BELIEVE

Emotional, melodic, sophisticated - 7.5/10

Another nice surprise found on progstreaming.com. "The Warmest Sun in Winter", the new album of Polish quintet Believe, stroke the right chord with me almost from first listen. I am a bit of sucker for both melancholic atmospheres and great vocals, and the album delivers on both fronts. The overall tone of the album is rather sombre and reflective - think about the moods you would find in an Anathema, Riverside or Porcupine Tree album. Yet, Believe's TWSIW does not fall entirely in post-rock/metal territory like the bands referenced above, but maintains a foot firmly planted in symphonic neo-prog, also thanks to the tasteful and elegant arrangements of keyboard player Konrad Wantrych. This is what makes TWSIW stand out for me. And then, of course, there's singer Karol Wobrelski's excellent vocal performance. His lead vocals are truly superb - he has a clear but powerful and expressive voice, and he uses it to great effect. The vocal melodies are also very good as they succeed in being catchy and memorable without being trite and unoriginal. The guitar work of Mirek Gil is another highlight of the album - check out his passionate, inventive solos on "Words" or "Heatless Land".

Coming to the negatives, the lyrics are rather disappointing and really not up to scratch with the music. They are very vague and expressed in a somewhat limited and basic English, and it is really hard to make sense of the story supposedly underlying the album (about two friends reuniting after a long time). The production is also somewhat lacking - I would have wished for a more full-rounded and well-balanced sound. Also, while I do like Gil's guitar playing, I felt his guitar is a bit too much upfront in the mix. But that's more a personal taste. It's also a pity that the violin of Satomi is used on only two songs ("Please go home" and "The Bright Day"), as it is an added value to their already sophisticated sound.

Overall, I am very happy to have discovered this band (kudos to progstreaming.com again!) and to have bought their album, which will often find a place in my CD player, I am sure. I would definitely recommend this to anyone with a taste for melancholy-tinged music and great lead vocals.

**** songs: "Words", "Unborn / Turn Around", and "Heartless Land"; *** songs "Please Go Home", "Beginners", "The Warmest Sun in Winter", "The End" and the "hidden track" "The Bright Day".

I really have a soft spot for Mirek Gil, an accomplished fret slinger that has a hallowed reputation in the prog community, mostly for his Collage work as well as solo outings, participating in early Satellite albums as well as launching Believe. I really enjoyed the debut offering, a little less so for the sophomore and ended my fascination as I was spooked by the poor reviews and the average samples for the following two albums. Well, I am happy to report that I am back behind this Polish band's cause as 'The Warmest Sun in Winter' is perhaps their finest achievement to date, the musicians having finally found their peak moulding. Always solid rhythmically with Zawadski on bass and Tafel on drums, the guitar forever sublime, the main target of any concern was the keys and the vocals. Keyboardist Konrad Wantrych is now in a zone and Karol Wroblewski has a superb voice that fits much better with the mellower moods, a fine combination of Steve Hoggarth and Collage/Satellite's Robert Amirian. But these guys were already in place for 'The Bread is Mine' and 'World is Round', so what happened? Truth is that the material presented here is now finely chiseled with a greater attention to musical detail and sensitive impact. Believe has a rather restrictive romantic neo-prog style that needs and begs for sensible arrangements and high emotional delivery, or else it falls flat. Here, the ingredients are spot on and successful.

There is a strong spirit of creativity on their disc, it becomes evident straight from the beginning by naming the opener 'The End', a brief little appetizer with resonating guitar, delicate piano and brooding bass. Lullaby that would make Chopin proud, the tease is on! 'Beginners' wastes no time on impressing the listener, forcing them from casual interest into immediate aural obedience mostly due to Mirek's seductive guitar, a series of soaringly romantic notes that will tear at your heartstrings. Wroblewski's suave voice has both sonic crispness and emotional pretence, dancing around the curling guitar forays, a lead solo that is all Mirek Gil : guileless, trebly, shattering, trembling and exalted. His craft is closer to Latimer or Hackett, a sound that searches for simplicity and utter beauty above anything overtly technical. This is a tremendous track and a foreboding of what will be coming down the line. The title track is classic Believe, where a hushed vocal introduces a glorious melody, the fierce guitar shining brightly in its simplicity, all effect and no cause, we are in ultra-romantic neo-prog mode, a style I particularly admire. Gil uncorks a 'slowhand' solo that would make Eric smile, all feeling and passion. 'Words' just keeps the groove going, perhaps a little more accessible, quite close to Mr.Gil's debut 'Alone' album, a fine prog-pop song that has depth, meaning and memorability, coated with some definite symphonics (mellotron, piano, synths) , a rare bass ditty and s shrieking axe solo to boot. 'Unborn/Turnaround' showcases a little more experimentation, a slow riff builds up the required tension and it gets really hypnotic, tainted by some dense atmospheres. The track is all about restraint and patience, working effectively in getting the right mood for the day. A cute synth section bodes well for another Gil solo, at a slightly higher pitch, military snare drums leading the parade. 'Please Go Home' is a gut wrenching piece, with spirited vocals within a raging delivery , a musical discussion in sample (in Polish) and a whopper axe solo, gritty and insistent. The desperately repeated title hits the mark with unabashed rage. 'Heartless Land' is the epic finale, a piece that adds a lot more detail to the mix, leisurely infusing various sounds and tones into the overture, where an interesting muffled beat plays hide and seek with the bass and guitar, deliberately building up steam. Very groove- oriented and highly atmospheric, this is Believe at its best, with sweet and heavenly vocals warming the soul. The mid-section mellotron is carved up by Gil's massive fretwork, a colossal exercise that will stun the disbelievers (pun!) , the man is a guitar genius. There is a few minutes of silence and then 'the hidden track' which features former full time violinist Satomi , 'The Bright Day' is exactly that, a simple pop song with some sexy violin and a memorable chorus.

You better believe in Believe.

4 Sunny ideals

Poland may not have the largest progressive rock scene in Europe, but especially within the last decade or so, I've noticed a large amount of phenomenal prog acts popping up throughout the country. Believe is one such act, and now that the band has plenty of well-received observations under their belt, it's a great time to revisit their 2006 debut, Hope To See Another Day. Most notably featuring guitarist Merek Gil of Collage and Satellite fame, this debut introduces Believe as a class act with a unique approach to the neo-prog genre.

Hope To See Another Day comfortably resides in the neo-progressive rock style, but Believe's music is on the more melancholic, guitar-driven, and heavy side of the equation. Whilst I wouldn't venture to call this a metal release, some of the riffs here are quite heavy, and Believe often opts for multiple guitar parts complemented by subtle keyboard work from Adam Milosz, rather than a synth-dominated sound that you might expect from the genre. This stylistic choice works well for Believe's dark and melancholic music, and the moody atmospherics heard throughout the album make for an engaging listen from start to finish. Hope To See Another Day may not immediately "click" with all listeners, but its depth makes for something that is highly rewarding in the long run.

Believe left some room for improvement on their debut - the production, for example, is a bit unpolished and the album as a whole could use more variation - but this is still a mightily impressive debut from these Polish proggers. With its recent reissue on Metal Mind Productions, now is a great time to discover Hope To See Another Day if you haven't experienced it yet. This is one of the most impressive progressive rock debuts you're likely to hear from Poland!

For some strange reason, although I have Believe's debut album 'Hope To See Another Day', which came out in 2006, I haven't heard any of their other releases until this their fifth studio album. Now, given that I have always enjoyed Mirek Gil's work (I am a huge fan of Collage, with Satellite not too far behind) that is a massive oversight on my part, and something that I will definitely need to do something about, and having now played this album a great deal just adds additional emphasis to that as this is superb. Laid back, with an almost Camel-esque feel to proceedings, this is a band where some songs seem to contain just one long guitar solo behind the vocals as Mirek provides incredible emphasis. There are times where he is more Gary Chandler than Andy Latimer, and his impact and contribution to this album cannot be understated.

This is all about atmosphere and melody, and contains some wonderful individual performances as each person adds their own finesse and skill to what is a beautifully crafted and polished album. Karol has a wonderful voice, and Konrad is a fine keyboard player who adds complex layers, but there is no doubt that this album belongs mostly to Mirek whether he is wrenching yet more sustain or simple almost Eighties style staccato notes out of his instrument. This is an album that is accessible the very first time it is played yet has hidden depths and it is only with repeated playing that the listener truly gets the most out of it. This really is the full package, as the well presented booklet containing the lyrics (all in English fits neatly in the digipak, and the music more than stands up to the quality of the presentation. Believe are yet another great Polish progressive rock band at the top of their game. www.believe.com.pl

After his important career with Collage and his brief tenure with Satellite and as his personal career was somehow put on ice, Mirek Gil and his anxious spirit decided to move on with a new project in mid-00's.He gave life to Believe, a new band that includes a few surprising members.Japanese violin player Satomi, the first singer of Collage Tomasz Rozycki on guitars and vocals and Satellite's original bassist Przemyslaw Zawadzki.The rest of the band were singer Robert Sieradzki, drummer Wlodzimierz Tafel and keyboardist Adam Milosz.Recorded at Gil's own studio, the debut of Believe ''Hope to see another day'' saw the light in 2006 on Galileo Records for Europe, MALS for the Russian market and Oskar Records for the Polish one.

It is widely known that Gil constantly developed his music in every project or band he participated and Believe are no exception.With his new band he tries to mix the refined Polish Prog sound with the heavier excursions of PORCUPINE TREE, while the album contains also strong PINK FLOYD-ian hints and the presence of Satomi and her violin makes the sound of the group quite unique.However there are plenty of references to his past with COLLAGE, as parts of the album are characterized by nice and moving guitar solos, light symphonic keyboards and very dreamy yet expressive vocals.This time though the fundamental roots of Gil are blended with powerful and angular guitar riffs as well as mascular grooves, while a couple of tracks are trully sensitive with a light psychedelic edge, based on Rozycki's always warm voice.Satomi is not always present, but when she does the sound obtains a different approach, led by her crying violins, quite close to OUTER LIMITS' vibes, with a slight Classical influence.The overall result is an elaborate mix of dynamic Heavy Rock with elaborate Neo/Symphonic Progressive Rock in the classic tradition of Polish Prog bands, both adventurous and deeply emotional.

There are moments in this album, where Believe seem to try to find some solid and confident steps in this new approach.Most of the album though is great with a rich and passionate sound, very modern and fairly demanding.Recommended.

I absolutely love this band, I have every album from them and dig them all, and this newest one might be the best yet, although I will admit to being just a bit disappointed that Satomi only plays on two tracks.

Mirek's guitar playing is just fantastic throughout, besides being one of my favorite guitarists he has to be one of the hardest working people in the music business, any band he is/was involved with is alright in my book, whether it be Collage, Satellite , Mr. Gil and of course Believe, the guy is a machine.

THE WARMEST SUN IN WINTER is a very melodic album with great songs from end to end, and will most certainly end up on my list for top cds of 2013 by the end of the year.

People talk about all the great bands from Scandinavia and it is well deserved, but Poland has a lot of good ones too and Believe is right up there with the best of them. Just an outstanding band led by the brilliant Mirek Gil.

A warm glow

A little over two years have elapsed since the release of the fine "World is round" album, during which time Believe kept us interested with the superb live DVD "Seeing is believing". Interestingly, for this album violinist Satomi is listed as a "special guest", her presence being restricted to just two of the eight tracks.

Most of the songs are band compositions, with Karol Wróblewski writing all the lyrics (in English). The album's concept is that of a reunion between old friends, who find that their lives have followed starkly different paths, and how their enduring friendship brings sun into their lives.

The album opens with a brief reflective instrumental, "The end", featuring piano and guitar. This serves as an atmospheric prelude to "Beginners", an 8 minute piece written by keyboards player Konrad Wantrych (with lyrics by vocalist Wróblewski). Right from the start, Mirek Gil re-establishes his lead guitar as the principal instrumental sound for the album. The track is majestic, with a strong melody and a fine vocal performance from Wróblewski. It is though Gil's distinctive guitar work that brings out the depth and strength of the song.

The title track is characterised by a delicate, high vocal underpinned by a floating lead guitar. The song is quite simply one of the most beautiful the band have recorded. "Words" continues in a similar vein, the mood being slightly lighter with a multi-tracked vocal on the main chorus. "Unborn/Turn around" is the second of the longer tracks. Here the rhythm section move things into slightly heavier territories, but the emphasis remains firmly on the strength of the melody. Gil's lead guitar harmonises with the lead vocal, the track developing all the while and driven on latterly by a marching drumbeat.

"Please go home" follows on from the band's cover of Marillion's "Chelsea morning" as a tribute to the late Polish music journalist Robert Roszak. Here we get our first chance to hear the wonderful violin of Satomi. The song is the most powerful on the album, Wróblewski's vocals being full of emotion while Gil's guitar prowess is unrestrained. The longest track on the album is the 11 minute "Heartless land", which brings together the moods of the tracks thus far in a slightly retro sounding synth based finale. Gil's lead guitar still prevails, complementing the fine vocal performance.

The album has an additional "hidden" track "The bright day" (not that well hidden though given that it appears in the track listing!). This is the only other song to feature the violin of Satomi, and makes for a pleasantly light coda to the album.

Overall, an excellent album from this highly accomplished Polish band. The changes from the previous album "World is round" are subtle rather than revolutionary. Nevertheless, "The warmest sun in winter" does see the band moving on, and is possibly their most progressive and most cohesive album to date. It is also good to see the guitar Mirek Gil being given such prominence throughout the album.

Polish band BELIEVE was formed in 2005 by veteran Polish guitarist Mirek Gil as his new band project. He assembled a band around him fairly quickly, and a number of releases have followed. "The Warmest Sun in Winter" was is their most recent album, and was released through Polish label Metal Mind Productions in 2013.

The 2013 edition of Believe is one that resides in the heartland of the neo progressive universe, sporting gentle symphonic backdrops, melodic guitar soloing aplenty and otherwise compositions of a fairly mellow and controlled nature throughout. A disc that might have become somewhat plain without the strong and impressive lead vocals of Karol Wroblewski . His presence elevates this album markedly however, to the point of making this disc an easy one to recommend to fans of neo progressive rock in general and those amongst them with a strong affection for high quality lead vocals in particular.

Polish band BELIEVE was formed in 2005 by veteran Polish guitarist Mirek Gil as his new band project. He assembled a band around him fairly quickly, and in 2006 the debut album "Hope to See Another Day" was released through Polish label Oscar (and later by Swiss label Galileo Records). Seven years have passed since then, and a fair number of releases. While awaiting the forthcoming album by Believe, their current label Metal Mind Productions found the time right to reissue their debut album, now in a remastered version that also contains two bonus tracks.

Believe's 2006 debut album has been given a nice lift by their label Metal Mind if the difference between my impressions of this remastered version and the general opinion of the original one can be used as an indication. I don't get the impression that it is a required purchase if you already own the original release, but for fans and those who don't already own this disc this version probably merits an addition to a list of forthcoming purchases.

A timely re-release of a fine album

With the imminent release of Believe's fifth album "The warmest sun in winter" (due in April 2013), this would seem an opportune time to investigate the roots of this fine Polish band. It is fortuitous then that their début album "Hope to see another day" has just been remastered and re-released, complete with a couple of bonus tracks.

Founded by Mirek Gil (Collage, Satellite, Mr Gil), Believe's foundations in symphonic and neo-prog are augmented by the unique sounds of Satomi 's violin contributions. Looking back on the album, Gil notes that it was recorded after he had taken a lengthy break from music, returning with an "extreme hunger" for playing the guitar. Consequently, the album is structured around his legendary talents with many fine solos and some deliciously heavy riffs. The songwriting is dominated by Mirek Gil, with Robert Sieradzki providing the lyrics throughout (all in English). The only other writing credit goes to lead singer Tomek Rozycki for his contribution to ""Don't tell me".

Tracks such as the back to back "Needles in my brain" and "Liar" offer fine examples of Gil's highly melodic lead guitar style, the latter building to a magnificent crescendo. "Pain" highlights a different side of the band, with acoustic guitar and lush keyboards combining in a relatively sparser but highly atmospheric slower number. The closing (title) track is also the longest at around 12 minutes, the song remaining in the band's live set to this day.

The two bonus tracks on the 2013 remaster are live versions of "Liar " and "Pain" recorded in Konin, Poland in 2006, not long after the album's release. Even so, both have noticeably different arrangements, primarily in respect of the lead guitar and the violin.

At the time of its release in 2006, some who had followed Gil's career felt that this album was a bit too different for their tastes. Subsequent albums have proved beyond doubt that Believe was a natural progression for the man, and that the prog tenets to which he subscribes remain firmly in place. Looking at this album in retrospect, there is much to recommend it, both in a prog context and simply in terms of what an excellent album it is.