BLOOD OF THE BERRY

This is one of those albums that you'll never get tired of listening. I wish Timothy Pure would release more albums as a regular band. It all sounds in the right place with the right measure and intensity. It's clear that Floyd was a major inspiration, but at this point in time, who cares. Prog has been recycle over and over, and what I look for these days are bands that can create something original, and these guys can do it. The band manages to create the coolest atmospheres all over the place. Don't get me wrong, fans of prog rock should have this album and talk about this band. The album production is also impeccable. Well done guys !

I've been listening to prog rock for as long as I've been listening to music. I have to say that the four songs I've hear by this band, are some of the best pieces I've heard in quite some time. Go to the band's sight and get some tunes from Blood of the Berry. I promise you'll be taken by it as I've been. Good writing, playing, and super production. In a day when most music heard on the radio is crap, this will be a blessing to your ears. And don't forget to download their song here as well. Killer tune. As for this sight, Prog Archives, they have turned me on to so much great domestic as well as foreign prog. Thanks for such a cool sight!

Balancing between neo-prog and sympho-prog Timothy Pure create beautiful conceptual product. A pathetic vocal, good guitar solo. All very qualitatively and professionally. It is possible to listen over and over again with indefatigable pleasure. It is recommended to judges of progressive fate of a high level. Arrangements the collective is very similar to such stars as Riverside and Satellite. Smooth transitions between themes, alternate with sharp peaks of fate. Do not pass, the album is worthy.

This is a concept album. "A story of love and sacrifice. A lovely creature attempting to find a deep connection to the world. But this connection has a price". Overall this record is ambient, warm, spacy and atmospheric with pleasant vocals. There are a ton of lyrics on this album, so there's lots to delve into if your really into concept albums.

There is light and dark though, and it can be moody, to down right angry as in the song "Where Mercy Ends". When that song came on I remember thinking "Is this the same album ?" Even the title of this song witnesses to the despair that arises when there appears to be no one to turn to, no one to help. Other highlights for me are "The Aberration", a passionate song with beautiful guitar and piano. "Private Hedge" features lots of atmosphere and some haunting guitar after 4 1/2 minutes. "This Afterglow" opens with acoustic guitar and reminds me of PORCUPINE TREE before the male vocals come in. Female vocals take over a minute in. This might be the best song on the album.

"The Interim" is a short haunting piece with more female vocals that sing "I've fallen...i've lost myself...and i'm afraid". I really like the guitar 5 minutes in on "Without Words". "Ornament" has some beautiful piano melodies and reserved vocals. "Magdelena Hell" is one of my top three tracks. Beautiful, spacey organ to open as reserved vocals and synths come in. Acoustic guitar after 1 1/2 minutes as the sound gets fuller. The guitar soars in this one after 2 minutes. Cool atmosphere to end it. "Incineration Point" is dark and atmospheric as a heavy sound comes in. "Through The Fountain's Eye" is another standout, this is brighter, almost uplifting.

This music really pulled me in, it might be a little samey but I really like this style of music. The follow up "Island Of Misfit Toys" is even better.

"Blood Of The Berry" is the second full-length studio album by US, Georgia based progressive rock act Timothy Pure. The album was released through Isosceles Records in 1997. It´s the successor to "The Fabric of Betrayal" from 1995. "Blood Of The Berry" is a concept album dealing with love and the sacrifices you sometimes have to make to find it.

Although the material on "Blood Of The Berry" is undeniably progressive rock, this is not progressive rock which is complex in structure and you won´t find many challenging instrumental sections here either. Instead the songs are relatively regular vers/chorus structured and focus a lot on melancholic atmospheres and slowly building towards epic climaxes (although the album occasionally features longer instrumental parts, but they are atmospheric in nature rather than technically challening). So it´s dynamic music often featuring both mellow and louder (even slightly heavy at times) moments. The influences range from Pink Floyd, to Porcupine Tree, to Marillion.

The strong voice and emotional delivery of lead vocalist Matthew Still is the most dominant feature of "Blood Of The Berry", but the band skillfully backs him up with atmospheric keyboards/piano and guitars, and a well playing rhythm section. Timothy Pure are arguably a well playing unit loaded with skilled musicians. The sound production is decent but lacks the warmth, depth, and organic features to elevate the band´s music to a higher state. The drums are for example often very low in the mix and the bass is many times almost inaudible. So there is a lack of balance between the instruments in the mix.

Despite a few issues "Blood Of The Berry" is still a high quality progressive rock release and fans of the more emotional and melancholic part of the progressive rock scene may find this an interesting listen. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

This sophomore album was a definite harbinger of things to come as the next "Island of Misfit Toys" will consecrate Timothy Pure with prog excellence. The band came out of peachy Atlanta with a decent debut that had all kinds of promise plastered all over it. A few personnel changes to set the boat straight and a style is born, a strong spacey Floydian influence but thankfully without the immense showoff egos. Matthew Still is an effective keyboardist but an even better vocalist, owner of a dreamy set of pipes that amplifies the murky energy of the music and can snarl when needed. Andre Neitzel on bass does a lissome job weaving his down low notes deep into the rhythmic fabric set by drummer Chris Wallace. Guitarist Zod (yeah, I know.) does not attempt to be a guitar god (zod=god?), staying well within his tonal limitations and sealing the arrangements as a team concept and not 4 virtuosos showing off their chops. Let it be said right away, this is not the most complex material ever recorded but it has a very original style that reverberates often through the course of these tracks that flow into one another, as if one long suite. Not much change of pace either, Timothy Pure come across as jacks of one trade, relying on some superbly mysterious melodies to keep the doom moving forward. "Blood of the Berry" has some luminous moments, such as on the fantastic "Slide", the extraordinary "The Afterglow" and the lilting "Magdalena Hell", all imbued with a mystical haze that is quite attractive, even after multiple spins. There is a slight similarity with fellow American bands Singularity and Discipline, both having made some admirable recordings. While this is a good release and thoroughly enjoyable, it still lacks some fire in the belly which would catapult it into the upper reaches of excellence. The best is yet to come. 3.5 pulpous fruits.

Timothy Pure's Blood of the Berry is a well-crafted neo-prog album with a sound that has one foot to the genre's 80s glory days and one foot in the latter-day Pink Floyd sound. They don't attempt too many radical departures from what's come before, but equally they don't fuss around or waste time on unfruitful musical cul-de-sacs, producing a decent album which plays to the band's strengths but may not stand up to repeated listens unless you are keen on bands who lift a thing or two from the Floyd. Matthew Still's Floydian keyboard playing is a particular highlight of the album, as is the smooth flow of the album between tracks - in keeping with it being a concept album, there's no jarring shifts in tone from track to track, instead the emotional tone of the album being built up logically as the songs progress.

A US band from Georgia, developing through the 90's around singer/keyboardist Matthew Still and bassist/lyricist Andre Neitzel.Timothy Pure released the album ''The fabric of betrayal'' in 1995 with Randy Brown on guitar, Chet Jameson on drums and Nick Savage on vocals, but according to Neitzel this work did not represent the actual sound of the group.Two years later Neitzel and Still were joined by Zod on guitars and Chris Wallace on drums to release the sophomore effort ''Blood of the Berry'' on Isosceles Records.Part of the album seems to be re-recordings of songs from ''The fabric of betrayal''.

A very atmospheric and sensitive album, ''Blood of the Berry'' seems to draw influences from the warmer side of PINK FLOYD (circa ''Wish you were here'' and ''Dividion bell'') into a style that also has strong hints from the early-90's MARILLION sound as well as some of the pompous stylings of ALAN PARSONS' PROJECT and eventually sounding close to compatriots NEPENTHE.Containg 14 short compositions, everything seems to be very carefully structured in this album, that propably lacks obvious dynamics, but focuses on clear, smooth and atmospheric plays with alternating passages from melodic parts to more lyrical moments.The PINK FLOYD influence is evident on plenty of the mellow keyboard textures and the almost spacey guitar lines, but there are also some more upbeat moments with more powerful vocals, upfront keyboards and an energetic rhythm section.Some excellent solos with a Neo Prog-flavor are also in the menu along with more contemporary techniques like the mass of distorted vocals.Thus, Timothy Pure sound like a precursor to many bands of the 00's, like NINE STONES CLOSE or COSMOGRAF, trying to fill their sound with both old-school and recent vibes.

''Blood of the Berry'' unfortunately lacks this monster track that would make this album absolutely essential, but be sure to face a well-crafted and highly atmospheric Prog release if purchasing the album, especially if you are a fan of PINK FLOYD and/or Hogarth-era MARILLION.Recommended.