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THE PERILS OF TIME TRAVEL

Thank You Scientist

Crossover Prog


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Thank You Scientist The Perils of Time Travel album cover
3.48 | 62 ratings | 6 reviews | 20% 5 stars

Good, but non-essential

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Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, released in 2011

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Grin (5:18)
2. Abandonship (5:26)
3. Leave Your Light On (5:57)
4. Make Like a Tree (Get Out) (5:27)
5. Gemini (7:15)

Total Time 29:23

Line-up / Musicians

- Sal Marrano / vocals, beard
- Tom Monda / fretted & fretless guitars
- Greg Colacino / acoustic & electric basses
- Odin Alvarez / drums
- Russ Lynch / violin & viola
- Ellis Jasenovic / tenor & soprano saxophones
- Andrew Digrius / trumpet, flugelhorn & synth

Releases information

TYS # 884502978247

Thanks to chris s for the addition
and to projeKct for the last updates
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THANK YOU SCIENTIST The Perils of Time Travel ratings distribution


3.48
(62 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(20%)
20%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(49%)
49%
Good, but non-essential (21%)
21%
Collectors/fans only (3%)
3%
Poor. Only for completionists (7%)
7%

THANK YOU SCIENTIST The Perils of Time Travel reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Andy Webb
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Retired Admin
4 stars Leave the record on!

Thank You Scientist is a new, inventive progressive rock band based out of New Jersey. The seven piece, even in the prime of their musical youth, have shown to be highly experienced and mature about the music they create, crafting memorable tunes full of fantastic musicianship and energetic appeal. Fusing countless styles into their inventive music, the EP, The Perils of Time Travel, shows signs of everything from pop punk to prog metal. The music is wonderfully dense, full of beautiful melody, strong rhythms, and great instrumentation. With the wide array of instruments present in the band, the band is able to easily develop an eclectic sound, with each of the various sounds presented by the musicians showing up in the fantastic music. One can really see how each of the members has their own influences and their own vision for venturing into the perilous musical realm.

The diversity of this music is easily one of its best traits. As I said, each of the composers obviously have far reaching influences that truly mesh into wonderful music. From the subtle harmonies to the sweeping musicianship of each of the members, the music is unique, fun, and a real blast to listen to. The band shows that they love the music they make and have a fantastic time performing it. Not only do they enjoy playing it, I enjoy listening to it, which makes it all the better. The five short tracks pack a great punch, and are absolutely wonderful pieces of music.

Of course at a prog listener's viewpoint, this album is quite popularly accessible. The band obviously wants someone to listen to their music, because without the catchy, poppy melodies the music would most likely be intense avant-garde rock (which to me isn't bad, but many people would disagree with that particular style). The fantastic progression mixed in to that poppy quality, however, truly makes this EP a fantastic gem in the Crossover world. Crossover is a genre known for its diversity, and this band truly adds to that wonderful dynamic.

Overall, I truly enjoyed listening to this album. The wonderful, mature quality of the music is truly amazing. The young band, even on their debut, shows an incredible sense of experience and maturity in recording in composition. Many new bands fall into the pitfall of amateurish production, weak composition, or just a very immature atmosphere. This album really avoids all of that to rise onto the same level as many of the experienced bands releasing material this year. Thank You Scientist has easily become one of my favorite new bands, and I highly anticipate new material from this band! 4 stars.

Review by memowakeman
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars If only they would have included two more songs this good?

This would have been a wonderful record. I am saying this because since the first time I listened to "The Perils of Time Travel" I was attracted by its peculiar sound, and enjoyed the almost 30 minutes this EP offers, so I wanted more, when it finishes, you leave with the sensation they could have done more, because you noticed they are talented and have much more to explore and explode. That happened to me with this debut EP of American band Thank You Scientist, I actually wanted more songs.

But those are good news actually, because that means the band is in the right way, creating music that I liked and letting me with a good impression, looking now forward to hear more of their repertoire. This EP opens with "Grin" which is the shortest composition, though four of them have practically the same length. First we can listen to some words and then the band let us know their skills with a metal-like style but with a great addition of a saxophone. The bass sound is wonderful, along with the prominent guitar; a minute later vocals appear with a soft and mellow style, putting cadence and power at the same time to the music. The song flows mostly with a fast rhythm, but it has also some slower ones that perfectly complement it. A very nice introduction!

"Abbandonship!" has since the first seconds a sound much closer to the alternative rock rather than the progressive rock one at least in the first minutes. The melody is catchy and the voice here would suit for an emo or hardcore band, I am sorry if I am being harsh here. The best element of this track is the addition of sax, the nice guitar figures and the violin implemented in the last seconds. "Leave your Light on" is a much more interesting track, with some jazzy hints in the first moments, a very good guitar and some great winds and strings. Later it has some changes, in moments it is heavier and in others is more delicate, so it is a nice experimental track, with excellent two final minutes.

"Make Like Tree (Get Out)" has an attractive sound due to the guitar figures and the pretty cool bass lines, then the music flows and progresses becoming emotional and more intense; the guitarist has skills and he take advantage of them, that can be appreciated in the music. What I liked of the band since the first track was that implementation of a saxophone and a trumpet, because though they are not the main instruments, they produce rich textures and nuances that can be better appreciated with good headphones.

"Gemini" is the last, the longest, and probably the most ambitious song of this album. I love that great combination of the basic instruments with the winds and strings such as trumpet or viola, so jazz meets classical music meets progressive rock. The sound is really fresh here, challenging and provoking, one can easily be trapped under its charm. What I would ask them is to make more tracks like these, because this was the main guilty of my positive reaction regarding this EP, and after listening to this particular song, I wanted more. A great way to finish this record!

Overall I believe it is a very good EP, with more pros than cons, with a promising future and with things to improve, however, I would recommend it for people who want a new face of fresh and modern progressive rock. My final grade will be 3 stars, almost 4.

Enjoy it!

Review by kev rowland
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Reviewer
4 stars This New Jersey act are new to me, and I only came across them because I was asked by someone at work what I thought of them. Being unable to answer I took the only course of action possible, and immediately tried to find out more about them. 'The Perils of Time Travel' was their debut release, a thirty-minute-long EP that they released in 2011. Even before the music starts one realizes that here is a band that are somewhat out of left field. While a septet isn't really that unusual in music, the instrumentation being portrayed by some of the line-up certainly is. Sal Marrano (vocals), Tom Monda (fretted and fretless guitar), Greg Colacino (acoustic and electric bass) and Odin Alvarez (drums) can be said in some way to be the "normal" side of the band. They are joined by Russ Lynch (violin and viola), Ellis Jasenovic (tenor and soprano sax) and Andrew Digrius (trumpet, flugelhorn, and synth). Even discounting that the much-maligned flugelhorn hasn't seen many rock outings outside of Jethro Tull or Gryphon, it is certainly unusual to find any band combining strings with brass, and little in the way of keyboards.

What is even more interesting is just how commercial they sound, certainly not what one would expect from a line-up like this. They mix Coheed and Cambria with a gentler version of Protest The Hero and manage to make djent, jazz, pop and prog sound as if they were destined to be together. Yes, they can go off into tangents when they wish to, and Tom is an amazing guitarist, but it is the sheer joy from the music that makes one keep going back for more. Somehow it manages to be inventive, fresh and new, yet managing to stay accessible and soon the listener wonders how they managed to live their musical lives without ever coming across these guys before. Some of these songs could even make it onto rock radio, what on earth is going on?

It is rare to discover a band truly formed and with strong direction on their very first release. What on earth could an album be like?

Review by siLLy puPPy
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic
3 stars THANK YOU SCIENTIST is a seven piece band that comes from Montclair, New Jersey and creates a distinct mix progressive rock mixed with instantly catchy pop hooks infused with a healthy dose of post-hardcore type of punk energy that trades off with progressive metal at times. The band was formed in 2009 and released their first EP titled THE PERILS OF TIME TRAVEL in 2011. The lineup consists of seven members who play not only the typical rock instruments such as guitars, bass and drums but also implements electric violin, viola, tenor and soprano saxophones, flugelhorn and trumpet as well as a whole slew of other instruments such as the Japanese shamisen, sitar, theremin as well as synthesizers. On this near thirty minute listening experience there are five tracks all laid out in full prog regalia despite having exquisitely designed pop hooks with groovy rhythms.

First exposure to this band and i thought i was listening to The Mars Volta since Sal Marrano's vocals are of the same style and they are very similar sounding as well as with the similarities of TMV having emerged from a post-punk world with At The Drive-Inn. The difference between these two different bands is more in how they construct the musical compositions. THANK YOU SCIENTIST is all about creating strong grooves supplemented by catchy pop hooks while the more complex elements are subordinate such as the jazz- fusion aspects of the horns along with the string sections. While many tracks like "Gemini" are more straight forward in their approach, others like the opening "Grin" can dish out some serious time signature chops rivaling the most adventurous prog workouts only kept on a leash by keeping within the confines that the melody will allow.

While the music itself has sort of a post-punk sort of dressing to it, at times as in "Gemini" it can suddenly turn into more of a progressive metal sound with virtuosic guitar solos and heavier riffing complete with varied time sigs, counterpoints and a style that also brings Coheed and Cambria to mind. The musicians are all very talented at their ability to follow each other's cue as they meander through complex technical workouts without ever compromising the free flow melodic delivery of the songs at hand. In some ways this band sounds very EMO which isn't my favorite genre in general but considering the band is so diverse in its mixture of genres and style, this isn't really a problem. Perhaps i find the vocals the weakest link in THANK YOU SCIENTIST's sound as i'd like to hear as much diversity in the singer's ability so that it would be in line with the crazy musical diversions. Overall not a bad debut release that shows the band struttin' their prog chops in a carefully crafted progressive pop context.

3.5 rounded down

Review by patrickq
PROG REVIEWER
2 stars Prog Archives lists The Perils of Time Travel as "Crossover Prog," but if I had to assign an actual prog subgenre to this half-hour project, I'd be tempted to go with neo-prog or progressive metal. But insofar as "neo-prog" is more of an approach taken by an artist than a musical style of a song or album, Thank You Scientist probably isn't neo-prog because there's no apparent debt to first-generation prog-rock groups - - and yet they integrate metal in the same way that neo-prog groups like IQ do. There are also hints of post rock à la Ulver among the five songs here - - does that make it "eclectic prog"?

It's hard to assign this album* to a progressive-rock subgenre because The Perils of Time Travel isn't a progressive-rock album in the first place (which means The Perils of Time Travel is probably best classified as "crossover prog," if it's to be listed on Prog Archives at all). Ultimately it's modern AOR, or maybe heavy AAA, a little like Coldplay or 1990s Radiohead. When its lyrics are at their most platitudinous ("come on baby, say you're mine," "gonna take a miracle to get back on my feet," "there's something about the way you move," etc.) it almost sounds like a metal Matchbox Twenty. There are occasional sullen, post-grunge moments, but they get resolved before long. There are also progressive elements, though not many.

There are plenty of non-progressive albums which are nonetheless great works of art. The Perils of Time Travel is not one of these, although by no means is it a poor album. The sound quality is very good; in particular, the songs are mixed so nicely that I hardly noticed the mixing at all. The instrumental performances are fine, and the singer also does his job well.

My criticism is with the material: with the songs themselves. To me the compositions and arrangements are generic and unmemorable. This being the first Thank You Scientist album I've heard, I'll withhold any judgement about the band itself, especially since there are some creative ideas here and there. It's also true that while this is the group's first release, its members refer to it as an EP, and thus specifically don't consider it to be their debut album - - so maybe these songs were cast-offs. Or something. 

The long and short of it is that The Perils of Time Travel is a set of unexceptional songs, but with hints that better material is to come.

====

*Since it's more than 25 minutes long and contains more than five songs, The Perils of Time Travel fits the generally-accepted definition of an LP.

Review by DangHeck
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars A release that I didn't even know existed! The Perils of Time Travel is the 2011 debut EP of Crossover Prog maestros Thank You Scientist. One thing that was answered for me is that now, since the start, Salvatore Marrano (vocals) and Tom Monda (guitar) are the core members. It's a tried and true relationship, given their consistent (and consistently good) output since 2012 (again, I didn't know this EP was out there until today).

And what an opening statement this seems to be from the get-go! The EP opens with "Grin". Very familiarly them, the musicianship is on point, it's Hook Central, it's got funk and spunk and a great beat, and it's a greater collective of performers than "the norm". This song also features specifically violin front and center, which is certainly something I love in any Prog subgenre (including Fusion). There's something apparently Eastern in the feel and tone.

More straight-ahead, but with jazzy affectations is "Abandonship" [Oh! I see what you did there!]. Pretty good melodies and some interesting sort of start-stop rhythms throughout. The bass "solo" and the popping drums in the final moments of the song are quite nice. Interesting stuff looking back like this. I feel though that this really is that time period clearly on display.

Up next is the very cool, perhaps East-Euro-influenced "Leave Your Light On". Jazzy and peculiar sort of vibe. I like. Keyboards are light (like a Rhodes) and the track has a great, bouncing beat. Somewhat quietly progressive compared to their material to come (at least the majority is fairly straight), but a phenomenal song nonetheless. Especially in the fourth minute with this beautiful, virtuosic solo from Monda. Wowza! Soaring and all over the fretboard.

Then it's the tongue-in-cheek named "Make Like a Tree (Get Out)". And this features (what I thought was) some really cool mallet percussion (on the front and backend), but I feel like this song is basically more intricate, fully realized/orchestrated Alternative Rock (again, very of the time). Prog comes out a bit (though that Coheed comparison specifically can be made here) by minute 2. Great beat on this one and just a well-constructed song. And then this ending is just sweeeet. Awesome use of reeds over a quirky beat.

Finally, we have "Gemini", which once again feels like a more explicit Coheed and Cambria callback. Great rhythm(s), one of Marrano's strongest, though sweetest vocal performances of the whole. And all of the instrumental layers are really working on this one. And the rhythmic complexity throughout is really ear- catching to me. A lot more metal influence in here, but then with stuff like the delicious sax solo around minute 4 there's this jazzy thing ever present. They really do a great job of melding all of their influences together into a fairly unique and modern take. Best song on the album, I think, and a helluva closer to more than a solid debut release.

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