IMMUNITY

Come 2013 and Machines Dream had to face the departure Keith Conway with the remaining members handling multiple instruments at the beginning of the recordings of a new album.However they eventually responded to this loss with the addition of two new members.Rob Coleman took over the lead guitar and Jake Rendell, who was helping on backing vocals during the sessions, was handled the responsibility of multiple instruments.Finally the new album ''Immunity'' came out in 2014.

Opening mini-epic ''Immunity (part one)'' is a modern prog suite along the lines of PINK FLOYD and PORCUPINE TREE, where the slow guitar lines and the hypnotic piano textures are showered by some sax parts and string sections, leading to a lyrical depth and a couple of mellow guitar solos.I do not know if this is a Mellotron used to build a bridge between the opening track and the 7-min. follower ''Battersea transcendental'', but it definitely sounds so during this second track, which is an engaging mixture of Heavy/Alternative Rock sounds with more vintage echoes.The receipt is more or less the same, even if the guitar parts are heavier and sharper, somesort of Heavy Orchestral Rock with clean vocals and a mascular atmosphere.In ''Broken Door'' the music returns in slow motion, the vocals are limited and the focus is on a powerful atmosphere, a bit reminiscent of later period PENDRAGON, with the dominant use of electric riffs and the discreet use of keyboards and flute strings.''My ocean is electric'' plays the role of the album's rocker, more fast-paced stuff with rhythmic patterns and distorted instrumental parts over Craig West's expressive vocals, featuring an angular keyboard execution by Brian Holmes.The immunity concept will close with the 15-min. second part, which is also the strongest of all compositions to my ears.The smooth piano lines are following the same atmosphere as heard in the opening piece, supported later by the nice electric tunes and the calm sax parts.What follows is a storm of dynamic drumming, mascular guitars, distorted vocals and flashy keys in a rhythmic delivery, leading to a PINK FLOYD-like salvation solo and the farewell, symphonic piano/synthesizer work of Brian Holmes.

An nice little album along the lines of MICE ON STILTS, NINE STONES CLOSE and COSMOGRAF.Atmospheric Heavy Prog with Neo Prog sensibilities and some well-placed psychedelic flavors.Warmly recommended.

Canadian band MACHINES DREAM became a band more or less by accident back in 2012, when five fellow musicians that had jammed together for some period of time suddenly found themselves discussing and creating music as well. They released their self-titled debut album the same year, and in the fall of 2014 they signed to UK label Sonic Vista Music for the release of their sophomore production "Immunity".

There are probably many talking points one could make about this band and this specific album, but for me the features that stand out is that this is a band that is navigating through many of the more accessible varieties of progressive rock. Their music appears to be made with at least some thoughts for how much it reach it may potentially have, and if by accident or design they generally stick to a generally appealing style and delivery.

The opening and ending epic length compositions are perhaps the least appealing however. Not due to the style as such, or one should perhaps say styles in this case, as both of them touch base with both neo-progressive rock and a more delicate take on a Porcupine Tree tinged expression, as well as progressive metal for the latter of them. It is more a matter of some details not quite managing to come together, at least as I experience them, what might be a too liberal use of sampled voice effects in some atmospheric interludes and a perception from me that there's just not that element present that elevates those features from the pleasantly engaging to the emotionally engaging. This is of course a subjective experience, and other listeners not quite as jaded as myself may well feel otherwise. When that is said, the most compelling sequence on the album as a whole, to my ears, was the four or so minutes long section on concluding epic Immunity (Part Two), where the bands shifts into a tight, vibrant expression closer to progressive metal. That section was at times a goosebumps-inducing experience.

The three shorter songs here impressed me a bit more as a whole. Arguably with less of the neo-progressive aspect included as well, these come across as creations with more of a foundation in a Pink Floyd meets Porcupine Tree kind of sound. Wandering elegant plucked guitar motifs alternate with more majestic sequences here, with delicate ethereal distanced guitar effects invoking something of a subtle post-rock feel as a clever details in many of the calmer passages, and occasionally shifting over to a harder edged expression that alternates between sounding like a heavier version of Pink Floyd and being in more of a Porcupine Tree kind of spirit.

All in all this is a a well made album, and one that should have a fairly broad appeal to boot. I would suspect that those with an equal affection for Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree might be something of a key audience for this band, and would recommend those recognizing themselves in such a description to give this CD a spin.