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MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE

Neo-Prog • Ukraine


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Modern-Rock Ensemble biography

Vladimir Gorashchenko - Born in Kiev, Ukraine

MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE is a vehicle for the talents of Ukraine's multi-talented Vladimir Gorashchenko. In September 2016 he released the first Modern-Rock Ensemble album "Touch The Mystery". What a fine album it is too. Gorashchenko is certainly no newcomer to the progressive rock world, and indeed one track from the album was recorded back in the 1980s, under a different name, Putnik.

MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE's music is not what I would describe as archetypal Neo Prog. The material is quite varied, with jazzy and ethnic hints, however the overpowering influence is Neo/Symphonic, two genres that tread closely together. Drawing on the classic symphonic sounds of the early 70s, but with a modern twist, the long instrumental passages are a joy to hear. Fans of both genres should find plenty to interest them in the music of MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE.

Gorashchenko is clearly a serious musician, covering vocal, keyboard and guitar duties. On the debut album he is assisted by a guest appearance by the legendary Ukranian musician Anton Kalugin, famous for his work as Karfagen and Sunchild.

It has taken considerable time for this project to hit the ground and it has been well worth the wait. Hopefully a follow-up album will be not as long in the making! As one would expect, background information has been very hard to find.

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MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE discography


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MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.03 | 204 ratings
Touch The Mystery
2016
4.15 | 211 ratings
Night Dreams & Wishes
2019

MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Night Dreams & Wishes by MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE album cover Studio Album, 2019
4.15 | 211 ratings

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Night Dreams & Wishes
Modern-Rock Ensemble Neo-Prog

Review by Drmick1971

4 stars Vladimir Gorashchenko's project, 'Modern Rock Ensemble' is a wonder. If you want to reach out for Prog music outside the 'norm' then go down this avenue. 'Night Dreams & Wishes' delivers high quality and sophisticated Prog music. Beginning with 'Intro' is exactly that, just like a soundtrack at the start of a movie. 'Overture' is like a shattered mirror as most overture's are. The combination of different pieces placed in a short track, hinting at was is to follow.

To get a good idea at what the themes are on this album, read Vladimir's comments inside the album. The first epic starts running at just over 11 minutes called 'Night Comes. Dreams'. Vladimir explains the different dreams that come in life, the dreams in your sleep, the dreams of your goals in life and your intentions and strength in chasing and succeeding in such goals. The music starts out calm and 'dreamy', the use of flute and saxophones exemplify this feeling of dreams. You have surely heard the term of the 'twin guitar attack' substantiated by bands such as Wishbone Ash, this track has twin sax attack and is heaven. 'Childhood & School Days' is a reflection of Vladimir's youth. This composition highlights probably all our memories and experiences of our school days. The music captures the characteristic of youth, rebellion, delicacy, arrogance and fun.

The stand out track for me is the longest song running at 28:28 minutes named 'Dark Kingdom & The Evil King'. As Vladimir points out in his comments, this is about real events in the world and its history particularly dealing with dictators and despots. It doesn't take much thought of who Vladimir is really talking about. As the title suggests, he places this theme under the banner of the fantasy metaphor of which I think is a fantastic idea as it brings it more in line with the title of the album. With all the many different instruments and musicians used here, the second piece of this song has a strong moment of pure rock music containing creative bass playing overlapped with gorgeous guitar playing and riffing. Guitar played by the miraculous Max Velychko who deserves greater recognition than he gets. (Listen to his amazing playing on an album called 'Wizard's Eyes' by 'Inside The Sound'). Smaller tracks also intercede through the album such as 'Barocco Scherzo' and 'Insomnia'. Bringing nice quiet moments.

The different array of musicians on this album is a strength of it. The production is highest of quality making each instrument clearly recognisable and clearly heard. With the help of Sean Timms mixing the album of 'Utopia' and 'Southern Empire' fame, this album one could consider a lost treasure and should be found and displayed for the whole world to hear.

 Night Dreams & Wishes by MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE album cover Studio Album, 2019
4.15 | 211 ratings

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Night Dreams & Wishes
Modern-Rock Ensemble Neo-Prog

Review by Pedal

5 stars My diet of prog rock is usual made up from the genre's original masters, the bands which I have cherished since my 70s childhood. Those albums are still the gold standard.

As a Proghead I'm happy for the (neo) prog rock renaissance in recent times. -So many albums from new bands with skilful musicians. However, rarely do they eclipse the quality of the masters. They offer high quality of arrangements, production, mixing and instrumental mastering, but usually I find something missing.

This is, to my ears, where Night Dreams & Wishes excels. In addition to the above-mentioned qualities, it has melodies: Six themes developing through the whole suite. Beautiful melodies, which could have been transcribed and enjoyed as solo piano pieces. Clearly there is a very talented composer behind these songs.

In addition to the strong melodies, Night Dreams tics all the right prog rock boxes, as excellently outlined by the previous reviewers in this thread. Personally, I hear echoes of vintage Genesis, Camel, Vangelis, Anthony Phillips, Rick Wakeman and some King Crimson in the jazzier parts. Excellent lead guitar, with a more contemporary tone. Perhaps a touch too much of it, but it's a double album meant to be excessive, remember😊. Lead vocal is deep and rich, sometimes spoken/narrative style, with English lyrics. To top it off, there is a very thoroughly artwork, illustrating and describing the project and musicians involved. Available from Bandstand.

Night Dreams & Wishes has play time 80 minutes, same as The Wall. Issued on vinyl, it would be a Double LP. It's an ambitious work. A mouthful in need of repeated listening to digest. But the listener is well rewarded. Night Dreams & Wishes is one among a handful albums of "new" prog rock, which I award my highest ranking, alongside the classics of the genre.

 Night Dreams & Wishes by MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE album cover Studio Album, 2019
4.15 | 211 ratings

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Night Dreams & Wishes
Modern-Rock Ensemble Neo-Prog

Review by Emagical

5 stars I was really surprised to discover that this modern, top-quality progressive symphonic rock band comes from Ukraine (same if it was from any other former Soviet state). An even bigger surprise was the fact that Vladimir Gorashchenko's music is phenomenal, despite him and Modern-Rock Ensemble lacking attention from professional musicians in Ukraine. It really goes without saying, but if such work was created by a British musician, it would not be something out of the ordinary as progressive rock's origins are British. But this is Ukraine we are talking about where this genre is not as big, quite the opposite.

This is a well-thought-out album. What you get is not simply various tracks going one after the other, but a complete score which can be listened as a whole long composition. It's an epic suite about a battle between good and evil with no evident outcome. This leaves one wondering what could go next and what if, God forbid, evil wins?

One more thing. I was particularly moved by the synth tracks that used keyboards exclusively. Those, in my opinion, extract the essence of what Vladimir's music is about. Very melodic, unique and profound. Such music deserves to be a whole album in the future.

 Night Dreams & Wishes by MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE album cover Studio Album, 2019
4.15 | 211 ratings

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Night Dreams & Wishes
Modern-Rock Ensemble Neo-Prog

Review by MOKSHA

5 stars I belong to the type of music fans that is often called 'old school' that are still 'living in the past'. I have much bigger collection of vinyl LPs than CDs. Progressive bands of 70th: Yes, ELP, Genesis, King Crimson, UK, Pink Floyd, Chicago, BST, Weather Report and others are more frequent guests on my turntable. However, there are still many positive surprises when it comes to Flower Kings, Dream Theater, Spock's Beard and mostly Porcupine Tree and Steve Wilson. That is why I was really surprised with the Modern-Rock Ensemble's album 'Night Dreams & Wishes'. Irrespectively to certain reminiscences of ELP and King Crimson, the music of M-RE is absolutely authentic and fresh, full of melodies, great harmonies, emotions and deep meaning in its lyrics. Big amount of parts of the Suite totalling 39 is absolutely reasonable for me, since each part was composed to describe certain mood, create the atmosphere or a state of mind. I loved everything on the album: composition, arrangement, high individual skill of musicians, voices and design of the album ' all these elements perfectly fit each other reflecting Vladimir's vision of this fantastic Suite. My favourite pieces are 'Night Comes. Dreams', '3rd Voyage with Morpheus' and 'Baroque Scherzo'. I've read the previous reviews and maybe I will be the only one to rate the sound with 4+, since I am really spoiled by vintage analogue sound. However, for sure for me this contemporary masterpiece deserves '5'. And I'm looking forward to the new album by Vladimir with the draft name 'Eclectic Voyage'.
 Night Dreams & Wishes by MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE album cover Studio Album, 2019
4.15 | 211 ratings

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Night Dreams & Wishes
Modern-Rock Ensemble Neo-Prog

Review by Vytautas

5 stars Once I bought Touch the Mystery CD by Modern-Rock Ensemble. Being fan of King Crimson, Genesis, Yes, ELP and UK, I found it quite complicated and interesting. Received their next album Night Dreams & Wishes last year. My first impression was that it is a bit strange- long and overcomplicated. I listened to it just once and shelved it with an idea to come back to it later. However during the COVID 19 quarantine I had got time to listen to some great 'oldies' and new shelved albums. One of them was 'Night Dreams and Wishes'. This time, I had an absolutely different impression. I listened it 4 times! It appeared to be 'tasty', intriguing fresh and somehow different. Many beautiful melodies, unexpected changes of time signatures and keys, many styles and moods according to the composer's script were guiding me through the whole Suite. The most attractive for me are 'Night comes. Dreams' and 3 parts of 'Dark Kingdom and the Evil King'. I would like to mention great musicians that took part in this Epic: fantastic electric guitars (2 men), beautiful keyboards (composer himself), powerful drums (a guy from Ukraine and from Unitopia), strong basses, wonderful flutes, saxes and string quintet. Altogether it worked like a powerful prog orchestra. Additionally I would like to mention high level of production and sound ' it's not a 70th retro one, neither the overcompressed modern stuff, it's very cool and sophisticated work with Sean Timms' participation. As a resume: music, performing, arrangements and sound are very cool. Aftertaste of Gentle Giant, UK and ELP...
 Night Dreams & Wishes by MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE album cover Studio Album, 2019
4.15 | 211 ratings

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Night Dreams & Wishes
Modern-Rock Ensemble Neo-Prog

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars Modern-Rock Ensemble is the musical project of Ukrainian composer, poet, multi-instrumentalist and producer Vladimir Gorashchenko. He described this, their second album, to me as "it's a 78-minute Suite and it's dedicated to the guys like me and you, who are dreaming and are making their dreams come true." Sean Timms (Unitopia, Southern Empire, Damanek) assisted Vladimir in mixing and sound production, Brody Green (Southern Empire) played drums on a number of pieces, while well-known guitarists Enver Izmaylov and Max Velychko (Karfagen, Sunchild) were also involved. Vladimir also brought in many other Ukrainian rock and jazz musicians while also inviting strings, with the string quintet going through a transformation from chamber music to hard rock and avant-garde.

One thing I have always enjoyed from non-Western progressive rock bands is the way they often don't conform to what is expected from them, and consequently they can often be seen to being more true to the idea of pushing musical boundaries as opposed to rehashing ideas which were seen back in the Seventies. That is certainly the case with this album, as the songs can be incredibly varied one to the next, so much so that sometimes I found myself checking I was still on the same album. There are also long instrumental passages and songs, with flute sometimes at the forefront and others it is guitar, while the drums also play an important part. This is complex and complicated music which is all over the place in terms of influence yet is somehow also enjoyable, majestic and accessible the very first time it is played. It is mixing jazz and prog with eclectic styles and is all the better for it.

According to the ProgArchives charts, where anyone can rate/review, this is the #2 progressive album from Ukraine of all time, above the likes of bands I really respect such as Karfagen and Sunchild, which shows just how well this has been accepted by the prog community at large. I am known for being contrary and always making up my own mind and not following the herd, which is oh so boring, but I must confess I can see why this has been so highly rated by so many, Strong production, interesting songs with great musicianship and a knowledge we are all being taken on a musical journey. We have no idea where we are going, and certainly no clue as to the musical paths we are going to follow to get to the end, but it is going to be enjoyed all the way. I felt I was walking in a forest, the light coming through the trees, walking slightly downhill so it wasn't strenuous and coming across streams, waterfalls, deer and rabbits playing, not knowing when I would get to the edge of the woods but enjoying every minute. Well worth investigation.

 Night Dreams & Wishes by MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE album cover Studio Album, 2019
4.15 | 211 ratings

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Night Dreams & Wishes
Modern-Rock Ensemble Neo-Prog

Review by Thomas Stith

5 stars A pure conceptual masterpiece, orchestrated by multi- instrumentalist and vocalist Vladimir Gorashchenko... This brilliant ensemble of 20 + musicians and vocalists including the extraordinary voice of his daughter Tamara Gorashchenko and outstanding guitarist Max Velychko is what every true progressive Rock band should encompass! This suite of extraordinary music has a long list of instruments such as violins, cellos, fretted bass' and fretless bass, various saxophones just to name a few! This brilliant concept album begins with a beautiful intro, then blends into an overture for the first 9 minutes... Then night comes and Dreams takes us on an 11 minute journey through an incredible series of textures and emotions including a duet with Vladimir and his wonderful daughters incredible voice... Then comes a short piece of unexpected jazz which is just a dazzle of how versatile this album is about to come... Then the next piece begins with the sounds of a school playground and then takes you on a magical musical journey of jazz and rock that is both beautiful and brilliant.. then another short piece to calm you down before a 3 part 28:28 minute trip through a dark and evil nightmare entitled Dark Kingdom and the Evil King, then to Wake up, one of the most beautiful songs on the album, then the final / Outro ... Vladimir's voice is deep and dark and extremely rich, very fitting and it matches up with his daughters voice perfectly, I could only hope that she is included more on the next album! An outstanding album, highly recommended! And in my opinion this could be the best album of the 2010- 2019 decade! This album is a must for any progressive rock fan!
 Night Dreams & Wishes by MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE album cover Studio Album, 2019
4.15 | 211 ratings

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Night Dreams & Wishes
Modern-Rock Ensemble Neo-Prog

Review by Guillermo
Prog Reviewer

5 stars A month ago I searched in the web the list of concerts from one of the Classical music orchestras in the city I live. I read that some days later they were going to play Gustav Mahler's Third Symphony. I contacted in Facebook one friend who plays contra-bass in that orchestra to comment about it with him. Some minutes before the start of the concert he very kindly gave me a courtesy free ticket to attend the concert, because it was going to be difficult for me to find one ticket to buy then. This Symphony is not played very often by the Classical music orchestras around the world (due to the use of two Choirs and a Female singer, and the number of musicians used in the Orchestra), so it was an opportunity that couldn't be missed (with me attending the same venue in 1975 with my father to listen to the same orchestra play that Symphony' 44 years ago). That Symphony is almost 100 minutes in length and it is the longest Symphony in the 'current repertoire' that Classical music orchestras play around the world. Mahler is not a very accessible composer for many people around the world, but this Symphony, despite its length in minutes, is very much appreciated and it is maybe one of his most accessible works. I enjoyed the concert very much. In fact, due to the length of the work in minutes it is played alone by Orchestras in a concert date. And this Symphony also has some very elaborated musical parts that are not easy for the listener who listens to it for the fist time.

The second album from MODERN - ROCK ENSEMBLE, called 'Night Dreams and Wishes', is almost 80 minutes in length. And it was an unexpected mail delivery to my house one day, because, as I explained to the person who contacted me by Private Message in the Prog Archives Forums, I stopped visiting this website since July 2018, due to some technical problems which the website had to post some reviews since 2017 for some Prog Rock reviewers like me. So, it was an unexpected mail delivery because I didn't know that this person have sent me a PM in Prog Archives to say to me that they have sent me the CD via Air Mail. So, I opened the mail envelope and I saw this CD, with a very good cover design (with a three- fold Digipack cover, which also includes a poster with the lyrics), similar to the cover design from their first album ("Touch the Mystery" from 2016) which they sent me in early 2017. If the cover design was done with a lot of care' the music in this second album was also done with a lot of care. With a length similar to a 2- LP set from some Prog Rock conceptual albums from the seventies (for example, more or less like 'Tales from Topographic Oceans' by YES, or 'The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway' by GENESIS), the music in this 'Night Dreams and Wishes' album in general is very elaborated, but with some parts being more accessible for the listener. The general concept of the album, called a Suite, is somewhat autobiographical (if I understood it well by reading the notes in the CD cover) , and it is divided in three main themes, with all music and lyrics composed by Vladimir Gorashchenko: a) The night dreams that a person has during sleeping time; b) The childhood memories, with some of them not being very pleasant for the composer of the music and lyrics in this band (and which is more like a solo project, really, with some very good contributions from his very good musicians guest friends); and c) The enemies of all these dreams for the individual (politicians, dictators), with whom the individual has to fight to grow as a person, not matter how hard the war could be. In the end, the individual person wins to grow and to have his personal dreams and wishes become a reality. The music in the first theme of this album is very enjoyable for my taste, being very melodic and quiet in most places, but it gradually becomes heavier, darker and sometimes aggressive in the other two parts of the album, more particularly during the war the individual has to fight with the enemies. Finally, one of my favorite parts from this album is the song titled 'Wake Up', when the individual wins the fight and realizes that his dreams and wishes became true. 'Be yourself despite anything', as the cover notes say.

Maybe the album is too long in length (like 'Topographic Oceans', 'The Lamb' or Mahler's Third Symphony) to be listened to just once. One really has to listen to this album several times to find a whole musical picture. But it is a very good album, maybe a bit excessive in some parts. If their first album was more like a compilation of individual tracks, this second album really took a lot of time to be recorded (30 months, 26 participants, and six recording studios, like the poster notes say). There are some musical parts which sound like being influenced by JETHRO TULL (due to the use of some flutes). Other parts sound like being influenced by New Age Music, or by the early KING CRIMSON of the late sixties and early and mid seventies (some sax and guitar parts, even some Mellotron sounds), or even with some influences from ELP (some organ solos), or even from STEVE HACKETT (some guitar parts). Anyway, there are some very complex musical arrangements (female vocals, Church Organ sounds). It is really an album very influenced by the Prog Rock music of the seventies but using some 'modern sounds' and without losing the musical identity of the composer and the musicians of the band. In conclusion, like their first album, it is a very good album, but more elaborated.

 Night Dreams & Wishes by MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE album cover Studio Album, 2019
4.15 | 211 ratings

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Night Dreams & Wishes
Modern-Rock Ensemble Neo-Prog

Review by VianaProghead
Prog Reviewer

5 stars Review Nš 296

I'm not very comfortable to talk about the prog rock music in the European Eastern countries in general. The main exceptions are Solaris, After Crying and Omega, and more recently, Riverside, Pandora Snail, Daniel Eliseev Project (D.E.P.) and Modern-Rock Ensemble. So, it's always with some expectations when I see that any new project has born in those countries. Thus, it was with a huge curiosity when I knew that a new project was being born in Ukraine in 2015. When I was contacted asking my opinion about that new project, I never hesitated to give my opinion and review it.

As happened with the debut album of Modern-Rock Ensemble, 'Touch The Mystery' I was again contacted by Vladimir Gorashenko in May 2018, asking my opinion about his then future project, an album that would be called 'Night Dreams & Wishes'. Sincerely, I never had the opportunity and time to check it and give him my opinion. I thought the album would probably be released in Christmas time of that year, as happened with his debut. But, it seems that I was wrong. Finally, it seems that his new baby was shown to the world. So, this is now the time to review 'Night Dreams & Wishes'.

As I wrote about his debut, Modern-Rock Ensemble is a musical project of Vladimir Gorashchenko, a composer, poet, keyboardist, guitar player and producer from Ukraine, who was almost unnamed in the Ukrainian scene. About the project's name, he comments that his musical style was strongly influenced by a great heritage of art- rock, jazz-rock, cosmic rock, symphonic rock and ethnic rock which he considers as essential parts of the modern rock music. But, Modern-Rock Ensemble also means that Vladimir wants to get a more complex ensemble or orchestral type of sound.

'Night Dreams & Wishes' is a completely differerent work from 'Touch The Mystery'. 'Touch The Mystery' is an album with only four studio tracks, two symphonic lengthy tracks and two acoustic and short tracks, plus a live influenced jazz track. With 'Night Dreams & Wishes' we have a completely different musical approach. 'Night Dreams & Wishes' is a conceptual album, a true tour-de-force, a much more complex album as usually happens with almost all conceptual albums. The album consists essentially in only one suite with almost eighty minutes lengh, almost instrumental, which is divided into multi-part sections with varied lengths, which are somehow linked with each other, as it should be on all conceptual albums, usually. But, Vladimir was right. At the first listenings it isn't that obvious that the parts of the suite are related. This is difficult and it isn't easy to see. The variations are so subtle that is hard really to catch them easily.

The concept is interesting and curious. It's about our dreams and wishes, the way that Vladimir thinks we must turn them real and not through away the opportunity to make them come true. As he said, we must wake up to real life and don't complaint about the cruelty of it. He chose an interesting character, a Gladiator, to fight and defeat the injustices that we can see all over the world. This isn't an originality. Triumvirat with 'Spartacus' did the same more than forty years ago. But, this is a very dear thing to Vladimir. We have already seen that on 'What Will Happen To My Country' of 'Touch The Mystery' about his country concerns, the Ukraine. But, here he has extended this to the world. Maybe Andrew Nazarenko is right. Maybe Vladimir has been a Gladiator in his entire life. Maybe Vladimir is really a dreamer.

Musically, 'Night Dreams & Wishes' is an ambitious and lengthy piece of music that can be described as Symphonic Progressive Rock, almost on its most classic prog style. As a conceptual album, the music doesn't just exist, it exists for a clear purpose and so we must listen to it in its entire identity. So, I'm not going to talk about the individual tracks since they're somehow related. Anyway, we can feel all over the piece, different moods and a myrial of diferent sounds, some more acoustic and relaxing and others more hard and aggressive, depending on the evolution of the story of the concept. However, as many of my colleagues did, I want to detach the lengthiest suite of the album, 'Dark Kingdom & The Evil King', the real highlight of the album. This is an amazing piece with an impressive myriad of different keyboard sounds, nice flute work that brings to my memory Jethro Tull and magnificent guitar passages that, at times, remind me one the most underrated guitarists, Allan Holdsworth. This is one of the best pieces I've listened in the last past years.

Conclusion: So, despite I already knew that this new work from Vladimir Gorashchenko would be a very different and a more challenging and ambitious work, than the previous one, I must confess that I was overwhelmed by this new one. Sincerely I didn't expect a work with this dimension, both in time and quality. I think nobody makes oeuvres like this, anymore. With this work, Vladimir shows that despite be a great keyboardist and a nice acoustic guitar player, he is an amazing composer too. The man could be easily a classical composer if he wanted. This is a great symphonic tour-de-force with a big touch of jazz/fusion. This is why I'm still thinking that this project would fit better in the Eclectic Prog sub-genre. But, maybe this is only me. So, since I think this is even better than his previous work, I'll give it 5 stars too.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

 Night Dreams & Wishes by MODERN-ROCK ENSEMBLE album cover Studio Album, 2019
4.15 | 211 ratings

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Night Dreams & Wishes
Modern-Rock Ensemble Neo-Prog

Review by IconiK11

5 stars I have recently given a listen to this new album of "Modern Rock Ensemble". "Night Dreams and Wishes" is a complex, profound and diverse suite, which any other far more "greedy" composer might have split up in 3 to 5 independent albums. But Vladimir has decided to go his own way and make this epic, one of a kind suite, which, in my opinion, is an Essential masterpiece of progressive rock.

Below, let me share some of my impressions, even emotions, experienced while listening to every track of the "Night Dreams and Wishes", since every piece on this album is one of a kind and truly unique to be generalised.

Intro:

The album starts with this spacey, almost New Age piece. It is calm and soothing, but don't let it trick you: the all-surrounding sound prepares you to dive into something much more different and complex.

Ouverture:

The Ouverture starts by "keeping" the calmness of the Intro, but it quickly introduces you to more and more diverse moods you are about to encounter throughout the suite. The Ouverture is "trespassed" by complex pieces with switching time signatures; it teases you with guitar solos you hope to hear getting developed in the rest of the suite (and let me tell you that you Certainty get what you are looking for later on); it hints that there would be some dramatic, epic or sometimes even scary dreams; it also prepares you for some insomnia in between. Long story short, the goal of the Ouverture is achieved - it has introduced you to the musical variety you are about to encounter. The "curtain" opens - the show begins.

Night comes:

An acoustic guitar lures you to the upcoming dreamy adventures. The music is like a wing of the night, which covers you with its magic and sings you to sleep. What stands out for me in this piece is the above-mentioned acoustic guitar, profound and touching strings, nice vocals and, at the end, rhythmic and funky "closure".

Barocco Scherzo:

Nice polyphonic piece with cool flute and surprising ending.

Childhood & School Days:

I would call this part "a suite in a suite". It makes you time-travel from your young and carefree years to the increscent complexity of becoming a teen, making your first decisions, getting into your first fights, making first enemies and sometimes seeing your life fall apart for the first time. But then you are also reminded that there is nothing stronger, brighter nor more innocent than first love.

Insomnia:

This beautiful piece was hard to understand at first. But then I have looked at the name of it and it hit me: insomnia cannot be understood nor analysed. It is Experienced. This track brings that feeling of a hot summer night, when you are in between your dreams and reality, sometimes getting lost between the two, observing your brain creating absurd stories and, at the same time, knowing those whimsical images will bring you peace and sleep.

Dark Kingdom & The Evil King, Part 1:

I appreciate synthesisers in all of the Rise and Fall parts. This one in particular has a Medieval vibe to it, supported by Jethro Tull-like flute, epic organ and atmospheric vocals. The end of this part is balanced out by a hidden gem, a very gentle and beautiful piece I fell in love with.

Dark Kingdom & The Evil King, Part 2:

This part continues conveying the mood of doomed, dark and spooky Evil Kingdom. I love rhythm section of the piece, its guitar solos and, once again, the flute. The feeling of Evil spreading is supported by synthesisers, which add that extra layer of emotions.

Dark Kingdom & The Evil King, Part 3:

This is my favourite part of the "Rise and Fall" trilogy. It is rather pompous, which serves the purpose of showing tragedy and glory behind the world of nobles and fighters. I like the powerful vocals of the piece. Some parts are acted rather than sang, which gives that extra vision of the stage the gladiators are fighting on. This piece is dynamic and fierce. Also, Vladimir follows his already traditional approach of treating the listener with more than just one musical theme and adding something new at the end of the track. In this particular case, the piece is introducing us to a hymn, or even a prayer, which soothes out the drama experienced throughout the "Rise and Fall', which is then followed by cheerful celebration of gladiators.

Wake up:

It is a beautiful and dreamy piece with some nice vocals. It is weightless, though not simplistic at all, and it brings you the sweetest memories. This track is my favourite part of the suite.

Final/Outro:

At first, it continues to convey the mood set by "Wake up". I love oriental motives, achieved by the choice of instruments, as well as appreciate the tension created by the synths. Further in the piece beautiful piano sounds bring us to the final vocal part, which then is wrapped up by the spacey sounds we are familiar with since the Intro, thus, telling us the Dream is over.

Want some more:

This bonus track walks us through all of the emotions and events we were lucky to experience thanks to the composer of the suite. It is a dynamic and energising rock piece.

To briefly sum up, I genuinely loved this album. It was different. Different to the music there is today; different and diverse to itself; different to the previous album of MRE. And within this diversity is generous and emotional experience, granted by Vladimir Gorashchenko to his listeners.

Thanks to Roj for the artist addition. and to NotAProghead for the last updates

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