HIGHER DIMENSIONS

I'm going to preface this review by stating one thing: out of all the albums I've heard in 2014 thus far, this is by far the absolute wurst. I mean, it's real junk food. I can't help it, really. Last year, Active Heed (Umberto Pagnini) released their/his debut album, "Visions from Realities". It was met with questionable praise, and, honestly, wasn't even progressive at all. Well, give me a lollie and smack me silly, but this sophomore album "Higher Dimensions" is exactly the opposite of its name. It's abysmal. Even excretory at points. Totally laughable.

That sounds harsh, right? You'd be right. "Higher Dimensions" is like the leftovers in the refrigerator that you forgot were there, and now there's something disturbingly ripe and hairy about them. Utter squash, in other words. Avoid it completely. The band (actually just a studio band that plays the music that Umberto writes) attempts to mix the classic prog bands, such as Genesis or Yes, with the smoother sounds of Arena or Pendragon. Just mentioning those amazing bands in this review, in all honestly, is utter bologna. Even though a band names influences, it doesn't mean that the band will try to make the sound their own somehow. Active Heed, however, tries to copy the sounds of the past, but fails miserably and excruciatingly. It's like comparing spam to steak, or shrimp to lobster. It's like a bad cover band, and the beer at the show tastes like piss. In other words, you got nothing out of the experience.

So, you're asking, what's actually going wrong here? Well, you see, Active Heed seems to think that there's a recipe for progressive rock. Add a bit of keys, a dash of guitar solo, and make sure you don't forget to throw in some time signature changes, or else no one will call you prog (that's the mistake he made on the first album). So, they tried to follow the recipe, but ended up with garbage clippings instead of filet mignon. Time signature changes are literally thrown in, seemingly randomly, for the complete heck of it. The bass player is playing the notes, but there isn't a single instance of groove or rhythm anywhere. The guitarist plays some solos here and there, but there isn't an ounce of soul or emotion in any of them. The vocalist is singing, but, in all honesty, is bound by the worst vocal melodies I've ever heard and also some of the dumbest lyrics, too. I couldn't get over how horrendous the vocal melodies are, as the vocalist seems to be singing just to be singing. It's a completely phoned-in performance by the band, and I can understand, as the writing is 100% cheese and by-the-prog-book.

Each song manages to be "blah" in its own way. Honestly, you'll find yourself wishing for the end of each one, too. Every time I heard the sound of synth, my heart rose, but I ended up being disappointed, like a stale dessert bar at a two-bit wedding reception. You get your hopes up for some smooth chocolate, some moist cake, or maybe even some old- fashioned pie. What you get, though, is definitely old, but also moldy, putrid, and gives you a headache. The final track is the high point of the album. "Not Left and Not Taken" has a decent keyboard solo at the end, and even some aura, too. It doesn't make up for the rest of the song or album, though. A few good spots in moldy bread do not warrant keeping the whole thing. Throw the entire loaf in the dump.

I don't like to be mean. I really don't. Yet, Active Heed has made a name for themselves by spamming the Internet. Ironically, their music is like spam, and not even the crispy fried kind. I almost wonder how many of their fans have actually heard their music. I've lost count of how many times I've gotten a message asking me to like their page. In reality, this album is way worse than the first, as at least that one sounded like a genuine effort. This album only gets worse with each listen, and the stale, rotten vocal lines make listening to it a real chore. The band plays well, but the notes are uninspired and seemingly forced together to try to achieve "prog". What this band is missing, however, is that prog is not the sum of a list of parts, but rather an attitude and an ambition that are clearly missing from this album. In the end, this album is completely bland, vanilla, and worthy of the trash heap.

Band with varying line-up (only the vocalist, Per Fredrik Åsly, aka PelleK, is left from the recording sessions of the first album, published in 2013), Active Heed is the brainchild of Umberto Pagnini, a big fan of progressive rock, who writes the lyrics and the music, without being involved himself in the performance. In order to make his compositions come true on 'Higher dimensions', he asked a bunch of experienced musicians to lend him a hand: Cristiano Roversi (Moongarden, Mangalla Vallis) on keyboards and bass, but also in charge of arrangements, Gian Maria Roveda (Moongarden, Mangalla Vallis) on drums and Mirco Ravenoldi (Catafalchi del Cyber) on guitar. With vintage keyboards, Hammond organ, ubiquitous mellotrons, pastoral passages brought by a luminous acoustic guitar or an enchanting flute ("Ternary level one"), aerial guitars and hesitating drums (Genesis' "Apocalypse in 9/8" often springs to mind), Active Heed's music, while accessible, doesn't hide its progressive influences. Besides, the young vocalist steming from the world of metal music, this other influence can be witnessed in passages lead by roaring guitars on one hand, surprisingly akin to to thrash metal (the versatile "The war of tempos", "The number of God", "No speed limit", and "Not left and not taken") and in rhythm accelerations on the other hand. The metal leanings are nonetheless far less obvious in the low-pitched and theatrical voice (quite close to Michael Sadler) that can switch from melancholy to enthusiasm, always in a moderate way, far from the eccentricities of our singer's beloved musical genre. This humble attitude could be perceived by some listeners as a lack of dynamism, but in the end it fits quite well the overall atmosphere. Moreover, the melancholy that soars from PelleK's voice is not a brake to melodic arrangements. In fact, even if we are standing on a complex ground, our ears are caressed in permanence by melodic winds, borne as much by whirling synths and aerial guitars, as catchy and passionate choruses. When the first Active Heed album got released, it divided reviewers, many of them regretting that the pop side was brought too much forward. With 'Higher dimensions', Umberto Pagnini seems to have taken into account the criticisms and prog elements abound this time, yet, much to our delight, they are there only to provide more depth to the melodic purpose of a band that stays far from any flashy showing-off. The only complaint I have is with the brutal stop of some tracks ("The war of tempos", "A little bit expired", "The numbers of God", "Crop squares" and "A pet called prime").

One year after the debut, Active Heed released "Higher Dimensions", and though the style is practically the same, I must say we can listen to some heavier hints here, longer songs, including one 9-minute epic. So it is a new chance to get involved with this project for those who did not dig their first album, and it is also a chance for those who did, to enjoy new music with a light vein. This album features 12 songs that make a total time of 65 minutes.

It is strange to hear the introduction of "The War of Tempos", because it has a heavier, metal-like sound that in the first album never appeared; however, the fury lasts only some seconds and later the vocals appear bringing that mellow sound which is nicely accompanied by the other instruments. Keyboards play a main role this time, since this first track we can appreciate their importance, which to my ears, was an improvement. "Far Escape" has a nice instrumental introduction that produces a symphonic sound, in a more classical prog style, I mean the roots of prog rock were well placed here, and though the music turns into a softer and catchier tune, it is worth mentioning the tendency is now proggier than their first album.

"A Little bit Expired" continues with the same direction, and I really like they decided to give keyboards more importance, they add a lot of nuances and textures which are healthy for the music. I like the inner changes of the song, though in moments I think they sound a bit forced. Here I must mention the guitar solo, which is very good, and something Active Heed had not offered before. "Gaps in Time" has a rhythm made to clap and go with the beat of the drums. That friendly and catchy sound they used to share returns here. "Multiple Replies" starts beautifully with keyboards, and after a one-minute introduction it changes, putting some heavy guitars that immediately contrast with the mellow voice of Per Fredrik Asly. This is a very nice track with cool arrangements, which talk about Umberto Pagnini's compositional skills. This is one of my favorite songs of the album. "The Numbers of God" brings back the metal-like sound of the introductory track, and though it does not harm the music, I honestly prefer the light and soft side of Active Heed.

"Crop Squares" might be catchy as well, but what I like of it is that inclusion of keyboard importance, it puts the nuances, it produces the textures, it makes the difference for a better song, because its changes and diverse atmospheres make the music change every time, and not to be lineal (which would make it boring). "A Pet Called Prime" is another nice song with some inner changes in mood and tempo, and with the resurgence of guitar solos. The sound might be a kind of neo prog. "No Speed Limit" starts with a scream and the music is heavy again, with inherent tension on it. This song might be one of the most challenging of the album, it is very well crafted no matter the different changes it brings, here I like a lot the bass sound, and the last part of the album is a great Halloween-like mood with something that sounds like a theremin.

"Kick-Ass Grammar" is a nice neo symphonic track that specially reminds me of some older bands. A nice mixture of symphonic rock, heavier moments and soft and delicate passages. Definitely the music of this second album is much more enjoyable and entertaining than the first one. "Ternary Level One" brings again that mellow and soft catchy sound, full of peace and even tender, and though of course the vocal range is guilty of giving that sensation, the music collaborates and matches with it. The last track of the album is "Not Left and Not Taken" which happens to be the longest one with almost ten minutes of music. I like the drums beginning and then how the other instruments join and start building up a structure. All the feelings and the styles of Active Heed during this album are gathered here, so one can enjoy the pastoral and soft sound provided by keyboards and vocals, while guitars and drums all of a sudden explode and produce a heavier tune. A nice way to finish this very good album.

Well, for me the improvement is obvious, Active Heed changed the direction, one can easily note the new style, though of course the essence prevails. So congrats to Umberto and his musicians for this step forward, which ears at least 3 stars and my recommendation.

Enjoy it!