DARK ANGEL

Porcupine Tree meets Renaissance.

I really liked their debut, Awakening, but they've really gelled on this one. I believe Rachel Cohen joined a bit late for their first one after the rest of the band had been developing most of the songs, so she hadn't fully integrated, and maybe the other band members were just getting comfortable together as well. What you get with Dark Angel is a really nice package of music and album artwork.

The metal in the music doesn't overwhelm the prog and these guys are really skilled musicians. The vocal mix, three of them, gives Pure Reason Revolution a run for their money. A fresh voice in prog that should not be missed but inexplicably is still under a lot of people's radar screens.

I'm wearing this one out. Might just be my favorite release of 2008.

Their debut album ended high in my Top 3 of 2007 so I was very keen to hear this album. Matthew warned me that this new album would become heavier than their previous well-received angel, but ".I think you'll like it..." . A few songs have already been played live; "Dark Angel" indeed a bit heavier, but still melodic and fabulous, "Breaking the 4th Wall" & "Sharp Sea" were fantastic and here and there some pounding drums and breaking guitar riffs. But even for a softy like me, highly enjoyable. You can imagine how frustrated I was when my copy got lost in the canal somewhere. So I had to grab it from their merchandise table when they played at the Borderline. If their debut album landed in the Top 3 of 2007, then this album could end in the Top 3 of this decade. yes dear readers, this is a marvellous album and I am overwhelmed.

The album: It starts directly with the up tempo beat of the title track "Dark Angel". This proggy metal essay has a slightly different touch than when it was played live. And Owain Roberts, the new guitarist lays down a fabulous solo. Indeed a dark heavy song which shows why Rachel Cohen has won several awards for her golden voice. A great way to kick off. Their trademark is the three differently styled splendid vocalists with a mix of ethereal heavy complex compositions and their twin guitars. Some will like the heavenly voice of Rachel, others are in ecstasy when they hear the raw voice of Dylan Thompson (but oh so sweet in "In the Future") and I know a lot of people who will tell you that Gareth Jones' voice is flawless and absolute brilliant. Choose whoever you want, but when they melt together, it becomes something unique, something to die for, something we call The Reasoning. . The album includes a few counterpoints and that makes it interesting and surprising. "Serenity", with the speaking voice of Matthew Cohen, is such a counterpoint. If you've the dvd, you'll notice that the song has indeed a goal. "Absolute Zero" is another one, a more mellow song with a slightly jazzy touch. But with a great depth and again those magnificient harmonies. This song has become a highlight of their live show, with great crowd participation. But most of songs are heavy or have a least a tricky metal twist. Like "Call me God? " and the killer "A Musing Dream" and I, the soft-progger in this dream theatre, I like them a lot; they're gorgeous . . Guitars all around and I think the new lad in town Owain Roberts deserves some credits for that. The rhythm section is always there to give the songs body but also a nice metallic groove. Rachel has proved she is a great essayist in fiction and expressive in her personal reflections. But the newbies Dylan and Gareth have proved that they're able to learn quickly and they have written some great lines again. Most of the music is written by the new metal glimmer twins Matthew & Dylan and Gareth co-wrote on 2 songs. A great collaboration between the band and John Mitchell (Arena, Kino, It Bites etc) who mixed the album, which has led to a consistent rocky album without a bad song on it.

This is no fledgling with a second album, this is an angel that came out of the dark and brings us some enlightenment with complex songs which Rocks on a fluid metal underlayment. A lot of people will get to know them in the near future. So watch this flight of The Reasoning and join them on their trip. 9++/10 without a doubt.

Nick from the lovely South of the Netherlands @ www.mostlypink.nl

Some great tunes on this album and I like the heavier passages especially. John Mitchell mixed this album and it sounds excellent. I wish Rachel was the only singer though, she sounds awesome.There are two male vocalists as well. I do really like the male vocals on "Call Me God ?" a lot though.

"Dark Angel" hits the ground running and it sounds fantastic. I like the background synths too. It turns crunchy quickly before settling down before 1 1/2 minutes. Acoustic guitar is followed by some gorgeous electric guitar. Rachel comes in after 2 minutes. Nice. The chorus arrives a minute later. Killer track and maybe the best one on here. "Sharp Sea" opens with the sound of waves rolling in. Synths before a minute then it kicks into gear. It settles back after 2 minutes then Rachel comes in. Male vocals support her. This one's ok, it didn't wow me though like the opening song. "How Far To Fall" is laid back to open as male vocals come in. Rachel comes and goes vocally. Nice bass in this one. "Serenity" features some tasteful guitar and spoken words.

"Call Me God ?" has a dark intro as the tempo picks up and male vocals join in. Female vocals after 1 1/2 minutes then chunky bass lines.The vocalists continue to take turns. This is a top three track for me. "In The Future" is mellow to start as reserved male vocals come in. Fat bass follows.It kicks in at 2 1/2 minutes but it's brief. Ripping guitar before 3 1/2 minutes. Tasteful guitar ends it. I like this one a lot. "Absolute Zero" is a fairly straight forward track with male vocals. Not a fan really. "Breaking The 4th Wall" opens with acoustic guitar as female and male vocals take turns then join forces on the chorus. Not a fan of this one either. It is better after 3 1/2 minutes though when it gets fuller sounding. "A Musing Dream" is mellow to start. A great sound before 1 1/2 minutes as it gets quite powerful. Male vocals 2 1/2 minutes in as the heaviness continues. It settles with strummed guitar and female vocals before it kicks back in. Male vocals return before 9 minutes.

Lots to like here, but there are several songs that don't do a lot for me. 3.5 stars.

I love debut albums that blow you away and The Reasoning's debut 'The Awakening' certainly fell into that category. The music wasn't hideously complex, but it chugged along with a great energy that was pleasant from end to end.

The problem with cracking debuts however is that often the second album is rubbish, especially when it follows close on the heals of the first release. I often think this is the record company getting it's way, and not the band devoting as much energy into the release as they did their first album. That said, The Reasoning's second release 'Dark Angel' isn't rubbish, but nor is it as solid as their first album in my opinion.

It's hard to say exactly what it is that doesn't quite stack up. Most of the songs are pretty good, some such as 'Sharp Sea' are exceptional, but on a whole it just doesn't hold the same interest as their debut and feels somewhat rushed to me. I really feel they haven't used the 3 vocalists to full effect on this album also, often opting for solo spots rather than harmonising together.

There's two or three ballads amongst the often crunching guitars not really present on their first album; Serenity is a little gem while Breaking the 4th Wall is woeful and really tarnishes the album for me. Bring back the chugging bass riffs from the first album I say.

Fans of the first album should like this album - if there was a 3.5 star rating, I would have used it. Those new to the band, grab their debut, one of the best releases of the year.

Delightful sophmore realease from this outstanding group. Their debut CD was good, but this one is quite superior, showing a greater maturity and songwriting skill. I´m just sorry that excellent singer Rachel Jones does not sing more, but the other two guys do an excellent vocal job too. Each one has a very distinctive voice and still they manage to come up with some great harmonies. The instrumental parts are also good, with some fine dual guitar work, brilliant bass, good drums and tasteful keyboards.

My only complaint about this CD is the fact that I found it to be a little short for my taste. You´ll find yourself keep longing for more every time it is over (actually at 49 minutes it is so good it actually sounds shorter than it really is). The first track have some heavy guitar riffing, but most of the time the sound is softer, with excellent instrumental and vocal arrangements all over. With no fillers and an excellent production job, it is hard to point some highlight but songs like Sharp Sea, Breaking The 4th Wall and How Far To Fall are brilliant crossover prog anthems that will please anyone who likes good, melodic and elaborated music. Four stars.

After a promising debut The Reasoning's second album Dark Angel shows the band really finding their feet with a more satisfying and consistent piece of work. The arrival of Rachel Cohen when 2007's Awakening was well on the way to completion meant she didn't feature too much on that album. Now firmly entrenched in the band her presence goes a long way to improving the bands sound with her lovely melancholic tones.

Complex musical structures is not what The Reasoning are about. Classic rock plays as big a part as prog influences in their sound. Solid musical structures from a powerful rhythm section with heavy, sometimes veering into metal territory guitar riffs and keyboards with an ear on strong melodies is what you can expect. That's not to say the songs lack dynamics as they colour the music with plenty of use of light and shade moments too. They also have the benefit of 3 members of the band who can sing giving them the opportunity to make good use of harmony vocals.

There's no big epics here, most songs are around the five minute mark though they do stretch out occasionally with A Musing Dream being the longest at just over 9 minutes. One of the finest moments comes in Call Me God? with a driving riff and an instantly accessible hook. A mid song (largely) instrumental break works well and slows things down with a pleasing acoustic guitar solo.

There's some mellower moments like Breaking The 4th Wall and In The Future buts it's on the more dynamic slightly longer pieces where they're at their best, the title track and Sharp Sea making a great 1 - 2 opener fall into this category. Equally good is the already mentioned A Musing Dream with its eastern vibe.

Apparently The Reasoning intend on releasing 2 albums in 2010. On the strength of Dark Angel I'll be very interested to hear them.

A great disappointment after the potential promised by their previous release, 2007's excellent "Awakening." The band has taken a harsher, more metallic course with their music, leaving behind the vocal and layered weaves that shew in glimmers and glimpses on "Awakening." I hope the band turns around and goes the more complex, pastoral path that drew me into parts of their earlier songs, instead of the harsher "walls of sound" approach here that seems to keep me outside.

Acceptable songs: 2. "Sharp Sea" (7:34) (8/10); "Call Me God?" (6:09) (7.5/10); 3. "How Far to Fall" (4:22) (7.5/10); 9. "A Musing Dream" (9:13) (7/10); 5. "In the Future" (5:06) (7/10)

2.5 stars rated up for the recommendation that you listen and make your own judgment.

The Resoning is one of the popular bands coming from UK in last years, with 3 studio albums rleased so far. This is their second album from 2008 named Dark Angel and issued on small label Comet Music. The band was formed in 2005 by the bass player Matthew Cohen after he left another british band named Magenta. Well, what I found here gave me mix feelings, I don't really enjoy much this kind of prog, is not neo , is not prog metal, is something in between with some gothic touch here and there added. This type of prog, crossover prog, quite very much in places reminds me of Porcupine Tree but with almost prog metal elements added, with duo female/male vocal arrangements not do a lot for me, but I can appreciate that this is a good album with pleasent moments in places. Rachel's voice is ok, she can sing ok, but something is missing in her tone of voice, sometimes is so cold, but in same time I like a lot the male parts, like the ending track, the longest tune of the album named A musing dream, I like the tone of the voice. Another good piece is Sharp Sea has some good keybords and solid rhytmic section, the rest is just ok. So, I will give 3 stars, no more no less, an ok album to me , but far from being something special, there are better albums and more intristing in this scene that desearve attention, than this Dark Angel.

The Reasoning's essential formula is basically sound - take a dark and gothy interpretation of Porcupine Tree's heavy prog sound and add the vocals of Rachel Cohen to give things a little Renaissance touch - but I feel the execution on Dark Angel, whilst diverting enough, could be better. In particular, they have a bad tendency to drag songs out for too long after their ideas have worn out their welcome - Call Me God?, in particular, gets downright tedious towards the end, particularly with its repetitive and deeply irritating refrain. It's a fun album but I don't think I'll be holding onto it personally.

In 2008 The Reasoning return with a second album titled ''Dark angel''.This marks the end of Lee Wright's stint with the band and the beginning of a new era, featuring new guitarist Owain Roberts.As with the previous one Mathhew Cohen had also the production duties, while Arena's John Mitchell was responsible for the final mix.This was released as well on the band's Comet label.

With a very Metal-like front cover and title, ''Dark angel'' meets the standards of the heavier side of Prog Rock, sneaking in the metal territory quite often.And all these modern Britrish Prog groups had something in common: The excellent value on production and the mood for bombastic and epic arrangements with many orchestral parts and grandiose musicianship.The Reasoning's sound did not differ much.With a gifted female vocalist like Rachel Jones-Cohen and an accomplished core of instrumentalists, ''Dark angel'' comes as a welcome entry in the genre, based on heavy riffing, frenetic synthesizers and beautiful piano lines, setting a variety of tempos in display and delivering enoyable, well-crafted musicianship with some Neo Prog overtones.The guitar work is particularly excellent, a bunch of monster riffs and some notable soloing with a discreet emotional flavor do make a more than attractive contrast.The second part of the album contains also a couple of more laid-back pieces, which are more than great.Vocal melodies and arrangements are just beautiful, soft guitars and ethereal piano lines create imaginery soundscapes and Rachel Jones-Cohen recalls her days with KARNATAKA, when she performed a less punchy and more dreamy style.Very good cuts.

An improvement over an otherwise solid debut.''Dark angel'' will satisfy a spectrum of prog fans, including those into Prog Metal and Neo Prog.Cohesive music with energetic, passionate and atmospheric compositions.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.

In 2007 the six-piece UK formation The Reasoning released their debut-album entitled Awakening, to me it still sounds as very pleasant and accessible modern progressive rock, and with a tasteful colouring by the guitar and keyboards. My highlight is the long and compelling final composition featuring guest musician Steve Rothery on guitar (like he did for French Arrakeen). He delivers his trademark of the early Marillion years, a moving solo with howling runs. Meanwhile The Reasoning has released five studio-albums (their latest is Adventures In Neverland from 2012), one live album and two DVD's. This review is about their second effort entitled Dark Angel, from 2008.

The sound on Dark Angel is in the vein of the debut CD Awakening, but more dynamic and varied. The alternating first track Dark Angel sounds very exciting: fat and propulsive guitar riffs with bombastic keyboards, a mellow climate with twanging acoustic guitar, soaring keyboards and sensitive electric guitar, and a spectacular final part with bombastic keyboards, vocal harmonies and a fiery guitar solo.

It's a very convincing start of an excellent album with nine elaborate compositions that deliver lots of pleasant moments and interesting musical ideas.

Strong and varied guitar work (including use of volume pedal) in Sharp Sea.

A synthesizer ' and acoustic guitar solo in Call Me God?

Fiery and howling guitar runs in the compelling In The Future.

A strongly build-up in Breaking The 4th Wall featuring wonderful interplay between warm piano and fiery electric guitar.

And fluent shifting moods in the excellent final composition A Musing Dream. The one moment compelling with powerful guitar and flashy synthesizer flights. Or dreamy with acoustic rhythm guitar, piano and duo-vocals. The other moment an exciting bombastic conclusion featuring synthesizer runs, harmonica and howling guitar, goose bumps!

A special element in The Reasoning is again the attention for the omnipresent vocals, from female and male to duo- vocals, this gives a very accessible touch to the music and reminds me of bands like Magenta and Mostly Autumn.

I am sure many progheads will be delighted about this melodic and accessible modern progrock album. It contains very strong guitarwork, tasteful keyboards, pleasant vocals and a good balance between dreamy and bombastic climates. A big hand for The Reasoning.