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Topic ClosedProg by Rocket Scientists

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Poll Question: Favourite studio release?
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avestin View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Prog by Rocket Scientists
    Posted: March 07 2009 at 00:01
Last year I bought the Looking Backward boxset, which contains their 3 albums, a dvd and a re-recording of songs from these early albums. Actually this album with the re-recording has some great and improved sound over the original take of the songs. Also, the small booklet inside has insightful comments about the songs and how they were recorded as does the DVD with its various features.
I also got their latest release, Revolution Road along with it.

They present a not-so-original (to say the least) prog-rock (and at times quite "pop-ish") but, what they do they do well and play well. I like their sound and many of their songs. Their albums are to me highly enjoyable and accessible.




Website:
http://www.myspace.com/rocketscientistsband




Here is their PA bio:

ROCKET SCIENTISTS marks the beginning of the career of the talented keyboardist Erik Norlander back in the late 80’s when with the guitarist Mark McCrite decides to form a band.

According to some critics, ROCKET SCIENTISTS are responsible of a new stage in the evolution of Neo Prog, but in my opinion they went much further and explored different sounds including Hard Rock and some Metal but their main structure is 100% Symphonic.

But before talking about the band it’s important to mention a bit of Erik Norlander, the brain behind the band, he was born in 1967 in Hollywood California, since he was a kid started to study Classical music and the Jazz, but his main influences (In his own words) were found in Prog Rock mentioning Rick Wakeman, Jon Lord, Keith Emerson, Mike Pinder and Geoff Downes, as we see the eclectic spirit of his music was present from the start.

After 3 or 4 years of founding ROCKET SCIENTISTS, the and releases their first album “Earthbound” (1993), with the assistance of Dom Schiff (Bass and Chapman Stick) and Tony Amato (Drums), who soon became part of the band but of course we can’t forget Erik’s muse and wife Lana Lane. This debut album is a bit simpler and less challenging than the rest of their production.

Their second album “Brutal Architecture” features the definitive lineup with Norlander, McCrite, Schiff and Amato, representing a leap in their career, still we can find some poppy moments but the structure and sound is pure Symphonic.

Still the band released two more albums “Earth Bellow and Sky Above” an excellent live album released in 1998 and in 199 the heavy “Oblivion” again with Lana Lane and almost two different lineups being Norlander and McCrite the only members who play in all racks.

During the early 2000’s Norlander, McCrite and Schiff dedicated more to their solo career until 2006 when they release the double album “Revolution Road” which presents a much more mature band with much more ambition, we only need to hope they won’t make us wait much more before a new release because the evolution of the band has been simply impressive.

Iván Melgar Morey - Perú



ROCKET SCIENTISTS Albums


3.00 | 3 ratings
Earthbound
1993

3.73 | 10 ratings
Brutal Architecture
1995

4.16 | 17 ratings
Oblivion Days
1999

3.72 | 11 ratings
Revolution Road
2006


ROCKET SCIENTISTS Live Albums


3.92 | 6 ratings
Earth Below and Sky Above
1998

ROCKET SCIENTISTS Boxset & Compilations


5.00 | 1 ratings
Looking Backward
2007


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avestin View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2009 at 00:32
Personally I'm divided between Earthbound (yeah, I know... but it had its charm) and Oblivion Days... though Brutal does have several very good songs (Wake Me Up, Millenium)

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2009 at 02:45
I am a big fan of Brutal Architecture , as both the tracks you mentioned as well as Nether and the vaporous Mariner keep me enchanted, Oblivion is a little "harder" , needing perhaps a revisit soon! Thanks for reminding me Assaf!
I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2009 at 02:47
been meaning to get some, just haven't yet

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2009 at 10:01
Erik Norlander is one of the best unknown prog keyboard players out there.  I have some of his solo output as well as a couple of his wife Lana Lane's albums.  Other than a few of their older songs which I have on Think Tank media compilations, Revolution Road is the only Rocket Scientists album that I have.  Those that are interested in checking him/them out should go to the Think Tank media website where they have 4 reasonably priced compilations for sale. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2009 at 14:53
Revolution Road has the best songs imo (Sky Is Falling, Dream in Red, Outside the Painted Walls, Forever Nights) but Oblivion Days is close.
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