THE SKYS

I first came across Lithuanian band The Skys back in 2006 when I reviewed their debut CD 'Postmodern Game' (which followed on from two low profile cassettes). It is safe to say that over the years they haven't been the most prolific act, and have had a few line-up issues, but Jonas Čiurlionis (vocals, guitars) has been there since the very beginning, while Bo'ena Buinicka (keyboards, vocals) was around in time for the second album. Their third, 'Journey Through The Skies' was released in 2015 and there has been some continuity in that both Justinas Tama'evičius (bass) and Ilja Molodcov (drums) were around for that, but for this album there have been some interesting changes. Although 'Journey Through The Skies' was by a quintet (guitarist Aleksandr Liutvinskij who had been there since the beginning is no longer involved), and they are now a quartet, they have brought in a host of guests to assist, and what a list that is. There is Snowy White (Pink Floyd, Thin Lizzy), Neil Taylor (Robbie Williams), Durga McBroom (Pink Floyd), Justin Klunk (Ariana Grande) and Rob Townsend (Steve Hackett) while it was produced by Dom Morley who won the Record Of The Year Grammy Award in 2008 for his work on Amy Winehouse's 'Back to Black'. Must be great to have such record label support, eh? The thing is, these guys are independent, and do not have Sony or anybody else looking after them, they are doing this all on their own. They say they are the most important band to come out of Lithuania, and I have no real way of gauging that, although a quick trip to their website shows there is an Awards tab, and they certainly have a few to their name! A quick trip to the Prog Archives charts shows that for Lithuanian albums of all time, they have different releases at #1, #3 and #5 while the albums around them are older so they well may be correct.

But what makes them stand out so much? Surely it is the maturity of their music, which comes across as a mix of Pink Floyd and Alan Parsons Project, along with very strong vocals. They switch between male and female, with both Jonas and Bo'ena taking leads, and while they do sometimes harmonise, they often keep them separate. They have very different styles indeed, but both sing in clear unaccented English which makes it easy for the Western ear to appreciate. In fact, the album sounds more English in its approach than one might expect, and there is little in the way of folk influences one often hears from bands from that part of the world. It is complex, enthralling, beguiling and accessible and throws in lots of different ideas. The use of a bell at the end of 'Dry Water' feels incredible apt, and that leads into 'Dead End' which commences with delicate piano, an approach unlike anything else heard to that point (this is the penultimate song on the album).

Clever arrangements combined with strong songs and performances makes this an incredibly interesting album as one is never sure what is going to happen next. As well as being immediate it is also a grower and the more one plays this, the more there is to be gained from playing it, as we swirl from gentle music to neo prog at the drop of a hat or into something far more symphonic. All the time driving forward, always forward. Probably their most complete work to date, this is another great release from The Skys.

This 2015 album was the third studio release from Lithuanian act The Skys. Joining Jonas Čiurlionis (lead vocals, guitar) and the boys on this album are some notable guests including Snowy White (Thin Lizzy, Pink Floyd etc.) and Rob Townsend (Steve Hackett). This is another album where the vocals have come in for some criticism which is somewhat unfair to my mind, as I do think that they add an additional quality to the music. True, they may be more spoken than sung at times, with an accent, but to me there is pleasure to be gained in that this allows the band to create their own identity and stand more alone. Keyboard player Bozena Buinicka also provide vocals at times, and there are some female leads, but I really enjoy what Jonas is doing here.

Musically they are heavily influenced by Pink Floyd, but from more than one era, so that while one could argue that 'Animals' is the more important album, there are also elements of 'Dark Side' and also from the very early days as well. There are times where they bring in sitar, distorted guitars, tablas etc., and this all adds to what is a very interesting album indeed. The Skys, for some reason, have never really gained the recognition they deserve, as this is an album that progheads really ought to seek out.

The Lithuanian band The Skys was found in Vilnius at the end of 95' with guitarist/singer Jonas Ciurlionis being the leading figure.Jonas had to face many line-up changes during the early years of the group, which however included two cassette albums, ''Civilized'' (1997) and ''Dreams'' (1999).The first one was even performed as theatrical work in 2001 at the Jaunimo Teatras in Vilnius.It was the time, when Ciurlionis was already joined by permanent guitarist Aleksandr Liutvinskij.2004 sees the first CD of the band on Kuku Records, entitled ''PostModern game'', with Gediminas Alekna on bass, Algirdas Kucinskas on keys and Vitalijus Katysovas on drums.

In ''PostModern game'' The Skys surprisingly sound like an American group, even having some sort of Boogie Rock vibes contained in their style, with little to remind the origins of the group.The style of the group is rather undeveloped, based on eight short tracks with typical structures and a few progressive influences.Actually most of the time The Skys sound like a poor man's ZZ TOP with a strongly guitar-driven sound, sometimes supported by organs, offering bluesy and Hard Rock influences.At moments there is a slight PINK FLOYD inspiration detected, coming from the early-70's years of the group.Some guitar solos are quite interesting, but this seems to be the most fascinating thing about this release.In ''D-minor'' there is an attempt by The Skys to offer a more grandiose, orchestral sound with more evident use of keyboards, but again the result is questionable, while ''Broken sound'' seems the more diverse track with a fairly exciting groove, nice 70's-influenced keyboards and a few decent breaks, always with a highly rockin' mood.''Virtual reality'' has a good psychedelic vibe with hypnotic piano and sax in tne forefront, the result though is making the album a bit of a mess.

Unfortunately ''PostModern game'' is a very short and forgettable album.Careful and secure performances in a work that will more likely please fans of Classic Rock than Prog Rock.This one shouldn't be among your main priorities.

It never ceases to amaze me how music can make the world such a small place. I first heard from Jonas Ciurlionis back in 2006, when I was still in the UK and I reviewed 'Postmodern Game'. Now in 2012 I am reviewing the follow-up 'Colours Of The Desert' which has just been released on CD (it was available as a download last year) and I live in NZ, but Jonas, Bozena, Alexandr and Justines still live in Lithuania where they are recognized as one of that country's top bands. What is also interesting about this release is the quality of the guests who have been involved: Dave Kilminster (I think I have seen Dave in concert on at least three occasions, Roger Waters earlier this year, plus John Wetton and The Nice), John Young (ex-Scorpions, Bonnie Tyler, Greenslade) who also produced the album, Snake Davis (Eurythmics, P.McCartney, Ray Charles, James Brown, etc.), Martin Beedle (Cutting Crew, Sarah Brightman, etc), Tony Spada (Holding Pattern) and Anne Marie Helder (Mostly Autumn, Panic Room). Not bad for a band that have yet to make a huge impact on the wider prog scene.

I do say "yet" as it surely can only be a matter of time. This is a stonking album, with great musicianship and songs throughout. The most obvious comparison is probably with Pink Floyd, but there are also elements of Renaissance, Marillion and others. This is a group that is happy to playing complex intricate prog at speed, or weave a soundscape that beguiles and brings the listener in to its' embrace. The use of female and male lead vocal interplay is particularly effective and overall this is an uplifting piece of work that surely must get them more recognized on the global prog scene. If you enjoy progressive music then you can't afford to miss this as it hits all of the right buttons ? solid from start to finish and a delight to listen to. Not quite 5 stars, but bloody close. www.theskys.com

Alone in the desert, one needs hope

The Skys are one of the leading progressive rock bands of Lithuania, active for over 15 years but with a line-up recently revamped. The release of the new and majestic "Colours of the Desert" should go a long way in attracting new fans outside of their homeland. Featuring a wealth of high profile special guests and an ambitious compositional attitude, this is an impressive hour of prog rock. Other reviewers have mentioned everyone from Floyd to Gathering to Renaissance to Eloy in attempts to describe their sound. As the band seemed amused by these assessments in their interview with Torodd, I'll add my own little nonsensical opinion and say the first comparison that popped into my melon was The Alan Parsons Project. So there.

"Colours of the Desert" falls short of being a masterpiece in my opinion, but it is a fantastically enjoyable and eclectic album. Well rounded, enthusiastic, and engaging melodic prog rock is what we get here, with a consistent theme being pursued: "So far this is our most mature album. It is about the journey to desert. At certain stages of our lives we all go to the desert. And desert is all around us - our cities, our daily lives desert may be inside and outside us. Desert is full of temptations, mirages, thoughts and conversations with yourself. However, each time we return from the desert we are different." -Jonas Ciurlionis, interview with PA

The music tries hard to capture the desert theme, in spots sporting various sound effects along with a slight Middle Eastern flavor. Along with the wide variety of lush sounds and light/heavy atmospheres at times it recalls something like Orphaned Land without the metal element. The weapons at their disposal here are many. The mix of male and female vocals is very effective and of good quality. The main male singer has this slightly gravelly Gabriel thing going, and the female voice is quite ethereal, mixed together and with the backing harmonies they can be wonderful. The tracks are packed with soaring guitar/saxophone solos and keyboards of many textures. Love the airy backgrounds, stately piano lines, acoustic guitars, and even a bit of strings. The rhythm section is suitably aggressive when the music demands it, but able to transition smoothly during the more laid-back moments. The all important quality of the songs is mixed but mostly pretty tasty. I like the ones which leaned eclectic more than the ones with repetitive, catchy chorus parts. The tracks which had the most mystery and mood, where you didn't know what would happen next, were the most exciting. As mentioned, the album reminds me of something like "I Robot" but with longer, sassier playing and a bit more oomph. I really like the fact that despite the obvious talent of the players, my attention is always on the beauty of the sound rather than clinical assessments of their technical prowess. In other words, the members are creating engaging sound rather than showing off.

There are so many talented eclectic/crossover prog bands out there now that the challenge for The Skys will be to get people to pay attention. A beautiful work. Between 3-4 stars but I enjoyed this enough to round it up.

Colours of the Desert is both a unique and impressive effort from leading Lithuanian progressive rock act The Skys. In addition to sporting a decidedly modern take on art rock, the band has also managed to incorporate various styles of jazz, rock, prog, and even touches of pop and soul into their distinct sound. You can definitely spot influences from Pink Floyd, Spock's Beard, and Marillion in their sound, but The Skys manage to retain their unique brand of neo-progressive art rock throughout the full duration of Colours of the Desert. There are also enough solid compositions here to keep most listeners coming back for more, and even though I wouldn't venture to call this an entirely flawless effort, it is a solid outing from this promising band.

While not all songs here are excellent, there are definitely a few great tracks found within this 57 minute album. "Colours of the Desert", "Lethal Kiss", and "Walking Alone" (the longest song on the album) especially stand out as fantastic pieces of music, and these are the three songs that I always remember most fondly when the album ends. "Is This the Way" and "Calling Out Your Name" are a bit too chorus-based for my tastes, even though they both have a few killer aspects. I especially like the former's keyboard playing and the latter's Pink Floyd-ish middle section. The David Gilmour-styled guitar solos throughout the album, matched with female vocal sections and occasional saxophone solos, do tend to give Colours of the Desert a significant Pink Floyd flavoring from time to time. The musicianship is also really impressive across the board, and I especially have to mention that the guitar solos performed throughout the album (by guests and full-time members) are spectacular.

I do think that Colours of the Desert would've benefited from a more professional production and a few more killer tracks, but this is generally a very solid offering of modern progressive rock from The Skys. People who take a liking to art rock that's both original and still accessible should definitely find plenty to love on Colours of the Desert. I'd say 3.5 stars are well-deserved for this impressive album.

The leading Lithuanian band with this, their second album. I interviewed them earlier this year and they came across as a highly professional band with a vision and a drive to succeed. Something I am sure they will do with this album.

Crossover is the right word here. The Skys is perfectly comfortable outside the prog rock genre as inside our genre. This album is a crossover album in the true meaning of the word. Which makes this album a big mouthful. It is a big, big album.

Where do I start ?

Good question !

Seriously, where do I start ?!?

The music here crosses includes so many elements and genres it is difficult to really make a review here. Also mainly due to me reviewing it as a proghead I am. I am not that keen on commercial rock. A type of music that bores me to death & beyond. This album is a very commercial album to a large extent. No, it does not have any bubblegum teenybop hit singles. But it will appeal to the middle of the road rock/pop fan out there. So this album lifts itself out of the prog genre.

Music wise, The Skys has lifted a lot from Pink Floyd, post Roger Waters. I am thinking A Momentary Lapse Of Reason here. The sound, the wailing female vocals, the saxophone and the male vocals; this is the A Momentary Lapse Of Reason sound. Which worked well for Pink Floyd. They sold 10 mill of it and that sound is as popular as ever. The Skys has tapped into it and the result is very good.

Then they strays off into straight rock territory too. That does not go down that well with me. But The Skys also does a lot of modern rock with electronica and jazz ever present. That goes down very well with me. So does the few prog metal stuff here too. In short; this album taps into a lot of genres. Something that should go down well at the tills and in particular; at festivals and gigs. Because the music here is probably far better live than on record. Yes, I would not mind enjoying this band live on a festival. This band is a festival band, through and through.

The Skys uses both female and male vocals. Both are very good. They also uses the usual prog setup with bass, drums, guitars and keyboards.

The quality....... well, this album is such a big mouthful that it is hard to digest. It is kind of tucking into one of these two and half kilos big Texas beefburgers they sell in USA. And I have both my legs planted in the prog rock camp. This album does not, though.

This is difficult. Really difficult. I am tempted to award four stars. It is borderline four stars album. But a three and three quarters award will have to do. I may come back later to upgrade it, though.

If you like big melodic rock with one foot in the prog rock world and the other foot somewhere else, this is the album for you.

3.75 stars