|
Review:
|
The gynaecologist’s favourite melodic prog band are
back with a their second album. Please don't do an image
search to see what the band look like, the results could
be very embarrassing, or even potentially disastrous for
gentlemen if your partner walks in a catches you. Their
first album 'Fantasy' was a labour of love for Swedes Mats
and Anna Bender and their friends and family for over ten
years, this second album has taken just four. The powerful
funky groovy opener 'The Hand That Feeds You' shows that
they have brought their sound bang up to date, adding some
Reasoning and Ayreon into the Bender's blend of Pink Floyd,
Camel, Marillion and Pendragon. It has all the tradition
of prog past but it could only have been made today. It's
packed with Anna's soulful voice, Matt's incredible keyboards
and synths, and outstanding contributions from all the band.
The production and sound is top notch, proof a home produced
album can sound like it was recorded in an expensive professional
studio and not on a cheap mobile phone. Between the four
main songs and the instrumental 'Restless' are four brief
atmospheric interludes based on the four elements which
gives the album its title. There is tremendous continuity
in each song, they are all very long, averaging about 12
minutes, but sound short because they are never dragged
out, there is no aimless noodling, and they are all of a
piece, not like a load of different bits stuck together.
'Hand That Feeds You' and 'Dreamscape' move effortlessly
between light/powerful, vocal/instrumental passages. 'Soulprint'
builds and builds as is grows from soft classical to a strut
powered along by son Mattias's skilful drumming and daughter
Johanna's percussion, it quietens and then builds again
into the rousing refrain, I love it when a band has the
ability to cruise along like a finely tuned Ferrari. 'Like
Always' is a classic ballad, a big name like Celine Dion
would have a massive hit with an edited version.***
This has everything you want in a melodic prog record,
great songs, tunes, musicianship and sounds with the right
balance of light/heavy, simple/complex and all the traditional
values of classic prog but slap bang up to date. To save
you getting into trouble, their consulting rooms are at
http://www.introitus.se/index.html
, a terrific 8.75 out of 10.
|
