GREYHAVEN

In my opinion this is a great album you must hear. Despite the poor production work, you can hear a solid and thought-out progressive metal. The second song of the album reminds me "When Dream and Day Unite" because of the chord progressions used. Is an album with many tempo changes but conducted in a logical form. The keyboards are very important because they make the sound more brilliant and clear.

In several parts the guitar doesn´t have clarity and it become confused with the bass and the drums, mainly in the fast riffs. I like when "Downfall" appears, is a breath after all the complexity of the previous songs with the clean electric guitar and a slow tempo. I also like the open distorsioned chords that are used in the whole album.

There's a common element that brings unity to the album. It is the piano sound that appears in "Ride the Horizon", "Approaching the Twilight" and in the middle part of "Greyhaven". Good one!. When I hear that sound it makes my speakers tremble! Once again in "Cold Night By The Fortress" the keyboards help to make a more atmospheric - spacey sound.

Finally, a great album highly recommended.

Greyhaven is an forgotten progressive metal band from USA who beggin their career in mid '90's. They released so far a single album in 2000 selftitled at Rectangular records. I was realy impressed by these americans at first listning and still today , because on this album I can hear almost everything a love at prog metal, complex arrangements, solid guitar riffs and solos, brilliant key passages, complicated and twisted drum chops and above all a very powerfull voice. Greyhaven are clearly influenced by Fates Warning ( Pleasent shade of grey or Disconnected era), the voice of Brian Francis remind me a lot of Ray Alder, but not a copy, he has his own range and is shown on every piece how great this vocalist is and on some passages looks like they've listen a lot to Rush (synthesizers era). The musicanship is top notch give to the album a very powerfull sound, the drumer Nick Cipriano is excellent not to mention thet the key arrangements made by Elhan Matthews are so intelligent made that easy I can say that these are among the best key passages I ever heared in a prog metal band, try and listen to the opening track (an instrumental one) Ride The Horizon or Setting Sun, superb and very atmospheric key arrangements, top notch, the rest of the pieces are real winners, each musician shines. It's realy a shame to see this talented band going such unnoticed in prog circles, they split up soon after this release. What elese can I add, if you don't know this obscure band, try it because worth every second, available at Laser's Edge at a resonable price. Recommended, 4 stars without hesitation.

In my opinion this is a very creative prog rock/metal album, with a lot of complex structures in their sound. I think they are doing their own thing here en don't see parallels to for example Dream Theater.In the song "Shards of Sky" they remind me at Ray Alder of FW "Pleasent Shade of Grey" album. However, that's the only similarity I can hear. Production could have been better, but is very acceptable. If you are looking for a original en creative album with heavier en softer parts go for this one! Progfrog, Holland.