UNIVERSE AT LARGE

This nifty studio project out of Fort Wayne Indiana is quite a surprising find in a town dominated by rap and folk acts. Having known William Reiske, the drummer/Keyboardist/producer for this album makes it that much more exciting for me.

This is is a Neo Prog album with Asia/yes influences and a science fiction theme throughout. Excellent drumming, very technical, and well recorded. This album does have a few low points. For me those are the somewhat artificial keyboard sounds, and in some places the vocals. The highlights being the drumming and powerful compositions. For example The song "Freedom Flyer" has a short-lived, but wonderful hook with harmonized vocals not unlike something you would hear John Anderson do, hypnotic and catchy. Other standout tracks being "Skydiving" "Bug In The Wire" and "Five Year Mission".

Overall I would say it's a good album for any collection, even though it does have it's flaws. It's worth checking out!

Having listened to Progressive Rock and all its subsidies since the very start (Late sixties through today) , and carefully studying and considering the depth of content and execution in this work, I heartily enjoy and recommend this CD. The attention to detail and musicianship is really top notch. Is that Steve Howe on the opening track solo or are my ears deceiving me........Some really strong vocal content "Freedom Flier" and hot, Bozzio meets Bruford esque drumming throughout. A long waffling guitar journey on Blue Sky that reminds me of F.Z. And a segment during Skydiving that will make Holdsworth fans dote with admiration, doubled on mallets....Whoooo. .Each song is like an entire movie condensed into a time warp of imagery and sound scape that engulfs and engages imagination. I hear traces of their influences and collaborators personalities showing up here and there but nothing too distracting or derivative as to lock them into a comparison, although one assumes that if Yes, Gentle Giant, U.K., Asia, King Crimson, Genesis, Pink Floyd, is in your listening bag, you will find a lot to like here in this rather "Large Universe" Buy it and play it loud! I cant wait to hear CD2 and see this band on tour...................With some of their collaborators guesting or Cameos..

Cosmic Danger is a young band from USA formed by brothers Jim and William reiske, who are responsable for all what is to be heared on their debute album from 2012 named Universe at large. Ok, this is quite enjoyble and fresh in places, I really like it. Imagine something between UK, Asia, Yes, Genesis, a blend of symphonic prog with some AOR elements thrown in. The vocal parts are more then ok, even Jim reiske has in some parts a tone quite similar with Jon Anderson, but he manage to avoid copying him, he uses he natural tone as he know best. Some great instrumental passages, sometimes keyboard dominating, sometimes with some spacey moments and sometimes with guitar as lead instrument, Cosmic Danger manage to come with a solid album.Freedom Flier , Sky diving or Bug in the Wire are definatly worh checking out full of fresh ideas and tight playing. A very welcome band in today prog scene, they are in same attitude with swedish Dynamo Bliss, also great band.3.5 stars for sure.

3,5 stars !!! COSMIC DANGER "Universe at Large" , soon at first audition is easily identified the main influences in this work : ASIA, UK, GENESIS , EL&P something of SAGA. In fact the music is strongly linked to late 70's and early 80's sound, obviously due ASIA , UK etc ... you can find in almost all tracks the majesties of progressive rock "apex", as for instance the guitar solo in track 1 "Champions" a clearly Howe's allusive passage, the keyboards in track 2 "Freedom Flyer" a mix of Banks/Emerson/Jobson keyboards with Brufford's "jazzy" drums. This is album tonic ! But be a certain unbalance between guitar and keyboards ( in some tracks keyboards dictating sound almost eclipsing guitar) in fact in the last track "Final Dusk" I can't perceive the sound of guitar and I think which this prejudices a better rate, in fact ( with the notable exception of second track ), the best tracks are track 3 "Skydiving", track 6 "Endless Voyage" and track 8 "Fiev Year Mission" exactly where this unbalance don't exist ! My rate is 3 stars , but I emphasize which this album deserves a place in my collection !