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Profusion - Rewotower CD (album) cover

REWOTOWER

Profusion

 

Eclectic Prog

3.96 | 209 ratings

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octopus-4
Special Collaborator
RIO/Avant/Zeuhl,Neo & Post/Math Teams
4 stars I went to know the existence of this band and this album from the "reviews discussions thread" forum on PA. I didn't know anything of the band and the polemic about this album made me curious so without knowing what I had to expect from it, I got in touch with the band which provided me a link to download the album.

The first impression is that this contamination between "Prog" and "Fusion" which gives the name to the band is not to dissimilar from the music of From.Uz. The difference is that Profusion are more song-oriented and melodic. With clean high pitched vocals and heavy guitars they can sometimes remind to some 80s longhair metal bands. (I include Hackett and Howe's GTR project in the list), but also some neo-prog or symphonic influences as it's normal when one is considered "eclectic".

The album is highly enjoyable and contains some very captivating melodies in particular "Chuta Chani" remains fixed in the listener's mind for hours after the listen, also thanks to the excellent production of the whole album.

Let's now go track by track:

"Ghost House" is what makes me think to From.Uz for the instrumental parts. It's a rock song with odd signature. The choirs and the melody have some of the 80s YES, those of Trevor Rabin, specially in the choirs and the rhythm. The vocalist is not as high pitched as Max Bacon, but his voice is not dissimilar.

"Taste Of Colours (Part One)" has a melodic start with piano and choir then it grows rocky but again with odd signatures. Another band which comes to my mind is Phideaux. Specially in the start of "Taste Of Colours (Part Two)". This song features an excellent clean guitar and the only thing that I always dislike is the fading out final.

"Treasure Island" is a temporary excursion in a different realm. The vocals are not always clean and the song is close to the prog metal of bands like Riverside or Pain Of Salvation but with some jazzy taste in the instrumental interlude.

They go melodic again with "So Close But Alone" which has some jazzy passages including a change of tonality after the intro but a mood between neo-prog and newage. Few passages and lyrics and the newage mood is replaced by a bossa-nova part that will work as chorus. Excellent vocals and choir.

"Tkeshi" starts with noises, cello and an acoustic instrument similar to a classical guitar but with a higher pitch. Then percussions and a tribal choir.

Violins and percussion make a crescendo in RPI style which explodes into metal thanks to a distorted guitar. Quicly the metal is transformed back into wood by the classical guitar. It's the best album's track: "Chuta Chani". The alternance of metal guitar with melodic choirs and a very captivating chorus is hypnotic. The chorus is a wire in the brain. Try to forget it if you can. A reference for this song is Tuatha de Danann.

"The Tower Part 1" Starts with metal guitar but after the intro is melodic fusion in Jamiroquai style...well, a bit more prog than Jamiroquai...Part 2 is more in line with the rest of the album. A very good jazz-metal instrumental on which all the instruments do their best. If you like bands like From.Uz this is your pot.

"Turned To Gold" has a pop-Canterbury flavor. Melodic with jazzy passages has a sound too clean to be compared to Caravan or Camel but that's the first thought that this song has given to me. With some relistens I find it close as genre with Colin Bass solo works. Another excellent song.

"Dedalus Falling" has a guitar that reminds to a heavy version of Bryan Josh with hints of Rothery. It's a good closer on the pop side of the album. A song that you can imagine sung by Steve Hogarth. After the first 4 minutes there's an instrumental interlude with a strange signature from which the song that's also the longest track of the album take the sembiances of a suite before returning to the chorus not as hypnotic as "Chuta Chani".

Silence...a ghost track is coming....

Ghost tracks are somehing that I have never understood. The reason of being ghosts I mean.However it's not bad. Slow and melodic it's the real album closer...of course it's nothing but the reprise of the first track: "Ghost House" as ghost track. Nice joke.

It's a very good album and a surprise. Easy enough to be suitable for all the tastes, it's very well played and arranged and has also a very good production.

Calling it "essential" is probably too much, but it is more than good and I don't have problems in raising up the rating to 4 stars.

octopus-4 | 4/5 |

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