THE GALACTIC COLLECTIVE

Debating about pompous music in the forum, becames to me the desire to make this review (and I realise that is the first one). After listened something from Fanfare for absent friends, I decided to buy this CD, and I just feel really proud of this. The music is absolutely pompous and full of keyboards pyrotechnics. Some of the tracks were done before by Norlander but here they have a new treatment, with a superb sound and production. All the album is instrumental.

The album opens with a little intro to gets then into Neurosaur, an original pseudo gothic piece that now becomes into a monstrous keyboard sound. Just great. Fanfare for absent friends is one of the highlights. I always loved the keyboards sounding as fanfares, but here is really powerful and dynamic. Sky full of stars is a softer one, but with a great melody and feeling. Garden of the moon is the other highlight, a cover of a Lana Lane's song, the track starts in a melodic way and then changes to a tremendous keyboard motive, extremely pompous again. Dreamcurrents is an almost classical piano piece. After the revolution is an instrumental version of the Rocket Scientists track from Revolution Road. Not bad but a bit long. Finally The Dark Water is an instrumental epic wich reunites in only one track four tracks from Rocket Scientists which are Dark Water parts 1 to 4 from the albums Brutal Architeqture and Oblivion Days. Astrology prelude and Trentor Station are two good tracks too. The last one based on a mechanic keyboard sound.

If you like pompous instrumentals full of keyboard pyrotechnics and great sound and production (with great bass sound), that is the case. An excellent addition of progressive rock music.

The return of the Neurosaur

The Galactic Collective is an album of re-recorded instrumentals from throughout Norlander's whole career, performed live-in-the-studio. The album opens with Arrival and Neurosaur that originally opened Norlander's first solo album, Threshold. This is something of Norlander's signature tune and fits perfectly as an opener. Also Trantor Station was originally from that album. Next up is Fanfare For Absent Friends originally from the electronic Seas Of Orion. This version is a bit more rocking than the original version and an improvement on a already good tune. The symphonic Sky Full Of Stars was originally from the conceptual Music Machine album. Again, well executed here. Astrology Prelude was originally on the excellent Lana Lane album Secrets Of Astrology and Garden Of The Moon was on the Lana Lane album of that same name. After The Revolution and Dark Water represent Rocket Scientists. Dark Water was originally split up into shorter introductions and interludes, but here they are presented as one long piece running over 20 minutes. Finally, the beautiful piano-driven Dreamcurrents was originally on Into The Sunset. The new arrangement presented here is the ultimate one.

All in all a fantastic album. It plays like a "Best of instrumental Erik Norlander" album and I find it all superbly enjoyable.

Very highly recommended!