KADDISFLY

Perhaps one of the originators of the 2000s post-prog sound, it's a little unfortunate that Kaddisfly disappeared before it really took off with artists like Karnivool. This album, returning after nearly a decade out, saw a pretty cool mix of the old school and new school of alt-prog fusions. There are some really interesting genre mixes here, with bursts of post- hardcore and even r&b on a couple of tracks, but at the heart of it are the same big riffs and even bigger hooks that defined alt-rock in the early 2000s.

7.2 (6th listen)

Part of my listening diary from my facebook music blog - www.facebook.com/TheExoskeletalJunction

"Summer Solstice" opens with the sounds of someone lighting a fire then the guitar and vocals come in. "Campfire" features aggressive vocals and guitar as drums pound.It settles 2 1/2 minutes in and then builds. Good song. "Waves" opens with drums as sounds echo. Reserved vocals join in and then it gets fuller. Great sound before 3 minutes followed by a disappointing section. "Harbour" is kind of spacey as sounds echo. It kicks in but settles quickly when the vocals arrive. It does pick back up as vocals continue. It's jazzy late with piano then it turns heavy. "Birds" is cool with the reserved vocals and that powerful undercurrent. Female vocal melodies late. "Clouds" kicks in right away with vocals.

"Empire" is catchy and we get some piano 3 minutes in. "Winter Solstice" is a short piece of reserved vocals, piano and light drums. "Snowflakes" is nice and heavy. It settles before a minute with vocals as contrasts continue. "Via Rail" opens with the sound of a train going by. Vocals are MUSE-like here. "Silk Road" is laid back with vocals before kicking in around a minute. "Mercury" opens with some atmosphere as drums come in then guitar and reserved vocals. It gets fuller. Good tune. Drums get a good workout on "Clockwork". Instrumentally this reminds me of the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS. "Forest" is the over 11 minute closer. It kicks in before a minute. Settles around 4 1/2 minutes. Some crazy guitar after 8 minutes.

A good album and if your into concept albums there's lots of lyrics to check out in the liner notes. This is well done but too long, and besides it's not really the style of music I like. My daughter is a fan though.