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Review:
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Last year I reported on the first episode of author
Kevin J Anderson’s Terra Incognita project that tied in
with his accompanying novel. This instalment is about the
war between Tierra and Uraba that broke out in the first
chapter and has totally new characters. Fittingly the music
is darker and heavier, written by Henning Pauly (Frameshift,
Chain, Shadow’s Mignon) who also incredibly plays all the
instruments. Lyrics are again by Kevin and his wife Rebecca
Moesta, with Grammy winning Janis Ian contributing to two
tracks. Vocalists this time include Michael Sadler (Saga,
playing a different character), Steve Walsh (Kansas), and
the mighty blues/soul lungs of the sexy Sass Jordan. There
are obvious parallels with the history of the Middle East,
the clash of two very different cultures and beliefs over
a city that is sacred to both sides, leading to a never
ending spiral of war and hatred, ‘’You killed our fathers,
so we kill your sons”, this may be a fantasy story but its
basis is grim reality. The music is a mix of Ayreon, Dreamtheater
and classic melodic rock, fittingly Arjen Lucassen and the
first Dreamtheater vocalist Charlie Dominici make appearances.
The quality and diversity of the material on offer here
is quite staggering, this is immaculately recorded premier
league prog. Highlights include the towering humungous opening
track ‘Barricade’ with Steve giving a lung bursting performance;
the monster blues metal ‘The Crown’ with Sass really letting
rip, sounding like a funked up, suped up Led Zep; Sass’s
bluesy power ballad, with the emphasis on the power, ‘Need’;
and Michael’s bittersweet anthemic closer ‘Victory’, “But
all blood is red, and the dead ask me why, In a war that
won’t end, was it worth it to die?” If you like you prog
heavy, technical, but extremely melodic then this is a must
buy. Available from all good stockists, their Myspace is
http://www.myspace.com/roswellsix
, this is darker, different, but just as good as their first,
9.5 out of 10.
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