FEATHERGUN

From the first moment I heard Scissorlips on myspace I knew I would love Rishloo. What a voice! I always think that prog singers can come across as impersonal, a little separate from the music, where passion and true emotion can play second fiddle to design or concept; but this is breathtaking. The whole band work together to create an album of wonderful vocal driven music. Here you will find a rare and truly modern prog rock/metal album, and as far as I can tell this band has everything and should be known to music lovers throughout the world. The 2 week wait for the CD to arrive in the post from America was torture, but the following 2 weeks were spent blissfully absorbing every note.

The album hits the ground running with one of the heavier tracks, it is a level of heavy which is hard to find. They are compared to Tool because of vocal similarities, but what they have most in common is a level of beauty in music with no compromise. Nothing on this album sounds laboured or like it has been put in just to finish it (Apart from the song Diamond Eyes; what happened there? Someone took a wrong turn down sickly street, although the mid section is very good) This is melodic (pretty) metal with barrels of passion, some interesting rhythms, very good musicians who never seem to show off and a modern sound which makes them quite unique in this world of prog.

Standout tracks include Downhill and Feathergun in the Garden of the Sun but to be honest you would have to have quite a cynical view of the world to really criticise most of what is on offer. The album has been financed, promoted and distributed by the band and by all rights should bring them out of the shadows to show the world that once again Seattle has produced a brilliant band. Now I'm off to buy their first two albums.