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Progressive Rock CD Reviews

The Skys Journey through the Skies Review by Gary Hill I like this act a lot. There is a cool mix of sounds here. Most of this is AOR, but it’s almost all prog. There is psychedelia on display in healthy dosages, too. It’s safe to say that you probably haven’t heard progressive rock quite like this before. It’s also safe to say that you should give these guys a chance. You are likely to be pleased with what you hear. This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2016 Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review

One Saturday of the Spring The bass opens this. Then they fire out into a killer space rock meets prog jam. It’s AOR in a lot of ways, but it’s distinctly prog. There are bits here that make me think of RPWL. The backing vocals add a lot. So does the keyboard solo.

The Rain This is mellower and much more of a psychedelic rocker. It’s a lot like early Pink Floyd, really.

This Is What You've Got Instantly harder rocking, this thing really powers out and moves ahead. It’s still proggy, though. Make no mistake about that. The mellower section at the end, in particular, is very much prog rock.

Take a Look Inside This short instrumental is a full on psychedelic treatment that could have come out of he 1960s.

The Ancient Indian's Song Prog and psychedelic rock merge on this song. I like this, but it’s a bit on the awkward side in some ways.

Should Stop Now A mellower tune at the start, part of the vocals here are spoken and part are sung. After a time, we’re taken into a killer jazz jam complete with saxophone solo. Female vocals join as the cut works out to another, more purely prog, styled jam. This is one of the most dynamic cuts here. It’s also one of my favorites.

The Wings of the Night Dramatic symphonic prog starts off here. It eventually works out to more mainstream AOR prog. There are both male and female vocals at different times on this cut. It’s another strong one.

Dreams This cut seems to merge mainstream prog, fusion and bands like Yes at the start. When it drops for the vocals, it almost feels a bit like Pink Floyd (or perhaps RPWL) with a bit of Dire Straits in the mix. A harder rocking jam takes it after that vocal movement. Then it works through a mellower jam with acoustic guitar before taking us back to the song proper. Some scorching hot guitar soloing emerges over the top of the jam after the next vocal movement.

Broken Sounds of Truth This is quite pounding and high energy. At times (particularly the mid-track jam) this is almost heavy metal. It’s got a lot of Pink Floyd in the mix, too. It’s a real powerhouse jam. It may not be the most purely prog thing here, but it’s one of the best songs of the disc.

Virtual Reality Imagine combining Pink Floyd with Dire Straits. Then add some more theatrical sound. You’ll be pretty close to the idea behind a lot of this. The acoustic guitar soloing adds a bit of a Spanish air to it. The mellower jam with the female vocals is so cool. The instrumental section with saxophone solo that follows it is also classy. This is another highlight of the set. It’s diverse and yet always effective.

Is This the Way? A harder rocking jam, the combination of Pink Floyd and Dire Straits isn’t off beam on this song either. I can also hear some Phideaux in the mix on this thing. I love the combination of male and female vocals here. This is another standout track for sure.

Love of Life The closing track is another that makes good use of the combination of male and female vocals. I’m again reminded of Phideaux in some ways. There are some screaming hot instrumental movements on this thing. It’s another powerhouse cut that’s a highlight of the set.

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