IN THE LAST WAKING MOMENTS...

Within my current heavy jazz-rock phase, I still decided to go out and purchase some other symphonic and even electronic material, with the purpose of maintaining diverse levels of interest and reflection. I like a well stocked kitchen and prog should the one genre to easily be able to accommodate my various desires. Lately, the catch has been remarkable as 2011 and even the early glimpses of 2012 clearly show. Between getting the sophomore IO Earth album and a prog-folk newbie called Fauns (not Faun) that titillated my ebullient senses, I took the luscious risk of ordering a controversial debut album from Edison's Children, a collab effort between Eric Blackwood and Marillion/Transatalantic's Pete Trewavas . Some PA stalwarts have essentially voiced strong criticism while others salivate like a starving Rottweiler at the sheer scope of genius displayed here. My ultra-rebellious nature enjoys such ambivalence and potential for debate. Truth is why shouldn't I express my opinion via a review without falling into the 'praise line' and state how I perceive this recording? It's a strange piece of music that is quite obvious from the get-go, requiring multiple revisits and a routine of reevaluating the inner sonic nodes to fit the new mold. Truth is, this is a studio manufactured series of mood pieces, 2 artists sitting in their aural canvas and daubing Monet like details to the overall mosaic soundscape. Therefore, we have tracks that are unsuccessful and at times even irritating, the screeching Trewavas vocals are painful on the otherwise brutal 'Outspaced' , 'A Million Miles Away' has again Eric singing in a voice style that I particularly do not enjoy, a thin raspy voice that would have exploded the arrangement with splendor had they opted for a fabulous vocalist, male or even better, female.

There is a lot to grasp here, the opener 'Dusk' flashing a moody surrealism, pushed along by a frenetic pounding, setting a definite tone to follow, more melodic than Mariusz Duda's Lunatic Soul (yes, lazland!!!!!!) but somehow in the same vein of dreamy and catchy atmospherics. 'Fracture' is like the proper segue, a slow blooming evolution of imminent doom, actually very heavy in a foreboding way, replete with agonizing rhythm guitar bulldozers and a nasty tinge all around. This is where I start to see the light (Edison, remember?) as this is really 'Fallout of the First Kind' and it reeks of Watersian rage and fury and very correctly in my opinion, hints at Led Zep's "Kashmir" , obvious in the chorus and the dense orchestrations!

More on the winning side, the exotic cosmic deliverance of 'Fallout of the 2nd Kind', with its heavy synth and hard rock barrage is pure bliss. The vocals here work a bit like Mark Hollis of Talk Talk fame, emotive yet somehow hushed. Fantastic stuff. 'Spiraling' is a pure jewel, a scintillating slice of atmospheric wisps, the vocals Floydian and the mood voluptuous. Legend Steve Rothery delivers a sublime solo that consecrates his fame once again. 'The Other Dimension' is a somewhat demented pastiche , marked by counterpoint vocals, loopy piano, fuzzy guitar ravings, spunky bass and lewd drumming, all laced with various effects, voice and otherwise. Cool stuff!

The short and sweet 'Across the Plains' is all Pete Trewavas , a stunning electronic piece with emotive programming and synthesized sitar. The album title track 'In the Last waking Moments' is another high watermark, casting Fish's Robin Boult on grinding lead guitar and some orchestrated synths in the background. But it's the song that shudders and expands, keeping the attention on the evolution of the arrangement, gorgeous acoustic guitar chaperoning it along. Boult's second solo really sizzles nicely.

'Lifeline' returns to heavy rock mold but way more fruitfully this time , a devastating bass wields its bullying weight around (that should be no surprise) , coming across like some Hawkwind hybrid but with a weirder vocalist.

'Fallout of the 3rd Kind' is like some announcer stating' we now rejoin our regularly scheduled broadcast' as it continues on the previous megalo-maniacal screeching path to oblivion, hot and heavy, where everything works: the pummeling bass, Eric's sensational lead guitar and, I admit grudgingly, intense vocals. It's a joyride, with loads of colossal symphonics urging the eruption along.

The progressive core of this opus is the epic 15 minute 'The Awakening' , a track that seeks and succeeds in encompassing what this album is about and the likely continued collaboration between Blackwood and Trewavas that can be expected. Expansive, breathless and ethereal, the music evolves at its own leisurely pace, unshackled by demand or expectations, free to roam and conquer new sonic lands like some bygone Roman Empire army. We prog fans like the longer tracks because the urgency is more subtle and diverse than some hard ass 3 minute ditty. This is a stunner as our venerated lazland boldly but correctly stated. The final 'fallout' is the gentlest breeze ever and makes you shudder at the prospect of our future.

Certainly deeper in prog content than current Marillion, the tepid Kino or the fussy Transatlantic, there is enough here to warrant and desire a future release. Especially if the lads can swallow their pride and get Steve Hoggarth to sing on their songs (here on choir duty only) . The 70 minute long disc has about 10 minutes worth of dross but that means that there is an hour of great music and that's good enough for me. As usual, I find myself in the middle of this strenuous debate but logic persists in making the decision a positive one. But all the points are well taken. This is a grower than needs alot of affectionate dates. After all, who knows when the last waking moments will arrive? And then, all will be gone, even from any planetary memory.

4 seedy rhizomes