EXODUS

This cd is based on the book of Exodus,Nathan Mahl has been around for years never fails to dissappoint.Those who dont know,Amasseffer from Isreal wrote part 1 of trilogy based on this book.Now we have Mahls concept on one disc,This is stellar band Guy Leblanc leader of this band has never run out of ideas.His Heretic Trilogy is awesome,I Love part 3 best cuz it one long epic and dominated by keybords vice versa..

1)Burning Bush-This song bout how God talked to Moses thru an burning bush.The Fire represents how God is so birght,He had to use fire.Other wise his glory be to bright for Moses to stand. God is like self-consuming fire.He Is Helios,The God of the Sun in greek mytholgy. To much Sun casues droughts and fires anyways,According to science.

2) Let My People Go-This song is bout how Moses,Heard from God to let his people go.Otherwise there be consequences,Anytime in bible there gonna be destruction.God gives them warning ahead of time,But do they listen no.Pharoah wanted to keep God's people in captivity,Thats why he sent the plagues.He begged Moses,To tell God stop this i'll let them. God did so he didnt keep his promise,So he sent nother plague it repeated.Eventually He let them go,But chased thim thru red sea all his soldiers died.

3)Down From the Mountain-God gave Moses Sermon on the mount,To set rules for the world since they had no boundaries.They thought they could worship golden calfs etc,Get away with it.Murder etc vice versa,Giveing us the 10 commandents To bring balance in this world.Without order there is chaos without laws.Law is not made for man,It to protect the people round you..

4)40 years-Isrealites wondered thru the desert,For 40 years to get to the promised land.They complained bout mana,So God gave them quail they complained bout that also.Eventually God told Moses,To hit the rock so many times.But he didnt listen,He was so sick of his people not listening.He wanted the promised land then,Since he disobeyed they could not enter when they got there. Obedience is always better then Sacrifice..

5)The Last Climb-Moses climbed the mount,One more time to get the Ten Commandents this time they did'nt break..When are we gonna climb the moutain,One last time.Say Hey God I let go my will,I will make it to top this time.I have enough faith,I trust you let go of my will surrender to yours..

6)Prince Of Freedom-By Moses listening to God,Telling Pharoah let my people go.He Became God's Prince,By him listening the Isrealites were set free from egypt..Do know Jesus is prince,He gave his life so that we can have freedom in heaven one day be perfect..We also have freewill should use it to do good not bad..

Not having heard a single note from this band, despite knowing of them and reading about them and reviews of their previous albums, I come to this 2008 release of theirs without the burden or bliss of expectation or knowing what to expect of this release.

This album left me with somewhat mixed feelings but also satisfaction from wonderful music that is played here. There are some memorable moments, some great musicianship and beautiful sections when the musicians show their abilities and the music prevails. There are also weaker aspects: the vocals, which at times seem to detract from the overall effect, rather than contributing to it; songs in which there seem to be a bland, dull sound, that has no depth and manages to ruin the effect of an otherwise good song (The Parting); and finally songs or parts of them, which just don't "do it" for me and leave me "cold" after listening to them (for example The Last Climb, the opening part of the songs Let My People Go and The Plagues)

But when I look at the album as a whole, it is a satisfying listening experience; a well accomplished song like Burning Bush, which is mostly instrumental, does a very good job of getting me into the mood of the album, and then continues as a "stage" for the musicians to play some wonderful intricate music. The same is heard on The Plagues. There you hear an attractive form of symphonic-prog, jazzy at times, which simply captivates me as I listen to it and make all the downsides of the album go away. This side has a grandiose sound and shows their virtuosity (Burning Bush, The Parting, The Plagues) and changes to a jazzier and heavier/retro style (Down From The Mountain, which also has, opposite from the other songs here, good and fitting vocals). The album is varied in style and mood, from the faster and upbeat bits of the starting songs to slower and emotional points as in 40 Years and The Last Climb. Canaan is a good example of a mix of these, as it goes from "slowly pacing while pondering" to "happily jumping around grinning" with its tempo and atmosphere.

As the lyrics will tell you (along with the title) this album is a concept piece based on the Bible book of Exodus where Bnei-Israel are slaves in Egypt, doing the biding of the Pharaoh and yearning for freedom. You all most probably know the story (as a child in Israel, I had to learn it in School) and its outcome so I won't go into it. I usually don't pay attention to lyrics too much, unless they are exceptionally good or moving or when they are so stupid or cheesy that it just gets in the way of my enjoyment of the music. Here, though I am not interested at the lyrical content, it doesn't get in the way for me. For the most part, the lyrics are well integrated as part of the melody and the flow of the music (Let My People Go).

I can't tell now if this is recommended for fans of the band, but for people looking for well made music with hooks and catchy melodies and good musicianship (though the overall sound is somewhat lacking to my ears), then it's worth a listen, despite what I see as some weaker points.

For PA purposes - I can't say it's an "excellent addition" but it's definitely an enjoyable listen that is well worth my time listening to it. So perhaps not a full 4 stars, but close enough.

This remark of "It is likely to become a sound different from a current work" Guy LeBlanc will become evidence that the band has exactly repeated the revolution. And, the establishment of the sound by the overall flow of this album and a past work develops further and offers the listener the flow of the evolving band including the concept. The establishment of the composition and the sound of the tune refined further in "Shadows Unbound" that had been announced from the element of Hard Fusion that the quality in which the technical part was pushed out forward in "The Clever Use of Shadows" that had been announced in 1998 is high in 2003 might have attempted the sound and the differentiation with other bands.

After Camel had seceded, leader's Guy LeBlanc exactly poured energy into this band. The quality as the work was always offered to the listener as music with high level though member's changing places was frequently done. And, to change the mind radically and to make those ideas progressed concretely at the same time as a wonderful concept's hanging to the theme of the album, a musician unique the member's election has been appointed in this album.

Guy Dagenais that took charge of Bass and Vocal was active in an individual project. And, it had relations with Nathan Mahl. Drum player's Alain Bergeron was intermittently related to the band and performed. It returns again with this album. And, Tristan Vaillancourt was a musician who was active by "Widow's Walk" that had been formed in 2000. It is said that Guy Dagenais requested the band to participate seeing the performance of Tristan. However, Tristan Vaillancourt had already seceded Widow 's Walk. And, Tristan has been suddenly left from the band by the process of the production of this album. The substantive information is not so obtained for this details. However, it is Violin player's David Peterson for the recording of other albums. And, familiar, because of "The Rebel Wheel" deep David Campbell participates.

"the Old Testament" is used for the concept of the album as a theme of the album. And, the theme is clarified further by the part of "The book of Exodus". The presentation of a new sound in which dismantlement and construction were repeated from these ideas and past works further might have become a new front for the band.

"Burning Bush" rushes into from a beautiful piano and the chorus to an intense part. It puts on eight perfect rhythms and Solo of the guitar and the keyboard is developed. This part might be a revolution and be room of the band. And, the tune shifts to a complex theme.

As for "Let My People Go", an intense song and a hard guitar grasp the initiation. An exactly hard part might appear everywhere in this album. A beautiful chorus might be expanding the width of the tune. It is ..tune good ..the calculation exactly.... finished.

"The Plagues" has introduced the rhythm of the Half Time shuffle. It twines round the theme of the keyboard and Violin contributes. And, the taste with a good guitar. It has the flow of Rock that this flow is indeed hard. The reply of each Solo will not be only a part of simple Rock. It is very understood that they are musicians who have a technical element.

"The Parting" shifts from intense SE to a beautiful melody. The methodology of the music that they used has enhanced the flow. The tune suddenly shifts to an intense part and develops complex ensemble. The element of Hard Rock might go out strongly in this tune. It is suitable for the tune to say nothing of an emotional song. A complex rhythm and an active melody twine round the complexity.

The tastes of men who can listen in a past current work might go out of "Down From The Mountain". Technical processing of the keyboard is perfect. However, the tune has the element of Hard Rock and the element of a few Funk. It might be a part where this flow was caught for the band as a new front. I will feel the charm in the part where the band doesn't exist as a band of simple Rock at the same time as intensely developing while following the concept of the theme. Because the frame as Jazz Rock existed, they reached the new front at last.

"40 Years" is a tune with a beautiful melody. Their root and culture become melodies, too and it is likely to be reflected in the tune. W opening that twines with the part of hardness while leaving a beautiful melody might be splendid. And, the sound of the keyboard is variegated. The last Bass Solo of the tune is also impressive.

"The Last Climb" attempts the continuation of the theme by a beautiful melody and the chorus. An acoustic part shifts to the following development.

As for "Canaan", the element of Hard Fusion might be very strong. Making and the development of a variegated sound demonstrate the charm to its maximum as their performances. Their good parts are blocked here. A complex rhythm is expanded the width of the tune and progresses. The melody with the racial element developed on the way might also continue the theme of the album. And, solo of the guitar also contributes enough.

"Zipporah's Farewell" progresses with the melody with the anacatesthesia. The theme of this album might be consistent and be concrete. The flow might have an ambient part. And, the tune is connected with the last tune.

"The Price Of Freedom" starts by a moving theme. The band shows the existence of Nathan Mahl in union. The idea and the thought, that is, the past that great musicians had done might have been originally digested by Nathan Mahl. The song and the melody are being expressed by the band to its maximum. The melody of Violin and the guitar will be sung with moving development. The flow of the performance and the theme that they should express in this album has succeeded exactly through the whole. It is a tune with completely moving development.

It will have the original music that the music character that they did is taken the element of various music and not achieved in another. And, they might have exactly expanded the possibility of the band by this album.

5 years silence after the impressive SHADOWS UNBOUND amazing album,and Guy Le Blanc strikes back with his NATHAN MAHL band and offer us a new majestic album called EXODUS !It's the most mature and elaborated work so far,based on the holy Book and tit ries to capture,musically speaking,the dramatic period of these forgotten times!Of course,NATHAN MAHL is a sure value of the Canadian symphonic progressive with serious fusion touch and this new album doesn't dissapoint at all!Inside the cover of the album,a very impressive one too,we discover great compositions based on amazing rhythm changes,breaks and solid musical ideas!It's the kind of album thet it's author has from years the ideas in mind,and only after many versions can have a final form!The diversity is present everywhere,the keyboards are stellar and sometimes explosive.NATHAN MAHL have realised in the past the brilliant masterpiece called THE HERETIC -a monumental trilogy,one of the most spectacular and unfortunatelly ,underrated musical jewel and this album continue the monumentality of the work mentioned!Guy LeBlanc has a sympathy for cinematic and almost ambiental music and that's why I think that ,the instrumental parts of the songs are really brilliant!The band seems to be in it's most optimal element when the vocal parts are gone and the instrumental ones begin-it's like a delivery,the sign to start the frenzy in a very spectacular way!All musicians are top class and each instrument has a definited place in the composition,that's for sure!!This album must be apreciated in it's integrality,so it;'s impossible to say which song is the highlight of the album!Personally I adore DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN and 40 DAYS,but each song of the album is marvelous!Another inspired album ,a new beginning for NATHAN MAHL and many beautiful perspectives. 4.5 STARS for an ambitious and complex album of prog fusion with symphonic moments