COSMOGRAF

Cosmograf's 2013 release "The Man Left In Space" is an intriguing and atmospheric journey filled with some amazing lead guitar and a feast of interesting themes that are worth contemplating well after the music has died away.

Ostensibly this concept album revolves around Sam, an astronaut who, as the title suggests, is cut adrift, alone, in the depths of space. In reality it is an allegorical tale revolving around themes that affect many of us in modern life such as ambition and our perceptions of success. The idea works well and we're drawn into Sam's lonely encapsulated world with the dispassionate voices of computers his only companions.

Many of the greatest aspects of this album are showcased on the second track, "Aspire, Achieve". There's gorgeous acoustic guitar and a great vocal melody interspersed with some blazing hard rock riffing reminiscent of Deadwing-era Porcupine Tree. The lead guitar in the latter half of the song is some of the best I've heard in years. Performed by Robin Armstrong, the architect behind all things Cosmograf, it really is worth the price of admission alone. There are many guest guitarists on this album, which adds a distinct flavour to many of the tracks, but it's evident from this performance that Robin could have carried these duties admirably all on his own.

I'll also single out the title track as a prog masterpiece. The interplay of acoustic and lead guitar in the intro is phenomenal. There's a number of phases and emotions as the song runs its course and the musicianship is top notch. It's also the point on the album at which most of the themes come to a head, so in that regard it serves as the centrepiece. As it fades a woman's voice implores "Think of me always", which is one of the more touching moments as there's an injection of humanity into Sam's world.

The use of sound effects, voice actors and samples is expertly carried out on this album and really creates a unique atmosphere. The only facet that left me wanting was that I struggled to form an emotional connection with the protagonist, but in any case this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the music or the performances on this album.

If you're looking for a well conceived concept album with some stellar performances then you can't go wrong with this one.

8.5/10

I discovered this album on progstreaming.com. I have to say that at first I was not particularly impressed with the music , as it tended too easily to become pleasant "background music" as my mind drifted away and I quickly lost interest in what was going on. But then I realized that the delicate, mellow melodies stuck with me long after I had stopped the player. So I went back to it and made an effort to keep focused throughout the 55+ minutes of " The Man Left In Space", and I ended up buying a copy of the album.

After a good number of spins on my CD player, my current opinion of the album is a more elaborate version of my first, visceral impression. The album is very nice, very competently played, rich in mellow melodies, and contains some great Floydian guitar moments. I am a fan of voice samplings in songs, so this is a bonus too. It surely makes for a pleasant listening experience, especially if you are a fan of Floyds, neo-prog outfits such as RPWL and Sylvan, or even the mellower, metal-less moments of prog-metal bands such as Ayreon. But this is not an album for all seasons. It is an album I would put on when I am in the mood for something reflective, not too demanding or challenging, that allows me to effortlessly drift in and out without losing too much. But it would not be my first choice if I was in the mood for a proper "prog-on" experience, if you know what I mean. I guess the crux of the matter lies in the eventual lack of depth and breadth of this nevertheless very enjoyable musical project. The very clean but at the same time very much "bedroom project" production also contributes to this impression.

Overall, I regard " The Man Left In Space" as a good (sometimes very good) easy-listening prog album, which surely deserves 3 stars.

A nice sounding, well-produced album of songs in a PINK FLOYD-like vein of sounds and stylings--conceptually as well as in the extensive integration of samples/spoken threads in between and in the background. Sometimes the similarities are a bit TOO close to classic PF stuff, IMHO. The performances are rather good if often quite strikingly similar to Waters (voice), Gilmour (guitar leads), Wright (particularly organ) and even Mason (not in volume or clarity, though), and the production is pristine if somewhat lacking in the desirable but all-too-elusive weave of harmony and nuance. What is lacking for me is anything new and memorable: Repeated listens of the album and its songs in their individuality leave me underwhelmed, even absent from reaction; I am not drawn back to the music or album and when I hear the songs again I feel neither excitement or familiarity. Not that I feel as though I've wasted my time. It's a pleasant listen. No more, no less.

Another 3.5 star album that I have trouble rating. I'd rate it up for the recommendation for others to give it a listen and decide for themselves, but I'm not sure. It's better than a Richard Wright solo album, but, IMHO, that's not saying much.

'The Man Left In Space' is the fourth album from Comsograf, which is actually a solo project by multi- instrumentalist Robin Armstrong who provides guitars, keyboards bass and vocals and utilises additional guests to fill in the sound. So for this album, the guests are Nick D'Virgilio (Spock's Beard/Big Big Train), Dave Meros (Spock's Beard), Matt Stevens, Greg Spawton (Big Big Train), Simon Rogers, Steve Dunn (Also Eden), Lee Abraham (The Lee Abraham Band), Luke Machin ( Ex- The Tangent) and Dave Ware. It is a concept album that explores the themes of aspirations, achievement and travails that the quest for success sometimes brings by depicting these within the constructs of a failed space mission.

It is an ambitious project in many ways, and one that took me a long time to warm to. There are times when the music is just too polished, too sanitised, that I found myself drifting away and it took some effort to keep coming back. But the more I played it, the more I discovered the underlying layers and the complexity that is intriguing and not nearly as clinical as I first imagined. At times it is very Floydian, at others Muse and at yet others RPWL, yet there is a deftness in some of the lead guitar and keyboard lines that definitely lift this out of the ordinary. If I had written about this having only played it once or twice it would have received just 2/5, but although I do have some issues with having a song called "Beautiful Treadmill" this album has moved up to be 4/5. There is a clarity and crispness in the production that belies the fact that it was recorded at a home studio, with the guitar and bass on "The Vacuum That I Fly" being a case in point.

If you enjoy strong neo-prog with powerful guitar lines then this is definitely worth further investigation at www.cosmograf.com.

This is my first introduction to multi-instrumentalist Robin Armstrong's musical vehicle Cosmograf, as I almost took the plunge with the previous 2011 album due to various interesting reviews of 'When Age Has Done Its Duty'. Finally, this just-released work simply winked at me lewdly with its expressive artwork and, well, I fell for its alluring charm, sucker that I am! It was one of those slow burners, needing quite a few spins before making any kind of justified opinion, not that its anything overtly complex but just trying to find the balance between quaint British pastoral musings and some drop-heavy anchor riffs that pound and bludgeon, strange space communications and instrumental forays. The theme espoused is sort of Apollo 13-ish, with winks at 2001 A Space Odyssey and a dash of Bowie's Major Tom, The Man Left in Space takes a rather typical prog concept of some poor astronaut who was inconveniently forgotten in the depths of void. In the end, I enjoyed this piece of space prog a fair amount, stunned by the incredible talent of Mr. Armstrong (talk about a portentous name for a spacewalk!) on display, though he is quite ably assisted by some of British Neo-prog's finest guns , led by two Big Big Train members (They are the prog sweethearts 'du jour' as of 2013), guitarist Greg Spawton and drummer extraordinaire Nick D'Virgilio, ably aided by bassist Steve Dunn as well as respected axemen Matt Stevens, Lee Abraham and Simon Rogers, among others. Armstrong seems to handle all the spacy keys with remarkable flair and atmosphere.

After some brief and obligatory NASA talk introductions, the lift-off mood is kicked brutally forward with the opener 'Aspire, Achieve' that combines power and serenity throughout its brooding 10 minutes +. While a very good song, it's not really indicative of the mood to follow. The core of the album start with a couple of instrumental tracks that are particularly intense and brilliantly executed, the drums crisp and the keyboards evocative. The guitarists provide some harder-edged Gilmourisms that again are the hallmarks of this style, seductively up-front and center. The whimsical 'The Good Earth behind Me' is a lush highlight, a crafty space poem all dollied up with some dense synthesized frills and a scouring guitar wail that soars beyond the universes. When the beefy beat kicks in, we are in celestial heaven! 'The Vacuum I Fly Through' simply continues the echoing spatial theme, somewhere between classic Floyd and its German cousin RPWL, travelling nicely into dreamland with Matt Stevens giving his instrument a jolly workout. 'This Naked Endeavour' is keyboard-oriented, with assorted voice samplings, electric piano and massed synths, before the pleasant Robin Armstrong vocals kick in. He is not a genius 'lungist' but he gets the job done. 'We Disconnect' has a little opening 'HAL' feel, a musical Kubrick emanation that instills some ominous feelings of doom, expertly highlighted by the rollicking bass/guitar klang. A nifty little guitar solo shows off some slippery tendencies, comatose lyrics that wink and nod at Steve Wilson's fascination for pharmaceutical medication, nice rocket stuff indeed. 'Beautiful Treadmill' continues the cottony mood but amps up the power chords quite a bit, preventing any possibility of fading into unconsciousness. The tortuous voices are leading the fray, deeply troubling. This is where the listener gets a sense of enjoyment in delving into the 'trip'. The final 2 tracks are both 9 minute+ epics that establish the overall credentials of quality for this intriguing release. The title track is without question the icing on the cake, a stellar piece of cosmic consequence, complete with the Bowie-esque tone of Robin's voice. The main theme is unreservedly marvellous, featuring rippling organ, bruising bass rumbling, some seductive acoustic guitar phrasings and a shockingly attractive axe solo. The electric guitar workout is extensive, emotive, tremulous and desperate. The shimmer of electric sounds and the siren's pleading voice has a deep sense of finality. It has 'classic' stamped all over it! How can this be possibly topped? Well, the finale 'When the Air Runs Out' has all the promises of a choking moment of a final gasp, when the brain is deprived of vital oxygen and the mind starts hallucinating, deep into the farthest reaches of the cosmos. French-accented command control space talk, sounding like Truffaut in 'Close Encounters', introduces the freak-out blaring alarms as well as the desperation of a mission gone horribly wrong! Lyrically, the mood gets exciting, evoking all the lunatics and madmen, heroes and artists, footballers and actors whose minds were blown away by a bullet or a bottle. Sam doesn't respond, 'Please respond Sam' intones the voice. A bizarre psychiatric voice ends this presentation as if some laboratory autopsy.

4.5 Keir Dulleas

Just 17 months after the release of Cosmograf's last album "When Age Has Done Its Duty" the band returns with its latest album "The Man Left In Space" in February 2013. I say band ? loosely as the project is mainly the solo venture of British multi instrumentalist Robin Armstrong accompanied by several high profile guests from the progressive rock community (mainly from the south of England). Armstrong continues his penchant for concept albums as the music on TMLIS tells the story of a doomed space flight to save the World set in 2053. The music is quite excellent with plenty of first-rate guitar work, the first track "How Did I Get Here" comprises of just chat between the astronaut and mission control, but then we are off and running with track two, the excellent 10 minute "Aspire, Achieve" which starts off with quiet acoustic guitar before more heavy electric riffs barge in after two minutes. This is followed by three instrumental tracks, "Good Earth Behind Me" has the poem "High Flight" by John Gillespie Magee recited quietly in the background of track which features memorable guitar and keyboard work. "The Vacuum That I Fly Through" is highlighted by Matt Steven's spacey sounding guitar. "We Disconnect" is my favourite of the shorter track as we return to vocals in the music in track six. The final two tracks are absolute beauties clocking in at just under ten minutes each. "Just spare a thought for the man they left in space" sings Armstrong in what is an elegant ballad interspersed with classy guitar and underlying keyboards which break through at times. The finale "When The Air Runs Out" has elements of space rock between the vocals as the astronaut ponders his impending doom. In conclusion a very good album which shows off all that is good about British progressive rock.

One-man project started in 2007 by British multi-instrumentalist and singer Robin Armstrong from Waterlooville, Hampshire.His first digital album ''Freed From the Anguish'' from 2008 remained in the shadows with Armstrong himself admitting it was a mediocre production.In 2009 Cosmograf return with a second work entitled ''End of Ecclesia'', which finally caught some attention.It was a concept release around the battle between science and religion with Armstrong composing all tracks and playing all instruments except from the last track ''The Dark that follows the Light'', helped by his children Sam and Amy on voices and Steve Dunn from Also Eden on composing, bass and guitars.

While the style of the album sees Mr. Armstrong in an inconsistent phase overall, one can find plenty of good elements next to the mistakes of an inexprienced musician.Actually ''End of Ecclesia'' suffers from the rather boring and heavy rhythmic guitar parts, which sound very monotonous and uninspired, along with Armostrong's very harsh vocals at moments.His compositions though are played with dignity, energy, enjoyment and a strong appetite for creating something great.It actually reminds me of a more artistic and dynamic approach by STEVE THORNE with a somewhat Neo Prog flavor but also with a mass of influences appearing here and there, including Heavy Metal, Classical Music and Folk.The great instrumental parts with the piano, electric guitars, organ and synthesizers are possibly the best thing this album has to offer, with Armstrong creating some strong melodies and deep soundscapes.''Return to the sea pt.2'', ''The Dark that follows the Light'' and ''La iglesia'' are certainly the better examples of this fact with nice PINK FLOYD, TRANSATLANTIC and even GENESIS overtones surrounding the whole atmosphere.A couple of mediocre ballads are also in the menu but there are some interesting ideas thrown in as well like the almost Gregorian chants appearing on the first couple of tracks, the somewhat electronic-sounding intros and the good acoustic parts of the album.What though trully spoils the whole effort is the limited number of the almost Altertnative Rock cuts with the crunchy guitars, repetitive grooves and average angry-sounding vocals.

''End of ecclesia'' seems like a compressed sum of different ideas by Robin Armstrong, which sometimes works well and other ones ends up in a total mess, depending on the track.However his most progressive material really sounds good enough to keep an eye on Cosmograf's further releases.For fans of Neo Prog and contemporary Progressive/Art Rock...2.5 stars.

I was recomended this album by a friend who had seen reviews saying it was similar to Sean Filkins album, War And Peace & Other Short Stories. It is similar, Conceptual long tracks, the use of effects, guest musicians, and great playing by Armstrong and all the guests, and great vocals, but that is where the similarity ends. There is no doubting that the musicians can play but instead of the songs making me want to play the CD again straight after hearing it, I felt it was just ok. Like the tracks were just built into long tracks because that's what is expected that progressive rock is all about. The sound effects, some of them, I felt where just added for the sake of adding effects to. Like I said above there is some great playing on here, but some of the solos seem to jump out at you, above what I felt was comfortable for the rest of the mix, again adding to that feeling that the tracks were written almost as a mathematical exercise rather than as songs. Don't get me wrong there is enough on here to enjoy but after repeated listens it just doesn't excite and make me want more.

Growing old

By design, this is I believe a great concept album as it tells about growing old - even from the album title you can have a sense of what it's all about. It actually fits with my requirements as I am growing old. In fact, everyone does. Musically I was prompted by my friend that it's a stunning neo-prog album by Cosmograf - a band that I knew nothing at all despite it's already the third album. When I listened to it the first time my impression was on the sonic production quality of the album. In fact this album reminds me to Dutch band TRIANGLE which also has great sonic production. The music? It's similar to TRIANGLE but it's much more mellow this one by Cosmograf. The one thing similar with Triangle is the vocal quality - especially this one by Cosmograf - that sounds strange to my ears. It's like the vocal does not blend nicely with the music. Well ...it might be a matter of taste I believe.

The music offered by this album is good in terms of overall composition and how it represents a concept album as the lyrics as well as the music flow quite well from one part to another. The opening track "Into This World" (11:15) is really a good one to enjoy. I like the combination of mellow parts as well as the heavier one especially those with stunning guitar work. But after the first track I cannot get my adrenalin flows faster as the music tends to be mellow in all parts in the album. Yes - they are good music overall but there is no dynamic demonstrated as usually progressive music has. There are many Floydian guitar solos and all of them I love very much. I can enjoy the music under ear candy prog with relatively no challenge in complexities in any part of the music.

In conclusion, I still recommend those of you who love mellow neo-prog music to have this album as the melody is good and the composition is good as well. It's just not as dynamic I would have expected. Keep on proggin' ..!!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Cosmograf is a progressive rock project led by talented, UK based multi-instrumentalist Robin Armstrong. 'When Age Has Done Its Duty' is Cosmograf's third album release since 2008 and sees the band signed to F2 Records, a move which will hopefully increase publicity and heighten the band's profile. Whilst the music here is refreshingly original it will doubtless appeal to fans of Pink Floyd, Genesis and Porcupine Tree as well as all aficionados of classic rock. This is a concept album that centres around the themes of ageing and personal experiences whilst growing up. Amongst others, members of It Bites, Also Eden and The Tangent guest on the album. 'Into This World' opens proceedings in a menacing manner. Acoustic piano lines meander around you unsettlingly until raw, digitally delayed guitar power chords stutter and poke at you. 'Born in a world, where it's great to be young' Robin crows in a restrained but angst- ridden voice as a powerful chorus raises the ante (I'm the wrong side of 40, so I know what Robin means !!). Robin later treats us to a wicked guitar solo that matches the attitude of his vocals and screams with the anguish of a banshee. Clocking in at eleven minutes, this track is one of several epics on the album. The music progresses in a more pastoral manner on 'Blacksmith's Hammer', where the rich acoustic guitars match the imagery of the lyrics: 'He worked in a forge at the end of the field'. The third track, 'On Which We Stand' sees melody brought strongly to the fore, as intricate musical lines weave together evoking early Genesis and ethnical British themes. The aspirational harmonies of this piece yield to a melancholic and haunting organ passage. This slowly builds into an anthemic climax complete with an ultra expressive Gilmour-esque guitar solo that sends shivers down your spine..... The value of friends can never be under stated and on the next two tracks Robin's guests prove their faith in this project by virtue of their inspired contributions. Luke Machin of The Tangent offers a 'state of the art' guitar solo on 'Bakelite Switch' which Robin replies to perfectly with swirling Hammond organ riffs. A nostalgic glimpse at 70's family life, this track rocks seriously in places and proceeds with a real sense of urgency. Just when you thought Luke's solo was the song's peak, Robin's countdown at the end provides a further incredible sense of excitement and crescendo. Meanwhile on 'Memory Lost' Huw LLoyd-Jones' guest vocals bleed and ache with a passion and yearning that you can genuinely feel flowing through the air. The music here is beautifully laid back. The title track starts with a three minute narrated poem, which isn't my favourite moment of the album, whilst the remaining ten minutes of this piece evoke a Floydian epic, climaxing with a rousing guitar solo. 'White Light Awaits' features keyboards 'a la Vangelis' and the welcome return of some heavy guitar based themes used in the opening track. 'Dog On The Clee' closes the album. Here an ethereal melody and atmosphere, created with acoustic guitars and angelically flavoured vocals, provides an emotional epitaph to the earlier themes of the album. Production on the album is well balanced, unlike many recent releases there is nothing over blown here. Also worthy of mention is the stalwart work of Bob Dalton who provides drums for the first six tracks. For me this is a strong contender for album of the year and will surely be hailed as a classic in the future. If you like prog or classic rock buy it without hesitation.