SIEGES EVEN

One of the things that's often said about The Art of Navigating By the Stars is that it heavily downplays the metal side of Sieges Even's sound, to the point where some have argued that it isn't really a prog metal album. Whilst it's true that it isn't especially heavy and for long sections Markus Steffen doesn't break out anything you'd recognise as a particularly metallic riff, I think it is an interesting experiment in applying specifically progressive metal compositional attitudes and approaches to less metallic material, with the end result being an unusual and unique album which will appeal to prog metal fans provided they don't go in expecting much in the way of heaviness.

After almost a decade pause Sieges Even is back with a new album from 2005 named The Art Of Navigating By The Stars. Well, I've always like this band, what they offerd in the '90s is the best from their catalogueand is high calibre prog metal with complex technical passages. With this album they change little bit the direction, musicaly and vocaly, with a new voice Arno Menses who done a good job but is far from the complicated and jawdropping vocal parts done by my fav vocalist from them and their best from all they had Jogi Kaiser from Sense of change. The music is the light side of prog metal, with lots of slow and mid tempo parts, only here and there they speed up little bit to come with a contrast in arrangements, aswell the vocalist even is not bad at all , is to clean and far more less theatrical then predecesors. I don't really know how to judge this release, is not a typical prog metal album, has some complicated moves here and there, but is less intricate and complex then the 90's albums. The best tune to me is Unbreakable, the rest are ok, but nothing more, really. 3 stars. For sure not their best.

Sieges Even is one of the bands that for some resons never got the regonition they desearve, being many years in the shadows of other bands from prog metal filed. Is strange because the musicianship this band offers is absolutly mindblowing, the rhythmic section provide by the two brothers Holzwarth is top notch. The second album from 1990 named simply Steps is a very technical, complex and intricate prog metal , that needs sever listning to fully appreciate it. I needed more than 5 spins to get into. From the voice who is fiting perfect in this context, very complicated vocal arrangements to the instrumental passages this band never stops to amaze me. Pieces like Corridors or The Vacuum Tube Processor are simply great that shows how great this band was and how inventive aswell. The combination of Fates Warning elements with Psychotic Waltz atmosphere, on this release is a winner for sure. Even they release constantly excellent albums across the years with their absolutly peak Sens of change from 1991, they are far from being well known. Steps desearves from me 3.5 stars, not as strong and fabulous as their next one Sens of change their absolute masterpice but is a worthy prog metal as it was in the beggining of the style.

This is an album of songs, some incredible, some good, and one questionable. I feel a similar effect when listening to this album as with Fates Warning's "FWX" - a late-career decision to dabble in song-oriented modern rock, creating a listening experience that sometimes works wonders and sometimes falls more flat.

The incredible: the two openers, both melodic powerhouses with smart, punchy songwriting. Duende, a winding, exciting slice of unique prog metal, accompanied by an ode to the creative power of art (which the band has dubbed the "permanent disease" of mankind - so true). The closer, the fascinating "Paramount," which makes use of some great dynamics and a stunning chorus like a splash of ice-cold water to the torso.

The good: The middling rest of the album - I had hoped for more instrumental interplay from Sieges even, as well as more compositional creativity; clearly, the approach here is miles away from The Art of Navigating by the Stars. Some parts of "Bridge to the Divine" and "Leftovers" are disappointingly formulaic and tiresome, but they are still solid overall. Lots of crunchy guitar riffs and energetic drums. Oliver Holzwarth's role on bass here is not as prominent as previous releases, but where he is noticeable he shines, as always. Feel free to express confusion over the born-again Christian track, "Iconic," made even more confusing by the fact that Sieges Even previously released a song mocking Christianity entitled "What's Up God?" Maybe Steffen wrote it, since he wasn't in the band for the latter song? Or someone had a conversion? Either way, it's twee and a little bit creepy lyrically, like much of this album, but it's surprisingly well-written nonetheless.

The questionable: "Eyes Wide Open." Eugh. The chorus melody is nowhere near strong enough to build a song around, and the muddy accompaniment makes it sound forced. Overall, not the most pleasant listening experience. Interestingly, this song was originally written for the band Subsignal, then a side-project, yet it's nowhere near as good as the material that the band itself would come to release after Sieges Even disbanded.

And there you have Paramount, take it or leave it. Sieges Even is still one of the only prog metal bands releasing any interesting material by 2007, even if this record has its flaws.

I should note that overall, Sieges Even, while a talented group, are not my preferred taste in progressive music. However, there are a few gems in their repertoire that I enjoy. Most of the songs on this album feel like they are trying too hard to be complex and original without finding a good balance between highly progressive ideas and palatable ones.

In my opinion, the music is generally pleasing, but can get grating at times with a lack of flow from phrase to phrase. If you enjoy disjunctive music that incorporates several abruptly imposed highly contrasted themes within one composition, this album is for you. One thing this album does not lack is complex rhythm arrangements.

There are several songs in which accapella-type harmonies are used (such as those used by bands such as Pure Reason Revolution). Arno Menses usually sings in the higher ranges using vibrato somewhat liberally. Technically, the music is skillful and without too much showboating (although they do make their skill known). The production is good and the band is quite precise.

The mood is often uplifting and or exciting, while sometimes osculating from melancholy or dark moods to joyous beauty and confidence. My rating of this piece may be more a reflection of my musical taste than of the actual quality of the album. This band has elements recognizable from other progressive bands that I enjoy such as Pure Reason Revolution and Sylvan.

10/10

This is not just good.

It's phenomenal. It is magnificent. It's perfect.

It Sieges Even.

This is the name of the German band that won me over with his sixth album, entitled The Art of Navigating by the Stars. Launched in 2005, this album marked a return to the band's music scene after an absence of eight years. And wow, that return.

This album is spectacular. It would be rather presumptuous to say that he is in my Top 10 progressive metal, but hey, why not? The musicianship on this album is nothing short of amazing, and he was one of my best finds this year (and I've already heard a lot of thing in 2011).

The main thing about The Art of Navigating by the Stars is that it is not an album for headbangers and heavy metal fans. In fact, say that this album is heavy is a kind of sacrilege. it can be anything - melodic, emotional, harmonious, versatile - but isn´t this . I mean, there are times when the guitars provide us with aggressive riffs and things take a frightening turn, but they are only moments - as a whole, the album is far from it.

The nine songs on this album are just part of something larger - a true 63 minute epic that reveals many facets, styles, influences. Starting with the laughter of a baby and ending with the main theme of the album - that verse "The view from here is frightening" (that besides Styx, the final track, is sung in The Weight, Stigmata and probably some other song) - the album reveals a cycle, whose lyrical focus seems to be related to the phases of life. this is evidenced by the laughter of baby described above and the title of the last track, Styx, which is the river of death in Greek mythology.

Musically, the album is impeccable (forgive me if I am using too many adjectives in this review). Seriously, rad band is very good - and they do not have a keyboardist, I admit that in my opinion this is the only weak point of the album, because sometimes lack that "atmosphere" that keyboards offer - but this is offset by four prodigious and excellent musicians: the brothers Oliver and Alex Holzwarth drums and bass respectively, Markus Steffen guitarist and vocalist Arno Menses .Each one shines in its function, not lacking. With them aboard, who needs a keyboard?

(Actually there is an external element to the album: a beautiful flute in Lighthouse but according to Menses was a kind of improvisation)

Well, gives pair see how much I liked this album and how much I recommend it to other listeners. It may not be the progressive metal album that is expected, but up to my expectations - and is now one of my favorites of the genre. 5 stars!

I think this ranks up there with Faust, Trout Mask Replica, and Ink Complete as an archetypal "seems sort of unlistenable, but is actually genius" album. Unfortunately, Sieges Even has not had the fortune of amassing a cult following that slavishly devotes itself to the appreciation of this album; where the band is known at all, it is generally for their later material with Arno Menses. But I really think this album deserves it, nonetheless.

Progressive metal is often framed as a fundamentally metal genre with superficial prog elements slapped on - but the years of its nascency, ~1985-1992, or thereabouts, saw the leaders of the emerging genre delving into some really weird and almost inaccessible stuff. The early works of Watchtower and Thought Industry bear witness to this, as do to a lesser extent those of Fates Warning and Psychotic Waltz. But Steps is where this trend reaches its apotheosis...nobody went further off the deep end during this time than Sieges Even did. This stuff makes most (if not all) RIO look lazy by comparison.

I'll leave you with that - I don't want to discuss the specifics of the music itself, because it's simply too good to spoil. Stick with this one, even if it seems obnoxious at first. This is one of the greatest albums of all time.

beautifully done! Sieges Even nails it right here...even though this was the first SE album i heard (after seeing the superlative ratings and reviews on this site).

Arno Menses works terrific for this sound...and i think he makes the difference on this album. SE have always been quite strong instrumentally but i personally could not ignore the horrible singing to get into their songs which is a shame because some of their earlier stuff could have been so much better with someone like Menses at the mike.

this album has some great compositions - melodic, frantic, upbeat, dreamy and melancholic at different times, i can see why its so highly rated by many.

stand out songs: The Lonely Views of Condors, Stigmata, To the Ones Who Have Failed and Styx. The Weight (plus the title-track intro) pulls its "weight" as does Unbreakable.

the only slightly out-of-place song for me is Blue Wide Open - its quite nice and pleasant but i dont see how it fits into everything around it. it feels made-up. that, and the (slight) similarity across all the songs (even though its supposed to be linked by a concept/ theme) is what keeps this from being a 5-rater

a very interesting follow-up to The Art of Navigating by the Stars, indeed. sticking with essentially the same line-up and essentially the same sound as its predecessor, Paramount is only slightly below their crowning glory album.

songs 1-4 are good, strong Sieges Even at their best but nothing extraordinary. then comes along the beautifully dreamy Where Our Shadows Sleep. they shift up a notch for the quick- step up tempo Duende (i love the bass riff with the verse).

Bridge to The Divine and Leftovers continue to prop up the album in the very high ratings, both excellent with a continuing contrast of upbeat and fresh (Bridge...) and dreamy/ meandering/ soul searching (Leftovers).

Mounting Castles combine an interesting use ot Martin Luther King's famous "I have a dream" with some interesting instrumental work.

the closer - the title-track paramount clocks in at just under 9 min and is the longest song on the album (contrast with TAONBTS where the title track is the shortest and the opener - maybe the band was going for some kind of message?)

too bad that this was the last we heard from them - i personally can't stand the vocals on anything before The Art...most of the awesome instrumentation is overpowered by horrible singing, so i'll just have to make do with 2 albums...

Here we are! Sieges Even have produced their best work: a concept album unravelling itself through 9 songs (one "Intro" plus 8 "Sequences"). Every piece is kind of an impressionistic picture suggesting several moods we can easily catch, select and tune to our own one. I came across this album late, just few days ago, and I cannot stop listening to it yet. As a prog, and in particular symphonic- and metal-prog fan, I find myself home in the melodies following one another. The changes in rhythm, strictly odd in the best prog tradition, the awesome lyrics and the complex musical texture are perfect to make me consider this album as a perfect "prog product", not only for its strong technical and formal contents but mainly for its huge soul. The sounds remind me the atmospheres fashioned by Everon, Mind's Eye, Enchant or Dream Theater in their symphonic performances. Such a mixture of symphonic and metal prog, in which tough and heavy sounds to melodic and lyric passages are perfectly blended, results in an astonishing combination. Besides, it is amazing how a classic hard rock line-up, with no keyboards aid at all, makes it possible to produce such a typical prog sound. The guys are first class professionals: Arno Menses' voice is superb and perfect for the band's sound, Markus Steffen's guitar is actually the second voice when not the first, Alex Holzwarth is a complete prog drummer and his brother Oliver's bass support is crucial. Besides, overall arrangements and orchestration are undisputable as much as the technical ability of the band members. Now, given that I consider myself as a "soul examiner", I try to scrutinize the tracks one by one, skipping the "Intro". "The weight" carries our thoughts far away and, with its circular motion, leads them to the sea, possibly by the Irish shore. "The lonely view of condors" makes us fly over the mountains covered by snow in springtime, with the surrounding nature reviving yet again. "Unbreakable" brings us back to the sea, with its ripples sound at the beginning, but transmits us a strong sense of loss. "Stigmata", my favourite, is like a river rolling down its course, increasing and decreasing its speed and ending in a waterfall at times when the sound, shrouded for some moments, is brought back to life by large broadenings of the melody. "Blue wide open" is an acoustic interlude in which the guitars play with one another in a voyage through the ocean. "To the ones who have failed" goes back to the stylistic structure of "The weight" but with a definite metal structure interposed to symphonic moments in a crescendo of sensations typical of the dry land after the previous voyage. "Lighthouse" is a quiet lyric poem reminding the shore once again, with an awesome guitar solo prompting flamenco atmospheres and ending up in a ballad. "Styx", the last track, is the sum of all the previous pieces. Being the epilogue of the album, it lives on itself but refers many times to the other songs. "The art of navigating by the stars" is full of all the stuff a progster loves and expect from an album. It must definitely be considered as a progressive rock masterpiece, one of the best of the 2000's first decade. The Munich quartet confirms its definite growth right with this work. Previously they had shown first class ideas and capability but this time they have reached their climax . Bravo, then! Sieges Even is the band I will refer to from now on when I think to very well made and performed "sympho-metal-prog".