SIA

Sixth album from Solstice (Sia is Gaelic for six) with their brand new vocalist Jess Holland, who brings his pleasant, folk-tinged tone aboard. The general sound of the band is, however, more complex and textured than that, setting a prog & fusion sonic scenary where the guitars generally take the lead with excellent taste & strength, and the violin imprints a decisive stylistic signature, fortunately avoiding the common places & cliches already established for this instrument in prog by the likes of Darryl Way and David Cross, for example.

The most properly progressive material is on the opening (Shout) and closing (A New Day) track to be found:

The first is an epic featuring prog-fusion start and great violin touches in the vein of Jean-Luc Ponty, followed by sections mainly based on angular riffs and tasty solos by the electric guitarist. The harmony and rhythmic signature are anything but obvious, providing for a pleasant prog experience.

The last begins with nice acoustic guitar strumming and builds momentum on the addition of an orchestral arrangement and beautiful violin melody. The overall sound is classically symphonic, with tons of good taste in the final electric solo. Renaissance comes to mind.

The bonus (Cheyenne) is a reworking of an early classic taken from their first album, Silent Dance, and makes a fine addition to this great album.