NOW THE WAVES OF SOUND REMAIN

Phi is a young 3-man band from Austria that call their approach to music "post Progressive Rock." I found myself surprised that I'd not come across this term before. Then the internal quarrels as to what could be meant by this term accompanied my listening to Now The Waves of Sound Remain on progstreaming.com. What impressed me about the band and their music was that instead of sounding retro- or neo-prog, or retro- or neo-classic rock, the band sounds to me like a band of youth expressing themselves in their most heartfelt way. I especially enjoy the way they so unexpectedly and yet effortless incorporate updated LED ZEPPELIN/RUSH sounds and riffs into their songs. They can be indie/alt rock like MEW, they can be proggish like DEVIN TOWNSEND, they can be metal like Led Zep, they can be grungy like ALICE IN CHAINS, they can be Experimental like ANEKDOTEN, and so tight like Rush, but they are so original and unique! And their vocals are so diverse, interesting, and unusual. Everything is so fresh and unexpected. My listening to this album kept flushing me over with wave after wave of excitement and awe similar to when I first heard CREAM, LED ZEPPELIN, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, or PEARL JAM. Supergroups. And PHI is young! I am excited! This band is so creative! So confident! So tight!

This is an excellent album that I want everyone to check out. For now I'm going to give it four stars as I've only listened to it twice so far. But this may end up getting bumped up to masterpiece status--and it may be a top tenner of 2014.

Prog lovers: Check out this album!

Austrian band PHI was formed back in 2006, and started making a name for themselves before breaking up a few years later. In 2011 the band reformed, and in their second phase of existence they have developed a style and presence that again have seen them steadily creating a presence for themselves in the contemporary scene. "Now the Waves of Sound Remain" is their third studio album, and was released through the German label Gentle Art of Music in the fall of 2014.

Throw Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd, Rush and Tool into the blender and season with some touches of The Mars Volta, perhaps with some Riverside too, and you may end up with an end result like this. Well developed and highly enjoyable music, atmospheric-laden and gentle, as well as edgy, feisty and powerful, compelling, sophisticated and also rather quirky at times. Those who enjoy bands that explore the landscapes in the borderlands between progressive rock and progressive metal will most likely be a key audience for Phi and the band's 2014 album "Now the Waves of Sound Remain".