PLAYING DEAD

With their astonishingly impressive predecessor "Raising the Stones", Citizen Cain achieved their own stylistic independence with the creation of a signature prog sound based fundamentally on eerie, dense (at times somber and even creepy) ambiences and extremely bizarre chord progressions. It would tale hem 5 years to release the follow- up, "Playing Dead", which continues in a similar vein than the aforementioned album, with an added clear inclination toward the prog metal realms. This new factor comes into the CC sound by courtesy of new member Phil Allen, who lays lots of effective riffs and powerful solos and harmonies among the predominant keyboard paraphernalia: keyboardist- drummer Stewart Bell continues to be the main mastermind of the crucial orchestrations of the whole repertoire, while Cyrus remains a solid Gabriel-esque messenger of doom, darkness and poetic mysticism (once again, great Milton-esque lyrics!!). So, just like "Raising", "Playing Dead" exhibits lots of ethereal synth layers, psychedelic and dissonant Celtic-like fanfares, jazz rock colours in the rhythm section, and an almost obsessive penchant for dazzling complexity. The overall mood conveyed in this album is the most aggressive and harsh in the band's history, while keeping a loyal faith in that confident sense of mysterious exquisiteness that they have been creating so fluidly since their "Somewhere but Yesterday" days. The instrumental opening 'Dirge - Fallen Angels' portrays a fair indication things to come for the next 65 minutes. 'Wandering in Darkness', 'Children of Fire' and the disturbing interlude 'Inner Silence' contain some of the most explosive moments in the album; meanwhile, 'Falling from Semiroth' and 'Sleeping in Penumbra' turn out to be the most sophisticated and pompous numbers in the track list, rolling between the incendiary and the reflective with well-crafted fluidness. The closing nocturne 'Amorantos' conveys a vision of pessimism and desolation in a serene context, linked very coherently to the trial of emotional-intellectual fire that was offered in each one of the previous tracks. In conclusion, through all its somberness and inscrutability, "Playing Dead" is an excellent example of neo-prog stretched out to its most disturbing expresiveness.