Opening for MSG this year were two local prog bands that completely hold their own, and Never awakE is one of them. Firstly, having never heard of them I wasn't exactly interested, but I was told by a secret agent of sorts to take due note of what I was about to see, and give them a chance to see just what they're all about. This was some of the best advice I could imagine, as these guys play like absolute monsters, and have the material to back it. I really had no idea what I was in store for and certainly walked away all the more blown away at what I saw and heard that night.  This is a band of youngsters who are setting out to find the proverbial holy grail of progressive rock.

They play a somewhat disjointed variety of styles on stage compared to the much easier to nail assortment found on their debut EP, also reviewed here at MSJ. I say it's harder to nail because they simply don't come out and just play their songs, they play them differently, with a much more playful approach than heard on the record. In fact, they come off on record more like Tool meets Dream Theater,  with an epic/industrial feel and a polished approach to them. In concert they tend to move away from the pigeonholes found on the studio versions, and add a delightful freshness to them, but that might just be a factor of the musical distance traveled since they recorded that set. I can't be certain until I see them again, which I plan on doing.

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