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The Dreaming Tree

Silverfade

Review by Gary Hill

This British outfit has released quite an intriguing album. Parts of it are sure to sit well with progressive rock purists, but others will find them scratching their heads. They have a lot of modern prog and even some heavy metal in the mix. Yet, it’s still often grounded in classic prog and jazz and more. This is somewhat adventurous and quite effective. I’d consider it a successful venture for sure.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2015  Volume 5 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
Yesterday's Tomorrow

Piano leads off. The cut works out from there into a fast paced progressive rock jam. It drops to a mellower, but still driving, arrangement for the vocals. This is modern prog, but it has a lot of its roots in the classic progressive rock of the 1970s.

Heart Shaped Bruises
Although overall this isn’t far removed from the previous piece, there is a heightened intensity here. It does have some mellower sections, but when it rocks, it pretty furious. There are some moments with some metallic crunch, too.
Yours to Find
There is a very metallic riff at the heart of one of the sections of this piece. Yet there are other things here that are almost jazz-like. Overall it’s another great piece of modern progressive rock. It’s full of shifts and changes and just another killer tune.
Yesterday's Tomorrow
As good as the ride has been to this point, I think I like this song even better than those we’ve heard so far. It’s a screaming hot prog jam. It reminds me quite a bit of Dream Theater, really. The mellow drop back on this seems to have quite a bit of jazz built into it. There are definitely some intense moments here. I love some of the screaming guitars.
Cherry Winters
Starting with a real jazz groove, this is cool. Although there are more proggy moments, and it does rock out some, this song stays mellower and more jazzy than what has come before it did.
Autumn Haze
This is more screaming hot guitar led prog rock. It’s almost like a cross between Dream Theater and Kansas to me.
Higgs
Crunchy modern prog, this has some cool shifts and changes. There are some hints of space rock in this beast, too. The mellower drop back movement is tasty, as well.
Jaded Summer Long
There is a lot of metal in the mix here. On a different album this could be a metal stomper. It has some prog, too, but it’s definitely a stomper. It’s kind of like Deep Purple meets Dream Theater.
Every Minute Lost
The mellower sections on this definitely remind me of Dream Theater. There is a bit more straight ahead hard rock on the powered up sections, though. There are some jazzy moments and the soulful female vocals are great.
Loose It Off
The mellower piece combines progressive rock, jazz and solid rock and roll. It’s a killer tune, really.
Song in 7
The combination of classic and modern progressive rock here is great. This is one of the more melodic tunes here, but it’s still high energy.
The Ocean
I can make out some Dream Theater on this mellower prog song. This is pretty, but one of the more straight-line numbers.
Kosovo
This is quite a dynamic and diverse rocker. It gets pretty metallic at times. Yet, it’s also very much progressive rock. There are sections, though, that could qualify as thrash metal.
Zero to Type One
This screams in as a heavy metal powerhouse. The keys bring some proggy elements to this, but really this one would fit as an epic metal stomper. It does work out into some trippy space rock mid-track. There is some screaming hot guitar soloing later.
 
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