Issue 2024-081
Marek Arnold's Artrock Project — The Triple EP Collection
When Marek Arnold released his phenomenal Artrock Project album in 2023, he supported it with three digital-only EP releases. All of these releases are now gathered on The Triple EP Collection. A limited edition CD which also features 20 minutes of additional material. To be more precise, two brand-new compositions and two songs not previously released on CD.
Featuring a smaller but still impressive list of participants, all conveniently accounted for in the accompanying and handsomely designed booklet which also includes QR-links to complementary videos, it's the Stay EP that starts of the collection. And marvellously at that! For with Melanie Mau on vocals the compelling Stay instantly glues fans of symphonic prog effortlessly to their seats with a ravishing amount of spectacularly driven dynamic melodies, tantalising guitar solos and victorious Kansas prog.
The radio friendly refrain/chorus presentation of Stay (Radio Edit) that follows bypasses many of these exciting passages which admittedly takes some getting used to after having just experienced the full dazzling original. But even without those parts this abbreviated version shows compositional strength and attractiveness of melodies. The EP is finally concluded by an individual segment of the stunning Berlin 2049 suite for which I gladly refer to my original review.
Next up is the Papillon EP which, next to the inclusion of another Berlin 2049 chapter, offers two near-identical versions of the Arno Menses sung Papillon. This at first seems a bit overindulgent. It probably is, for some. Yet as stated previously I find this "everything-gels" composition to be off such exceptional stunning beauty that experiencing it twice in a row is actually a treat most welcomed.
This is a slightly different affair in light of the third and final instalment, A Time Of Mystery EP. Concluding the EP-run with the excellent final part of Berlin 2049, it is the wonderful combination of Manuel Schmid's soothing voice with Arnold's tuneful wind instrumentation in A Time Of Mystery that once again provides a lovely resting point. Now prolonged with a delightful piano / vocal version. But by the time the song's radio edit comes along it does tend to get a little bit too repetitive in melody. Thankfully, the all-important human invention of the "random" function comes to the rescue.
The collection continues with an extended version of the graciously flowing Come Away With Me in which several new arrangements can be spotted. By now though attentive readers will have spotted the fact that 10 minutes of alternative versions, aka this last song and the vocal/piano version of A Time Of Mystery, is a relatively small yield for those already owning the original album. This however completely changes for the better with the final three songs.
The first of these compositions El Morisco Y La Bruja De Nagu is a song actually composed and released by multi-instrumentalist Jari Riitala which features Marek guesting on soprano saxophone. As the musical odd one out this delectable song takes a delightful flight into harmonious prog-fusion in which elements of Santana, Mahavishnu Orchestra and Solution all perfectly intertwine and where sweeping guitars and saxophone get to shine. All in all a truly enjoyable standout track.
This excellent momentum is followed by Still The World Keeps Moving which gives heavenly vocals by Annemarie Schmidt, guided by piano. The amazing Aiden rounds off the album in luxurious progressive style. It is a kind of continuation of the Berlin 2049 saga. It features amongst others Antony Kalugin (synth solo, Karfagen) and Jana Pöche (Seven Steps To The Green Door) and Patrick Lundström (Kaipa, Ritual) on vocals. This spectacular composition encompasses everything a symphonic prog rock devotee basically desires. And it brilliantly delivers on this through perfectly cast harmonious vocal performances and a richly variegated amount of impeccably executed dynamic melodies. This marvellous track certainly creates high anticipation for Arnold's next album.
As a whole these, last three songs are absolutely worth the price of admission. And based solely on these tracks I urge everyone to get hold of this collection. Regardless of whether you already own the debut or not. Best to be quick in light of its limited availability.
The Triple EP Collection is a beautifully priced in-between release, filled to the brim with top-notch performances and symphonic prog rock. A collection fully worth adding to your collection. Activate the random function on your player and simply enjoy!
Dilemma — The Purpose Paradox
Dilemma are a Dutch group, consisting of some exceptionally experienced musicians. Vocalist Wudstik has performed alongside Ayreon, drummer Collin Leijenaar has had stints as the stickman for Neal Morse and others, Kristoffer Gildenlöw as well serves up his low-end skills on the bass in Pain of Salvation. Together with Robin Z (keyboards) and Paul Crezee (guitars) they have now dropped album number three - The Purpose Paradox. (The previous album Random Acts Of Liberation was reviewed here on DPRP as well.)
From the get-go, Sanctuary fires on all cylinders with dose of hard rock, lead by the almost video game-like keyboards, showcasing the multitude of influences, with rises and falls to a gentle midpoint and rowdy Dream Theater-like outro. I Am Neon kicks off with a similar hard intro, before slowing down and allowing Wudstick to showcase his vocal talents for cinematic prog.
Another hard rock intro draws us into Electra (I'm sensing a pattern here – but they do it well). Leijenaar is on fire through this number. Numerous fills and grooving beats laying down the blocks for the catchy prog-pop chorus and trade off solos. Thunder comes up next and breaks the pattern with a soft keyed intro. A slow burner, bearing all the hallmarks of a classic prog ballad, including a fast, yet emotionally charged solo from Crezee. At the halfway mark we have a special guest – Derek Sherinian (Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, Dream Theater and many more). This track is one where Gildenlöw is really noticed. Joined with Leijenaar, they provide some fantastic bouncing rhythm throughout. The only downside is Sherinian's solo is actually a bit overshadowed by Robin Z's work through the rest of the album, and the key change towards the end is just a bit on the side of jarring.
Side 2 starts with Not Enough Now, not quite as full pelt as the others, this one lands with a feel of more of a radio single. Catchy chorus, interesting leads but nothing too over the top or fancy. Glow as well has a vibe of a single. Standard structure, nothing new or groundbreaking, but a very enjoyable track. Cities enters in with an electronic intro and evolves over time to a powerful outro and vocal performance over an equally outstanding solo.
Finally, we reach close — the 15 minute Outer Light. Very reminiscent of some of Dream Theater's work, particularly the Octavarium album, this track features some spectacular work from each band member. Especially from the rhythm section again (bass in particular) as well as some wonderful lead and solo work from Z and Creeze.
Wudstik has done a stellar job his first album with the band. Full of powerband harmony wherever needed. The rest of the band as well perform exceptionally and really showcase their talents. I think the album would be helped by some slightly better production, and maybe a bit more volume as I felt some of the instruments getting a bit lost in the mix at times. But all in all, a quite enjoyable album.
Fans of their other bands, or Kamelot, Big Big Train or Transatlantic will likely get a kick out of this one.
Carl Ewens — On Track: David Bowie 1964-1982
David Bowie is arguably the most progressive of pop-stars. Restlessly striving for new areas of songwriting and sounds to explore. Bowie loathed the idea of repeating himself even when record company executives pressured him for very similar follow-ups to successful albums, especially around the best-selling Young Americans and its take on blue-eyed soul.
Bowie must also be the fourth most-written about artist after Elvis, The Beatles and Bob Dylan. Bowie is a fascinating character as many writers have shown.
Carl Ewens has published two poetry collections, a sci-fi novel and a similar book on Bowie's friend Marc Bolan. He writes very well on Bowie's many changes of direction and musical identity. Exploring the albums, singles, bonus tracks and live outings in the Sonicbond style. He places Bowie influences firmly in the artistic and social changes of the 1960s, as it went from rock 'n roll through folk and psychedelia to the glam, disco, punk and krautrock of the 1970s. Examining how these things affected his music and his own struggles with addiction in the mid 70s.
The book shows how Bowie had a knack of choosing the right musicians to work with to flesh out his sounds and visions. Some of which are famously progressive in their outlook (Rick Wakeman, Brian Eno, Adrian Belew, Robert Fripp, Roger Powell, and from the prog band Beggars Opera their guitarist Ricky Gardiner). As well as many other respected musicians.
Carl Ewens On Track: David Bowie 1964-1982 is one those On Track books that encourage a healthy argument with the writer over the merits of various albums and track in Bowie's extensive catalogue.
Even if you think Bowie is a pop-star and only peripheral to the prog world I would urge you to listen to the album Low. I'm confident it will change your mind on this topic. Then you can pick this book up to decide where to go next.
Myriad Drone — Arka Morgana
Myriad Drone is a band from Melbourne and Arka Morgana is their debut album. Well, it was their debut album since it was written in 2017 and released in 2019. What are we doing reviewing it in 2024? The band has joined the company Bird´s Robe for the re-release of that album. Simple as that, no mysteries.
Bird´s Robe promotes many important bands, including And So I Watch You From Afar, Caspian, Maybeshewill, Meniscus, Russian Circles and more. I guess someone will recognize certain similarities between these bands, right? Yes, Myriad Drone's music falls under the post-rock banner.
But don't stop reading please. This one is different... like all the post rock albums out there. Seriously, I know that this style of music has gained many enemies who argue that all bands and songs sound the same, but it is not true. Of course the sound and structures are very similar, but good groups always add nuances or small elements that make them different, and better.
And Myriad Drone just included themselves in that club with their debut album. What are those details they add to the typical post-rock mix? It is not easy to detail in a very concrete way, but the fact of giving more importance to the atmospheres that are achieved than to the classic structures of the genre makes the songs take on a much more emotional character.
Of course this is as subjective as it gets, and deep down I think that with this type of music it often happens that you somehow "connect" with the songs and put the group among your favourites of the genre, without having to give many more theoretical explanations. In my case, little-known groups have also managed to connect me in this way, like my neighbours RÒ or the enigmatic El Altar Del Holocausto.
Myriad Drone also adds the voice as an additional instrument, making some of their songs even more emotional. I have to name here the impressive masterpiece album Skylight by the swedish band Atom as a lead to be followed. Again, this is a totally subjective characteristic, which in my case has a lot to do with the mood in which this type of music is listened to.
Arka Morgana is not at all an album to listen to if you are looking for something cheerful or powerful. As you see this album doesn't reveal anything new, but it has elements that can make you connect with it more than others within the genre, and that's what happened to me. That's why I give it a good grade.
Of course, I can't finish my review without mentioning that the group is finally planning to release their second album, and they've already released some singles. They sound great so hopefully we'll soon have another album that I can connect with.
Nazca — Watercolors
An album of electronic ambient, Nazca's third studio album, Watercolors, ultimately lacks staying power, but is a pleasant enough listen for fans of downtempo and more ambient prog. Nazca, made up of Isle of Man's Tomás Vergniaud and Santos Espina Mairal, bring along drummer Rodrigo Torres Pinelli to add in analog drum sounds to the electronics and synth heavy production.
The mix of these various styles comes to fruition in the second track of the album, Colorblind. The track begins with Vergniaud and Mairal on their traditional guitar and bass, while cello also from Mairal comes in with some light synths. Mutiltracked vocals add an ethereal air to the tune, which sounds vaguely Floyd-ish at the start. Once the first verse ends, the drums and piano come in and the overall sound is simply lovely. From there, the elements all play together for the remaining four minutes.
Nazca (promo photo)
This is the overarching theme of the record, where each of the elements combine to make the whole, or as they put it, "painting unique auditory landscapes with watercolors". Another tremendous example of this is the track Turing Test, which takes all the colors of Nazca's palette and turns them into a swirling piece. This is also the track where the drums are most prominent. As Vergniaud says, "The addition of analog drums brought ideas to life that would otherwise have remained shelved. We felt that digital programming didn't convey what we wanted". I tend to agree with this sentiment; there is a nice dynamic going on between the largely digital sound of the record and acoustic instruments. The bridges between these two types of sounds are among the better parts of the album.
However, much of the album left me unmoved. This is not to say the songs are not good, they are just very similar to one another. There is just not enough daylight between songs like the above-mentioned Colorblind and tunes like Dreamcatcher and Pond. In isolation, they are very good songs, but each feels like an only slightly different variation from the same basic premise. This being said, the band acknowledges this record is a new direction for Nazca and there is really solid material for them to build upon for future releases.
Watercolors by Nazca is out now on streaming services and digital release on SDDS Records.