AN ENDLESS SPORADIC

The album An Endless Sporadic certainly deserves to be discussed within the "Top Prog Albums Of 2009" conversation. They have made something out of seemingly nothing: two friends who kept musically in touch via the Internet, and then got together in California to make a prog band. If it wasn't for the fact that three of their four songs from their stellar "Ameliorate" EP weren't featured on various Guitar Hero games, then this duo of guitar/keyboard virtuoso Zach Kamins and exceptional drummer Andy Gentile would be virtually unknown.

But other prog masters took notice of them: Roine Stolt (needs no introduction) and Jonas Reingold (of The Flower Kings and The Tangent). These two Swedish proggers helped contribute to the album: Stolt produced while Reingold lent his own beautiful jazzy bass talents to the album. The jazzy bass really adds to the sound. After the album was made, Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater called this album and band a "wild progressive ride". Not too shabby.

But still, the band is relatively unknown here on ProgArchives. It is ranked in the Top 25 of 2009 Albums, for God's sake! But it is totally undeserved of its spot...it should be higher.

The album plays like a single song (though it isn't): themes are repeated throughout this ENTIRELY INSTRUMENTAL SUITE. Its styles range from acoustic ("Waking Hours") to jazz without horns ("Shell", "Treading Water"), from beautifully poignant ("Eternal Bloom") to jaggedly heavy ("Point Of No Return", "The Triangular Race Through Space"), from full-blown symphonic prog ("Subliminal Effect") to unbelievable epic conclusion ("Beyond The Horizon"). This album is truly a masterpiece, and it contains the fantastic "Eternal Bloom", which features about 5 different guitar solos.

The only thing about this album is that it's too short (only 33 minutes). It leaves you begging for more. Since the band is on hiatus at the moment, hopefully the wait won't be too short.

This is a prog masterpiece.