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BLOOD OF THE BERRY

Timothy Pure

Crossover Prog


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Timothy Pure Blood Of The Berry album cover
3.70 | 52 ratings | 8 reviews | 17% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
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Studio Album, released in 1997

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Thieves (3:19)
2. The Aberration (3:52)
3. Blood Of The Berry (2:34)
4. Private Hedge (5:28)
5. Slide (5:27)
6. The Afterglow (2:00)
7. The Interim (1:12)
8. Without Words (6:56)
9. Ornament (4:18)
10. Magdalena Hell (5:56)
11. Where Mercy Ends (4:00)
12. Incineration Point (4:15)
13. Through The Fountain's Eye (4:38)
14. When Vices Collide (4:29)

Total Time: 58:24

Line-up / Musicians

- Zog / guitars
- Andre Neitzel / bass
- Matthew Still / vocals, keyboards
- Chris Wallace / drums, percussion

Releases information

Isosceles Records

Thanks to ProgLucky for the addition
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TIMOTHY PURE Blood Of The Berry ratings distribution


3.70
(52 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(17%)
17%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(44%)
44%
Good, but non-essential (33%)
33%
Collectors/fans only (6%)
6%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

TIMOTHY PURE Blood Of The Berry reviews


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

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Mellotron Storm
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars This is a concept album. "A story of love and sacrifice. A lovely creature attempting to find a deep connection to the world. But this connection has a price". Overall this record is ambient, warm, spacy and atmospheric with pleasant vocals. There are a ton of lyrics on this album, so there's lots to delve into if your really into concept albums.

There is light and dark though, and it can be moody, to down right angry as in the song "Where Mercy Ends". When that song came on I remember thinking "Is this the same album ?" Even the title of this song witnesses to the despair that arises when there appears to be no one to turn to, no one to help. Other highlights for me are "The Aberration", a passionate song with beautiful guitar and piano. "Private Hedge" features lots of atmosphere and some haunting guitar after 4 1/2 minutes. "This Afterglow" opens with acoustic guitar and reminds me of PORCUPINE TREE before the male vocals come in. Female vocals take over a minute in. This might be the best song on the album.

"The Interim" is a short haunting piece with more female vocals that sing "I've fallen...i've lost myself...and i'm afraid". I really like the guitar 5 minutes in on "Without Words". "Ornament" has some beautiful piano melodies and reserved vocals. "Magdelena Hell" is one of my top three tracks. Beautiful, spacey organ to open as reserved vocals and synths come in. Acoustic guitar after 1 1/2 minutes as the sound gets fuller. The guitar soars in this one after 2 minutes. Cool atmosphere to end it. "Incineration Point" is dark and atmospheric as a heavy sound comes in. "Through The Fountain's Eye" is another standout, this is brighter, almost uplifting.

This music really pulled me in, it might be a little samey but I really like this style of music. The follow up "Island Of Misfit Toys" is even better.

Review by UMUR
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars Blood Of the Berry really surprised me as I was expecting to hear some Neo prog with dominant keyboards and a boring singer, but Timothy Pure turns out to be something else. The neo prog tendencies are there allright and especially Marillion is a band that Timothy Pure has listened to, but I also hear some Pink Floyd there. But generally I donīt think Timothy Pure really sound like anyone else.

The sound on Blood of the Berry is very warm and lots of chorus and reverb makes this a grand production which is something I really like. The keyboard and piano parts are not controlling the music as in most neo prog. The strong voice of Matthew Still is very much what the music evolves around. I also think the guitarist plays some nice things throughout the album without ever being original though.

The mood of the album is pretty dark which is a rarity on prog rock albums, and very welcome in my world. Timothy Pure seems pretty angry at times but it never reaches any heavy metal tendencies even though the feelings are very intense.

There are not many different parts in the songs and they are basically in the radio rock format, which is my biggest regret with this album. There are interludes of different things like Blood Of The Berry and The Interim but itīs not enough to make the album more exciting.

It seems like Timothy Pure has lots of talent and songwriting skill, but I think they need the last push for them to become excellent. all in all this is a very good prog rock album that could have been better with more deviances from the formula. 3 stars is fair here.

Review by tszirmay
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars This sophomore album was a definite harbinger of things to come as the next "Island of Misfit Toys" will consecrate Timothy Pure with prog excellence. The band came out of peachy Atlanta with a decent debut that had all kinds of promise plastered all over it. A few personnel changes to set the boat straight and a style is born, a strong spacey Floydian influence but thankfully without the immense showoff egos. Matthew Still is an effective keyboardist but an even better vocalist, owner of a dreamy set of pipes that amplifies the murky energy of the music and can snarl when needed. Andre Neitzel on bass does a lissome job weaving his down low notes deep into the rhythmic fabric set by drummer Chris Wallace. Guitarist Zod (yeah, I know.) does not attempt to be a guitar god (zod=god?), staying well within his tonal limitations and sealing the arrangements as a team concept and not 4 virtuosos showing off their chops. Let it be said right away, this is not the most complex material ever recorded but it has a very original style that reverberates often through the course of these tracks that flow into one another, as if one long suite. Not much change of pace either, Timothy Pure come across as jacks of one trade, relying on some superbly mysterious melodies to keep the doom moving forward. "Blood of the Berry" has some luminous moments, such as on the fantastic "Slide", the extraordinary "The Afterglow" and the lilting "Magdalena Hell", all imbued with a mystical haze that is quite attractive, even after multiple spins. There is a slight similarity with fellow American bands Singularity and Discipline, both having made some admirable recordings. While this is a good release and thoroughly enjoyable, it still lacks some fire in the belly which would catapult it into the upper reaches of excellence. The best is yet to come. 3.5 pulpous fruits.
Review by Warthur
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars Timothy Pure's Blood of the Berry is a well-crafted neo-prog album with a sound that has one foot to the genre's 80s glory days and one foot in the latter-day Pink Floyd sound. They don't attempt too many radical departures from what's come before, but equally they don't fuss around or waste time on unfruitful musical cul-de-sacs, producing a decent album which plays to the band's strengths but may not stand up to repeated listens unless you are keen on bands who lift a thing or two from the Floyd. Matthew Still's Floydian keyboard playing is a particular highlight of the album, as is the smooth flow of the album between tracks - in keeping with it being a concept album, there's no jarring shifts in tone from track to track, instead the emotional tone of the album being built up logically as the songs progress.
Review by apps79
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars A US band from Georgia, developing through the 90's around singer/keyboardist Matthew Still and bassist/lyricist Andre Neitzel.Timothy Pure released the album ''The fabric of betrayal'' in 1995 with Randy Brown on guitar, Chet Jameson on drums and Nick Savage on vocals, but according to Neitzel this work did not represent the actual sound of the group.Two years later Neitzel and Still were joined by Zod on guitars and Chris Wallace on drums to release the sophomore effort ''Blood of the Berry'' on Isosceles Records.Part of the album seems to be re-recordings of songs from ''The fabric of betrayal''.

A very atmospheric and sensitive album, ''Blood of the Berry'' seems to draw influences from the warmer side of PINK FLOYD (circa ''Wish you were here'' and ''Dividion bell'') into a style that also has strong hints from the early-90's MARILLION sound as well as some of the pompous stylings of ALAN PARSONS' PROJECT and eventually sounding close to compatriots NEPENTHE.Containg 14 short compositions, everything seems to be very carefully structured in this album, that propably lacks obvious dynamics, but focuses on clear, smooth and atmospheric plays with alternating passages from melodic parts to more lyrical moments.The PINK FLOYD influence is evident on plenty of the mellow keyboard textures and the almost spacey guitar lines, but there are also some more upbeat moments with more powerful vocals, upfront keyboards and an energetic rhythm section.Some excellent solos with a Neo Prog-flavor are also in the menu along with more contemporary techniques like the mass of distorted vocals.Thus, Timothy Pure sound like a precursor to many bands of the 00's, like NINE STONES CLOSE or COSMOGRAF, trying to fill their sound with both old-school and recent vibes.

''Blood of the Berry'' unfortunately lacks this monster track that would make this album absolutely essential, but be sure to face a well-crafted and highly atmospheric Prog release if purchasing the album, especially if you are a fan of PINK FLOYD and/or Hogarth-era MARILLION.Recommended.

Latest members reviews

5 stars Balancing between neo-prog and sympho-prog Timothy Pure create beautiful conceptual product. A pathetic vocal, good guitar solo. All very qualitatively and professionally. It is possible to listen over and over again with indefatigable pleasure. It is recommended to judges of progressive fate of ... (read more)

Report this review (#85546) | Posted by Serb | Thursday, August 3, 2006 | Review Permanlink

4 stars I've been listening to prog rock for as long as I've been listening to music. I have to say that the four songs I've hear by this band, are some of the best pieces I've heard in quite some time. Go to the band's sight and get some tunes from Blood of the Berry. I promise you'll be taken by it ... (read more)

Report this review (#2607) | Posted by crimso57 | Tuesday, December 21, 2004 | Review Permanlink

5 stars This is one of those albums that you'll never get tired of listening. I wish Timothy Pure would release more albums as a regular band. It all sounds in the right place with the right measure and intensity. It's clear that Floyd was a major inspiration, but at this point in time, who cares. Pro ... (read more)

Report this review (#2604) | Posted by | Wednesday, June 23, 2004 | Review Permanlink

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