Featured CD - Anti-Depressive Delivery: Feel. Melt. Release. Escape.

[Duncan Glenday]

My favorite reviewer wrote:

Sometimes an album leaves you bamboozled, and you need to play it again and again until you figure it out.

The first several songs on are nice '70s inspired prog with vocals that will appeal to some – but others might find them a bit strained, and the melodies a bit contrived.

But there's a huge contrast toward the end of the record, and it closes out with "Bones And Money", a really wonderful 15-minute epic that embraces everything that we like about symphonic progressive music. It starts with an elegant piano piece whose first few bars resemble Cat Stevens's "Morning Has Broken". There's an uncomfortable tempo-shift into harder rock – but don't worry. All of the subsequent shifts are smooth and you'll easily be swept with the ebb and flow and the constantly developing themes and the emotion that drives this song. Think of a more melodic, harder-edged version of Echolyn's Mei.

The contrast is not in the style or sound or mood – it is one of quality and complexity. The first several tracks are good. But the purchase price of Feel. Melt. Release. Escape. is easily justified on that final track alone.

Reviewer: Duncan Glenday
Score:
Related Link: The Lasers Edge

This and one other review here:
http://www.seaoftranquility.org/revi...ontent&id=1780

[Scrotum Scissor]

I still like it, but I have to say that it gets a bit "samey" after a few songs and that I therefore really don't play it too often anymore. But it *IS* an underrated slice of modern Norwegian prog.

[simon moon]

I'm still a fan of this one.

I haven't listened to it in quite a while.

The epic is great. The section that sounds like "Apocalypse in 9/8" is pretty cool.

[LASERCD]

We released it the same day as Riverside - Out Of Myself and White Willow - Storm Season. No one paid any attention to it. Unfortunately it sank like a stone.

We still have some cheap copies:

https://www.lasercd.com/node/3499

[arturs]

I liked this one too, but I admit I haven't played it in quite a while. I bought it from Ken's sale. They released a follow-up too (not on LE) and I remember streaming that one from their site a while back, thinking it was a little more mature than this debut.

One thing: Though they are great players and good composers, I think they would have been better off singing in Norwegian. They might of sounded mysterious a la Anglagard Hybris. Instead their English came off as a little clumsy and contrived.

[mellotron storm]

^ I agree about the vocals, not good at all and the lyrics aren't great either but that might have more to do with it being their second language. I was disappointed by this but it has it's moments. The Travis Smith art work is cool though.

[Scrotum Scissor]

I think they would have been better off singing in Norwegian. They might of sounded mysterious a la Anglagard Hybris. Instead their English came off as a little clumsy and contrived.

I could NOT agree more. All too few Norwegian "symph" bands have attempted to apply their own tongue.

[Klonk]

I really liked this one even with the subpar vocals. Pretty unique metal album I'd say. I like their second album too. Much more of a straight forward rock album though. And with improved vocals for sure.

[Yanks2014]

We released it the same day as Riverside - Out Of Myself and White Willow - Storm Season. No one paid any attention to it. Unfortunately it sank like a stone.

We still have some cheap copies:

https://www.lasercd.com/node/3499

Wow, a lot of great music on the same day! I might have bought all three the same time when these came out, and I play all three often. I really like this particular album, as I find the sound so hard to pin down, I think they had a really unique spin on prog. Their sounds ranges so much on this album, I'm surprised by the "samey" comment. I understand their later albums don't rock as hard as this one, a shame. I still want to check out more of their music. I do wonder if the odd band name and terrible album cover maybe turned some people off. Not sure what made me pick it up, but I'm happy I did.

[Just Eric]

Like it. Like many others I don't play it much. Too bad about getting lost in the shuffle of great new releases.