CONSERVATION OF MASS

I reviewed HAMADRYAD's second album "Safe In Conformity" about 3 years ago here and it came across as GENESIS inspired music right down to the vocals. So here I am now with their debut "Conservation Of Mass" which has a different singer. His voice is high pitched and Jon Anderson does come to mind alot when listening to this record. I would say this fellow is more dynamic and theatrical though. In fact this album does impress a lot more than the followup as it has more of an Eclectic vibe while the next one is more Neo-Prog inspired.

"Eternal Loop" opens with the sound of someone running then these spacey sounds take over. "Amora Demonis" contrasts well the heavier instrumental sections with the lighter vocal led passages. Guitar, organ and drums bring it home. "Carved In Rust" is a very short GENTLE GIANT-like vocal arrangement. "Still They Laugh" sounds really good. Nice bass too.Vocals a minute in. A calm with mellotron a minute later. "The Second Round" builds with guitar and organ standing out. Vocals a minute in. Some excellent guitar before 2 1/2 minutes followed by organ.

"Still They Laugh Pt.2" is again a treat for the ears like the first part. Some atmosphere too. "Shades Of Blue" is fairly dark and heavy but that changes when the vocals come in unfortunately. It turns melancholic later. "...Action ! " opens with heavy drums and bass. Vocals before 1 1/2 minutes ruin the mood temporarily as they come and go. It turns somewhat dreamy after 3 minutes with tasteful guitar before kicking back in.The tempo continues to change. Killer tune ! "Nameless" is uptempo with a nice heavy sound. Vocals 2 minutes in. A calm with organ after 5 1/2 minutes, mellotron and reserved vocals join in.The guitar solos beautifully after 9 minutes to the end. "The Second Coming" is upbeat with vocals. It's okay. "Watercourse Hymn" is laid back with vocals coming in after a minute. It settles even more before 4 1/2 minutes then picks back up. Synths dominate before 8 minutes then the vocals return.

This is an impressive debut on many levels. A solid 4 stars.