Issue 2024-075
The Circle Project — Bestiario II
The Circle Project sprang into live when founder Ángel G. Lajarín of the Facebook discussion group Prog Circle invited several musically active members of his group to participate in a project. Abandoning ambitious thoughts of a rock opera early on in the process, it was eventually decided upon suggestion by Rafael Pacha (a.o. Samurai Of Prog) to create a conceptually themed album that sets medieval-styled bestiary to music. Together with a host of Spanish musicians and in close collaboration with guitarist German Fafian and Raúl Diaz (drums, keyboards) this resulted in the 2016 release of Bestiario I (on Bandcamp). Close guarded by Pacha as musical mastering director, Bestario II is its recently issued "zoological" follow up.
Provided with illustrative artwork and appealing booklet drawings that depicts a compendium of mythical creatures, Bestario II offers a richly eclectic and colourful song collection that beautifully portrays the extravagant/flamboyant nature of all these unique and fantastical creatures. The introductions in documentary style preceding each composition are done by Alexandro Baldassarini and María José Vaquero Pichu. I assume these will give more information on the respective beasts, but these narrations are spoken in Spanish which is not exactly my forte, so I can't really comment on this.
Following the lecturing introduction of Continuación it is Mantícora that starts the guided tour properly. It does so with gracefully calm melodies and lovely designs of acoustic guitar and earthy folk melodies that move freely about in environments of jazz. The extraordinary progressive journey truly starts with Draemus Gravida. A composition that playfully flutters within Guildmaster folk designs and, thanks to the vocals Claudia Zurdo, manages to occasionally spread its wings into territories of Solstice and Renaissance, before a streamlining coda of delightful synth melodies ends its alluring presence.
Bestiario II from then on frequently surprises through a wildlife of animated compositions that migrate all over the progressive spectrum. Diving deep into tensely gripping nautical atmospheres with gentle flute in Architeutis Dux -Kraken-, this yields refreshing avant-garde impressions of Daniel Crommie. TA mysteriously resonating EM anthill of crafty psychedelic King Crimson elements are added in Draculis Scarabus.
Equally mischievous of sorts is the colourful Rainbow Leprechaun which in corresponding enigmatic personification starts out as a somewhat eerie otherworldly symphonic soundscape before it meticulously morphs into a wonderful folk reality, blessed by warmth of organ and kaleidoscopic guitar and flute melodies that evoke memories of Mandalaband and Solaris.
This last song could just as easily have surfaced on a Pacha/Pörsti collaboration. As could Pardus Alatus Nero, which glides from Samurai of Prog into marvellously harmonious uptempo designs highlighted by formidable electric guitar play from Joaquín Sáinz. And the gracefully waltzing Grifelino Coloris, which as an imaginary reverse descendant of Harry Potter's Buckbeak freely glides past breezy Mayan folk flute and melodies that finalise in a free flight of elegant synth and guitar delights. Interestingly, these last three compositions are not from the actual hands of Pacha (or Pörsti), but respectively written by Paco Asense, Antonio Manuel Fernandéz, and German Fafian.
Pacha does add his signature to two compositions, though. Papilio Evanescens has intricate folk in spirit of The Guildmaster gradually evolve into prismatic prog designs from which expressive characteristics of Camel and Jethro Tull emerge. And the mightily impressive Homo Narcissus -Leno Litore, Assinus Facies is a scintillating composition that masterly fuses groovy rhythms and enticing complex rocking, emphasised by guitar play and cheerful synths (Alessandro Di Benedetti). Together with compelling vocalised passages that are reminiscent of Gentle Giant. To continue halfway with delicate folk and jazzy interactions. This then drifts into a beautiful passage of emotionally touching violin, which in turn is finalised by funky prog-rock that manages to recall Gentle Giant's Free Hand era.
The ultimate bewitching Meiga that follows is the one composition that truly stands out from the pack. As a beautiful symbiosis of acoustic guitar and touching operatic vocals by Spanish composer José Carballido, this melancholic composition strongly conveys impressions of a Fado. I realise this is not truly the case since Fado is Portuguese. Yet the masterly passionate way in which Carballido pours his heart and soul into his performance makes this "Galician Soleá" come awfully close to being the real deal.
The second truly standout composition, also my personal favourite of Bestiario II's fully entertaining exhibition, is the terrific hard rocking "Prog Andaluz" of Tardo. I again realise this is a geographical pinpoint that might not fully apply. But elevated by Carbadillo's strong and perfectly befitting expressive voice this vigorous and pompous track reminds me of bands like Uriah Heep, Dio, and Prog Andaluz icons Medina Azahara and Sherish. I Want More Please!
Leaving room for the imagination I'll leisurely make my way to the exit by mentioning that after Narvalus Transeoonce's streamlined detour into sax infused jazz fusion, Bestiario II's grand tour of spectaculars finally ends in Auxia with a highly enjoyable parting gift in form of comforting guitar melodies in vintage spirit of Eric Clapton / Cream.
Completely AI free and with no animals harmed in the process, the short overall conclusion after all this is that on a fantastical whole the adventurous Bestiario II offers something for all tastes. Avant-garde, prog, hard-rock, folk, electronic music, symphonic/cultural/psychedelic elements: you name it and it's somewhere invitingly represented within this glamorous menagerie of well written, skilfully arranged, and well executed compositions. So book your tickets for this highly recommended album now, before stock of the limited edition CD runs out!
Entering Polaris — Myth In Motion
Entering Polaris is the project run by Belgian guitarist Tom Tee. Myth In Motion is a metal album released together with the piano album called Songs Of Ivory In Obsidian (see below). He did the same thing just one year ago with the release of Atlantean Shores and And Silently The Age Did Pass. On the part of releasing a heavy and a soft album together he can be compared to Devin Townsend.
Up to some extent the music on Myth In Motion can also be compared to Devin Townsend. Sometimes heavy with grunting, a lot of screams, and a lot of changes. Just like previous release (or first part of the previous set), Myth In Motion is a progressive metal opera with different vocalists, and most of them have already appeared on previous Entering Polaris releases. In that respect, the comparison to Ayreon and Avantasia can certainly be made. Musically, Entering Polaris is more metal. I hear some Rhapsody Of Fire, Symphony X, Dream Theater and Epica but also some 1980s metal bands like Savatage, Helloween and Grimson Glory. At times, this album takes me back to the eighties when metal music was becoming popular, but Myth In Motion delivers more than just standard metal.
Opener To Quarter Vast And Furious starts with some mellow classical melodies which might make you wonder whether you've started playing the piano album. But after about half a minute it becomes clear you are listening to the heavy release. Fast-paced heavy metal that I remember listening to when I was a teenager. Heresy features Tim "Ripper" Owens on vocals, mostly known for his stint with Judas Priest. This song opens very heavy and fast and features many screaming and grunting vocals.
Sindre Nedland and Jeffrey Rademakers provide the grunts on Myth In Motion, both appear on a variety of songs throughout the album. Heresy contains many heavy parts and melodic soloing, reminding me a bit of King Diamond, a reference you don't see every day. Building Rome In A Day starts very much like an Ayreon song. With Hendrik Fevre (Anubis Gate) on vocals, this one is not as heavy as the previous song. Reign In Hell features John Yelland (Judicator) on vocals. Progressive metal in a style that reminds me of Evergrey and Redemption. A Friend In Time is a very fast song with a lot of Helloween influences. The vocals are done by Nick Holleman from pop band Powerized. For a singer in a pop band he has a very good voice for progressive metal — well done.
The Fires Of Alexandria features Thomas Vikström (Candlemass, Therion) on vocals. Tom Tee is not limited by music boundaries and this song even features a small part of reggae which is seamlessly combined with grunting. The Vitruvian Man (Part I) is a mellower song with Lynn Louise Pauwels on vocals. It is the only ballad on this album and this song is also represented on the piano counterpart album. Clockwork is the grand song on this album. Over twenty minutes long and features four vocalists. The two grunters are Nick Holleman and Arno Menses (Subsignal, Sieges Even). This song is all over the place and will take many spins before you can distinguish every interesting part. This is the song to sink your teeth in. Traveling Light is a very gentle outro song with some saxophone. You need to cool down after what came before!
Myth In Motion is another good release from Entering Polaris. Although I mentioned a lot of 1980s standard metal bands, this album has a lot more to offer than just that. Usually, a release like this makes me dig in my old metal albums, but Myth In Motion succeeds in holding my attention all the way.
Entering Polaris — Songs Of Ivory And Obsidian
The album Songs Of Ivory And Obsidian was released together with Myth In Motion. Just like a year ago Tom Tee released a heavy album and a mellow album at the same time, he for sure is a busy man. All songs on Songs Of Ivory And Obsidian contain the remark "Piano Edition".
The first five songs already appeared on the previous ambient release, And Silently The Age Did Pass, which was released a year ago. A Song Of Distant Earth is a new song, and the vocalist for this song is none other than Damian Wilson. I am a fan of Damian and I really like this song. The Vitruvian Man - Part I is the piano version of the song that is also present as a ballad on the counterpart album Myth In Motion, this time with Benny Willaert on vocals. This Old Land (An Arrow To The Sun) is sung by Georg Neuhauser. Do Raindrops Aspire To Be Oceans is a duet by Roy Khan (Kamelot) and Audrey Dandeville. This last song has a lot going on and to me is the most interesting track on this release.
This is a nice release if it were presented as a bonus disc. It contains five songs that were released earlier. As a stand-alone release, I find it hard to say if it was something I would have picked up on its own. It is just a lot of piano and a lot of songs we have heard before. Still, there some very nice music to be found here, especially A Song Of Distant Earth and Do Raindrops Aspire To Be Oceans.
Forest Field — Mystery And Mayhem
Dutch project Forest Field led by Peter Cox is no newcomer here on DPRP, with five albums reviewed since 2014. Over this decade, their music evolved from ambient progressive rock (see John's review of Pioneers Of The Future) to melodic AOR (check Jan's feedback on Seasons), compared to the likes of Ten, Kansas and Styx. Quite prolific in the second decade of the century, the project went silent since 2019 and now, five years later, stepped back into the spotlight with romantically titled release Mystery And Mayhem, echoed by an equally lush (even if AI-touched) cover art. More AOR to expect this time? Not precisely...
I am not familiar with previous releases by Peter, but this time Forest Field features some reasonably heavy, groovy rock music with only echoes of prog or AOR, harmonically closer to American alternative sound than to giants of 80s melodic rock. What's in the mix? Large chords, slightly raspy voice, multi-layered vocals in choruses, economical soloing and wide usage of 4/4 tempo – all this comes from alt-scene, and what's left is the prog icing on a cake – songs over 5 minutes, occasional synth keyboards, tendency to diversify (or at least embellish) the verse-chorus song structure.
The production is not precisely homemade, but not a grand studio effort either. One can notice that bass gets lost in a mix from time to time, leaving the grungy guitar riffs sounding a bit on the raw side, and the production of vocals is really quite basic. I also wish there's more versatility to the guitar sound, as Peter seems to stick to the same level of gain and overdrive effect on the pedal board from song to song, which somewhat blurs the diversity of material itself.
Progheads should definitely pay attention to Human Jigsaw, the longest track on the album and an easy pick for an epic, clocking in at roughly fifteen minutes. Despite the rather weak production of rhythm section here (strictly IMO), the material is interesting overall, reminding me of Magellan and Presto Ballet. Acoustic Slipping Away is a good heartfelt moment and a nice break from the riffage feast. Calling Me has some great heavy prog moments with a solid metallic groove and echoes of early Threshold / Enchant.
Generally, Forest Field made a worthy and versatile home rock album, with decent songwriting, but left only vestiges of prog in the final amalgam of genres. Recommended to those listeners who are into trad-rock and groove rock of the 90-ies.
Halma — Driving By Numbers
Even the most liberal statistics demonstrate that lifespan of an average post-rock band does not amount to more than three albums – compared to jazz musicians discographies or even heavy metal bands' these are indeed “mayfly” careers. It is up to future historians of music to look for reasons why – is it the genre peculiarity, or millennials attitude that differs so drastically from previous generations, or some altogether different reason. Anyway the sad facts are to be faced. The more important are the happy exceptions to the rule – for instance, Hamburg-based quartet Halma, releasing their 8th LP Driving By Numbers in 2024. Now, this amounts to some stability in the boiling pot of indie music!
Halma's music, the album Granular, was reviewed on DPRP, back in 2015, and Jim wasn't particularly happy with the contents, calling it “pedestrian post-rock”. OK, that was almost ten years ago, and it should be safe to assume that the band evolved somehow, introducing something new to the sound palette. While I can see Jim's point being partially justified (in 2024 it's really hard to make original post-rock), there's a redeeming quality for me in Halma's today's music. What's important is that the Germans instead of making an “assembly line” copy of Explosions In The Sky or God Is An Astronaut try something different and derive their inspiration from late 90ies post rock, while it was still a fresh and forward-thinking genre.
Jim drew parallels with Talk Talk, I would add David Byrne, Tortoise (unfairly forgotten even if uncomfortable forefathers of the genre) and even drum-and-bass. All the four tracks contain thick “noir” cinematic atmosphere, outline only abstract features of melody and even the grooviest numbers (title-track, for instance) are restrainedly phlegmatic, not unlike David Sylvian - while the ungroovy ones are decisively ambient. Annoyingly familiar post-rockish crescendos, string sections and Telecaster tremolos were (thankfully) set aside in favor of baritone guitar phrases and rhythm section doing austere post-jazz figures.
Thus (sorry for a pun) Driving By Numbers is far from being performed by numbers. However, the genre palette is still narrow, and Halma does not bring anything new to the table – rather reviving the disused secrets of the craft. It's an enjoyable record for those music lovers who embrace minimalism, but fans of lush symphonic sound shall not find anything worthy of attention. However, I willingly admit that the album is an almost perfect soundtrack to chilly autumn evenings.