5.20

Nine Skies

Neo-Prog

3.98 | 67 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Review #11 - The acoustic side of prog. Today it's going acoustic, not to say "beautifully acoustic!". But more about that later.

First of all, I look back and realize that "5.20" is again one of those albums that can already inspire from the outside. The wonderful cover art by Michael Cheval makes the anticipation of the musical content noticeably greater. But the real highlight is of course the music itself. And if you look at the cast list, you'll be amazed: a nonet. Nine musicians play as a permanent part of the formation and are additionally supported by well-known guests like Steve Hackett, John Hackett and Damian Wilson in the right places. So many musicians also create a mighty loud sound, one might think. But the best thing about Nine Skies new album is that gentle prog in perfection is offered here. Acoustic guitars, violins, cello, saxophone, piano, percussion and muted drums, among others, form the musical core of "5.20". Without a doubt, the band succeeds in making all the instruments sound within a differentiated sound. The strengths of the group lie on the one hand in the songwriting itself, which surprises in many places and above all convinces, and on the other hand in the mood, which is built up and embellished over eleven tracks. The listener is taken from the beginning into the music of "Nine Skies" garnished with warm sounds and dives little by little into deeper and deeper realms, which is quite an exceptionally beautiful prog experience, not least because of many strong melodies. It may sound strange, but that's exactly how I felt after the first listen. Really!

Nine Skies live on their third album a unique synthesis of prog, rock, pop and jazz, which is to be discovered. And there would be so much more to say. So just listen to it yourself and let your ears be spoiled by the extraordinary nonet called "Nine Skies".

Smurfreviews | 4/5 | 2021-6-25

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