REVELATOR

This is a mostly midtempo avantish sympho prog album, with keyboards as main instrumentation, partly human, partly programmed (tracks 3, 6, 8, 9) drums and bass, different kinds of flutes, some occasional guitars (just one electric guitar solo), other instruments are even scarcer. The album features a song (Warm Tuesday) with NOT Ivan Rozmainsky as the main composer. So, technically it's a group effort, but it doesn't usually show here: keyboards rarely play supportive role, bot still more often than on previous albums. Instrumentation diversity from track to track also shows it's more of a track compilation than an album. Track by track thoughts with ratings follow.

4* Revelator 5:15

Flute and synths intro, then quirky synths and human rhythm section start. A robotic dance of lovely avant prog, this is wwhat ROZ VITALIS should have sounded like earlier, with better sounding drums! Then goes mellow slow interlude with flute, synths, soundscapes, quite for long. Abrupt change to again quirky synths, drums and bass with some flute passages, growing into the opening theme. Flute just "happens", no tension builts, also it's as robotic (!), not pastoral as in later albums.

3* Warm Tuesday 3:59

This is a 3 section composition with no lengthy transitions. It starts with acoustic guitar theme, electric guitar pinches, bass, hand drums, some keyboards on background, then abrupt change to a faster upbeat section, switch to drumkit, keyboards more to front, electric guitar present slightly more, good keyboard part in the end, then agin abrupt change to a piano section with cello joining in later, all melancholy. Although compositionally and instrumentation-wise uncommon to ROZ VITALIS these are just 3 pieces glued together.

3* Deadlock of the deceiver 4:10

Flute, sonorous bells and synths, all add to atmospheric start, then darker avantish synths at length with scarce percussion, Ivan shines here, all slow to mid tempo, more playful synths in the end, then soundscapes and solemn ending. Interesting and sounds like a leftover from previous almost solo albums.

5* Painsadist (Hit version) 3:27

This is another all time concert hit. Although the concert versions have more pronounced guitars. Here we have keyboards, human rhythm section, some electric guitar inserts, interchange between mid and fast tempo, main parts are keyboards and drums. I literally walk the ceiling every time I listen to it, it's so full of drama and intricacy and energy! Concerts usually feature a thematic animation video with climatic moments synced to music! Well, really a hit version. This track alone makes the album worthy.

3* Underfrog 7:12

This dark tune starts with gurgling (froggy) keyboards, then a slightly oriental flute kicks in, after that a sudden switch to just bass (froggy again) with occasional drums and different effects from guitar and synthesizers. Then more gurgling with keyboards and drums, tension builts with keyboards and bassoon (?, anyway, froggy again :) ), only to an abrupt change to drums and soundscapes. The motif develops to moody ethereal keyboards part, again, now even darker, but more electronic dramatic tension builts, again just to a soundscape ending, what a waste! Composition ends with trumpet psychedelic sounds on top of soundscapes. Trumpet is used much better on their "Lavore d'amore" album.

2* Midwinter tulips 2:11

This is a acoustic guitar, piano and other keyboards piece, all mellow and pleasant but nothing to write home about.

3* La combattimento spirituale 6:30

Slow solemn synthesizers start with some bass and acoustic guitar inserts, then some flutes join. After that keyboards shut down for a while to let sonorous bells play with exceptionally warm kind flute. Then same bells with quirkier synths, switching to a lengthy part of _dominating_ bass, human drums, keyboards paint over rhythm, all slow to mid, this goes for long, maintaining pressure, from less to more robotic keyboards, but no climax. Then again sonorous bells but now with church ones also. This is an early prototype of current ROZ VITALIS' psychedelic tracks like "What are you thinking about?" from "Lavore d'amore" album, but still with quite an avantish tint to it. The composition is very good but I feel most of the ideas went underdeveloped to warrant 4*. I also remember nearly falling asleep on the bass-heavy section on concert once...

3* Persecuted 10:17

This is a hugely varied piece. It's all slow, hardly mid tempo, but instrumentation constantly changes: shvi (a kind of flute), different keyboards, acoustic guitar, harpsichord start, electric guitar (with said solo), soundscapes, horn, trumpet, programmed drums, looong piano solo with both pleasantly bright and tense moments - all these team up in very different ways. I believe it takes some talent to compose such tracks, pity is I usually don't favour the slow ones. But if you are into slower tense keyboards/brass music, it's easily a 5*.

2* Silver melting 2:58

For me it's just a psychedelic filler with futuristic slow synths effects, some flutes and soundscapes.

Time-weighted score 3.15