MUSIC REVIEW: Ozric Tentacles - Arborescence

"Beyond words."

If anyone's been paying attention, I've done four reviews for Ozric Tentacles albums to date, and each time I've struggled to describe their music. Again, I will give it a shot (futile though it might be). Most people put them together with the good ol' instrumental progressive/space rock category, but there's so much more to it. It's got that ambient factor of electronica and the "bumpin'" element of techno, but it's unmistakably rock music. Yet still there's the African, Eastern, and Arabic influences that further distinguish this wacky bunch of virtuosos.

So throw it all in the blender, and what do you get? Something truly unique and mystifying, served up smooth. Hell if I know what to call it, but it's damn cool. Although there aren't really hooks, the music is aurally addictive. Each song is weirdly evocative and intense, with unparalleled dynamics of tempo and texture. All songs are great, but ya gotta give special mention to the longest song, which in this case is "Yog-Bar-Og." It undulates in intensity, all the while building to a wicked climax! It's 10 minutes of what the Ozrics do best, but again, what that is is difficult to describe. Some words that come to mind when listening are: "Trippy," "Fuzzy," "Plosive," "Glistening," "Smooth," "Watery," "Magical," "Steamy," "Groovy," "Cosmic," "Spacey," "Celestial Jungle Power," "Rawkin,'" and "Monkeys." Yep, there's my helpful review...I'm sure it told you everything you wanted to know, hoi hoi.

MUSIC REVIEW: Ozric Tentacles - Strangeitude

"OUT OF THIS WORLD!"

This album is absolutely incredible. Here, the Ozrics' diverse amalgam of styles comes together in some of the most logical, coherent, and especially exciting ways. If you've never heard this band before, imagine (if you can) a band playing instrumental progressive rock, techno, world music, and psychedelic crazy bits and you've got a bit of an idea of what these guys are like. Ultimately, they defy classification...you just have to listen. Their songs range from groovy, atmospheric "jungle jams" (does that make sense?) to out-of-this-world space rock with some of the neatest synthesizers I've heard.

Compared to other Ozrics albums, this is one of the better ones. Their albums are all pretty similar, so it's difficult to pick out individual constituents and identify the better qualities...there's just something ineffably "right" about this album. And it's killer! There is absolutely no other band I know of that sounds anything like this, which adds to their alluring mystique. I don't know what else to say...it's just freakin' good.

MUSIC REVIEW: Rush - Fly by Night

"Enter Peart."

Fly by Night signals the departure of John Rutsey and the recruitment of superlative rock drummer Neil Peart. Peart's membership helped guide this band to a more progressive, powerful trio than they were with the debut. His contributions musically and lyrically were HUGE. But it's important to keep in mind that in being an important album, Fly by Night is not necessarily a great one.

The record begins with "Anthem," a fiery-played rocker with Peart's first lyrical input. He lacked subtlety at this point; his Randian lyrics come across as pompous and hollow when too direct. (With "2112" and "The Trees," for instance, the lyrics work well because he's more clever.) "Rivendell" reminds me of a medieval minstrel's song. Gentle acoustic guitar accompanies Lee's most limpid vocals. I actually like this one, although many others don't care for it. I also enjoy the peppy riffs and catchy chorus of the title track, and the Zeppelin-esque "In the End."

I'd say the best song here is "By-Tor and the Snow Dog," a seminal progressive suite for the band. Although people say the instrumental interlude is aimless and boring, I like it a lot. The band uses their instruments in resourceful ways to convey the battle between By-Tor, the prince of the underworld, and the Snow Dog, a beasty-monster-thing. In that respect, it's somewhat like Yes' "The Gates of Delerium," but not quite as good. (On their live album All the World's a Stage, the band extends the instrumental section and makes it more interesting.)

Rush still required growth, some focus, but they were on the road to success.

MUSIC REVIEW: Marillion - marillion.com

"Go! give it a chance. The truth lies within!"

Many have derided Marillion for the pop-factor on marillion.com. I actually enjoy well-done pop music, so I wasn't so apprehensive about getting this. Plus, I thoroughly enjoy Holidays In Eden, which is one of the band's "poppier" releases.

I initially enjoyed marillion.com, aside from the contrived rock infusing "Built-In Bastard Radar," but I wanted to make sure my satisfaction wasn't ephemeral as it sometimes is with albums like this. So I wanted to give it plenty of time before reviewing it.

Now I can comfortably say that it's a good album, but not quite up to par with the best the band has to offer. Of course, the song in question is "Interior Lulu," the 15-minute epic. Hogarth's singing at the beginning of it reminds of Tori Amos (that's good!). The second passage begins with some off-the-wall keyboards that remind me of a carnival funhouse (that's bad!). All in all, though, it's a very satisfying epic that takes a good deal of time to fully sink in, with a wonderful Rothery solo at about 8 & 1/2 minutes into it and all the tight instrumental interplay that's characteristic of this band.

As for the other cuts, I have no compunctions about saying that Marillion knows how to write good, commercially viable songs (although none of it would ever get on the radio). The opener, "A Legacy," is a great song that's easy to sing with. The ballad "Go!" highlights the emotive power of Hogarth's voice, in sharp contrast to the preceding track "Deserve," which is a more insistent rocker with a great hook. "Rich" is similarly catchy, and "Tumble Down the Years" is a beautiful song with an incredible chorus. The album comes to an end with "House," the 10-minute song that feels much shorter than 10-minutes. It's sort of surreally jazzy and mellow...and great way to bring things to an end. I wouldn't miss "Built-In Bastard Radar" if it suddenly vanished off the face of the album. Although there are some interesting melodies, it seems a little forced and Hogarth's voice on the chorus is suffocated by the arrangement.

It's a little shallower than works like Afraid of Sunlight and Brave, and in some ways it might be a little too unlike their other work, but .com is a great album from a band that continues to grow and impress. Since this gets mixed reactions from Marillion fans, you will have to judge it for yourself.

MUSIC REVIEW: Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory (reconsidered)

"Progressive metal's finest hour (or 78 minutes)."

There are a lot of great progressive metal bands around these days. There's the symphonic and stylish Symphony X, the increasingly evolving Fates Warning, the original and daring Pain of Salvation, the technical powerhouses Power of Omens, and many others.

But among them all, Dream Theater remains the best. To me, no one else defines progressive metal like these five brilliant musicians. They strike an incredible balance of power, technique, emotion, and melody with a unified vision possible only with the remarkable degree of chemistry these guys share. And, in many ways, Scenes From A Memory is their best work.

Here's the skinny: It's a 78 minute concept album whose story stems from the original "Metropolis" mystique from their breakthrough album Images And Words. This is the album Dream Theater wanted to make all along, with no pressure from their label, and no regard for commercial success. It's a feast for the music lovers, with a good enough ear for composition and melody that the technique never overshadows the song. Dream Theater's critics love to attack them for going overboard with solos and instrumental sections, but it's never bothered me simply because they play with a lot of heart. John Petrucci is an outstanding guitar player who never restrains his technical ability, but most importantly he plays with a tremendous amount of soul. The encouraging heroics of his solo on "The Spirit Carries On" encapsulate this idea better than anything. It's pure beauty in music.

DT may not be able to repeat the greatness of SFAM in the future, but if they continue to make the music they love, there will never be another good-but-flawed Falling Into Infinity. They will continue to take great strides beyond their peers and continue crunching the mold to their image while making some of the best music out there.

MUSIC REVIEW: Ozric Tentacles - Tantric Obstacles / Erpsongs

"SUPERB!"

I can honestly say I love Ozric Tentacles' music like Oprah loves Big Mac combos -- I get powerful cravings, and then I want to eat the music! But for the life of me I can't describe it accurately. I usually think of it as an amalgam of progressive rock, electronic (less of that here, though), world music, new age, and other touches that defy classification. So I can't pigeonhole it, but I can say it's great music.

Erpsongs and Tantric Obstacles were the band's first releases, both on cassette back in the 80s. Here, you get both on CD for about 2 hours of definitive Ozric tunes. That's means it's a TWO-FER, which is awesome by default. But it's especially awesome when you are dealing with an Ozric two-fer. At this early time in their careers the band had much shorter songs, generally assembled around just a few musical ideas as opposed to the longer, more diverse works they would later write. As always, it keeps you guessing...they are always adding cool Eastern progressions, quirky synths, exotic percussion, and other things that make for eclectic yet undeniably cohesive music.

MUSIC REVIEW: Tool - Lateralus

"Rich and challenging."

I'd always figured Tool was a lame "nu-metal" band with reams of angst and minimal talent.

However, this album had become the focus of a discussion among progressive metal fans whose opinions I highly respected. I was hearing some interesting adjectives applied to them: "intricate," "original," "intelligent," "progressive." I was interested, but still skeptical. These guys were popular, after all, and I assumed that they were appealing to the lowest common denominator like so many""nu-metal" bands.

My curiosity was compounded when I saw the phenomenal music video for "Schism" on MTV. It was a delightfully surreal pictorial essay with a theme of renewal and emotional interaction (I think). Although the video is excellent, the music also captured my ear. I was unable to get that final menacing line, "I know the pieces fit," out of my head. The song possessed interesting progressions, complex syncopations, and good deal of musical muscle. I could tell these guys were more than a "let's scream and bang on guitars and drums and sound angry" band. (Also known as a "nu-metal" band...if that stuff is your cup of tea, you are at this point invited to disregard this commentary).

So I bought Lateralus. Initially, it appealed to me because of the mystery of the compositions, and the understated imagination of their music. I found it self-consciously alienating, for it is very dark and eschews melodic hooks. I suspected the album was a challenge, so I persevered. The excellent production lends to that mystery...it is very bass-heavy and Keenan's distinctive voice is sometimes barely audible, like a forlorn spectre. At other times, he's incredibly visceral and venemous, with a telling, indignant quality that perfectly fits with music so oppressively bleak. With each listen, I found something new, and as I began to follow the lyrics (note: get them from the Tool's site), things began to click. I started understanding the deliberate austerity of the music and appreciating it from an artistic perspective. It's experimental, somewhat unsettling, and tense.

And this is not the kind of stuff that beats you over the head with a loud, raucous song in four minutes. The average song length here is 8 minutes or so (not including the segues and track 13). This allows the band to express more lush ideas with their music, and be more experimental. Many songs contain hard, crushing moments balanced by slower, quieter moments. It only rarely "rocks"...Tool likes to draw you in with hypnotizing rhythms, sweeping textures, and crafty orchestrations instead of "rocking out."

And I am tremendously impressed by their work. This isn't progressive metal in the same vein as Dream Theater or Symphony X. In fact, I hesitate to call it metal. It IS heavy, but it's very subtle and insinuating. However, it is _progressive_ in that it does new things, pushes boundaries of categorization, and challenges the listener. This is the kind of music that requires some effort to "get" (as in understand), but it's a satisfying achievement to experience it.

Probably the best album out in 2001, I'd say.

MUSIC REVIEW: Rush - Rush

"Hard to review."

Rush's first recording isn't a Rush album, per se. It's actually a little hard to judge fairly as it is pretty forgettable in the grand scheme of Rush's career.

Before Neil Peart joined, before Rush gained notoriety as a respectable progressive rock band, they were a becoming Led Zeppelin-esque band that rocked hard. And they rocked hard well. Former drummer John Rutsey was no Peart, but it doesn't matter. This is rock n' roll, with no trace of the progressive ambition the band would later embrace with Peart's vision.

So what does it offer? Sleek guitar licks, melodic and lyrical hooks, and energetic arrangements and performances. Some of the lyrics are embarrassingly banal at times, and in many ways the album is disappointingly straightforward, but what the album lacks in instrumental pyrotechnics and progressive factors, it makes up for it with the infectious exuberance of a band's first album. Even at this first step of their career, the band shows high spirits and a good knack for songwriting.

The band would quickly change for the better with the departure of Rutsey and the arrival of Peart. Although many dismiss this album as the forgettable debut, I can't help but be amused by its simple charm. It does nothing to show how they were destined for greatness, but the music is good. Isn't that what matters?

MUSIC REVIEW: Yes - Going for the One

"The last hurrah of Yes' classic prog."

Until recently, Yes had always been my favorite progressive rock band. They've had their ups and downs, but when they were good, wow...they were really something. Going For The One was the band's final moment of greatness, serving as a coda for their prosperous epoch of the 1970s, which began with The Yes Album several years before. After this record, Yes never did anything as consistent or interesting.

I never liked any of Yes' work as much as Close to the Edge, but Going For The One just might be my second favorite. For the first time since Fragile, we get songs under ten minutes, and the band again shows they don't have to put together a colossal epic to write great music. The title track has a killer vocal hook and Steve Howe playing a C&W-esque riff on steel guitar (I don't think many other prog rockers used that thing). "Turn of the Century" is a wonderful, elegant ballad as only Jon Anderson can do them.

It's clear that Rick Wakeman (who's back on this album) likes the organ. There's a lot of it on this album, and it was recorded at St. Martin's Church in Switzerland. You wouldn't think an hulking organ - generally ascribed to moments of beauty and majesty - could be a rock n' roll instrument, but Wakeman turns it into one. Just listen to "Parallels." It's definitely unconventional, which is part of what makes it so interesting.

The 15-minute "Awaken" is one of the band's best epics, and that's no mean feat, because they have a lot of great ones. After the opening piano segment, it goes into the usual Yes characteristics: many layers of synths, guitars and bass playing out complex melodies in a pseudo-orchestral fashion. Anderson's lyrics are strange as always, but the diction is delightfully spiritual, and his radiant singing - love it or hate it - is critical for this evocative and spacey song. The ambient middle instrumental section before the "Master of..." lines is one of Yes' most sublime moments. Anderson's busts out the harp for some appreciated flourishes that add considerably to the atmosphere and magic of the song.

The original recording's production sometimes had problems balancing the vocals and the instruments. There were frustrating moments when it was hard to make out what Anderson was singing if you didn't already know the lyrics. So, the remastered edition is a good bet.

MUSIC REVIEW: Eternity X - The Edge

"A transcendental progressive metal masterpiece."

Before getting The Edge, I had read countless for reviews for it, and invariably they lauded it one of the best albums in the progressive metal category. With that kind of praise, I knew it was something I had to hear for myself.

Expectations were high, and I was in no way disappointed; The Edge encapsulates greatness in progressive metal. Lots of emotional power, grandiosity, virtuoso performances, incredible vocals, and great songwriting. It is a concept album about people on the "edge"; people who question the meaning of life, people who are pushed past the breaking point, a society on a precipice of aberration. Lyrically it is very good. Musically, very good. Vocally, also very good. But The Edge is better than the sum of its impressive parts -- this truly is an extraordinary musical work.

Lead vocalist and songwriter Keith Sudano is a very talented man. Superhumanly accurate, rich and narrative while evoking a romantic power, his voice is a marvel. He is like an actor who becomes different people with each song. At times, he sounds like Mike Baker (from Shadow Gallery), except with far more range, emotional expression, and power. As a songwriter, he has a great sense of complexity and melody and he commands a vast musical vocabulary.

"The Edge - Introduction" is the harrowing overture to this astonishing album. The gothic organ that opens this track sets a dark, haunting tone. In the middle interlude, the instrumental interplay is inventive and exciting. One might first suspect that the album is gearing up for nothing more than an accomplished foray into progressive metal's conventional territory. They would be wrong....

"Fly Away" is the paean of The Edge. Laden with piano and sweeping string synths that accompany the powerful guitars, this song is very moving. The chorus is memorable and beautiful, and Sudano's delivery is breathtaking. The heroic guitar solo is absolutely incredible. The high spirits of this one are very infectious.

"The Confession" had me thinking it was a lost song from Operation: Mindcrime. The thought of this song's premise gives me shivers: it's about a man who kills clergymen in confessionals to avenge his daughter, who was raped and murdered by a priest. Sudano's soaring vocal style of the first two songs changes completely here. Now he isolates the emotional distress of the character and sounds like a normal -- if mentally distraught -- fellow. The anger, the anguish...so perfectly captured by the Sudano's vocals and the cutting instrumentation. The inclusion of "Fortuna Imperatix Mundi" in the intro was an appropriate touch to set the tone.

"The Edge II - The Looking Glass" explores a medieval direction, both musically and lyrically. Jamie Mazur's keyboards establish the atmospheric orchestral backdrop, and Sudano's lyrics are cryptic metaphors for ethical issues. The spitfire guitar riffs build up the urgency before the vocals get start up. The chorus is shocking: Sudano sings an operatic falsetto. It's cool, but at that range Sudano's pronunciation comes apart. That is my only complaint with the entire album.

"A Day In Verse" begins with a sublime piano passage that I love. Sounds a lot like Styx's "Come Sail Away." Sudano's vocals are quieter and almost fragile, but he remains an expressive, visceral wonder. For the most part, "A Day In Verse" is a beautiful ballad, although the middle of the song is more aggressive. The instrumental interlude -- with the heavy throbbing bass, a charging guitar riff, and flamboyant strokes of piano -- is pure genius. It then returns to the quieter theme of the song that is oh so incredible in its evocative power and flow.

By now, Sudano and co. have proven to be infallible songwriters. It seems fitting that they now offer the difficult and mysterious "Imaginarium," which reminds me of Queensryche's "Roads to Madness." This 10-minute track opens with a dark acoustic guitar line, layered by a quiet mesmerizing synth, while the lyrics and vocals are elegiac. Slowly, almost teasingly, the song begins to build in intensity, then things explode into a speedy riff and fiery vocal lines. This undulating arrangement is repeated. Interesting melodic progressions and engaging, high-energy arrangements make this one great.

"The Edge III - Existence Chapter 1,000,009" is a quieter, eclectic piece with lushly pressing instrumental interplay and a subtle, galloping groove. The band shows off some dazzling instrumental interplay during the interlude where they quote classic Beethoven themes.

"The Edge of Madness" is the best recorded depiction of insanity you'll ever hear. Sudano effectively becomes the madman in the song, using close to ten different voices to convey unadulterated dementia. Melody shifts move from staccato guitar strikes to quiet piano passages to accompany the unpredictable change of bearing. It's stunning...but it gets better. In the middle section, Sudano starts cursing the band and the listener themselves! Who are they to tell his story and make money off it, or just sit their and listen to it to get some jollies? The leads in this song come hard, fast and furious.

"Rejection" seethes with anger, again conveyed perfectly in both a musical and vocal sense. You won't hear unqualified rhythmic violence or vocal fury like this from many progressive metal songs.

"Baptism By Fire" is compositionally colorful with mixes of exquisite piano, impassioned vocals, and mid-tempo riffery. Lyrically, it is about being enraged by the world but finding solace in the single, special person whom you love. It fits, given the way the song goes through so many melody shifts.

"The Edge, Legacy/Reprise" closes the album fittingly. By the time the reprise rolls around, you're almost saddened that the CD is ending. However, the dark, enigmatic tones of this album assures that it will prove fruitful for long-term exploration. You'll be listening to this one for a long time. In terms of diversity, the heterogeneous songs ensure that you'll never get bored. This album leaves an indelible mark, and is a must have.