DARWIN 2: A FROZEN WAR

Iceland based project DarWin, spearheaded by the composer and musician using the DarWin moniker as his creative alias, first came to some prominence in 2018 when the double concept album "Origin of Species" appeared. DarWin has since worked on finalizing material for his second album, "A Frozen War", which is scheduled for release in late November 2020.

DarWin presents us with a short and concise album for his second outing, featuring an array of high quality musicians that provides instruments and vocals in compelling and relatively easy going songs with a foundation in the calmer, AOR-oriented parts of the progressive rock universe but with detours to both orchestral, pastoral, hard rock and progressive metal territories along the way. The most striking aspect of this album for me is the quality musicianship, and I'd recommend this album to those who generally enjoy progressive rock explored in a more careful manner, that appreciate a fair degree of style variations thrown into the mix and most of all those who generally enjoy listening to music provided to them by a vast array of high quality musicians in the described context.

DarWin is a progressive rock infused exploration into the future of humanity and the difficult world around us, supercharged prog metal, it says. Darwin is a collection of musicians ranging from Darwin to Phillips, Bissonette, Sheehan, Govan, Howe, Sherinian who have played in TOTO, BECK, VAI, MR BIG, LEE ROTH, ASIA, DREAM THEATER or STEVEN WILSON. It's their 2nd album coming out that features edgy tracks with heavy guitars and grooves; the musical frame leaves it in sound and progressive regions well worked.

The "Nightmare Of My Dreams" amazed me with the very texture of the piece mixing instruments including the enjoyable Guthrie solo, climates to the superbly introduced violin, 7 minutes which send you to purgatory for redemption due to a world going into an infernal spiral. "Future History" and its superimposed voices, this melodic guitar tune which makes you travel beyond the time of the said song, losing you in a meander of the most beautiful effect. "Eternal Life" intro with slide guitar à la Ry Cooder for an 80's FM track, ballad to set a stadium on fire, far from what is currently possible; easiest track to awesome or enjoyable guitar solos and synths, yours to see, that get you going. "A Frozen War" stunned me with this bewitching riff that becomes very fat and edgy, better than a good AYREON riff that is to say, a track that goes easily with a slightly simplistic declining end on the other hand. "Another Year" is the AOR or FM track from the 80s revisited with melody and chorus, female vocal addition to get on the radio waves, oh yes I forgot your own radio; aerial solo, airy, suave as the voice! The album is also available in LP with poster and covers of songs from the 1st album plus two from this EP. The album was composed separately in view of the current pandemic, all pulled together to deliver an instants-time, detailed, dramatic musical track with many progressive drawers. A heavy rock with basic choruses superimposing vocals to give more warmth and giving pride of place to individually worked solos, giving time to time. A much more complex and delicious album than it initially sounds, but considering the crowd inside it almost makes sense. Darwin makes us dream and hope it is already unexpected in these dark times.

Following on from the debut, 'Origin Of Species' in 2019, the second album came out towards the end of 2020. Guitarist DarWin has again joined forces with drummer Simon Phillips (Toto/The Who/Jeff Beck) and singer Matt Bissonette (Elton John, David Lee Roth, Ringo Starr) as the core unit. As with the last album he has brought in a host of stellar musicians to fill out the sound, including bassist Billy Sheehan (Mr Big/ Steve Vai/Winery Dogs), guitarists Guthrie Govan (Aristocrats/Asia/Hans Zimmer/Steven Wilson) and Greg Howe (Michael Jackson/Justin Timberlake) and keyboard player Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater/Alice Cooper/Black Country Communion) along with Alex Sill (acoustic guitar) and Jeff Babko (keyboards) while The Reykjavik String Quartet also return.

The first album was a double CD event, but the second is far shorter, just five songs and 31 minutes long (although it is also available in an extended version where there are a further 9 songs as orchestral versions ? this was later released as album in its own right as 'Darwin 3' in 2021). This is a direct continuation to the debut album, where the story was set in 2028, where an exhausted ecology, and global conflicts, have led to a huge upheaval of the world order, straining, and diminishing human populations. The lives of everyday people and families have been turned upside down by the intense ecological pressures related to climate change. This polished, layered, progressive rock music with great performances from all involved ( as if we would expect anything else from these guys). The standout for me is the last song, "Another Year", which is a wonderful duet with some great female vocals (I have no idea who it is, sorry) and it is the interaction between her and Matt which really makes this shine. High class, powerful and middle of the road prog with strong songs, great performances, guaranteed to make any proghead smile.