuring as a visitation from an old dear friend. However, it soon becomes apparent as the album unfolds that IV offers much more than the usual colours and flavours that are associated with Aurora Clara.
References to the musical style of the Mahavishnu Orchestra can still of course be found in the bands overall tapestry of sounds. Nevertheless, there are lots of aspects of the release that are flavoured with Aurora Clara's own developing style and the bands own colourful and distinctive set of textures.
This is readily apparent in the excellent opening piece The Last Candles. It is an impressive beginning to the album. It is a composition that bursts enthusiastically from the speakers with exciting exuberance. The piece exhibits enviable vitality, and complex virtuosity. The mid-point of the composition has some wonderful interplay between keyboards and guitar. The goose bump inducing guitar solo that flames and flickers in the second half of the tune is simply magnificent.
The Last Candles has many different facets. It has a spontaneous air and many of the interactions between the players are genuinely enthralling. It is a tune that illustrates what can be achieved when inspired instrumentalists improvise and interlock. Nevertheless, it is a tune that not only rocks, it also serenades. In this respect, the beautiful flute led melody, that weaves a story as the tune moves from raucous to intimate; teases then, touches and balms the soul with a gentle and sensitive caress.
This merging of styles, different tempos and emotions works brilliantly in The Last Candles. In fact, this aspect is probably one of the strongest elements of IV. The release offers a great blend of soothing interludes and rock peaked passages. The surging parts of the album imaginatively create something that is notably much more abrasive, and aggressive than the elegant melodies that lie at the core of several of the tunes.
The rocky scree produced by the band in these moments can occasionally take on a malevolent texture. For example, the slightly discordant repetitive riff that begins and concludes Five Sisters is somewhat unnerving. That the band manage so successfully to express such divergent moods convincingly across the album and sometimes in the space of a single composition such as The Last Candles is undoubtedly a testament to the quality of the compositions and the creative talents of the performers.
The melodies of the tunes are memorable. The album has an abundance of serenely beautiful moments. The beginning of End of January is particularly evocative. In this piece, the bands palette of sounds is coloured by the exquisite playing of Paul Austerlitz on bass clarinet.
Every aspect of the piece exudes class. The gorgeous Brazilian rhythms which underpin a series of delightful acoustic guitar passages and several striking thrusts of the electric guitar, helps to create a moon-smiling , neon lit, night beach atmosphere. When piano is also added to this intoxicating cocktail and a fantastic flute passage takes hold; the whole combination is utterly enchanting. It's a tune I could play repeatedly.
I particularly enjoyed the largely acoustic nature of Song For John. An electric version of this tune appeared on the bands Transformation album. There is so much space for every instrument to breathe in the latest rendition. The excellent production values add to the sense that every instrument has a clearly defined role to play in its spacious soundscape.
In this piece, Raul Mannola's flamenco influences can clearly be discerned. His acoustic flourishes add a rich touch and are thoroughly captivating. Nevertheless, despite the fantastic playing, the tunes melody must also receive copious amounts of praise. Its evocative nature is delightful. I was left beguiled and bewitched by its spell.
Notwithstanding the obvious charm of Song For John, Maktub (For Sami And Laura) is probably my favourite tune. It calls upon some world Jazz influences in its wistful flute opening and the tune unfolds in a gratifyingly progressive manner. The tone of Mannola's guitar is simply wonderful. It's combination of elegance and fury offers a near perfect foil to the twisting synth-rich psychedelic interlude that evolves in the second half of the piece.
The album ends in an energetic fashion with One For The Road. It's a satisfying way to complete this excellent release. Its jam-like structure, superb musicianship and combustible spontaneity creates an accessible and exciting conclusion to IV. Flautist Juan Carlos Aracil is at his most strident in this tune. He adapts his tone for the piece and where appropriate barks and snarls the notes in a manner just like players such as, Jeremy Steig, Harold McNair and Ian Anderson might have done. It is a shining example of exuberant flute rock at its best.
In fact, Aracil's contribution to the whole album is hugely impressive. Alongside Mannola, he is at the heart of everything that makes IV so special. Aracil's delightful light touch leads many of the tunes, but when required as in the heavier parts of tunes like The Last Candles and Five Sisters , he can move things along with considerable verve and vigour. Perhaps more importantly, he can gauge when to use just the right amount of gustily blown silver tube aggression, so that everything fits into place and glides along.
IV is one of those albums where every aspect works well. Melody is undoubtedly its key, but the way in which the musicians combine creates a unique and special code, whereby the lock of enjoyment is smoothly rotated and opened. The musicians form a series of wonderful connections in tune after tune. Consequently,every component of IV works in perfect harmony.
You probably know the feeling when you hear something that simply connects on every level; I have nothing else to add to my ramblings, except that I experienced that feeling when I heard IV
In my view, Aurora Clara's IV is without doubt, the best release that I have heard in 2024.
It is that good!
Ereley — Garden
Ereley have come to us from the Czech Republic, having formed a decade ago in 2014. The debut, Katharis arrived a year later, with a follow-up titled Diablerie in 2020. Now, on the groups 10th anniversary, they have dropped Garden. Described as a poignant narrative of love, loss and self-discovery, the album “follows the protagonist's quest for closure amidst the haunting of a fractured relationship”. Let's see if they find it.
Straight off the bat, the album goes into fast-paced prog metal. Keys add some symphonic atmosphere, recalling bands like Blind Guardian, before harsh vocals add to the anxious and foreboding vibe.
Flirting between elements of power metal, prog and death metal, the album manages to combine them all into an entertaining combination. Rising and falling, the band effortlessly switch between powerful choruses, to harsh and violent death assaults, and then turn around to showcase their instrumental talents in fist pumping prog riddled bridges and solos.
There is little respite from the pace throughout. Even the slower tracks have an underlying current of restless energy in them. Driven in part by Réda's ability to switch effortlessly between soft and clean vocals, to rasping shouts or snarls, to death growls. The rhythm section as well keep the dark and apprehensive style going, with the bass providing the atmosphere and the drums laying the basis for the guitars to rattle up the tension and hostility.
At the end of the album, I cannot say for certain if the protagonist found closure, but I can say I found a thoroughly listenable album. I'd recommend for fans of The Aphelion, Blind Guardian, Perihelion Ship or The Ocean.
Fen — Dear Mouse
This is the fourth time in a row that I'm reviewing an album from a band that I've been following since their earlier recordings. First it was US prog-metallers Shumaun, then Norwegian modern metallers Wheel, and earlier today I put words to the new album, Hopium, from Italy's Kingcrow. I first reviewed their third album for DPRP back in 2006. How time flies!
The next in my pile of new albums is the most unexpected of the four. Fen emerged in 1998 from the shadows of the Nelson mountain in Canada, independently releasing two albums: Surgical Transfusion Of Molting Sensory Reflection (2000) and the moody concept disc Heron Leg (2003).
It's been almost two decades since I gave a more-than-favourable review to their third album, the wonderfully entitled Congenital Fixation. Their next album, Trails Out Of Gloom, brought relentlessly positive reviews. My conclusion back then was that it was a hidden gem. "Trails Out of Gloom," I wrote, "is a brilliantly composed album that sounds half-way between the cleaner moments of Opeth and Anathema, whilst also retaining its own unique identity. Fen provide a delightful presentation of mellow and erudite prog."
Shortly afterwards the band got their first break, joining the roster of California label Ripple Music and were invited to open for Porcupine Tree on the Vancouver show of their 2011 tour. Of Losing Interest followed, making my list of favourite albums of 2012 with comparisons to a less-quirky Fair To Midland.
Now after a 12-year silence, I have a copy of Fen's sixth album. Founding member and singer Doug Harrison is keen to stress that Dear Mouse is less of a comeback album than a tying-up of loose ends.
"The ten songs were all started in 2014 or earlier. They sat as fragments for a long time, but as life pulled the band apart, we couldn't ignore these unfinished gems. We chipped away at them on and off. They dragged us along almost painfully at times. For the final three years, we pushed as hard as our lives would allow. Ultimately, Dear Mouse is a test of our perseverance and of getting out what needed to be said. We can rest now. And we will. We hope you find something in the music to appreciate."
I certainly have! Dear Mouse brings together elements taken from all stages of the band's amazing discography.
Seam of the Heart is a multipart composition whose dark riffage and somber lyrics resonate with the moody Heron Leg. Our Latest Quarry is a quirky piece of alt-rock that could have slotted into the middle of Trails Out Of Gloom.
Throughout the album, the guitar work metamorphoses from jagged riffage, through free-flowing textures and delicate details, onto the sort of high-energy, rolling motifs that you just have to bang-your-head-along-to.
As ever, the voice of Doug Harrison is what sets this band apart with his amazing voice, an ear for an unmissable melody, and his ability to communicate a deep sense of meaning and emotion in his music. Check out the closing track, where he uses his full range. Randall Stoll on drums, bassist Jeff Caron and guitarist Sam Levin provide the usual compelling setting for the vocal melodies.
The absolute highlight is Ritual Lite where the main riff and groove has a swagger and confidence that should be echoing around stadiums. One of the best songs Fen have ever written. The low-key lilt of the wonderful title track isn't far behind. The hook to Recall is pretty monstrously good too.
Elsewhere, tracks like The Password is I Believe have a buzz and energy that depicts a young combo fresh from touring their debut album. Nothing here suggests a band that has been dormant for over a decade. No suggestion at all that this is merely a sweeping-up of left-over ideas. Dear Mouse is wonderful addition to the discography of a band that deserves far more attention than they have received (until now).
Every song on this album is a winner. As such I have no doubt that this be one of my favourite albums of the year.
Dear Mouse will be released digitally via Fen's Bandcamp page on September 12. An essential listen for anyone who loves alternative-progressive rock.
If you're new to this band's sound, I would also heartily recommend Slug Comparison, the side project for singer Doug Harrison. This has a more modern, smoother, melodic sound but with many similar traits to Fen. There are two great albums to enjoy. Begin with their self-titled debut and then their follow-up When You Were Living Here. Both are still available from the links in the reviews.
Ice — Man In The Moon
While waiting for my digital copy of this album to arrive, I thought I would re-visit their earlier album called Saga from 2005 to see what, if any, changes in direction, the band had made. Although it has been nearly 20 years since the band's debut, it seems the only line-up change has seen the departure of bass player Hennie van Mourik and the inclusion of his replacement, Rene Sterk. The current line-up therefore stands as Ardie Westdijk (keyboards, Synthesizers), Chris van Hoogdalem (guitars, backing vocals), Hein van den Broek (lead and backing vocals, guitar), René Sterk (bass), Rob Boshuijzen (drums, percussion). Information about the band is however, very hard to locate as their own web-site seems to not be operative at the moment and very few other sites have anything current or relative. You might need to dig a little deeper than I have time to do, but I am sure your efforts will be well rewarded.
I recall from previous spins of Saga, the vocals always sounded fresh, strong and clear whereas two decades of wear and tear on the plumbing have had a small but slightly noticeable lessening strength of Hein's pipes. Make no mistake, however, he still sings with plenty of power and emotion so it's still great to see and hear music played so well by musicians who have a few years under their belt.
Ice continue their tell-tale sound of producing some super smooth, quality neo-prog which tends to lean more on the melodic side of the fence, rather than bombarding the listener with a crunchier, metallic approach which plenty of other bands use, often to the point of being over-done. This might suggest the band have not developed any new ideas or veered off in some strange new direction, in search of something ground-breaking to offer their audience. While there is nothing totally innovative with their latest album, I feel the band have been better served by maintaining that previous style and by writing new material along similar lines to what worked well for them previously. As the old cliché saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".
As expected from an album with such a well-connected title to space travel, the opening song includes a few snippets from John F. Kennedy's famous speech in 1969 and are interspersed at appropriate times throughout the song. While I'm not always a fan of spoken words / lyrics during a song, the inclusion here is by no means intrusive or unwarranted. Being relatively brief also helps to justify their inclusion.
One unmistakable quality about this new release is that each song has sufficient musical and vocal strength along with being infused with compellingly good songwriting to the point that a listener, (new or old), will find plenty to enjoy with this offering. There are no real high points amongst the 11 songs but there are also zero fillers here. This was an album that I enjoyed from start to finish and is one I will return to on a regular basis. The only low point I could find on the album was that the vocals on the penultimate track, The Wizard sounded a little off-key and somewhat strained. This is more than made up for, however, by the impeccable synergy between the guitars and keyboards which work so well for every song. My ears are always grateful when I hear a super melodic lead guitar break rather than being pulverised by some raucous and dissonant assaults from a guitarist who doesn't know when to stop. Thankfully, this album is literally dripping with a smorgasbord of very melodic guitar and keyboard brilliance that never lets up. What more could you ask for?
This album will certainly appeal to fans of Flamborough Head, Kayak, Tumbletown, Like Wendy, Sky Architect, Trion, Mangrove, Seven Day Hunt, Timelock, Silhouette, Leap Day, Egdon Heath, Marathon, Odyssice, Ricocher, Nice Beaver, Knight Area, Plackband, PBII and Cliffhanger. And the observant amongst you will have noticed that all of these bands are from The Netherlands. That's a well deserved feather in the cap for the Dutch!
Seventh Dimension — Of Hope And Ordeals
Stockholm-based symphonic prog-metallers Seventh Dimension have returned to the fray with both a new singer, Markus Tälth, and a new album Of Hope And Ordeals. The rest of the band remain the stable line up they have had since their debut album, Circle Of Life released in 2013, that is Luca Delle Fave (guitars, backing vocals), Rikard Wallström (bass), Marcus Thorén (drums, percussion) and Erik Bauer (keyboards).
This is my first encounter with Seventh Dimension, and though I often find prog-metal not to my taste, this album has won me over in the main and I find easy to forgive some of its occasional metal excesses. This is mainly due to the warmth of the new singer and to the thick layers of keyboards used throughout the album. And I like its character driven story telling, helped by checking out the lyrics posted on Seventh Dimension's Bandcamp page.
For the prog-metal fans they still throw plenty of prog-metal shapes throughout Of Hope And Ordeals, with nods to shredding and some super bass playing, see the metal boogie of the powerhouse Underwater and the grinding riffs of Mind Flyer. But the tracks I like best have some marvellous organ playing (The Great Unknown) or synth work (Ghost Veil).
The centrepiece of the album is the third part of the Black Sky trilogy. The first two parts were on their previous release Black Sky. Black Sky: Final Frontier is a 25 minute, six part epic that manages easily to hold my attention. It moves from an instrumental intro into heavy riffing and nice keyboards. The story telling, of travel to a distant planet and what they find there, doesn't start until seven minutes in. There are slower sections, heavier metal sections, before reaching an orchestral conclusion. It never lacks for energy and has a multitude of inventive melodic themes running through it.
As an album, Seventh Dimension's Of Hope And Ordeals is an interesting mix of symphonic metal and prog-metal that is melodic, almost pop-ish on one track (V23), full of warm energy and well worth a listen if this is anywhere near your musical wheelhouse.
Sloane Square Band — Thoughts
Thomas Otten
Looking at Sloane Square Band's biography, I started to ask myself whether prog rock is a genre particularly representative of "comeback-careers". Of the last 10 or so albums I had the opportunity to review, about half had followed the "I was young and full of optimism and dreams when I started to make music. But then life had other plans for me and only much later I returned to my previous dreams and fulfilled a heartfelt wish"-pattern. Maybe it is just a coincidence, or I did not pay attention to that phenomenon before.
Be that as it may, Sloane Square Band (SSB) fall into this category, having been founded under the name of Sloane by guitarist and vocalist Claude Segalin in the early seventies. Despite having had some popularity right from the beginning, the band disbanded four years later without having left behind any recorded material. Releasing their first album only took place some forty years later in the form of a live album, after Claude had gathered some friends from past times around him, and had amended the name to SSB.
Guelf, a tribute to a rock opera written by Claude in 1974 (but never released) was album no. 2 in 2021, followed by intensive line-up changes prior the production of Thougths. Music knows no ageing! Besides Claude, who wrote the music and lyrics, SSB now consist of Richard Groulx (lead vocals), Gérard Thouret (keyboards), Alix Guglielmi (bass), Didier Leboucher (lead guitar), Anthony Valenzuela (drums), and Leina Vinx (flute, vocals). Although not mentioned as an official band member, Guy Pratt, with Pink Floyd since 1986, assumed the bass playing on almost all the tracks, and Joniece Jamison, singer with Eurythmics a.o., contributed on vocals.
The band describes its music as "neo progressive rock compositions with Pink Floyd sensibilities". Yes, there is a touch of neo-prog here and there, especially in the opening title track, and in Odd Love. Agreed, the guitar riffing and especially the soloing bears some Gilmour-elements, and the female voices in Hiroshima remind me of the ones in The Great Gig In The Sky from Dark Side Of The Moon. In fact, Richard Groulx's voice and the use of orchestra-like strings in Thoughts bring Unitopia, and Alan Parsons Project to my mind. But on the other hand, Born could also have been a ballad from Scorpions, the closing three tracks are straightforward rock songs, and each track of the album is very well suited for radio airplay in non-prog stations. Throughout its entirety, special emphasis is but on accessibility, catchy melodies and refrains in such a way that the songs touch upon being sweetish every now and then.
What I very much like are the vocals, which, especially in the softer tracks, perfectly fit the music and provide for that extra catchiness. However, all this comes a bit at the expense of dynamics, complexity, variety, and excitement. With a few exceptions, (Fishes, Odd Love, Jane), the tracks are mid-tempo and sound fairly similar with respect to their arrangements. Keyboards are present, but fulfil more of an accompanying and background function, with the soloing being confined to the guitar. The well-balanced mixing and the good sound quality should be emphasised. The messages conveyed through the lyrics, which are down to earth, are easy to understand. The music expresses the feeling that the band enjoy what they are playing and that they no longer need to prove anything to themselves or to others, due to the productive composition of experienced, older musicians and younger talents.
Writing reviews for a portal dedicated to progressive rock, this album left me not only shrugging my shoulders, but also somewhat perplexed. "To be (prog) or not to be (prog), that is the question." Of course, getting the correct answer was of far greater importance and scope for Shakespeare's Hamlet than it is for a lover of progressive rock. If I take my own subjective understanding of progressive rock as a basis and apply my criteria which this style should incorporate, my conclusion is that Thoughts does not count as prog. I rather consider it as melodic (hard) rock with occasional doses of neo prog and AOR. Is Thoughts a bad album, therefore? Not at all! Since there are so many definitions and preferences concerning prog amongst the listeners, others may come to a different conclusion than I do. Thoughts is well arranged, played by skilled and experienced musicians, easy to listen to and very accessible. Music does not always have to be complex and elaborated.
Are there listeners wishing to test the waters before jumping into the cold prog rock water right away? In that case, why not take this album as an intermediate step on the way from straightforward to progressive rock? It makes familiarisation with the latter easier.