EYESTRINGS

So I subscribe Igor's review with the exception of ... his enthusiasm. Apparently many proggers (because I noticed this before) like this switch in style by a band but not me. When a band claims to be a neo progressive band they should play like that and not do something completely different instead. Unless of course they prefer to be a 100% different band all at once. Consumption is a dark progressive album with hardly any straightforward harmonic melodies just a lot of hard to grasp inaccessible strange compositions. Like I said, on itself no problem except for the fact that it's nothing like neo prog should sound like.

So this can only end up as a two star result for me because that's what I usually give when I will hardly play an album anymore for fun reasons. Maybe if I want more challenging music when I'm in that particular mood but that rarely happens I'm afraid. There's simply too much really wonderful music waiting out there to be listened to. And Consumption is not one of them for me. So two stars it is.

The first song Recovery is fairly good and proggy. The next two tracks destroys all the credibility of this album in my view (make that "ears"). The first one, Itchy Tickler, has a honky tonk theme and falls flat on it's face. The next one is an emotionally overcharged vocal driven song called Dead Supermen. An utterly horrible song with no redeeming features whatsoever. Both songs are rock'n'roll and not prog whatsoever.

The rest of the album picks up and there are some OK songs here. The band is not hopeless. But this album is all over the place. Mostly in the AOR land. Eyestrings must also had an eye for the likes of Radiohead and the Emo rock scene when producing the songs here. I guess this music is very palatable in the high schools on the US east-coast.

The songs are pretty long on this album. Around six and a half minutes long on average. Unfortunate, long songs does not always make a good album. This is not an album I enjoy. I find it pretty dismal and award it 2 stars.

2 stars

EYESTRINGS is a Ryan Parmenter’s band. Ryan is a nephew of Matthew Parmenter, DISCIPLINE’s leader and solo artist. Matt is an outstanding songwriter and composer, he manages to make his songs proggy without overfilling them with burden of long instrumental wackery. First EYESTRINGS release failed to meet my expectations – I expected DISCIPLINE-related surely but it didn’t happen. Second EYESTRINGS album offers more solid attempt, and I should note that if you’re into Dark Symphonic Prog you must get this one without hesitation. EYESTRINGS circa 2005 sound as a mixture of that good old DISCIPLINE (which was mixture of classic GENESIS, KING CRIMSON and VDGG) with…RADIOHEAD! Seriously, Ryan’s voice sounds very Thom-Yorkish- alike sometimes, and “Stagnant” is one of that best RADIOHEAD tracks they’ll never make. Epics like “Valid for a Week”, “Code of Tripe” and “Lifelines” (20minutes long!) filled with various tempo and rhythm changes and marked with undeniably catchy melodies floating above them; shorter tracks like “Slate Clean” offer even darker atmosphere, the one that only a man called Parmenter by a surname can put into a song (instrumental “Groove Seven” works as an exception here). Extremely recommended, and the only reason that I’ve abstained from 5 stars is not only Matthew’s shadow over my shoulder tempting me into the lap of comparison, but a strong belief that these folks can do even better.

Eyestrings new release "Consumption" almost made me a little nervous the first time or two I listened to it. So many things going on. So many rhythms, so many melodies, harmonies and themes that it was too much for me to absorb it all until, as with all music of this sort, I'd given it time - a few spins - and allowed it to become familiar, to become... mine.

It is certainly worth the time. Now the CD finds it's way into my player every few days of it's own accord and I'm sure it will for quite a while longer. There don't seem to be any weak tracks here as even the couple that didn't grab me as much initially seem to rattle around my head pleasantly far more often than I'd have expected.

My favorite track is the the last one. The CD cover says "Lifelines" is twenty minutes long, but it never seems it to me. With three almost separate introductions, that in combination beautifully foretell some of what we can expect later in the song, the trip to and through the many themes is a wonderful aural carnival ride that grabs the patient listener carefully guides them through the various movements culminating with the final incredibly uplifting section 'Vox Populi,' during which I've found myself getting misty-eyed more than once.

And still, it's rock. Progressive rock to be sure, but first and foremost... it rocks.

Influences? KC for sure. There's some Vandergraff there, a little Gentle Giant or Echolyn. Definitely some Discipline - as the primary writer is the nephew of the front man for that wonderful group and the bass player either is, or has been a member of both bands. Even some Yes comes through every now and again, but these guys have a sound of their own, and one with which I'm sure a lot more people will eventually become familiar.

Creatively? It may be one of the most ambitious releases of the year, and when you combine that with the proficiency and musicality of the group's members (Ryan Parmenter: vocals and keys, Alan Rutter: Guitar, Mat Kennedy: Basses and Theremin, Bob Young, Drums and other things struck) plus writing that rivals the recent best of the genre, you end up with something very satisfying indeed.

This is a grower. It'll take a few listens to get into it. It does plod along in a few places, but they are short lived moments.

I would recommend Eyestrings to (non-purist) fans of Genesis, Echolyn and Discipline.