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FROST*

Neo-Prog • United Kingdom


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Frost* picture
Frost* biography
Founded in East Sussex, England in 2004 - Hiatus between 2006-2007 - Reformed in 2011 - Still active as of 2016

"Nothing against pop music, it's like a family car, reliable and safe. But now and then you want to rent a Ferrari and race it along the Nuerburgring to prove to yourself that you're still alive. PROG IS MY FERRARI." Words uttered by famed UK producer Jem Godfrey--the man behind ATOMIC KITTENS' "Whole Again", HOLLY VANCE'S "Kiss Kiss" and even movie soundtracks. In his quest for the high powered engine, he banded together two of neo progressive's most experienced and gifted musicians and anchored them with a drummer who is quickly making waves within the music community. What he gave us was FROST*.

Undoubtedly, Jem's mission statement for FROST* was to create new and exciting progressive music that blends the spirit of the old with the sonic onslaught of the new. This (in part) had to be achieved by throwing away the notion that progressive music has to sound like something from the 70's. Godfrey states, "Most prog bands sound as if the last thirty years never happened. How can that be progressive?" On the other hand, Jem's experience as a producer has taught him to hit hard and to hit quick. "It's much more difficult to write pop hits than most people think. You have to get to the point as quickly and as effectively as possible. When you can tell people something inspiring in three minutes, using a wonderful melody and wrapping it in great production, then you've got a hit. I don't see why it can't be the same with prog".

Diving in with reckless abandon, Godfrey purchased 40 CD's by the leading bands from the past several years, one being KINO'S Picture. This prompted him to e-mail John Mitchell (ARENA; THE URBANE; KINO) to invite him to play on his record. The same series of events led Godfrey to contact bassist John Jowitt and drummer Andy Edwards of IQ. Although Godfrey had already done some work on the album with John Boyes, a former band-mate of Jem's in Freefall, the acquisition of the remaining three meant that Jem's vision was now beaming with radiant clarity.

Milliontown was completed and released in the States on July 18, 2006 and in Europe on July 24. Check the reviews on Prog Archives yourself...Milliontown was an overwhelming success within the progressive community. Cygnus X-2 (who was the first to review Milliontown) states, "In the end, Milliontown is a great debut from this upcoming neo prog force. I can't wait for the next release from this group, as they seem to have a long, fruitful, and very high energy career ahead of them." By the end of 2006, FROST* had conquered. DPRP's year-end poll had them at #2 (behind THE FLOWER KINGS' and ahead of highly regarded bands like THE TANGENT, SPOCK'S BEARD, and TOOL). Additionally, 3 tracks off the debut were voted in the top 10 (1. "Milliontown", 6. "Black Light Machine" and 10. "Hyperventilate")-- a rare feat.

Hopes were quickly dashed, however, when Jem Godfrey announced on his MySpace blog that due to his increasing professional and personal commitments elsewhere, FROST* would be dissolved. This sent shockwaves throughout the progressive community; however, in early 2007, Godfrey had a change of heart and announced that FROST* was indeed destined to carry on. Added to the already rock solid lineup is guitarist Declan Burke of the band DARWIN'S RADIO and plans are to release Experiments in Mass Appeal sometime in 2008.

Eric Walker

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FROST* discography


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FROST* top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.85 | 500 ratings
Milliontown
2006
3.68 | 365 ratings
Experiments in Mass Appeal
2008
3.75 | 272 ratings
Falling Satellites
2016
4.12 | 219 ratings
Day and Age
2021
4.35 | 91 ratings
Life in the Wires
2024

FROST* Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.70 | 32 ratings
Frost*Fest Live
2009
4.16 | 72 ratings
The Philadelphia Experiment
2010

FROST* Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

4.72 | 50 ratings
The Rockfield Files
2013
4.57 | 7 ratings
Island Live
2023

FROST* Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.81 | 21 ratings
13 Winters
2020

FROST* Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

2.66 | 19 ratings
Tour Sampler 2008
2008
3.41 | 42 ratings
Others
2020
4.25 | 8 ratings
Life In The Wires, Pt 1
2024

FROST* Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Life in the Wires by FROST* album cover Studio Album, 2024
4.35 | 91 ratings

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Life in the Wires
Frost* Neo-Prog

Review by BBKron

4 stars Frost* returns with this follow-up to their 2021 release Day and Age, a sprawling double concept album (14 tracks, 86 minutes). As masterminded by keyboardist-vocalist Jem Godfrey and ably assisted by John Mitchell (guitars-vocals), Nathan King (bass), and Craig Blundell (drums), Life in the Wires tells an all-new story set in the same imaginary world as Day and Age, following a character through various adventures in an AI-run dystopian world. Musically, this contains many elements from the earlier Frost albums (especially Milliontown) as well as the later ones, in their somewhat edgy progressive pop style. I found this to be somewhat structurally and stylistically reminiscent to some of Neal Morse's concept albums. There are many great and brilliant moments throughout the album, both in the vocals and instrumental sections, and numerous highlights. However, there are also some problems that keep this from being a completely satisfying and consistently entertaining experience. The length of the album is an issue, as there is a sameness to several songs, and the album doesn't flow well, with many abrupt transitions, not only between songs but also within them. The recurring spoken word sections from the DJ character also are intrusive and disrupt the flow and feel of the album, and it just took too long to get to the one of the album highlights, the extended track Life in the Wires part 2. A couple of the songs just don't work or are annoying (Idiot Box). Overall, there are several great songs here, with many highlights, enough to make a great album, but for me at least, there wasn't quite enough to justify the extended length of the album. Best Tracks: Life in the Wires Parts 1 and 2, This House in Winter, The Solid State Orchestra, Moral and Consequence. Rating 3.5ó
 Life in the Wires by FROST* album cover Studio Album, 2024
4.35 | 91 ratings

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Life in the Wires
Frost* Neo-Prog

Review by maxsmusic

5 stars This may be the best recording of the year. It achieves near perfection with hooks and great themes. Frost* is a vehicle to express a keyboard oriented group which always achieves a strong level of harmony. They are able to fuse together lyrics and arrangements with chord progressions that make a lot of sense and are very dense. The first album Milliontown set the bar very high and they couldn't quite reach the same level on subsequent albums. However, with Life in the Wires they have reached an even higher mark, musically. The album flows for over an hour and it doesn't let up at all. There is no filler on this album as everything makes sense and everything fits. This project has achieved what they sought. How they will top this is a mystery. 5 stars with no hesitation.
 Milliontown by FROST* album cover Studio Album, 2006
3.85 | 500 ratings

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Milliontown
Frost* Neo-Prog

Review by Hector Enrique
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Closely related to the most commercially digestible and massive music, the producer and keyboardist Jem Godfrey decides to move out of his comfort zone and ventures down more challenging paths, very much connected to modernity, based on the enormous possibilities that technology already offered in the recording rooms in the 2000s. To this end, he summoned renowned musicians from progressive rock bands to bring them together under the Frost* umbrella and release "Milliontown" (2006), their first album.

"Milliontown" is a refreshed take on neo-progressive, at times furious and muscular, at times calm, at times electronic, but always determined and intense. From the excellent "Hyperventilate", a development that goes back and forth between the instrumental overflow and Godfrey's slow piano notes, the album's proposal goes beyond the imaginary boundaries of the genre, and brings together elements from other musical trends such as nu-metal, although more domesticated in the hurried "No Me No You", the translucent and watery simplicity of "Snowman", or the industrialised pop of "The Other Me".

But it is in its final stretch where the work shines with special brilliance, with the exquisite guitar solos of John Mitchell (Arena/It Bites) supported by the tangled industrial and atmospheric arrangements of Godfrey's synthesizers in "Black Light Machine", and above all in the suite "Milliontown", a massive and excellent progressive display divided into seven sections with restful and hypnotic episodes such as 'a) One Underground', nods to Dream Theater's progressive metal in 'b) Abracadaver' and 'd) Core', digitised and intriguing vocals in 'c) The Only Survivors' and 'e) The Chosen Few', and an epic instrumental display for 'f) Two Underground', sustained by the solid rhythmic base built by the experienced John Jowitt (IQ) on bass and Andy Edwards (also IQ) on percussion, which concludes the vigorous suite. Simply unmissable.

As is sometimes the case with supergroups, expectations can be high and the results sometimes fall short of the presumed levels of quality. Fortunately, this is not the case with Frost*, "Milliontown" is a very good and promising debut album.

4 stars

 Life in the Wires by FROST* album cover Studio Album, 2024
4.35 | 91 ratings

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Life in the Wires
Frost* Neo-Prog

Review by Windrunner

4 stars I love you, Jem Godfrey, I really do.

.. but this is not quite the masterpiece you (and several others here) think. It really recycles a lot of Frost* ideas from years past. What is fresh is just very noisy -- too much compression in the mix.

I think "Life in the Wires, Pt. 1" is perhaps the most impressive. It's a very self-contained, clever piece, and it seems to give me goosebumps every time the noise recedes and the very shimmery lead riffs pop up.

As many pointed, this is probably Craig Blundell's best work with Frost* (since he was not on any recording until 2009ish). If you like drumming, you'll dig this. Thank goodness he was available, as the variation in drumming really kept me from digging Day and Age.

It sounds _a lot_ like Experiments in Mass Appeal, otherwise. Particularly Moral and Consequence. Propergander has a lot of the noisy bits of Falling Satellites era stuff.

A lot to like here, and several wonderful moments, but would've been better as a single disc.

 Life in the Wires by FROST* album cover Studio Album, 2024
4.35 | 91 ratings

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Life in the Wires
Frost* Neo-Prog

Review by SephTR

5 stars Frost* is the band that got me into progressive music, my favorite band, and I can easily say I haven't looked forward to an album this much since I was a teenager. For Frost, 3 years is a blistering pace, but that doesn't mean this album is rushed in the slightest. It's a fully formed idea that drags you along for the ride from beginning to end.

Skywaving/Life in the Wires, Part 1 (8/10) Continuing straight from Day and Age, and introducing the main theme. Feels pretty Falling Satellitesque, but I like Wires Pt 1 a lot more now that I hear its beginning. Speaking of, they definitely chose a familiar sound for the first single. Heavy intro, but the structure is basic Frost. However, a basic Frost song seems to be required to make you feel like you're flying through space and have hooks other prog bands could only dream of. This song is full of energy and the great solos that many people have been waiting for.

This House of Winter (10/10) Another song that compliment Wires Pt 1. The transformation from coda to brand new song is incredible. One of the many ballads on the album, but this one might be the best. The section where the drums kick in and weave into the piano is beautiful, followed by a great guitar solo and then the absolutely incredible ending. This is where the album gets really creative and proves that somehow this bunch of 50 year old men can make something that sounds brand new. The band is really used its full potential here, every instrument perfectly complements the buildup. The ending really is just incredible, it's where the concept comes to life and I was completely hooked.

The Solid State Orchestra (10/10) 2 great songs, but somehow this is where the album kicks into full gear. The "can you hear me" sample from Day and Age is followed by the most hype solo since Milliontown. This song has that pushing and pulling quality that makes the title song from Milliontown so good too. God, this song is just perfect, and it's also the kind of song that justifies the concept album status. So many of the songs here just paint the picture of this world so wonderfully. Each piano key falls like a raindrop, the cymbals flow through the song like currents of air, the steady guitar keeps everything steady and looking forward. This is where I also need to mention that Jem's voice is perfect for this album. The light airy quality of his voice floats in the sky. And all these beautiful qualities are only the first 2 minutes before the song starts building towards that solo! The rest of the song is just as cleanly shaped. Many of the keyboard effects are very clearly keyboard, but Jem's quality production that was missing from Experiments and Satellites is back in full force here and keeps them from feeling out of place.

Evaporator (10/10) Another perfect transition into another perfect song. This is unfortunately where these perfect transitions end, I feel they can actually be a bit rough in the second half of the album. Jem stated in interviews that this album is meant to fill 4 twenty minute sections of vinyl, but Skywaving to Evaporator feels like a 30 minute piece. Evaporator itself is just as good as the previous 2 songs, and its name really is appropriate. I imagine if one were to listen to this on a mind altering drug it would really feel like it was evaporating you. I honestly just wish this song was a bit longer, the chorus is the fun and energetic side of Frost that isn't as present on this album as on Milliontown. I ended up listening to this song over and over because I couldn't get enough of it. It's yet another song that feels completely unique and cohesive to both the music and the concept.

Strange World (4/10) This is a very sudden and honestly, hard to explain drop in quality compared to the rest of the album. I really wanted this song to fit with the rest of the album, but no matter how many times I listened to it I just couldn't pay attention. I hear that Falling Satellite sample at 3 minutes though! This song isn't hard to get through, it just feels like a big gap that divides the 2 halves of the album. I have to wonder if this is the best transition between Evaporator and Idiot Box that Jem could come up with.

Idiot Box (7/10) Another classic Frost song with that touch of heavy. All 3 singles seem to have that in common. I also have to say, wow, the music video for this song is godawful and I couldn't stop from laughing at it a couple of times. The song itself is just a simple and powerful prog rock song, although around 2:30 I think it gains more traction. The distorted power chords behind the keyboard solo is VERY Milliontown, probably a closer replication than any other song on Wires. Other songs take the good qualities and use them for fresh new goals but that section is really just straight from No Me No You. I do like the last verse and chorus.

Absent Friends (7/10) Now this song is perfectly serviceable, but it actually drags the album down a little by making strange world even more pointless. Just a simple piano oriented piece musically, but the emotion is all there and it services the concept well. Also, as I mentioned earlier, I do wish the transition to the next song was a bit smoother. Not much to say other than that.

School/Propergander (10/10) Man this song really hits home the shift in the mood that Idiot Box started. School is really sinister, probably the most evil Frost song out there. It's also a great groove, another song that justifies the concept album and also stands on its own beautifully. It's fitting that this has my favorite solo alongside the one from Solid State Orchestra, considering one introduces livewire and one introduces the all seeing eye. School and Propergander are really one song when it comes down to it, but if I had to separate them I think Propergander would only be a 9. It's got a pretty standard structure, but man I just love the chorus here. It's a really powerful song, with yet another incredible Jem solo. He just does em' like nobody else. I think I could listen to a 5 hour album of an endless Jem solo. This is also the most british song on the album, never thought a silly little whistle could sound so evil.

Sign of Life (5/10) Ah, another fault of the concept album. The need to tell a story just doesn't always quite fit in music, especially in the sections where that story gets a heavier focus. The first half of this song is much like strange world, but fortunately the second half has some interesting detail and a little more energy. This song's real purpose is to set up the ending, which is truly a wonderful experience that makes slow moments like this worth it.

Moral and Consequence (10/10) The deepest cutting groove of the album. Between this and some interviews with Jem, you can really tell Craig Blundell is glad to be a part of Frost and has become a vital part of the band. Wires and Satellites easily have the best drumming out of the discography. Anyway, this song was another great choice for a single. It's also got the most self-fellating from Jem, lots of references to past songs here. He compared the structure to Black Light Machine, having a vocal intro and an instrumental backend, but it's a very fresh take on Frost. That also ties into it being the best of the 3 singles, being something anyone who's been a fan of past albums can get into while also presenting a lot of new ideas. The polyrhythmic guitarwork connecting the 2 halves of the song, man, I'll never get old of that. The heavy keyboard grooves, the floaty chorus, the lighthearted bridge towards the end, and the absolute wealth of solos, this song just has something for everyone.

Life in the Wires, Part 2 (9?/10) I honestly haven't quite processed this song yet. Oddly it feels like a Frost version of Detonation by Steven Wilson, it just has that combination of heavy and eccentric atmospheric prog. Also, Jem's voice at 7:30 sounds like Stephen Bishop and that's really funny to me. This song is also where I have to say I don't think this album quite lives up to Milliontown. There's much more top tier prog, lots of ideas that are executed incredibly, but it's just missing that moment of pure elation. The climaxes of Black Light Machine and Milliontown are the best pieces of music I've ever heard, absolutely face melting and out of this world. I was hoping this song would push Wires into number one but it just doesn't have that moment that tears my brain out of my body.

Starting Fires (7/10) A great sendoff to an album that went beyond my expectations. Ties up the concept and the music, and let you walk away feeling fresh and complete. It's hard to rate ending songs like this, the musical ideas are all fully explored so it doesn't have any ability to stand on its own. That's quite standard, but I personally prefer the high energy raucous type of ending like Milliontown or Raider II from Steven Wilson. Even so, it can be nice to finally let go and walk away after almost an hour and a half. Life in the Wires sent me spinning for a day or 2, it was really a shattering musical experience that I needed time to recover from. Albums like this are true masterpieces, and I'm glad Frost can still deliver 18 years later. I don't know how they'll follow this up, I just hope this isn't their last. Here's to a future unwritten masterpiece by these modern legends.

 Life in the Wires by FROST* album cover Studio Album, 2024
4.35 | 91 ratings

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Life in the Wires
Frost* Neo-Prog

Review by Grumpyprogfan

3 stars I like this album, but there is fluff mixed with the stronger songs, so maybe a single album would have been more enjoyable for me. The compositions vary from ballads (1/3 of the album) to brutal - parts of "Propergander" are crushing. The solos, that were purposely absent from "Day and Age" are back but limited. I really dig Jem's voice and he is the main singer on this release. Yeah!! No offense to Declan or John, but for me, Jem is the voice of Frost*.

Standout tracks... "This House Of Winter" is my favorite. The strings towards the end of the song mixed with the gentle tinkling of the keyboard and xylophone gives me goosebumps. I like the heavy grooves of "Moral and Consequence" and how the tune blooms. Drastic changes propel the song from crazy to gentle, nice keyboard solo, and some serious off-kilter breaks. "Life in the Wires"... both parts rock but the epic second part takes you on a prog journey with unexpected twists and turns. This is what Frost* does best.

Jem said he wanted to give a nod to Milliontown with this album but I don't hear it. Unfortunately, what I hear is a brickwalled mix that is fatiguing. Otherwise, this is a solid album that is a worthy addition for all Frosties.

 Life in the Wires by FROST* album cover Studio Album, 2024
4.35 | 91 ratings

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Life in the Wires
Frost* Neo-Prog

Review by herbert.dibdab

5 stars Life in the Wires, like any great album, takes time to take up residence in your head and reveal all of its complexity and splendor. For me, this is the most consistently excellent Frost* album to date, and even makes a great case for being considered a classic in its genre. Time will tell. The compositions here all have Jem Godfrey's signature styles and themes to the fore, and this is no bad thing. The playing from start to finish is virtuoso, immaculate and thrilling to the extreme - the extended solos excised from Day and Age having spent the time fornicating and bearing exotic new creations. Most of the tracks purposefully take their time to explore and develop themes, and there is a willingness to leave space for musical exploration that is well served by the double album format. The concept of the album is quite interesting, albeit being the weakest link on an incredibly strong showing. Jem never has been the greatest lyricist, and in true Prog fashion there is nothing personal here, but it still manages to avoid being dull and tug on the old heartstrings from time to time. The pacing and track order of the album is nigh on perfect, driving towards the stunning crescendo of the final four tracks which are truly breathtaking individually and greater than the sum of their parts as a whole. Returning to the Milliontown ethos has seen Frost* deliver a classic that keeps improving and revealing more of itself with every listen. Invest some time in this, it will pay you back richly. Jem mentioned the possibility of this being the final Frost* release in a recent video - say it ain't so, boss! We need more of this exquisite, complex, deep music in this world.
 Life in the Wires by FROST* album cover Studio Album, 2024
4.35 | 91 ratings

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Life in the Wires
Frost* Neo-Prog

Review by Wisdom Moon

5 stars This album is nothing less than a modern prog classic. Especially over the course of a double album, you would expect some filler material, but every track on here is a banger whose special qualities are revealed with repeated listenings.

In many ways, it's a return to the glory of the Milliontown days, with Jem's voice to the fore, but I feel that this album surpasses the debut in many ways. The musicianship, the compositions and the production are all stunning, especially the solos. How do they play this stuff?

The production in particular has a modern sheen that distinguishes it from the 70s prog material that would have inspired it, more akin to a modern pop record (Jem, of course, has a lot of experience of producing pop hits with bands like Atomic Kitten) making it stand out from offerings by similar contemporary Neo-Prog bands.

Now it's late in 2024, will there be another release from a band that will top this one? I seriously doubt it, so this is likely my Album of the Year.

 Day and Age by FROST* album cover Studio Album, 2021
4.12 | 219 ratings

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Day and Age
Frost* Neo-Prog

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Prog Reviewer / Special Collaborator

5 stars Back in 1986 keyboard player Jem Godfrey formed Freefall, who were soon opening for the likes of IQ, Geoff Mann, Ark and Galahad. However, at some point he decided it might be an idea to make a living out of music instead of playing prog, becoming a composer and producer of pop hits, working with the likes of Atomic Kitten, Blue, Ronan Keating, Lulu and Samantha Mumba. But prog kept calling to him and in 2004 he formed Frost* with Andy Edwards and John Jowitt of IQ along with guitarist John Mitchell (Arena, Kino etc.) Their debut album, 'Milliontown', was an immediate hit within the prog scene, and although there have been some changes and absences over the years, they are finally back with their fourth release. The line-up now is consolidated around the trio of Godfrey, Mitchell and bassist Nathan King, and instead of using a single drummer they have instead utliised the services of Kaz Rodriguez (Chaka Khan, Josh Groban), Darby Todd (The Darkness, Martin Barre) and Pat Mastelotto (Mister Mister, King Crimson). They all bring very different styles, and the band have been able to utilise these to create shifting dynamics between songs.

The result is a modern progressive rock album which is just as exciting as the very first time I came across these guys more than 15 years ago. Mitchell has no need whatsoever to prove his prog credentials as he appears in so many different places, while Godfrey is a multi-million selling songwriter and producer, and together they have created a band which truly excites people. It is not unusual for me to the first contributor to an album on PA, but that is certainly not the case with these guys as there are plenty ahead of me, such is the hold they have on the scene. Only four albums, but they are always a delight with the band incredibly tight, harmonies abounding, plenty of guitar but never to the detriment of the overall sound.

Some album introductions get a little cheesy over the years, but somehow I will never get past the small child telling us to sit back and relax, and "enjoy yourselves?. You scum". I did sit back and enjoy myself, and didn't take the scum comment personally, and found that this is an album full of light and dark, passion and power, quietness and very loud guitars, all with a commercial sensibility and complexity of arrangement which is just plain fun. Neo-prog just does not get any better than this.

This album is a proghead's delight from start to finish, and is possibly their best one yet.

 Day and Age by FROST* album cover Studio Album, 2021
4.12 | 219 ratings

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Day and Age
Frost* Neo-Prog

Review by siLLy puPPy
Special Collaborator PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic

3 stars I hate punctuation marks as a part of a band's moniker so i admit i have a chip on my shoulder about FROST* right from the getgo. It irritates me to no end not knowing how to pronounce a band's name. Is it just FROST or is it FROST ASTERISK? Ultimately i don't care enough and have just avoided this artist altogether but having an insatiable musical appetite dictates i finally check out an album by this London based band that has been around since 2004. Best known for making neo-proggers go gaga with its debut release "Milliontown" in 2006, FROST* is back with a new album.

For those who don't already know this band, this has basically been the solo project of vocalist, keyboardist and pop song composer Jem Godfrey. The FROST* project has been his way of crafting his pop hooks with more textural complexities and oft overwrought production techniques. DAY AND AGE is the fourth album to emerge and sees a new set of cast members joining ranks. Arena's John Mitchell has been with Godfrey from the start and returns as the guitarist. Bassist Nathan King of the 80s synthpop band Level 42 sticks around for his second album.

With the departure of drummer Craig Blundell, FROST* now features three guests drummers which includes Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson, Mister Mister), Kaz Rodriguez (Chaka Khan, Josh Groban) and Darby Todd (The Darkness, Martin Barre). Jason Isaacs appears as a second vocalist along with Godfrey. The band's last album "Falling Satellites" appeared all the way back in 2016 but the EP "Others" appeared in 2020 and signaled that the band was still alive and kicking. Together these guys keep FROST* alive with another installation of its classic Genesis meets 80s Peter Gabriel sound forged with catchy pop hooks and atmospheric rivers of ambience.

This is somewhat of a bouncy sort of sound for neo-prog. You can certainly hear the 80s synthpop connections with those famous drumrolls that appeared in all those synth-based hits of prog's least productive decade. Basically the eight tracks that add up to over 53 minutes showcase keyboard overload with guitars, bass and drums somewhat as a backdrop. I'm not sure how many layers of synthesized parts are involved but they mostly dominate the album's entirety. To my ears this sounds more like a more complex Peter Gabriel solo album than anything in the world of neo-prog. Despite the Arena connections, nothing about FROST* resembles that band's cleverly crafted complexities.

Perhaps this an acquired taste that i've yet not acclimated to but i find this style of symphonic prog to be rather saccharine and uninviting. I'm not sure who sings where but the exchange of vocal parts sounds like a tradeoff between classic Gabriel inspired vocals and Neil Morse. The slow parts are in sappy ballad formats while the heavier uptempo aspects of the album sound like a better produced pop rock hit of the 1980s. While not my cup of tea, i have to admit the complexities of the keyboards are the highlight of the album's production heavy sound. I find the longer tracks such as the opening title track and the near 10-minute "Kill The Orchestra" to be the most redeeming however some parts actually remind me of George Michael songs with more guitar heft. There are several spoken word parts as well.

While neo-prog has always been the poppier side of the prog universe, FROST* seems to take this to the ultimate extreme almost sounding like a progressive version of 80s synthpop music only with a bit of guitar heft thrown in for good measure. When all is said and done this isn't horrible but neither is it the type of album that makes me want to return. The album is just too sappy and happy for my tastes. There is no diversity in emotive tapestry weaving and it's all a bit too one-dimensional for my tastes. I honestly don't see the appeal of this band but no matter how hard i try i guess i can't like everything!

Thanks to Cygnus X-2; Eric Walker for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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