A VULGAR DISPLAY OF PROG

This is a hard album to rate. I can´t say they play my favorite kind of prog, but it would be extremely unfair it is not very good and competent. Their mix of such heterogeneous and theorically incompatible styles (synphonic prog, metal, punk and, eletronic just to mention a few) is not exactly original. However, the results are: they all work tremendously well, the initial chaotic style translating into a very harmonic and pleasant loose structure that makes sense just after a couple of spins. Some people here says their base is neo prog, but I see nothing here that reminds me of what I call neo. So forget it if you think you´ll hear anything in the vein of Marillion, IQ, Collage, Flamborough Head or any other great ones form past or present. (they might as well started that way, but this is really my first entry into this band and if that´s so, very little, if any, hint of neo is left by now)

From what I understand, they are pretty much a symphonic prog rock band. A VERY modern one, so I guess not everyone got it yet. Their musicanship and musical knowledge is astonishing. But it is really their songwriting skills and the arrangements (mixing incredibly well elements form past and present) that makes them stand out so well. Every tracks is quite a trip and nothing here is too predicable. And still we can hear lots of familiar stuff like Beatles-like mellotrons and Gensesis sounding moogs on the same tune (Compression). Their versatility is breathtaking, but they know how to keep things enjoyable, coherent and melodic despite all the twists and turns their music take on every track. My favorite track is Aesthetic Surgery but I think that the opener Boromir is a good exemple of how to write something so complicated and bold with a discernible melody line.

Production is very good and there is no fillers. All the tracks are worth hearing with atention.

Oh, and I loved the irony of the album´s title (nothing to do with Pantera´s A Vulgar Display Of Power?) .

A very interesting band that I´m really eager to hear their earlier stuff. Some more conservative progheads will probably cringe at their use of several modern clichês as part of their playing to bring something quite unique. But that´s what made prog music what it is, ins´nt it? Prog was always about breaking the rules. As it is this band is simply great and honors the tradition.

Rating: 4 strong stars, at least. Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection. Highly recommended for the true proggers!