FORSAKEN INNOCENCE

Drifting Sun keyboardist/composer Pat Sanders has surrounded himself with yet another new lineup--in fact, four new members, including prog veteran John Jowitt, a bassist who gained fame from his work with the bands Jadis, IQ, Arena, Frost*, Ark, Mystery, Blind Ego, Caamora, Clive Nolan, Steve Thorne, and last year's Rain debut release, as well as veteran vocalist John Kosmidis, professionally known as "Jargon", who might be familiar to those listeners acquainted with Greek prog bands like Verbal Delirium, Ciccada, Methexis, and 2020's superb solo venture, The Fading Thought. Then there's drummer Jimmy Pallagrosi, who comes to the project by way of bands like ZIO and KSIZ, as well as stints with Karnataka and Frank Carducci, while guitarist Mathieu Spaeter also comes from KSIZ and Carducci, as well as having worked with Antony Kalugin on several recent Karfagen projects.

1. "King of the Country" (11:36) with an upbeat QUEEN/DISCIPLINE feel and sound, this fast mover finds the new band hitting on all cylinders, however, there is a weird tension between the choice of instrumentation, pace, and that leads me to ask questions like would a Yes-REO Speedwagon merger work? Does Big Big Train's music really work? Will Matthew Parmenter's solo career ever reach the heights of his Discipline output? Is a chunky Rickenbacker bass a requirement for symphonic/Neo Prog bands? The solos are impressive, as is the overall BBT-like construct and sound palette, but is anything new really being done here? Really? It's just all a little too controlled and contrived, not loose and emotion-filled. (17.25/20)

2. "Insidious" (8:08) a cool song that sounds like The Cure and Kajagoogoo teaming up in the 80s. Sadly, the song is really just basically a 4/4 time, three-chord rocker--a nice set of three chords, but still, a little too simple. I mean, come on, guys! This is prog! Still, it's pretty--especially the soft section in the middle in which Jargon sings wordless vocalise. The way he ramps up his vocal intensity over the final three minutes is good, but it just can't save this otherwise almost dull song. Then to end it with electric piano soloing like a classical musician.... (13/15)

3. "Dementium" (9:10) opens with the same classically-shaped computer generated electric piano from the previous song over which Jargon sings in a low tone over several tracks and a more folk-rock-tinged palette joins in. Once Jargon's singing range moves up an octave or two it's very good--not unlike the rich, sophisticated multi-voiced harmonies of peak era Queen--and, later, like David Bowie! Too bad the music can't match Jargon in terms of emotion. A very impressive song, vocally. Nine minutes of that same two-chord piano arpeggio is too much, however. (17.5/20)

4. "New Dawn" (6:48) opens up sounding like something straight off of a THE FLOWER KINGS album, circa 1995- 2001, but then Jargon's multi-faceted vocal performance elevates this song into a whole different echelon of artistry. This is the first song on the album in which I'm hearing what feels like a sensible, pleasing cohesiveness of all of the elements of instrumental choices to the overall sound palette. (I even like John Jowitt's Jonas Reingold-like fretless.) But, the song rather plods along without ever bursting into something special. (13.25/15)

5. "Forsaken Innocence (Part 1)" (10:51) after a rather long and protracted intro, the song establishes itself as another CURE-like bass-line with driving uptempo rhythm section. Some very nice melodies and chord progressions make it very engaging--even memorable--though they are, once again, quite familiar. For once, the band ramps it up for a crescendo of release in the ninth and tenth minutes. Nice! And the violin is a welcome addition. (18/20)

6. "Forsaken Innocence (Part 2)" (14:52) Quite a dynamic entanglement of instrumental mayhem over the opening 3:45--but it kind of works! Then piano and synth winds and acoustic guitars breathing life into a Mike Oldfield-like section (still instrumental!). At 5:22 we return to some more forceful, Trans Siberian Orchestra-like music. Impressive if a little drawn out. The next section in the seventh and eighth minutes is similar before a nice multi- organ bridge takes us back into the opening theme before a slow down at 9:10 for piano play and, later, a weave to include the synth winds and Arp synth. At 10:45 there is another shift, organs, bass, drums driving us down the highway until we slow down for another pretty, slowed-down piano-led passage over which guitars and synths join in. The weave seems to strip itself down to bare bones at the 12:50 mark but then the rest of the instruments gradually rejoin and fill the soundscape with each run through the melody theme until the piano finish. Nice. I'm surprised, though, that the band chose to devote a whole fifteen minutes to an instrumental! Still, this was, musically, the best jaunt they took me on. (27/30)

7. "Time to Go" (2:28) sounds like Roger Waters singing over an Andrew Gold piano piece. (4/5)

8. Hand on Heart (bonus track) (4:48) *

Total Time 68:41

* only on Digital & Vinyl editions

The addition of vocal powerhouse (and Matthew Parmenter sound-alike) Jargon is a definite step forward in the evolution of this Neo Prog band. And, while the compositions have also increased in complexity, there are still too many twists, turns, and hooks that are so very derivative of old prog and classic rock bands (e.g. Queen, Discipline, Alan Parsons Project, Loverboy, The Cure, The Flower Kings) as well as contemporary band Big Big Train. As a matter of fact, if one were to take out the vocals from these two groups, I think you'd find that a lot of their music sounds quite similar (as if they studied under the same masters).

B/four stars; an excellent album for any prog lover to test out for themselves.