MARS HOLLOW

One of the best albums to come out in 2010

Mars Hollow is one of the very few bands that have successfully managed to show a more accessible side of classically inspired symphonic prog... nonetheless, don't expect to listen to them on regular radio...

The musicians are highly skilled and the music never gets boring! Every instrument and performer featured here is, without doubt, a highlight. But as big keyboard fan, what I enjoyed the most are Steve Mach's Keith Emerson inspired, but still original, keys (specially the organ!).

Both the instrumental and vocal sections are highly enjoyable and interesting. John Baker's voice delivers very competent and pleasant vocal work, reminiscent to Jon Anderson, Roger Hogdson and Geddy Lee (high pitched tenor) but, at the same time, it has its own particular signature. Despite of those references, Baker does a better job as guitar player and he doesn't measure up to those brilliant vocal performers.

The album kicks off with Wait for Me, a very Neo-Proggish piece with the classic prog inspiration (mainly Yes) flavored with a modern approach, this makes them somewhat reminiscent to Spock's Beard. Nonetheless, here you won't find any cloning: the music is 100% original. Highlights on this track are the rhythm section and keyboards. 4.25

Midnight is the first demonstration of the band's accessible qualities. The instrumentation is quite solid and the vocals aren't band either. 3.75

Eureka is one my favorite moments of the album, with its keyboard dominated nature it just screams Keith Emerson! But with the addition of the Mars Hollow touch we have a very interesting output. 4.5

If I Were You presents one of the best vocal performances of the album. Nice piece and an outstanding demonstration of what this group can do as a team. 4

In Your Hands is another great work, this time a bit softer and accessible but still of high quality. 4

The last two tracks are also among my favorite sections of the album. Wild Animal showcases more of the best vocals presented here and the guitar just shines + some great drumming, bass and keyboards complete the formula for a great song. 4.5

Dawn of Creation is the lengthiest track of the album and a magnificent way of closing the album. Here you can witness the full power of Mars Hollow with an amazing interplay between the musicians. 4.6

This band couldn't work so well without a solid rhythm section. And the dynamic duet of Jerry Beller (Drums) and Kerry Chicoine (Bass) is more than that! Specially during those Yes inspired bass lines!

Another thing worth mentioning is all the amazing soloing. Sometimes jazzy and others pure symphonic, they make the band shine and definitively positions them in prog territory borderline crossover and symphonic (not just sophisticated sounding mainstream rock with prog tendencies).

Total: 4.23

Here you wont find anything really innovative or groundbreaking, but recommended to fans of classic prog ala ELP and Yes who don't mind a more accessible and modern approach.

There are some minor details they have to work out (such as the vocals, which heave their brilliant moments but still need something else...) but still a great debut, and I hear that it will pale in comparison to their upcoming album... If so, we are going to be getting something close to or even a masterpiece (because if you improve this one a bit there is nothing else you could get )...

For now 4 very solid stars!

Mars Hollow's maiden outing is a pretty enjoyable album overall. I will go ahead and say that it is definitely not the most groundbreaking progressive music you will ever hear. However, it is an interesting collage of prog styles, both past and present. I hear bits of Radiohead and Dream Theater, as well as references to older groups such as GG, KC, Yes, and Genesis. All of it is sewn together with some very nice melodic pop sections in a way that will not be unfamiliar to fans of bands like A.C.T. or Spock's Beard/Neal Morse.

1) Wait For Me - 4.5 2) Midnight - 4.5 3) Eureka -4.5 4) If I Were You -4 5) In Your Hands -3 6) Wild Animal - 4.5 7) Dawn of Creation -4

Overall rating- 4.

A promising debut from some talented musicians. If they can inject some more uniqueness in subsequent works, this band will achieve great things, no doubt.

So this is the album everyone's been talking so much these days (including me). The band that was suggested 4 times over the course of 10 weeks (unusual thing here). The anticipated one.

All that you would like to hear from this (let's call it Eclectic / Symphonic / Crossover) band is here, even Beardfish like intro (first part of Wait For Me with very complex building of song structure (solid like catherdral for example, to use builder metaphore). Also Genesis like few second long parts (keyboards ones, guess which ones they are)

But honestly, vocals are quite faint. Michael is right, there should be improvement if this band reaches higher. Biography states that this band (and its sole album so far) combines Prog Rock with "melodic pop", but I failed to see/hear it here.

4(+), if somebody wants to give more, feel free to do so. I'll pass this time.

Very strong album and one of the better releases this year. From reasons unknown to me (as well), I'll reserve 5 star rating for other projects. Complex and mature debut, yeah. But not the best for me.

I heard a lot recently about this band, so I was eventually very curious about it. But I must say I am not really enthusiastic about their debut, self titled CD. Don´t get me wrong, the group is obviously very good and this is only their first, so I guess they can go very far. Their musicanship is impeccable, with a very solid instrumental parts: nice 70´s sounding keyboards, excellent guitar lines and a versatile and creative rhythm section. It is obvious that they were influenced by those classic prog bands (Rush and Kansas are the strongest sources, but there is also some Yes and even Gentle Giant bits too).

The down side are the high pitched vocals and the lyrics. John Baker is a skillful guitar player, but when he sings he tries too hard to sound like Geddy Lee, and it is very annoying most of the time (like Jon Anderson of Yes, Lee is one and only). Besides, the group does not have a Neil Peart to write real good lyrics. Still the album flows pleasantly and clearly show that these musicians have the right influences and the songwriting skills to come up with some surprising stuff in the near future. The production is top notch and there are no real highlights, nor fillers. You can enjoy the album from start to finish.

If you like melodic american prog you should not miss this one. Mars Hollow is very promising. I woud love to give them a four star rating if there were better vocals and some strong lyrics to match their powerful sound. As it is, 3,5 stars.

I've finally been able to put my finger on it. Mars Hollow is writing progressive rock film scores. They have the address of your mind's eye.

As I was listening to their self-titled debut album, I had an altogether unexpected experience; I wondered how it was that this album was affecting me in such a sensual way, drawing from me emotions not accessed of late and certainly not normally found consistently in the progressive rock music of the day wherein, for the most part, the song craft is appreciated and debated on intellectual terms and the musicianship is rated and ranked as one would, at best, the technical proficiency of an engineer or at worse a skilled laborer.

I was transported as I had been when I first listened to the English set pieces of Jethro Tull, laying back on starry nights in back fields not caring at all that the battery life was dragging out the experience as the cassette tape crawled through the "boom box", or the mystical parallel universes of Yes and the raucous, existential sideshows of ELP pouring through my big ass Koss headphones while I sat cross-legged in the basement with the album art opened on my lap.

That's when I realized that what I was listening to was a film score for my imagination, and it was at this point that "Mars Hollow" became an interactive album - and I got it. Mars Hollow makes you an accomplice to their music. They need you to complete the experience.

Vivian Sobchack, when she was Professor of Theater Arts and Film and Dean of the Arts Division at the University of California, Santa Cruz, wrote in her philosophical tour de force "Address of The Eye: A Phenomenology of Film Experience": "... what else is a film if not an expression of experience by experience?"

John Baker (guitar/lead vocals), Kerry Chicoine (bass/vocals), Jerry Beller (drums/vocals) and Steve Mach (keyboards/vocals) are all smart, experienced musicians who know the craft of writing progressive rock music, though their music is not a static construct, not a cathedral with architectural influences to be found, recognized and understood (with one's hands behind one's back) but a dynamic listening environment to be experienced and participated in. They could have gone the "easy" route - they could have written the equivalent to what novelists call "teaching books" (books with obvious themes and messages), they have the knowledge and ability to do so - but rather they chose to craft this album with love and honesty. There is not a cynical song on this album.

There is so much to marvel at here, such an abundance of riches, that it would have been easy for them to cross the line from exquisite, natural showmanship to arrogance and bravado, and in lesser hands these compositions would have indeed easily veered from being that of a world class chef to rather a lazy, self-conscious hack who would spoil the soup by throwing anything and everything into it. This is progressive music with movements that are amazingly accessible and with juxtapositions that should not work, that should be jarring, but are not; there is no feeling of segments being "cut and pasted" within songs, in fact the movements make sense in and of themselves and have integrity (no matter how short lived they are) and they are fluid, like a well edited movie. It all seems so effortless and consummately skillful that you can't help but surrender yourself.

In keeping with the theme, in film editing terms, by placing a noninflected shot "A" (a shot without embellishment, that can stand on its own accord) in immediate juxtaposition with another noninflected shot "B" you should end up with another concept altogether that is not readily apparent and is the sum of these ideas in the mind's eye. Now, this accomplishes two things: first, whenever you "see" any part of the equation again ("A" or "B") you'll immediately think of the sum "C" and whenever you "see" a representation of "C" you'll think of the parts ("A" and "B") that make up that whole. This is one of the best (though perhaps confusing, albeit) ways that I can come up with to explain what it is that Mars Hollow achieves. I am also reminded of how Alfred Hitchcock described his camera craft and how he constructed scenes - he recorded what he had created and then created through his manner of recording. So, too, do the members of Mars Hollow with their music.

It excites me to be reinvigorated once more with progressive rock music as I had been when I first heard Marillion and then, later, Spock's Beard. The sound stage of this recording is broad and beautiful with superb clarity and depth of field, while the instruments themselves are distinct and seemingly compartmentalized in playing their attendant sub-themes and lines and easily recognizable though they gel brilliantly within the tapestry of the compositions of this album. Is it obvious that I love this album?

And as for that address of the mind's eye? Mars Hollow will find you and deliver. A stunning, ground-breaking (in my mind) "debut". 4.5 out of 5 stars (not a masterpiece, but according to the criteria this should be considered an "essential" in every prog lover's collection).

Promising debut by this US band, with lots of promise and frequently aspiring to greatness.

Initially coming across as a cross between Gentle Giant and Genesis, with the instrumental parts catering for the former and the vocal passages the latter, this production evolves closer and closer towards the realms that made the latter a household name in symphonic progressive rock. In sound and expression more than in overall compositional structure, but fans of symphonic era Genesis will find much to please their tastes, including a slick namedrop of this band's debut album in the last track of this CD.

Personally I thought the final two efforts had something of an Ambrosia touch to them, and overall my impression is that this disc is something of a symphonic prog time journey, starting out in the earlier parts of the 70's and ending up around 1980 or so. These are personal impressions though, and must be regarded as that.

All in all Mars Hollow has crafted a highly promising slice of symphonic progressive rock, and one that most likely will find it's most dedicated audience amongst Genesis fans.

A very well crafted, well-recorded & engineered, collection of well-executed songs in the vein of MOTH VELLUM. As a matter of fact, they sound, to me, like a cross between MV, STYX, HAPPY THE MAN and a modern (better sound recording) STARCASTLE. In fact, they remind me a lot of STARCASTLE--nice music, well-versed in the YES and RUSH schools of music construction, but just lacking that certain je ne sais quoi. Even the best songs, "Wait for Me" and "Midnight," lack something in the way of originality, warmth and, most of all, emotion. Enticing intro to "Eureka" and, again, well-constructed and performed, it's just that something is . . . missing. Maybe it's the singer and lyrics. They're good but not great--not engaging enough. Or perhaps the vocals and lyrics are too often given too much attention. The key to JON ANDERSON's effectiveness is that his voice/singing/lyrics were constructed and mixed as if they were an integral part of the music--like another instrument; the musical complexity didn't stop or stall for him to sing. "Wait for Me" and "Midnight" seem to have this going for them. The others don't. I don't know. Repeated listenings to Mars Hollow seem to render this music more familiar and yet, at the same time, more mundane, more ordinary. Again, this album is a collection of very well-crafted, well-recorded, well-performed songs. There's just, room to grow. Still, this is one of the better albums I've encountered in 2010 (what I consider, so far, to be a pretty average year).

Four stars, almost three. Guys: More songs like "Wait for Me," please!

4.5 stars. Another outstanding release from 2010. Man this album has really impressed me. I kept thinking that the music here reminds me of those early Neal Morse-led SPOCK'S BEARD albums where the vocals are perfect and the bass is chunky and the keyboards are more prominant than the guitar.The emotion and melodies from MARS HOLLOW are in the same vein as albums like "V" and "The Light". Music for the heart my friends. Catchy with lights out playing.

"Wait For Me" is just so impressive instrumentally and when I heard the vocals for the first time I knew I was in for something special. Those vocals don't arrive until 3 minutes in and by then the band is very warmed up. Love the guitar and fuller sound after 1 1/2 minutes. When the vocals do stop after 4 1/2 minutes we get such an outstanding intrumental passage then the vocals return before 6 minutes. A great opening track. "Midnight" is one of my favs. Just a beautiful and moving track.The vocals, drums and bass really do it for me on this one but really this is just a fantastic tune. "Eureka" opens with organ and yes it's pulsating somewhat. Piano, bass and drums take over. Nice. Vocals 2 1/2 minutes in and the drums are very active. Mellotron before 5 minutes then we get a change before 6 minutes as a calm arrives.The guitar that comes in reminds me of Lifeson. Vocals are back breifly. More excellent guitar before 7 1/2 minutes, vocals follow.

"If I Were You" is a good mid-paced tune. Check out the bass after 2 minutes when the vocals stop. Cool section. Vocals are back before 3 minutes and this really is about the vocals. So uplifting. It picks up before 5 minutes with organ. Guitar after 6 minutes. How good is this ! "In Your Hands" features the organ and guitar fighting for the spotlight then it settles in. Vocals 1 1/2 minutes in and it's a different singer here.The SPOCK'S BEARD spirit is alive and well. Nice guitar 5 1/2 minutes in. "Wild Animal" is another favourite. It opens with animal sounds as gentle guitar plays over top. Piano too as the vocals join in. Great chorus here. A really good instrumental section follows. Check out the guitar before 6 minutes to the end. "Dawn Of Creation" is atmospheric until it kicks in before a minute. Vocals after 2 1/2 minutes. A killer instrumental passage after 4 1/2 minutes.Vocals a minute later. Check out the piano before 6 1/2 minutes when the vocals stop. It's heavier 7 1/2 minutes in. More great sounding guitar 9 minutes in.Vocals a minute later then it's heavy again before 11 minutes.

Another album that I will be seriously considering for my top 5 of 2010.

A lot of mainly positive reviews persuaded me to get this eponymous debut from US band Mars Hollow. Listening to it again today for this review suggests that this is a promising start by the band, but one that is unlikely to trouble the compilers for Album Of The Year 2010 award.

The opener, Wait For Me, is, rather than Crossover Prog, a slice of pure homage to symphonic prog, Yes in particular. Indeed, many of the passages could have been lifted directly from Fragile. Good, but too derivative for me. I like neo prog bands, but appreciate originality in the music rather than pure lifting of passages from classic albums.

The same accusation, by the way, could be directed at Eureka. Steve Mach is clearly a very talented keyboardist, John Baker an equally talented guitarist, and Kerry Chicone a very good bassist, but, frankly, the intro to this track is, again, Fragile light. Very easy to listen to, but I would rather that the band turned their obvious talents into redirecting away from something that is far too obviously a tribute to their heroes. Whilst bands like The Flower Kings, especially, wear their influences on their sleeves, they have managed to turn those influences into a great fusion of classic homage and a wholly original sound at the same time. Mars Hollow need to do the same thing, before they descend into anonymous oblivion.

That is not to say that this album is bad, though. It is well produced, well performed, and the vocals, in particular, mainly have a light and instantly accessible attitude. Midnight is a very pleasant piece of music. If I Were You is two minutes longer, and much in the same vein, namely AOR, and, to be honest, throwaway. The instrumental passage that closes the track, in contrast, could almost be from any classic ELP, Hammond led, album. Again, very derivative.

In Your Hands takes its influence from the other symphonic great, namely Genesis, of Foxtrot and Selling England vintage. I don't particularly like the vocals on this (I don't know enough about the band to identify who sings this track), and it is probably at least two minutes too long.

Things improve substantially with Wild Animal, an excellent track weighing in at just over seven minutes long. The vocals are superb, sung with true passion, and I love the guitar work on this as it is so delicately underplayed at commencement, together with a dark and brooding rhythm section. This is by far the most original track on the entire album, and gives us a real glimpse of how good this band potentially are. Sure, there are clear nods to others (in particular a mid section keyboard section that is most definitely Flower Kings), but, somehow, the band manage to fashion this into originality, as do all the best neo and symphonic bands, of course. The closing minute and a half then morphs into a true rocker, with a very hard and bitter edge.

The longest track on the album is the finale, Dawn Of Creation, weighing in at over twelve minutes. However, unlike a couple of the shorter pieces, this doesn't seem to drag at all, and features some interesting band instrumental interplay. The Yes influence does, though, shine through very strongly in the lyrics to this track, which most certainly could have been written by Jon Anderson, meaning, naturally, that they are open to all kinds of interpretation! There is a fantastic guitar solo included on this, leading into the closing passage of the album.

All in all, a satisfying debut, and one that promises well for the future, providing that the inventiveness shown on most of the final two tracks in particular is repeated across an entire work.

Three stars for this.

The debut self-titled album from Mars Hollow really brings nothing new or extraordinary to progressive (or any genre) music. Overall this album is average, but you may be thinking "why give it a slightly above average rating?" Well let me elaborate for you!

Musically this album fits comfortably within the realm of a rock album with progressive tinges. Aside from being buried in obscurity to anyone outside of the prog community, this album could be handed to any 70s rock fan and they would more than likely enjoy it just as much as any prog fan. The music never gets exceedingly crazy or overly progressive to the point where it would be uncomfortable to anyone not already accustomed to hearing swift changes in tuning or tempos. While the music may remain fairly consistent and seemingly simple throughout most of the album, there are parts where the real potential of this band rears its head and provides a nice surprise to prog fans. Suddenly things begin to resemble classic 70s progressive music with excellent (and audible!) bass sections that accompany improved and more energetic drumming sections. The most exciting moments on this album lie within the music when the vocals break and a solo and extended sort of jam session begins between the musicians. Granted there are songs on this album that have nice musical sections where the vocals overlap as well, but the solo/jamming sessions tease the listener with the allure and possibility of musical grandeur.

The vocals and the lyrics, again, remain nothing out of the ordinary and would please any rock fan. The vocals stay within the same pitch throughout the album with little variation. They never get very high or very low but there are nice inflections here and there and fit and change nicely with the music. The lyrics on this album are also average. I don't see them inspiring anyone or bringing light to a dark day; however, they're not silly or unbearable, but they are easy and fun to sing along with.

After all this talk of everything being average, why with the rating then? Well I'm getting there! This album may come off as deceptively simple and nothing more than background music for when you're stuck with your parents in the car; nevertheless, this album remains to be a fun listen and consistently fresh after every play. The only downside to this album that I can possibly think of is that the album plays best when listened to start to finish. When a track is played individually it seems to lose a lot of the charm that comes from hearing it being played as part of a whole. That being said, I have to say this album is somewhat of a gem in that while it comes off as mediocre initially it builds up into something else entirely.

Well, I'm not surprised about the debut new album of this intelligent line-up of veterans, with its leader Mr John Bakers (his vocalism is very interesting, being also supported by his guitar, which is well fitted into this project) and other three expert musicians, always conscious of their role; while Steve Mauk is able to re-create the atmosphere of the seventies, regarding in particular the melodic compositions by R. Wakeman and K. Emerson: anyway, even though I can't get crazy for the "Genesian" mood a-la "Trick of the Tail", here revisited and corrected, within an easier structure in comparison to the master work of the late seventies (I mean, it's more like some tunes by "Big Big Train" , a band that I don't love too much), after all I'm not disappointed...As a matter of fact it's not a derivative album, but their strong references are clearly present here (think of the track "Eureka", in the vein of the early Yes) and the variety of the themes, giving the songs all the necessary dynamics, make this work worth to be checked out! Engineered by by King Crimson associate Ronan Chris Murphy, the sound is clear and the mixing not bad as well, so such features are important in the "economy" of the band!

In fact the whole project Is not so modern, consisting of a couple of albums, but their cleverness and also the good arrangements inside, let me think of this "Mars Hollow" like an almost essential product, even though of course it's not a masterwork!!

Interesting music effort after all, where in some circumstances you could add an half star to my evaluation, in order to recognize the good job of the musicians!!

'Mars Hollow' - Mars Hollow (7/10)

As far as progressive rock goes, there are not many new bands out there that generate more than a seasonal hype. Barring established heavyweights like Porcupine Tree and The Mars Volta, there are few bands who can hope to share the same present-day attention of the classic tier. Although I was aware of hype surrounding Mars Hollow as far back as 2010 when this album was released, they were quick to come out with a second record the year following, and thus kept a steady buzz going. These Californians are seen as a different take on the 'classic' prog rock sound, in the sense that they focus more on melodies and songwriting rather than complexity. Especially at a stage when alot of modern prog rock starts to sound the same after a while, Mars Hollow's slightly different angle makes for a much more memorable experience. Although the signature 70's sound is all over this debut, the impressive performances and clever songwriting make 'Mars Hollow' a memorable experience in its own right.

Although not quite as focused as its formidable successor 'World In Front Of Me', Mars Hollow introduces the band as an upbeat, sometimes melancholic, always melodic ensemble that uses the template of sounds favoured by the classic prog rock acts to furnish their songwriting. Calling Mars Hollow a 'crossover pop' group would not be out of line, but for those who are now running to the hills in fear of the dreaded three chords; there's no need to panic. Mars Hollow are only 'poppy' in the sense that they are not afraid to focus their music around melodies, even catchy choruses. One can think of melodic vocal hooks to be the heart and soul of Mars Hollow, but the body of the music is leased to intelligent arrangements and well-balanced band instrumentation. It is practically a pre-requisite for tradtionally-based prog acts nowadays, but it should be mentioned that Mars Hollow are excellent musicians, but most importantly, they are tasteful while they're at it. As may be expected from a melodic act, Mars Hollow never let the instruments colour outside the lines. Musically speaking, Steve Mach's keyboard work appealed to me the most; he has a diverse range of moods throughout the album, be it through the use of haunting pianos, upbeat synth solos, or crunchy organ flair.

The vocals are arguably the most important part of this music, seeing as they fuel the main attraction; the melodies. John Baker leads the band for the most part, and I have a feeling that his vocals will be the most controversial aspect of this band, even moreso than their blasphemous melodic focus. Setting the record straight; Kerry is an excellent vocalist for the higher male range, with a tone to his voice that is crossbred somewhere between Jon Anderson of Yes, and Geddy Lee of Rush. His delivery rarely steers off course, and- for better and worse- like the instruments, his voice never colours outside the lines either. On that note, that may be the biggest issue I have with 'Mars Hollow'. It's readily evident to me that this is a great album, but what keeps me from calling it excellent is the fact that there a little too much restraint exercised. Although the melodic focus keeps the music from ever being boring, it sometimes feels that Mars Hollow is limiting themselves to a certain number of emotions they are allowing themselves to stir in the listener. Although some of these tracks (such as the intimate 'If I Were You') can get quite melancholic, Mars Hollow does not take me on that course of emotional highs and lows that I crave from music of this style. They would fortunately correct this with their second album by adding a dash of darkness to their sound, which made for a more fulfilling musical experience. Regardless, the debut of Mars Hollow does not disappoint. It does seem single-minded and dedicated to one approach, but at the same time, the path they take is one less walked upon in the world of progressive music. A great start for a band that has thus managed to consistently impress me.

I picked up this album a while ago, but I've been listening to it quite a bit recently as I want to reacquaint myself with the band's sound before their second album arrives from Amazon. I remember this being touted as one of the standout albums in 2010, and while there is a lot to like here, I don't totally agree with that. While this is a very impressive debut, it's still a debut and I think there are some aspects of this music that could be refined a bit. I don't mean to sound too down; it's still a good album that definitely deserves a listen.

"Wait For Me" begins the album on a frenetic note, starting off with a quirky little instrumental section that's slightly reminiscent of Yes without actually sounding too much like them. As more instruments are layered on and a very nice guitar solo comes in, the similarity to Yes fades and the music begins to take on a more modern edge. This blending of old and new sounds continues throughout the roughly three minute introduction section before vocals make a sudden entrance; so sudden in fact that it's almost jarring. The aforementioned vocals are powerful and melodic, and suit the music very well. The track switches into a slower vein about halfway through, but the great vocal melodies and keyboard work are preserved, and a couple synth solos later the track is over. Overall, "Wait For Me," is a great track that manages to show influences from classic prog bands like Yes, Genesis and Renaissance (the latter whose influence I hear especially in the keyboards), while still sounding thoroughly modern.

"Midnight," one of my favorite tracks on the album, begins with some very cool acoustic guitar work before vocals come in. "Midnight" is definitely one of the catchiest prog songs I can think of, with fantastic instrumental work throughout and a chorus that's guaranteed to get stuck in your head. It's a little more "pop" than "Wait For Me" was, to be sure, but it's still a great track and most prog fans should find plenty to enjoy.

"Eureka" begins with a keyboard-led introduction that I think sounds almost startlingly similar to parts of Triumvirat's "Illusions on a Double Dimple." When vocals enter they're typically excellent, with the range and powerful delivery of the singer continuing to impress me. There's an extended instrumental section in the middle of the track that I think maybe could have been tightened up a bit, but towards the end the track definitely picks up, with a killer guitar solo and a great reprise of the first instrumental motif to close out the track.

"If I Were You" comes next, beginning with another keyboard part. In contrast to the rather crazy part in "Eureka," however, "If I Were You" is markedly more subdued. As a matter of fact, "If I Were You," is one of the more subdued tracks overall, probably falling into the category of prog-ballad, if such a thing can be said to exist. I really enjoy the bass work on this track, though, surprisingly, I'm not a huge fan of the vocals on the track. It sounds a bit over-emotive to me and at times the vibrato is so wide it almost sounds like he's straining his voice. As is probably clear this is not my favorite song on the album, though there is an energetic instrumental section towards the end.

"In Your Hands" begins with a melodic, almost bluesy guitar line before delving into a more typically progressive rock sound, with synth taking the lead for much of the introduction. When vocals come in, it sounds like a different lead vocalist has stepped up. This song, like "Midnight" I think falls comfortably into that sort of pop/prog crossover genre, with catchy vocal melodies and more standard verse/chorus structure aided by complex instrumental parts and a much wider sonic palette than is generally found in straight pop music. I actually think that the songwriting is a bit tighter on these more accessible tracks than on, for example, "Wait For Me," which lacked a bit of cohesion, in my opinion.

"Wild Animal" is another favorite of mine, beginning with a somewhat haunting instrumental motif before what I would consider the best vocals on the album enter. This is a track, like its predecessor, that really proves that progressive rock doesn't have to be mind-bendingly technical or overly obtuse to sound great- "Wild Animal" combines pitch-perfect instrumental texturing with great vocal melodies and an absolute belter of a chorus to create music that's simultaneously powerful, accessible and musically very interesting.

"Dawn of Creation" closes out the album, beginning its 12 minute duration with some very nice ambience followed by a keyboard and guitar part that reminds me a lot of Beardfish. This opening section I think is probably one of the best moments compositionally on the album, and when vocals enter they're melodically excellent as well. Another keyboard section follows, this one also very reminiscent of Triumvirat, and as the track progresses I can also hear influences from Kansas and Renaissance. Again, I feel like there are sections that run just a bit long, but overall "Dawn of Creation" is a great track, maybe the best on the album. If anyone wanted to know how progressive rock could stay true to its influences while also presenting a fresh sound, this is probably the song I'd give to them.

So Mars Hollow's self-titled debut is a pretty solid album, though I do have some problems with it. For all the tracks I really love it seems like there's others that just don't grab me, to the point where I can hardly remember them even if I've just listened. "Midnight," "Wild Animal," and "Dawn of Creation" I would call the standouts, with the rest not doing a ton for me. This album shows a ton of potential though, especially as a debut, and I'm really looking forward to getting the band's second album because I have a sneaking suspicion it's going to be great.

3/5

Hailing from Los Angeles, US act Mars Hollow was found in 2007 after the meeting of keyboardist Steve Mauk and drummer Jerry Beller through an ad.They were joined by singer/bassist Kerry Chicone and singer/guitarist John Baker soon after, but Kerry would quit for personal reasons to be replaced by Joe August.Initially the band was named Next, August would also leave in May 2008 with Chicone being available to regain the bass duties.After a demo Next would be renamed to Mars Hollow at the fall of 2009, followed by a contract with 10T Records in early 2010.A few months later Mars Hollow's self-titled debut was a fact.

Without breaking any new grounds, Mars Hollow's debut is an album full of Classic Prog nuances as well as modern Prog flavors, always glancing to the past and transforming the sound to the present years.With links to bands like CITIZEN CAIN, CRUCIBLE, DISCIPLINE, BOLUS or PUPPET SHOW, Mars Hollow play an elaborate Progressive Rock with dynamic and rich arrangements, good instrumental parts and expressive vocals.Most of the tracks are quite long with both vintage and contemporary references, like the careful use of GENESIS- influenced organs or the beautiful piano interludes as well as the multi-layered synthesizers and the very modern-sounding vocals.Even some beats of Mellotron appear here and there and the overall sound is basically driven by the work of keyboardist Steve Mauk.But again there are still plenty of nice guitar grooves in a Power Rock style in the vein of RUSH or TILES to make the album even more dynamic.The production of the album is fantastic, delivering an attractive and very fresh sound of a Prog release with equal doses of accesibility and complexity.

Classic Prog vibes transmitted in the modern age is what Mars Hollow's proposal is all about and anyone into balanced Progressive Rock will have the chance to listen to some very good music, albeit not very personal.Recommended.

3.5 stars for sure

Mars Hollow, this fantastic little known prog act from Los Angeles - USA have 2 albums in their pocket so far, both being quite excellent. Formed around 2005, the band debut saw the light in 2010 selftitled. While the album , aswell like the second one, recived positive reviews around the world and even toured a lot in USA around that time with excellent performances , specially the ROSfest gig in 2012, Mars Hollow remaining relatively unknown in prog circles. The musicianship is top, solid from start to finish, and even the vocal parts are an important role in overall sound, the instrumental sections are really great and well performed, just to be checked pieces like Wait for Me or Dawn of Creation, tasteful keyboards, nice intelligent guitar lines, all is well done. Mars Hollow, both albums are really solid and worth investigated, for fans of Spock's Beard, Druckfarben, Heliopolis (two of the members from here will form Heliopolis some years later), Puppet Show, Every Waking Hour or Din Within. 3.5 stars