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Progressive Rock CD Reviews

Soniq Theater Guitarissimo Review by Gary Hill This album is definitely different for Soniq Theater. I’d say that parts of it feel like the kind of thing you expect, but a lot doesn’t. I’d also say that parts of this don’t hold up nearly as well as the music on the earlier albums. Still, there is enough high quality material to make it worth having. This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2015 Volume 2 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review

Judgment Day I love the energetic, slightly odd, progressive rock meets jazz sound of this rocker. There is a bit of a percussion solo in the tune.

Downtown L.A. There’s a bit of an 80s rock sound here. That’s merged with definite jazz stylings. This definitely a different kind of thing for Soniq Theater. It’s also quite cool.

Beach of a new World A mellower piece, this is quite pretty. It’s more like the kind of thing one expects from Soniq Theater, but not completely. This is magical and a bit dreamy and ethereal.

Metropolis 1990 There is a bit of 80s Latin vibe to this number. It’s energetic and quite cool. It definitely has a lot of fusion built into it.

Something to Say Intricate and fast paced, I like this one a lot. It’s very much a fusion kind of thing with a bit of a Spanish guitar element.

Starlight Madness This feels quite freeform. It’s very much prog rock, but it has some fusion in the mix, too. It’s not as effective as some of the rest of the pieces, though.

Moon in June Spanish guitar plays amidst mellow keyboard elements. This is a pretty respite. It’s more like what is expected from Soniq Theater to me.

Lunchtime in Space Very much a jazzy excursion, this is good stuff, too. It’s less like the expected thing than the last one was. . It does, as the title suggests, wander into space a bit.

Straight into my Dreams Now, this is quite a cool prog rocker with a lot of fusion in the mix. It’s more of a mainstream kind of thing and has a lot of energy.

Metropolis (remix 2014) To me this feels very much like something that could have been on a movie or TV soundtrack in the 80s. It feels like “Miami Vice” or “Beverly Hills Cop.” It’s good, but not as good as the earlier version of the piece.

Sweet Dreamscape This is quite pretty and more the kind of thing I expect from ST. There is some great melodic guitar soloing built into this.

Harlequin This piece is only forty seconds long. It’s intricate and quite cool. I’d love to hear more of it.

Serengeti Walk This is also quite intricate. It definitely is more like the kind of thing I expect from ST. It’s pretty and also somewhat short.

Rays of Light Another that’s very much like traditional ST, this is lush and powerful. It is intricate, but also has a lot of waves of texture in the mix. It’s melodic, dramatic and quite pretty. It reminds me of Genesis at times.

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