PURE REASON REVOLUTION

It all sort of went downhill from there until as a duo Chloe and Jon record "Eupnea" with a guest drummer, so really a trio. A far cry. And this isn't "The Dark Third" part two by any means, this is nothing like it. Yes lots of vocals and as a piece of work this is very well done it's just not music I'm really into, I don't want to listen to this. The cover art is terrible. Taken from a painting I just don't get it.

So we get about 48 minutes of music over six tracks with the self titled closer being the epic at 13 1/2 minutes. And it is interesting that the vocals on it brought "The Dark Third" to mind briefly a couple of times. The opening vocals melodies don't though even if it is a focus on that harmony-like style this is just different. It's Chloe singing later that brought the debut to mind. A very proggy track regardless and one of the best ones. I really have a hard time with "Maelstrom" just too lightweight and sweet at times.

And that's what I find myself thinking with each track there's stuff I like and things I don't and overall each track is okay. I do like the heaviness they bring as well but for some reason I'm digging the vocals this time. Not a four star record in my world but I will continue to enjoy "The Dark Third" so thanks for that amazing debut.

Now for Amor Vincit Omnia, the band diverted their sound away from their more central space rock prog routes with The Dark Third, in favor for a more overtly electronic alt rock sound that was starting to gain some notoriety with groups like Muse and Thirty Seconds To Mars using similar beats at the time, which, to be frankly honest, is not quite a bad change. It certainly isn't a preferred change to me, but I definitely am not opposed to the idea of bands changing their sounds to be a bit more commercial. I praised The Mars Volta's self-titled record despite them not having a prog sound in that album, and I really like some 80s Genesis and Yes tunes.

So, that being said, why do I think PRR does not really do a good job with the different cards they are playing with here? I say it is mostly due to it feeling a little shallow in its waters. I definitely say they do a decent job at this whole synth pop sound quite well, especially in Chloe Alper's keyboards, and the mixed male and female vocals that work just as well as they did on The Dark Third. But overall I feel like they are not playing to their fullest in this new environment. They definitely got better with Hammer And Anvil, but I think they reel back the punches just so much that they start to sound less like PRR and more like Muse copycats.

Now I will say, when the songs do hit, they are pretty great. Apogee / Requiem For The Lovers, Deus Ex Machina, and The Gloaming are really good electro alt songs that have that nice PRR energy, with those crisp guitars, synths, and artsy space rock flairs that make revisiting this album worth it. I also think, while the output is lackluster for the most part, it is not bad. For what the band achieves, there is no song on here that I felt was totally bad, or just skippable. In fact I like all the songs on here since I think the output they have here is pretty serviceable. This is far from a totally great record, but it is also away from a totally bad record.

I think the best, and last thing I have to say about this record is that it is decent. It is neither bad nor good, and when it works, it works like a charm, but when it doesn't it definitely feels like a bump to PRR's road. If you want to check out PRR, I suggest going for this last. I doubt you'll get super disappointed hearing it, but I can assure you that you won't find the best experience for this band with this one.

If we start to analyze each of the instruments we will realize its formal simplicity. starting with the guitars that build the songs from small licks, and dense riffs -close to the heaviest porcupine tree- that give the impression of having been created from the same notes; easy bass lines and easily recognizable drum beats; and finally the pop harmonies and vocal lines reminiscent of the Beach Boys. All this adorned with electronic sounds and small keyboard appearances.

It is only when the band puts all these elements together, playing and experimenting with the different distortions, sound effects and other production elements, that we can witness their talent and creativity. The record would lose steam without the deep echoes of the drums or the different layers and tuning tones of the guitars. In addition to the interesting harmonic games of the masculine-feminine voices that, on the other hand, fulfill the melodic function in the disc and therefore of greater identification.

Interesting proposal from a band that seeks to experiment and extend certain limits while still sounding pop and accessible. They will certainly have to be tracked down.

This album is well crafted by great musicians. There will certainly be an audience for it. I'm not one of these people.

It all feels flat, much like an AOR version of previous bands. And it's all so predictable. I gave it multiple listens, but the enjoyment did certainly not increase.

2 stars from me. There certainly will be fans for this.

'Our Prism' starts heavy with tribal pads and vibrating synth, nervous/spoken vocals, screaming and a changing tempo, modern electro psychedelic metal and innovative heavy riff. 'New Kind of Evil' change of sound with a melancholy atmospheric title; soft piano and explosion of synthetic sounds for a time then fusion of the two; Jon's voice wants to be moving and nervous in function, this hybrid side like a Tesla propels us from one to the other without time for reflection, a giant post-apocalyptic finale. 'Phantoms' for a radio edit heard in Paris, electro-disco atmosphere with airy Bowie voice, on an overboosted NEW ORDER, a darker DEPECHE MODE with progressive synth lines in the middle; supercharged post-electro; the final bass sends heavy, becomes hovering, prog and continues on 'Cruel Deliverance' post alternative tendency, mixed vocals for a dreamy relaxing title; it goes up on an atmosphere where the bass and the organ à la PINK FLOYD tumble on a solo worthy of a lively PARADISE LOST, always a spoken finale worked and...

'Scream Sideways' follows with 10 minutes of angelic bliss; choirs, piano for the solemn instrumental intro, rhythmic and complex breaks, experimental composition confirming the progressive side, a little on the orchestrations of ALAN PARSONS and SMASHING PUMPKINS; it's divine, oriental, tribal, electro, à la MOTORPSYCHO that I love; it rises in fusion on a NINE INCH NAILS, PINK FLOYD's 'Echoes' break, funky vocals for an incredible time then dark atmosphere, crystalline piano and choirs again before the explosive finale in 380 volts. 'Dead Butterfly' takes us back down, mixed choirs of three voices on a piano, the imprint of a PORCUPINE TREE emerges here but it's PRR much louder, more crazy and Jon leaves to sing on Billy's voice Corgan, sumptuous; distorted, aggressive, boosted sound, between light and dark, unhealthy and tribal, enjoyable what, the ultimate title leading to 'Lucid' melancholy melody where the dark combines with the light, where the voice mixes pleasantly with the instruments and backing vocals with the bewitching Chloë; condensed piece of electro rock art that PRR takes to the sky; the 2nd third rises, breaks, starts again, starts again in a divine way with continuous changes of the tempo. PURE REASON REVOLUTION released a short album with chained titles, a good point. PRR has mixed the substantial musical marrow of the metal, synth, electro and progressive sound that all progians dream of hearing... A dark, innovative, devastating fusion associated with clear music from which each note vibrates in your interior relentlessly.

I'm a huge fan of Pure Reason Revolution and I've seen them live a couple of times. I like supporting the bands that I enjoy listening to and it made me sad to hear of their break-up after their third album. I was very happy to hear they'd regroup and record another album a few years later, even if my expectations were low due to the quality of their third album. However, they pulled out all the stops and released Eupnea, which I loved. It was lovely hearing PRR successfully recapture the essence of The Dark Third and push it.

On the other hand, we have Above Cirrus. The album is a swing and a miss and there's very little to recommend here. Annoyingly, PRR seem to be, once again, trying to gain ground in the alt-rock scene instead of sitting comfortably where they excel - the prog-rock scene.

The album is plagued with half-baked ideas that should've been fleshed out or at least injected with a little more passion. There are very few memorable riffs or vocal harmonies, and the sound textures and instrumental sections are dull.

PRR has the bad habit of burying good or even excellent riffs under noise or bad production, which is evident in Our Prism. What's wrong with crystal-clear, heart-stopping riffs?

New Kind of Evil is mid-tempo for most of the song and it drags on for a while. This is another feature of this album - songs that should've been shorter have been elongated, but since there's no actual content there it just feels like the song never ends.

Phantoms is another bad decision. PRR have tried the pure techno thing a few times and it rarely works. In fact, it's one of the reasons for their downfall upon release of their third album. Give this pure techno stuff up already, a whole song of it doesn't work with your fan base.

All I have to say about Cruel Deliverance is that it is exactly like New Kind of Evil - boring and overlong.

Scream Sideways is the one song on this album that I like. It's got an interesting structure and some cool sound textures. The breaks are also very cool. That funky and spaced-out section is my favorite thing on this album. Having said that, it's not as fleshed-out as it should be and ends abruptly. I wanted more!

Lucid has some cool moments, but nothing to write home about.

On the whole, it seems this album needed to sit in the oven for a little longer before recording began and it does seem like PRR needed to put a little bit more passion into it. Better riffs, catchier vocal harmonies and lines, and funner instrumental breaks filled with content would've definitely helped. Here's hoping the next one will hark back to The Dark Third/Eupnea again.

1. "Our Prism" (3:34) awesome heavy prog soundscape with great, powerful singing and textures. Great opener. A top three song for me. (9/10)

2. "New Kind of Evil" (8:32) feels like something found on the cutting room floor from after the Dark Third sessions. Odd pieces spliced together with incomplete-feeling development throughout. (17/20)

3. "Phantoms" (3:51) interesting electronic opening giving this a 1980s sound but once the multiple voice tracks join in and chorus is presented it starts to click. Love drums effects and aural twists and textures in the second and third minutes. Gives me a kind of 21st Century Nirvana meets Bowie feel. Another top three song. (9/10)

4. "Cruel Deliverance" (5:56) a song that seems to start without a beginning, to appear/form as if out of nothing, and then to develop chaotically, as if without a plan or without intention. Truly an interesting feel! And yet it comes together behind the repetitive choral delivery of the title phrase. Good stuff. Interesting eerie stuff in the end recitation. (8.75/10)

5. "Scream Sideways" (10:10) great four-minute intro reminiscent of the Dark Third atmospheres-into-heavy prog soundscapes. Not quite as compelling once the first vocal section takes over, but then, at 5:50 a full-on left turn into PINK FLOYD territory takes over before the heavy guitars, raspy vocals, and rich multi-layered harmony vocals join in. To add to the oddness of this composition, the vocal chorus fades at the end of the seventh minute, replaced by a hollow drum machine, which then fades, and then bluesy-heavenly piano play with ethereal multi-voiced (gong- like) vocals over the top before a very heavy MOTORPSYCHO-like instrumental passage takes over at the 9:00 mark. I've got to admit: this is not a song structure I would have predicted from PRR or any band. Risky, brave, and odd. Does it work? I'll tell you after another five or ten listens. (17.25/20)

6. "Dead Butterfly (7:09) for the first 1:10 we are treated to piano with gorgeous mutli-track, multi-voiced harmonized vocals. Then heavy guitar chords crash in to help usher in the drums, keys, bass, and guitars for the main body of the song (and the future choruses). The verses are then sung over electro-pop synth fabric with drums and Jon's very heavily treated lead vocal. The electronica sounds and textures used here are quite unusual: I'm not sure if they're retro or totally fresh/new. Some cool codas and diversions within. I find it hard to get past the near-Led Zeppelin/Collective Soul guitar chord phrasing is a bit hard to get past though--even though you eventually get used to it. (13.25/15)

7. "Lucid" (6:49) piano and Jon's solo voce open this one before cool power up segues into great song construct-- great balance between power and delicacy, emotion and atmosphere. Plus, incredible b vox by Chloë. Definitely a top three song for me. (13.5/15)

Total Time 46:01

More than Eupnea, the band is definitely back on track--back to realizing the potential displayed by their 2003 debut, The Dark Third. I only wish we could hear more of the lovely voice of Chloë Alper in the lead, but, still, the rich harmony vocal arrangements here are way better than Eupnea and almost as good as those from the early 2000s. And the sound engineering and production here is a big step up from Eupnea. Not sure what to make of all the vocal clips at each song's ending--what is the band trying to say/convey here?

B/four stars; not enough to make this a universal recommendations for all, but it is an excellent prog record that many people will love.

Our Prism is a fantastic opener that quickly sets the mood of the following songs, with tribal drum patterns, followed by some of the heaviest guitars by PRR and some harsher vocal mixed up with their tradicional beach-boys vocal harmonies.

New Kind of Evil is a natural follower with a much more proggy esque and taking advantage of the light x heavy dichotomy through its 8 minutes lenghty-time.

Next song is Phantom, which is really short and a more streamlined material. Electronic elements are proeminent but the mix here is much more interesting than any of AVO or H&A material. The final chorus is definitely the hightlight of the song.

Cruel Deliverence feels like a mix of Porcupine Tree and Pink Floyd, starting slowly with a great crescendo towards to mid section. The finale is very PT-ish with a nice guitar solo.

Scream Sideways is the longest song of the album where every second is not wasted, like the amazing Eupnea epic from the previous album. It has a big pink floyd esque and, while there are vocals, its structure is very much instrumental, exploring all kinds of dynamics and elements culminating in an explosive and very heavy finale.

Dead Butterfly is the third single of the album and definitely a banger, with it's explosive guitar riffs, lovely chorus and electronic beats.

The album then closes with Lucid, which is a melancholic song that closes the album with a beautiful final crescendo.

Comprised of the duo of Jon Courtney and Chloe Alper, Pure Reason Revolution have gone through some various phases and therefore, different musical approaches, despite the small number of albums to their name (to be precise, three, excluding this one) - presenting a Floydian sound that has a bit of a Porcupine Tree-ish edge on their debut, following up this one with a record that introduced a more pop sensibility, and finally arriving at what is generally considered a disappointment but is a part of their catalogue, the electronic and almost synth-pop rock inclinations of 'Hammer and Anvil'. Then there is 2020's 'Eupnea' that seems to combine all of these aforementioned aspects in PRR's musical pedigree, twists them around and presents them in the most beautiful manner possible, with such nuancing, depth, and mystery, that the listener is left craving more, somehow compelled by the darkness of the record but also enthralled by the magical subtlety and the gorgeous sounds. Not to mention that stunning vocal performances by both Jon Courtney and Chloe Alper, experienced best in the parts where both of them sing in harmony.

Sensual, eclectic, futuristic, gloomy, passionate, both gentle and heavy on several occasions, one could easily see that this album kind of has it all. The magic, I believe, is mostly experienced on the longer tracks - these are, of course, the 10-minute 'Silent Genesis', a slowly unfolding explosion of sounds that will leave every prog afficionado's ears in a state of milky orgasm, 'Ghosts & Typhoons', a heavier composition, another very intricate and well performed piece, full of various twists and turns along the way; Perhaps it is the vocals that impress the most on this track; and finally, the 13-minute title track, another intense ride through the world of Pure Reason Revolution. The shorter tracks are no less excellent, we have to mention, as the album opener 'New Obsession' sets a fantastic tone for the whole album, 'Maelstrom' is a great, almost sing-along, prog-pop number, one of the best and most enjoyable ones I have heard in recent years, and 'Beyond Our Bodies' is a sweet little song that provides a softer experiencing in the heavier atmosphere set by the preceding song 'Ghosts & Typhoons'. Simply, this album has to be heard in its entirety, in order for it to make sense and for the listener to experience the full beauty of the subtlety and the gorgeous songwriting.

Lovely work, an excellent addition to any prog fan's collection, and not only! This is one of these records that could easily attract people into the genre, because while it is very subtle and eclectic, it is also a pretty accessible one for progressive rock's standards, it has a poppier edge and that is fantastic, as one would hardly ever regret spending time with it. In a word, 'Eupnea' is excellent!

However, they made a triumphant return to the stages at the Midsummer Prog Festival in 2019, with an incredible performance that I had the luck to attend to, which would later materialize in the publication of this "Eupnea" which undoubtedly consists of one of the strongest comebacks in recent years.

Basing its sound once again on the psychedelic rhythms and atmospheres of its first album, but without forgetting the more insistent guitars and electronic influences of its other two albums, "Eupnea" is a very solid, fun release that certainly leaves you craving for more.

I hope that the "Above Cirrus", set to be released next May, follows this good path and offers us another great work by this talented musicians! Although listening to New Kind of Evil, the first advance of this new work, things look really really good.

Best Tracks: the three long ones (Silent Genesis, Ghosts and Typhoons and Eupnea), are the best, although the shorter ones are also remarkable.

My Rating: ****