Prog4you.com - Progressive Rock Review

I was ecstatic when presented with this cabalistic disc of guilty pleasure & sin. Not only is their producer, Jonas Reingold, the greatest bassist of all-time, but their album, Devil’s Jigsaw, was an earth-shattering event -- as far as my Prog Rock haven was concerned. Instantly, they garnished much of my interest and like Cookie Monster; I couldn’t wait to munch into this digital wafer.

Actually, I knew about this mystic stew for some time and waited patiently for their synergistic sauce to simmer. When it was available to try out, I was so inclined to bury the ladle; you could cut the tension with a butter knife. Once sporked, I discovered that this alphabet soup hardly paints by numbers; to the contrary, it eats like a meal.

What’s even more ironic is that Satan’s dilemma – what I’m cleverly calling their prior effort - was not intended to be a full release. Rather it was demos and supposedly unfinished works. I didn’t know it at the time. Now that I’ve seen this polished gem in the buff, I’m prepared to give all I’ve got – with the exception of my soul – to promoting their symphony of constructive notes.

Not to mention, it’s a good cause for the active listener to invest their recreational pension in, as they forge several epic crusades to bring us safe passages and intuitive time-signatures.

For starters, “Reflections” is a four-part whirligig. While it might seem too good to be true, “The Devil’s Advocate” does more with less turbines, fins and gears. On the opposite side of the spectrum – when they’re not running for endurance, they do more than warm us up; they stride between interval stretches and oftentimes sprint.

Overall, the opener entitled “Goodbye” is the winner but it’s down to the wire so there isn’t much of a buffer to allow for breathers. The longer ones are swell to inhale as well; so much so that a consolation prize would be insulting to dole out. Arguably, each ditty deserves that foremost pole position, but in the end; the tracks are properly slotted and stoked.

In order to describe them, I have to pilfer from the pyres of genres’ best. I definitely hear Queen, Dream Theater, Spock’s Beard, Flower Kings and Styx. Harnessing the essence of such distinguished names, it’s hard to reconcile the fact that they’re new to the scene. Inline with the latest innovations from prepubescent bands, they parallel A.C.T, Black Bonzo, and Din Within.

Mostly, their musical style is symphonic and quirky; less like jazz; more like Izz. On special occasions, they’re moderately heavy; sometimes even hurling seething metal. Personally for me, it’s the right balance between dark and light, but it’s all good clean fun. If you too like variety, the majority of it should play out all right.

Parenthetically, guest vocalist, Rob Palmen, is astounding in “Korsakov” In that one, he reminds me of Goren Edman: a singer of legendary proportions haling out of Sweden. In addition, the keyboards flicker with the deliberate glitz frequently witnessed in Richard Anderson’s wild and crazy antics. It’s no wonder these sharp shards of progressive rock share their modus operandi with Karmakanic; especially when you consider their close association with its mastermind and his brood of wickedly righteous hell’s angels.

This album is highly recommended if you ask me. Don’t hesitate to sign your bloody name on the dotted line. Trust me; you’ll get everything you’ve dreamed of in return -- and all it takes is a miniscule sliver of your regenerative marrow to be completely vested. So what’s the harm in giving them an eensy-weensy splinter of your life force!

Gosh, I sort of sound like the office administrator of you-know-who, but you too would be a huckster if you had access to the tabernacle or this evanescent, talismanic artifact.

9.25/10
Reviewer: Josh Turner

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Discography
Reflections - 2004
The Devil's Jigsaw - 2005
Dreamers - 2007