THE RITE OF PASSAGE

PANGAEA was formed in 1987 under the name ARTICA. Their music is heavy melodic neo-progressive / symphonic rock that sometimes is close to AOR. The songs are very beautiful, well arranged and easy-listened although they have some mood and time signature changes. The music is a mix between CAMEL, DREAM THEATER, KANSAS, MARILLION and YES. The musicians are good, and the guitarist Darrell Masingale and the keyboard player Corey Schenck are the true masters in the band. My favorite tracks are "Time Syndrome", "The Ship (That Must Come In), "The Winds (Behind The Door)", "September Park", "Beggar's Hand" and the main part of the 13-minute epic trilogy "Time Traveler", especially "Pt. II Hollow Dweller". This album is quite good although it lacks in originality and production. If you have a friend who don't like progressive rock, and you want to get him into it, this could be a good album to start with. A progressive album for the masses! PANGAEA's own company Hargadein Music Group independently distributes this album. They are nowadays signed to Angular Records where they have released their second album "Welcome To The Theatre..." (1998).

This second album by USA progrock band Pangaea was produced by Robert Berry, of GTR fame. His influence on the sound is quite obvious: modern, tight and a bit polished.

The first track Time Syndrome showcases the skills of Pangaea: beautiful, very sparkling piano play, strong and flowing guitar work and nice musical ideas. In the long trilogy The Traveller the 'neo-prog feel' is strong featuring a tight rhythmn section and slightly predictable soli. But this doesn't keep Pangaea from making interesting prog, they put a lot of variety in their compositions (strong guitar-synthesizer duet in Theme And Fuge) and great soli: a long and sensitive guitar solo in The Ship, sampled church organ in Declaration a biting guitar solo in Lonely Is A Place. After the sumptuous up-tempo song Beggar's Hand, there is a surprise: two tracks of half a minute, then nothing and finally the very alternating song Hidden Track delivering mandoline, acoustic guitar and a heavy closing section.

This is a pretty good album by a promising band, scouting the borders between early and new progrock. My rating: 3,5 stars.