SKETCHES

Penny's Twisted Flavour is a dutch prog metal band that really knock out of my socks. The album named simply Sketches is a turbulent journey through everything is top notch in progressive metal today, and I mean, musicianship - great, vocal parts - great, skills - great, inventive and catchy tunes - all here, so what a fantastic debute by this strangely named band. Even they are influenced by bands like DT,Shadow Gallery, Ayreon or even some moder chops from Spock's Beard are present, this five musicians really known to make an album that is as one of the best I've heared in last years in this field. Instrumental passages kick ass, really, they play so easy without forced themself not a second, just listen to the turbulent instrumental opening Penny's twist, superb,they mean bussines from the beggining. Vocal parts are just great, full of intristing variation of the voice, remind me in places with Russell Allen from Symphony X, but as a whole very instristing tone and fits like glove on hand this guy in this music. Ballads are also ok, the smooth and yet complex arrangements in rougher moments shows that this band release a solid debute. The female keybordist Wendy Heuvelmans, the youngest member of the team did a fantastic job, she enter in the mix with the rest of the instruments exactly when you expect less and that is a pretty intristing , from mellower parts through the more galloping keyboards solos she really handle the instrument with big talent. The guitar chops and the druming is awesome, talented young musicians with a lot to offer. So, finaly all pieces are excellent, I'm really impressed and I must congratulated this band for such intristing , complex and subtle album in prog metal field. 4-4.5 for this debute, one of the best this year and in the end of 2010 I hope to see Sketches in top 10 prog metal albums.Do not forget they have a guest here -Ton Scherpenzeel from famous dutch band Kayak on piece A way out with a keyboard solo - Recommended for sure, great stuff and yet very very unnoticed and unknown band to larger public.