REALITY

German band ST.QUENTIN have been around since 2003 or thereabouts, the current incarnation of the band consisting of Gerrit Selmer, Uli M'cke, Volker Paul and Marco Lamonaca. "Reality" from 2013 is their debut album, a production almost ten years in the making where various issues in the personal lives of the band members have been fairly instrumental in slowing down the creative process if I understood the attached press release correctly.

What they do provide on this seven tracks strong and just over 40 minutes long album are compelling songs that inspire to a fair deal of associations in the name dropping department. St.Quentin have managed to carve out a fairly distinct sound, with the deep voice of lead vocalist Gerrit a distinct presence, and their blend of rock, hard rock and metal in their self described progressive hard rock style isn't one I have encountered too many times before, but numerous details and some structure and arrangement choices inspires deeply to some firm associations. Some of which may be way off target obviously, what each individual listener hears and the associations brought to the table very often a strictly personal and highly subjective matter of course.

My run through the album goes as follows in that context: Opening track We Are One is a quirky multiple themed affair that brings Dream Theater to mind, with a stronger touch of Rush now and then. Right Here, Right now is more of a straight forward creation fairly close to late 80's Rush in general expression. Fiction and Dream has a nice progressive oriented structure with plenty of alterations in pace and intensity, but with a foundation closer to power metal in general style I think. The ballad Something makes me think of good, old Ozzy, while title track Reality to my mind is a return to the aforementioned late 80's sound of Rush. Quintus, the sole instrumental composition at hand, alternates between Metallica and Dream Theater in the associations department, possibly with a touch of Megadeth here and there. And finally concluding track Enjoy the Pain comes across as a marriage between Metallica and Dream Theater.

"Reality" is a more cohesive production than these associations might give you reason to suspect, and not quite as demanding as you might think either. St.Quenting tends to stay firmly within a compelling oriented framework, the songs are generally easy on the ears and the mind despite sporting a fair deal of alterations throughout. It's basically not an album that fits within a context as challenging, at least not for the listener. But it is an enjoyable production, despite the numerous associations I suspect the greater majority of listeners will experience when giving this one a spin.

In sum, I'd recommend St.Quentin's debut album to those who might fancy listening to a compelling blend of music referencing bands such as Dream Theater, Rush and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Metallica. Seven tracks and forty minutes of music that should please a fairly broad audience, where a strictly metal interested crowd should find just as much to enjoy here as one with a stronger affection for progressive rock and progressive metal.