FROM LAND TO OCEAN

I bought this cd after downloading the free mp3 off this site. I wasn't sure what to expect, and at first I was a little disappointed, but, the more I listened, the more I liked it. A 2 cd set, both discs have some excellent moments running through them. Disc 1 is, in general, of a very high quality. Ok, it may not be original in parts, but it is melodic, and the musicians are technically profficient. the vocals are in English, and, as with nearly all Scandinavian groups, it is almost without accent. 'Three Colours' which opens the album, I already knew from the download, and is a very strong piece, which seems to cover three different tempos in one song. The production on the whole album is strong and bright, and the keyboards in particular benefit from this. The guitar, whilst a little sparser, intertwines effectively when necessary, particularly on this first track. A very nice way to start. Maybe the nearest influence I can hear here is 'The Sentinel', by Pallas, although they are in no ways indentical. Second track, 'Fall Of Fame' is a rockier piece, but the keyboards are wonderful here, and add nice fluid tones to the song. The ending slows down and becomes almost a nursery rhyme. A good song. 'The Porch' is more of a ballad, and I can imagine someone sitting on a Porch whilst listening to this. There is a short but nicely played guitar solo in this, and sometimes an influence that comes through is Canadian band, Rush. Not vocally, obviously, but musically. 'Liopleurodon' is a very good instrumental, a little harder and faster than most of the material on here, but again nicely played, with a Rush influence. (Most people won't know what Liopleurodon means, but, in fact, it was a whale- sized predator, alive during prehistoric times, living in the ocean and preying on, well, whales!) 'Land' is an adequate song, but not my favourite. It still has the Galleon sound however, with nice keyboards, and a semi-Irish ending. 'Solitude' is my least favourite on the album, as it doesn't seem to go anywhere. It is almost folky in a way, and reminds me of something that I can't, at this moment, put my finger on. Not bad, but it doesn't stand out for me. Finally comes the best track on, probably, either disc. 'The Price' is a superb piece of music. The lyrics, which I won't disclose here, are very good, and the whole piece aims towards a brilliant climax. The guitar is, again, understated, but integral to the song, whilst the keyboards are magificient. I love this piece! Now for disc 2. This is one whole piece of music, a grand concept, about life evolving through the ages, and the way in which man is destroying other living things through greed. Not original, I know, but well put here. the song is divided into various sub-titles, but is best listened to as one whole piece, as the each title flows into the next. Again, the keyboards provide the background, colour, and muscle, with the guitar nicely placed over them at the required times. It is a fine piece this, lasting over 52 minutes, but immensely enjoyable. The start, and the finish, fade in and out very atmospherically, and give the whole song cohesion. In summing up, this album is worth having, and, whilst critics may say it is nothing new, it is still enjoyable, and superior to many in the same vein. Download the free mp3 if in doubt, that is a good example of what to expect.