THE CONCEPT OF OUR REALITY

This is the debut CD from ex-DRAMA members Chris and Brett Rodler, together with the excellent female vocalist Melissa Blair. Chris and Brett are doing the music while Melissa is writing the lyrics. This is highly technical progressive rock/metal that certainly will please fans of DREAM THEATER, JETHRO TULLl, KING CRIMSON, MARILLION, RUSH and UK, as it's very complex and intricate with many mood shifts. Although every track is almost equally good, the track "Enter Quietly" stands out a little bit more with its 19:50 minutes. On this track the musicians get a good chance to really show off. I would like to recommend this CD as it contains some of the best progressive music I've heard recently with excellent musicianship throughout the entire album. LEGER DE MAIN have recently released their second CD entitled "Second First Impression", that is said to me equally good to "The Concept of Reality".

LEGER DE MAIN's debut is pretty good, but I wish it had more of an edge to it. The female vocals (Melissa Rodler) do little for me, although they're not bad by any means. She would go on to sing on the MYTHOLOGIC record which had much the same affect on me as this one does.

"To Live The Truth" opens with gentle guitar and synths as vocals come in. A full sound 2 minutes in with prominant bass and piano as drums pound. The guitar comes and goes. Not a fan of this one. "Crystal Fortune" is better with it's powerful intro as the guitar takes the lead. Some scorching guitar before 3 minutes. "Immobile Time" opens with vocals, bass and drums standing out. The vocals get pretty passionate on this one, especially a minute in.

"Enter Quietly" is the 20 minute epic. There is a lot of acoustic passages in this one as well as flute. Vocals don't come in until 7 minutes.The song turns aggressive 9 minutes in then settles as this contrast continues. The guitar lights it up 11 1/2 minutes in. It really gets quiet a minute later. Heavy again 15 1/2 minutes in with some scorching guitar to follow. Vocals are back after 17 minutes. Synths and piano 18 1/2 minutes in. Nice. "Distorted Pictures" opens with some good drumming as vocals join in. Even better drumming after 2 1/2 minutes, with some ripping guitar to follow.

I just can't get past the vocals unfortunately, but even without that obstacle I would give this 3 stars.

Leger de Main is one of the unfairly unnoticed band coming from USA from the '90s formed by excellent two musicians the Rodler brothers. Named The concept of our reality issued at PMM in 1995, this little treasure worth to be discovered by many listners as possible. Some really impressive instrumental passages here made by Rodler brothers, Chris is responsable for guitars, keyboards and bass and Brett for drum parts, the resoult is amazing, nothing less. helped on vocals by Melissa Blair who will become a Rodler later on, married with one of the Rodlers done a good job on vocals, she had a deep voice that fits perfectly here. All 5 pieces are extremly well crafted, specially the first two pieces, To Live The Truth and Crystal fortune are killers, my fav from here. Some Rush hints here and there, but Leger de Main is more then a copy/paste band, they have right from the beggining their own sound, lots of changes in tempo, nicely smooth acustical parts combined with electric ones, excellent and complex druming and outstanding guitar parts. So, overall this album goes recommended , their is plenty of impressive musicianship and outstanding ideas offered on this first opus, the Rodler brothers might be two of the most underrated musicians in history of prog music, every band where they were involved like the colaboration after disbanding this band in 1998 with Kevin Hultberg named RH factor again great, Mythologic, Razor Wire Shrine, all acts being above easy listning and sounds from good to excellent. 4 stars easy, I like it a lot.