PATIENCE OF HOPE

Having been impressed with 'Revelator' i'm going directly to the followup and seventh album by ROZ VITALIS - PATIENCE OF HOPE which continues the symphonic take on classical music hooks turned avant-prog. This is another beautiful mix of different styles of Ivan Rozmainsky's classical keyboard hooks, folk styles and instrumentations and this one unlike other albums has a healthy dose of rock elements such as lead guitar solos and more substantial percussion at times. Once again this is an all instrumental album with no vocals to be heard.

This album is just filled with beautiful melodies that weave around each other creating a pleasant progressive tapestry of sound. While the keyboard hooks are the main element on many ROZ VITALIS albums that i've heard this one has a much more eclectic mix of sounds. On board is the usual rock instrumentation of guitars, keyboards, bass and drums however there is an army of guest musicians and instruments on board. On PATIENCE OF HOPE we get cellos, clarinets, bassoon, trumpet, flugelhorn, sax, flutes, harp, metallophone, accordion and sounds from one of the oldest Russian instruments known, the gusli which is a multi-stringed plucked instrument derived from the ancient lyre.

With all these sounds on board you would think there to be too many chefs in the kitchen and that it would all collapse by the sheer weight of the players but all these sounds are scattered randomly throughout the album. The focus of a main melody takes flight from usually one or two of the aforementioned instruments and other instruments slowly weave into the sound providing harmony, counterpoint and symphonic effects. The composition style is still very firmly rooted in Western Classical tradition but the style often points more to symphonic prog, progressive folk of the Slavic traditions and avant-prog with the odd timings and Rock In Oppisition elements that pop in from time to time. There are also jazz-fusion interludes adding even more complexity at times. All tracks are logical and free flowing providing atmosphere with subtle technical workouts being common place but never the focal point.

This one took more listens than the others i've heard as it is more complex with many more elements woven together to create a satisfying experience that becomes more apparent upon each new listen. I am happy to be giving another album by ROZ VITALIS a very well-deserved 4 stars for i have yet not been disappointed by a single release of theirs although this is only the fourth album i've heard. It certainly will not be the last. This band is one of those under-the-radar bands for me that has unfurled its magic and now i've fully caught the bug. Great stuff. Highly recommended.