DEAD AIR FOR RADIOS

Another belated thank you to my esteemed colleague sinkadotentree for stoking my interest and subsequent hunt for Chroma Key's alleged masterpiece. Even though I can claim to have an above average knowledge of prog, there are always artists that I have never heard, for a myriad of misconceived reasons, which shows precisely how precious a resource PA is. I am no great aficionado of Dream Theater. Not my quite my mug of cocoa! Maybe because I never cared much for Yngvie , as well as other "see how good I can play" maestros such as Stanley Clarke, Alvin Lee or Keith Emerson. The massive thumbs up from PA reviewers made the quest to eventually purchase this recording an inexorably growing impulse. In reading the comments, it was clear that the context was quite remote from the metal genre and even in its proggiest version. In fact, it is closer to John Foxx, The Legendary Pink Dots or Thomas Dolby than Symphony X, Fates Warning or Rhapsody. This made my appreciative pleasure even more exalting, because Kevin Moore has courageously "progressed" into a very personal electronic art-rock vein which is not only extremely successful but also highly worthy of the praise it has received. His keyboard work is less symphonic colorings (as with his former gig), quite clearly in a more Kraftwerkian vein with metallic "Kling Klangs", almost industrial rhythms, filtered vocals, electro-whispers , assorted samples (Yes, some are quite funny, Mouster Davie!) but enhanced with real drums, some lead guitars and real bass. The lyrical content, the somber vocal delivery, the rather gloomy overall tone all combine to make this a highly melancholic, brooding , almost dark set of electro-prog of the highest caliber. Extremely disturbing and very original psychedelic-electronic music. In my mind, this is more dream theater than Dream Theater! I guess Kevin got it right. 5 fizzling dials