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Sylvan - Artificial Paradise CD (album) cover

ARTIFICIAL PARADISE

Sylvan

 

Neo-Prog

3.84 | 219 ratings

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Gatot
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
4 stars This album is totally a different one compared to the band's previous album "Encounters" in terms of composition, style and structure. At first spin, I was not impressed with the music as it sounded so empty for my personal taste. Especially, if I've just listened to prog met style as this album is overall mellow in style. Surprisingly, my appreciation grew significantly after couple of spins. The first comment was an easy listening prog or just call it an ear candy prog. The more I put this CD on my player, I can see the value of this album's music. It's the same experience when I listened to CARPTREE at the first time. In fact, they both share similar music style.

Deep Inside (9:14)

This album opener starts with an ambient style using a loop. Piano enters nicely with a soft touch style followed with voice line in low register notes. Piano continues to serve as main rhythm augmented with soft drum beats and howling guitar at background. I can see the vocal quality of lead singer, Marco Glühmann, is truly top notch. It's interesting to notice how the melody of voice line and piano seem like going into different direction but create wonderful harmony. The energy of the song turns up as the vocal moves to higher register notes. Drums contribute much on the movement between segments through dynamic play. Some guitar solo reminds me to Steve Rothery's style with Marillion. With all combination of musician works and powerful songwriting and structure, I consider this track as masterpiece. [*****]

That's Why It Hurts (7:08)

This second track is my first favorite of this album. I like the simplicity of structure and composition. That's what has made this song is the most accessible - I think - compared to other tracks. But, what has made me truly amazed with this song is the skills of the lead singer in bringing the lyrics beautifully especially at the end of the bars. It's not only that, the song has a powerful melody and tight composition. The production quality in terms of mixing between the music and vocals have been done meticulously. When I listen to carefully this song, the vocal is put upfront, overlaying the music that is mixed thinly and produced softly at the background. Keyboard, guitar, bass and drums work really well and create ultimate enjoyment of this song. I enjoy this track when I pla it loud. [*****]

Strange Emotion (4:19)

This song is probably too poppy for progheads. It has straight forward structure with upbeat tempo music. It reminds me to Marillion music with Hogarth as lead singer. Guitar and piano combined together provide main rhythm section with some guita solo between segments. The use of female backing vocal and brass section has worsen this track, composition-wise. It's so boring with the female voice at the ending part. [** ½]

Human Apologies (8:29)

This track begins with guitar riffs played softly and it's different with other heavy riffs typically produced by prog met bands. Solid bass lines are used to accompany the first entrance of vocal. This track has a very catchy part especially when the orchestra played in the middle of the track. Wow! I really like it man.!!! What makes this orchestration nice is its weird time signatures between the orchestra and drum beats. On top of the orchestra, guitar solo is truly stunning. It's a combination between neo progressive and psychedelic. I do enjoy this track. Excellent outfit! [*****].

Timeless Traces (8:12)

The intro part reminds me to Marillion's Incommunicado played mellower followed by music with great guitar melody reminiscent of Marillion. In fact this song has the same style with Marillion's Hogarth era. It reminds me to "Easter" from "Season's End" album even though it's different kind of music. The music is floating and I think it's accessible to wider audience. [*** ½ ]

I Still Believe (3:06)

This may represent the perfect marriage between neo progressive and progressive metal. It opens with soft guitar riffs followed with vocal. The riffs continue to flow to accompany vocal - it seems like a hard rock tune with a straight forward structure. Again, the vocal quality is excellent, combined with excellent guitar solo during interlude. [***]

Around the World (6:25)

This one represents a heavy influence of jazz especially in the way keyboard is played during opening. When the vocal enters, it sounds like pop song until choruses. The interlude part is interesting: a combination of keyboard and acoustic guitar work reminiscent of jazz musician's Bob James meets Earl Klugh. For me, who has never been listening to jazzy tunes, it's a nice break with this interlude. But, honestly I don't like the melody with the singer sings "Around the world ." - it sounds so boring. But it's OK when I compare that I have a good treat of jazz style through keyboard. [****]

Souvenirs (2:09)

Oh man . it's true that this is a very short track, but . this one is very very nice! I mean it man. It comprises only vocal and piano but it has an excellent melody and composition. And, I think this track is well positioned as it is prepared for the entrance to next concluding epic. [*****]

Artificial Paradise (20:16)

It's an epic that concludes the album. It starts off with an ambient music exploring the combination of keyboard and guitar played mellow. It's floating into a more determined music especially when the drum enters more obviously with long sustain keyboard. It moves then to a wonderful combination of guitar riffs and orchestra. Vocal enters the music amazingly in low register notes augmented with stunning guitar fills. The music flows slowly in crescendo with the increasing notes of lead singer. Oh man . I love this part - especially when the singer suddenly change his voice from high to low register notes with quieter passage of music. Wow! The bluesy guitar solo fills the music wonderfully - in a way reminds me to Gilmour style. It flows then to a simple piano touch with inventive bass lines. The music changes into different style when solid bass line gives texture to the music plus long sustain keyboard at background, followed with vibraphone work. Oh my God . what an excellent part! Well, I'm not gonna write a novel to appreciate this song, but for sure, it's an epic that has a variety of styles and structures that form a tight composition. Great. [**** 1/2 ]

SUMMARY

Overall rating, I would give this album with 4+ out of 5 stars. I highly recommend you to purchase this CD as I am sure that you won't regret. The album has a very strong composition in structure and songwriting. Musicianship is also excellent and all musicians deliver their skills proportionately and fit with the composition. Production quality is top notch; great sonic quality of the CD. Keep on proggin' .!

Yours progressively,

GW

Gatot | 4/5 |

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