CHRYSALIS

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Chrysalis is one of those albums that manages to be complex, tricky, and progressive as hell, yet still melodic and instantly accessible. Similarly to fellow American prog rockers like Echolyn and Spock's Beard, Man on Fire offers a quirky and modern progressive concoction that still sounds fresh and inspired. Chrysalis doesn't try to hide its eclectic list of influences, but instead successfully blends them all together into a sound that is unique and instantly recognizable. Man on Fire's ability to blend progressive rock, jazz, pop, metal, and even funky R&B with such finesse is admirable, and their impressive skills as musicians and composers make this effort all the more noteworthy. Chrysalis is a professional, well- composed, and original prog rock album - anyone who's wondering what that sounds like here in 2011 is bound to love this fourth observation from Man on Fire!

Even though Chrysalis is an album that sounds like no other, Man on Fire has a distinct American prog rock touch that brings acts like Spock's Beard, Kansas, and especially Echolyn to mind. Man on Fire is clearly more rooted in jazz than any of the aforementioned acts, though, and Eric Sands's fretless bass, Cameron Harder Handel's expressive trumpet, and Quentin Ravenel's jazzy drumming keep the band from ever sounding derivative or conventional. The compositions have distinct melodic pop hooks, but the dense instrumentation and quirky instrumental portions always keep things interesting - songs like "Gravity" and the four-song title track suite are all representative of the great music contained on this disc. The sleek musicianship, parred by the equally stunning production, both allow Chrysalis to sound like the work of progressive rock veterans.

Chrysalis is one of those rare albums that manages to be both unique and enjoyable, and I'll applaud Man on Fire all day long for crafting an album this well-composed and professional. People who enjoy acts like Echolyn, but with an additional dose of eclecticism, will find some of the year's best music with this CD. Jam-packed with memorable hooks, complex instrumentals, and powerful vocals, Man on Fire have succeeded tremendously with this effort! 4 stars and a very warm recommendation are both well-deserved. If you haven't checked out these American prog rockers yet, I think Chrysalis is a fine introduction.

US act MAN ON FIRE made their debut back in 1998, which was followed up by the critically acclaimed sophomore disc "The Undefined Design" in 2003 and slightly more contested "Habitat" in 2007, the latter disc coming with a sound and approach featuring closer ties to mainstream-oriented pop and rock. "Chrysalis" is their fourth album and was released on their own label 10t Records in the fall of 2011.

With "Chrysalis" the band has taken their trademark sound further, and into a field I suspect to some extent will divide their fans to an even greater extent than their previous effort "Habitat". Mainstream-oriented art rock with pop and industrial over- and undertones would appear to be a fitting general description of the overall style, but with more details and sophisticated mannerisms than you'll encounter on any directly mainstream-oriented production. Well worth checking out, and for most that should be done extensively prior to a purchase, I suspect. Potential core audience: progressive rock fans who also have artists like Depeche Mode and Gary Numan as treasured items in their music collection.

'Chrysalis' - Man On Fire (7/10)

Man On Fire is a band I have been hearing quite a bit about this year, thanks in no small part due to the release and subsequent acclaim of this, their latest album. 'Chrysalis' is certainly an album that gives listeners a reason to be excited; it is a well-played, inventive album that delivers quite a few thrills over its course. Despite nailing several aspects of their sound down smoothly, Man On Fire's ambition is a tad overbearing, and for every thing on 'Chrysalis' that strikes gold, there is something that could have been done better.

Man On Fire are first and foremost; a modern prog rock act. There is the tender homage to the old greats here, but the sound is not retro. In fact, it may be difficult to describe the sound of 'Chrysalis' appropriately with any one word, or ten. Actually, a fitting term would be 'diverse'; Man On Fire seem deadset on exploiting every style and avenue they can lay their instruments on. This equates to a shapeless monster that incorporates pop, metal, electronica, jazz, and even soul, funk, and R&B. Sure enough, Man On Fire both manages to load a lot into their music, and this sense of variety is what I think defines what Man On Fire have done with 'Chrysalis'. All the same, there are aspects of the sound that follow through most of the music here. The vocals here are paired between somewhat gruff male vocals, and a female vocalist that would not have sounded out of place in a gospel choir. The vocals of Man On Fire are generally quite strong and well arranged, and they do help glue the album together a little better.

Instrumentally, Man On Fire manages to hit each of the genres they dabble in quite well. They are not writing the book on any of these sounds, but the way they all come together equates to an album that constantly engages and surprises. The electronic material and female soul vocals of Elise Testone are arguably the best aspects of Man On Fire's sound. Overall however, this band's best selling point is their ability to throw so many sounds onto one album. Sadly, this is done in such a way that feels more like a comparison of many different strong sounds, rather than a smooth synthesis, as I would have preferred. An exciting release nonetheless, 'Chrysalis' is an inventive face of modern prog rock.