A TEMPORARY STATE OF BLISS

From Greece, the band's sophomore album coming five years after their debut shows continued exploration of a variety of familiar instrumental progressive rock styles often using a piano- or blues-rock-based sound structures.

1. "The Stuff Of Dreams" (17:02) opening with a sound and form feeling very rooted in the classic 1970 period of Rock Progressivo Italiano, the band eventually kicks in at the end of the fourth minute with an upbeat strummed acoustic guitar motif that still harkens back to bands like LE ORME and GENESIS as well as modern bands like the late Bill Gillham's CIRRUS BAY. In the eighth minute the instrumental palette (and chord play) turns a bit more STYX-like, being flattened out in the ninth minute into a kind of extended étude of Baroque constructs. In the eleventh minute, a brief series of rather ominous power chords clear the path for a slow, steady GOBLIN-like cinematic walk down a dark alley until at 11:58 the "monster" is revealed--and it is terrifying! At 12:30 it seems that the POV pedestrian/composer has chosen a "turn and flee" option as the heavy full-band music races along with all instruments contributing to a cacophonous build of tension from which there is only a temporary resolution at the 14-minute mark followed by a tension-filled reprieve and rest period that turns into a walk, run, and continued fleeing led by some wonderfully intricate piano and electric guitar interplay over a standard driving rock rhythm track. A wonderful soundtrack to a mini-movie! (31.5/35)

2. "The Missing Part" (5:35) nice trumpet and lead electric guitar playing and arrangement over a very simplistic, plodding four-chord piano sequence. (8.66667/10)

3. "A Series Of Self-Correcting Errors" (12:03) interesting RPI-like beginning, starting with cinematic tension before launching into a fast-flying frenzy into a DAAL-like Dick Dale swing motif. The third motif, which begins in the third minute, is less frantic, more Trans-Siberian Orchestra-like, but this comes to an end in the fifth minute and is replaced by a very gentle, beautiful, dreamy passage that contains layers of beautiful melodies woven together over piano. A wonderfully emotive SANTANA-like electric guitar solo starts up in the sixth minute and carries the listener into the Mellotron-drenched eighth before the pace picks up and synths and woodwinds trade off taking the lead. Nice bass play in this motif. Electric guitar and orchestral hits play off the as the train careens over the cliff into the end abyss. (22.25/25)

4. "Impending Catastrophe" (9:12) opens like a children's song with Fender Rhodes and synths with classical guitar and synth flute taking over the lead melody in the second minute. At 1:35 the band switches vehicles from horse-drawn country coach to military truck as it takes us lumbering at higher-than-recommended speeds down some urban side streets. The truck driving seems to smooth out--perhaps hitting a more modern street--before a STYX-like synth solo in the fourth minute. Contemplative solo church organ takes over in the fifth minute, giving us a full minute to reflect before a heavy section with FRIPP-like guitar machinations takes over gradually leading us into a near-classical motif before reverting back to the heavy soundscape where the drums and synth strings arpeggi launch us into a race to exit. This motif morphs from full band to solo piano, the dextrous acoustic keyplay giving us a concerto feel for a half a minute before the rest of the "orchestra" joins in with a TRANS-SIBERIA ORCHESTRA flair. (18/20)

Total time 43:52

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of sophisticated instrumental music that often conjures up clear reminders of many of the 1970s prog and classic rock sounds and stars.