MOSAIC

It's the first time I effectively became aware of this band from Maastricht, although they have recorded their fifth album in the meanwhile. On this occasion lead by the Muse crew related producers John Cornfield and Paul Reeve the fivesome delivers a great new song collection here, by all means. Clappies! And this especially due to formidable arrangements concerning the vocals, which are provided by Maartje Meessen (lead) und Eleën Bartholomeus. Atmosphere paired with dynamics. Catchy pop, or let's say mainstream oriented melodies are given on one hand, though embedded within rather multi-layered prog compositions, which also feature a proper heavy vibe here and there. Just take It's Never Quiet, sound and context fitting as no other. Yeah, I'm convinced.

The title track opens this affair with nice acoustic guitar. Is This It? ... yes, it is ... my favourite excerpt so far. Really exciting how they are blending enchanting and heavy violent moods with each other over and over. Some spacey floydy guitars and male spoken word contributions on Dystopia are serving other impressions. And then lush symphonic appearance regarding The Geese by way of example. Measure Of Things comes overly melancholic including lovely vocals. No glimpse of weakness ... hence this is a recommended album if you're keen on melodic progressive rock. I would say 'Mosaic' is a sophisticated piece of work, makes a lot of fun to listen. Superb effort!