TARDIGRADE

This album is like a compilation of the complete history of traditional symphonic prog. It clearly honours the classics, most notably Yes and Trick of the Tail / Wind and Wuthering-period Genesis and occasionally ELP or GG, it also shows Neo influences mostly IQ and Wrightson- period Arena, and finally what it mostly is is post-neo symphonic in the style of Neal Morse (with or without SB), The Flower Kings, Karmakanic, Transatlantic etc.

The only critizable point is the lack of originality, but for all the rest "very good at everything though not really outstanding at anything" seems to be my constant evaluation of each aspect in this album. The compositions are all consistently strong without any moments which feel as filler, but none of them deserves the masterpiece status. All the guys play their instruments very competently but none stands out as a true virtuoso. The voice timbre of Daniel Faldt is equally not particularly special but he sings well and it works.

The sci-fi concept is good enough but I will not explain it here, you can read it in full in their website www.paradisesquare.net. The production is also good, and they use a wide palette of keyboard and guitar timbres so the sound never gets monotonous, although they constantly remind us of one or another prog fragment we have heard before. The music style is accessible but complex enough, melodic, generally energetic but they do not forget calmer moments and as a whole the album achieves a good dynamical pattern.

The two "plats de resistance" are surely the two longest tracks, the opener "Suddenly the Rain" sets things clear from the start being a great song with all what a traditional prog fan loves, and the 26 minutes suite "Brother Where You Bound" is also strong, but the shorter tracks are no less good, including the beautiful acoustic and electric guitar duet in "Moon Mountain".

A very enjoyable album in every respect although if fails to give that "wow factor" of the true masterpieces, highly recommendable to lovers of modern and yet traditional symphonic, but it may disappoint those who seek innovation and uniqueness.