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Progressive Rock CD Reviews

Mangrove

Beyond Reality

Review by Gary Hill

This is a potent progressive rock adventure. It is similar to neo-prog stylings of bands like the Flower Kings, but is also so well immersed in old school prog (of course, aren’t the Flower Kings?) as to appeal to classic progressive rock aficionados. I like the disc a lot and it’s a great listening experience. I wouldn’t chalk it up as one of my all time favorites or anything, but it is one that I’ll be coming back to regularly for a listening experience.


This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2010  Volume 2 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
Daydreamer's Nightmare

Starting with acoustic guitar, this builds and grows very slowly. After a while like this it fires out into a harder rocking jam that has some Pink Floyd in the mix, but also other progressive rock sounds. A couple minutes in this extended introduction ends as they drop down to just piano and then the voice comes in over the top. This is built up a little as it continues, but then they fire out into a dramatic harder rocking jam from there. From there this cut runs through a number of changes and alterations. It has some definite modern progressive rock elements, but it’s really quite rooted in classic prog. This grows and transforms in some very powerful ways. At almost fourteen and a half minutes in length, this qualifies as epic.

Time Will Tell
Keyboards start this and as it grows I hear bits of different bands in the mix. Yes here, Genesis there, Pentwater over in that corner and Nektar on that wall. They take it through this powerful and rather triumphant introduction and then drop way down for the balladic motif that serves as a segue. Next it moves out to a melodic section that is quite Yes-like at points. There are hints of Beatles-like music later, but then it is taken into more Genesis-oriented territory. There’s a cool drop back to mellow space music mid-track. It’s very much in a similar style to Pink Floyd’s “Echoes.” From there they take it into a soaring keyboard dominated jam. This is another cut where they keep revising and changing it around. It’s another awesome progressive rock epic where you’ll hear this band here and that one there and yet a lot of is quite unique. Exactly eighteen and a half minutes long, this is even more worthy of the “epic” title.
Love And Beyond
Here is a poignant ballad that starts as just voice and piano. It grows beyond that later, but really retains the same basic flavor, just with additional layers and power. At less than four and a half minutes long, this is the shortest cut on show. 
Reality Fades
A chiming bell and dramatic keyboard sounds open this and hold it for a while. Then they power out into a harder rocking motif that’s a bit like a more pure prog Pink Floyd. They take it through a number of left turns and changes. Mid track (this one’s about seven minutes long) it drops back down to the intro type sounds and then rises back up from there. This instrumental is quite tasty. 
Beyond Reality
A piano solo starts us off – and holds it for a time. It’s quite intricate and pretty. Guitar joins in and this soars, reminding me a bit at times of early Marillion. There’s also a bit of a bluesy edge to it. It drops to an almost acapella motif for the verse and builds very gradually from there. It becomes incredibly powerful as it grows later. 
Voyager
There are parts of this that make me think of Toto or Survivor – a bouncing sort of pop rock motif. Still, the cut is very progressive rock oriented, make no mistake. There’s also a powered up jam that seems rather like Uriah Heep. Another that’s epic in length and scope, among the other elements I pick up on here and there are Pink Floyd (Meddle

era) and Klaatu. It changes a lot throughout and the closing section reminds me most closely of early Marillion.

 
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