AS THE WORLD

After their excellent sophomoric effort in Suffocating the Bloom, echolyn returns with another batch of inspired songs. On this album, the band took the Gentle Giant influence rampant on Suffocating the Bloom and took it a step further, making this perhaps their most Gentle Giant- like, and possibly most complex album.

Also like the previous album, As the World turns features a plethora of shorter songs, an atypical choice for prog. But make no mistake, each track is as progressive and varied as any epic could be. There is a lot going on in each song, thanks in part in the band's ability to load every song with great moments while retaining cohesiveness.

On a song-wise basis, the first half of the album is a bit stronger than the latter half, leaving a slight consistency issue. The grooving riff-based 'Uncle,' contrapuntal vocal-lead 'Best Regards' and the blazingly fast and chaotic title track are some of echolyn's best. The latter half is a bit weaker, as their sound begins to wear thin. The other problem is the individual songs don't carry as much identity or personality as Suffocating the Bloom, which is more varied on a song by song basis.

Overall, I would say this is a solid follow up to Suffocating the Bloom. This is definitely a must have for Gentle Giant fans wanting to explore the creative ways modern bands are channeling their influences, but is respectable in its own right, and certainty one of echolyn's best.

7/10