REALMS OF ETERNITY

What a pleasant surprise this album was. I did enjoy the debut but I felt it could have been better, well "Realms Of Eternity" is what I call A LOT better. Carl Baldassarre the lead guitarist and vocalist wrote all the lyrics, and considering his personal faith there is a strong Christian flavour to the lyrics. This album is the whole package though, i've just enjoyed it immensly this past week.

"Darkfield" features guest vocalsist Mark Boals who sings on 3 other tracks as well. I love this song. It's about temptation and brings in the Garden of Eden (Paradise). This is just so well done. Some guest cello in the intro and chunky bass a minute in. Yearning vocals follow. Check out the guitar 3 1/2 minutes in and the mournful synths that remind me of RUSH. Speaking of RUSH i'm reminded of Lifeson as the guitar comes in at 5 minutes. Nice bass 6 1/2 minutes in. I like the drumming late as well. Fantastic tune. Dark and melancholic. "Vanitas" is SYZYGY putting on an instrumental show early. It turns classical then kicks in around 3 minutes. Great sound right here ! Check out the drum work. "Dreams" opens with synths,piano and lazy guitar melodies. Kind of spacey actually before it kicks in around a minute. This is nice and heavy. Vocals 2 minutes in as it settles. A GENTLE GIANT vibe here. It's fuller on the chorus. Love the mournful guitar after 7 minutes. Vocals are back late. "Echoes Remain" features these beautiful acoustic guitar melodies as reserved vocals and cello join in. Lots of flute in this one as well. A mellow tune. "Dialectic" is laid back with synths early. Vocals follow and the sound gets fuller. It settles after 3 1/2 minutes as contrasts continue. Raw guitar 5 1/2 minutes in as it kicks in heavier. Nice bass and organ. I like the guitar 9 minutes in too. It turns jazzy. Great sound after 11 1/2 minutes with synths. Chunky bass 13 1/2 minutes in then it turns mellow, almost spacey with strummed acoustic guitar and vocals that sing over and over "Like seasons are inclined. We need change to help us find. How old becomes anew. And it's all because of you".

"Arranmore Isle" is pastoral with acoustic guitar melodies and theremin. "Overture" is a SPOCK'S BEARD-like tune. This is fun with the organ,fat bass and the guitar making lots of noise. Yes the drumming is incredible. "The Sea" opens with piano as a full sound comes and goes. Vocals too. Samples late. "The Mourning Song" features these strummed acoustic guitar melodies as percussion joins in then synths. Reserved vocals follow. I like it. "Variations Part 1" and "Variations Part 2" are both highlights instrumentally and the vocal arrangements recall GENTLE GIANT on part 1. Both songs are a blast with the growly bass, pounding drums and prominant keyboards. "Reflections" opens with strummed acoustic guitar as drums then vocals join in. Kind of sad yet uplifting. It blends into "Finale" where it gets fuller. Check out the bass ! Guitar comes ripping in as the drums pound it out. I like when the synths come in around a minute.The guitar solo is just a beauty as it goes on and on. It ends with the vocals passionately singing "I wonder if the tale is true. Cross the sea where i'll find you. Smiles a-waiting on the shore. Loved ones joyful evermore".

Easily 4 stars and highly recommended.

Into the outer realms...

...of good music. Realms of Eternity is certainly a progression for Syzygy, unfortunately for me, they have progressed in the wrong direction. I don't know if the genre teams had inside knowledge when they put this band in Crossover prog (before the release of this album), but damn, did they ever hit it out of the park. Perhaps more eclectic than most crossover prog (my knowledge of crossover prog is limited at best), but there is plenty of poppy moments all over this disc. Which, for me, is a real shame. I have been a fan of the band since their debut, and eventually found their previous Witsend CD, both of which are excellent slices of prog-rock (in the sense of the progressive rock definition of art rock). In my opinion, they have rarely treaded in the crossover prog territory before this disc.

There are a couple of changes here that lower the rating on this album. First, is the overuse of lyrics. Before they were a mostly instrumental band that used vocals quite effectively. (Also, the lyrics here are very...spiritual. Not that that's a problem for me, however there are some portions of this album that put the focus on the lyrics and thus its only fair to mention.) I have never really found the lyrics to be all that great between the previous efforts (not to say they were bad...because they weren't...they just didn't shine). Secondly, and most importantly, is the addition of Mark Boals on vocals. I don't know where they found this guy, but to my ears he is as generic as they come. He sounds like you could place him in any 80s/early 90s rock band and he would fit right in with little difficulty. The vocals on the previously outings were so unique and, to a degree, naive sounding which really gave them a charm and made them stand out in a crowd, so to speak. (I assume the vocalist in question would be Carl Baldassarre...whose voice I obviously enjoy.) Bolas' vocals do not suit this music at all, and probably add an extra flavor of pop sensibility to the music (not to mention increase the feeling of commonplaceness).

Having gotten that out of the way, this disc is not a total failure. The first five songs are (almost) all classic Syzygy, containing excellent melodies and instrumental passages. The three longer songs (Darkfield, Dreams, Dialectic) are all varied and flow together well. Echoes Remain is the obligatory acoustic piece, with the regular singer in place, thankfully. While nice, its a bit too long, but does offer a nice contrast to the rest of that "side" of the album. Special mention must go to Dreams, which is my favorite song on the disc. The vocals of Bolas (finally!) meld wonderfully with the music and the backing vocals. (My guess is the reason I like this track so much is that his vocals are only a part, and thus not dominating the song, and must work together with everyone else's, rather than stand out against the rest of the song.) Then comes...The Sea. For me, this is the CD takes a nosedive. This is much more streamlined and ordinary sounding than the rest of the album, losing the special sound that only Syzygy create. It starts off well, with the gentle and acoustic Arranmore Isle. Overture is interesting as well, ramping up the rock quotient of progressive rock, with some nice organ. After this, the album goes awry with The Sea and The Morning Song (which is kind of soothing and pleasant in its own special way...if you catch my drift...). Variation (Parts I & II) offers some nice instrumental relief, but unfortunately lead into Reflections and Finale, which doesn't end on a good note. Here, more than anywhere else, the music seems to serve the lyrics, instead of the lyrics serving the music. Which is really the biggest failing of The Sea, and more importantly Realms Of Eternity.

All in all, this is a lopsided album. When its good, its really good, but when its bad, its really bad (at least by progressive rock standards). Hopefully Syzygy will continue on without Bolas and focus more on the instrumental side of their music, which they are excellent at. The band seems to have good chops and can really write a good symphonic/eclectic prog song. (As an aside I do hope this album will grow on me, and perhaps one day I'll revise the rating I will give this album.) Until then however, I will give this three stars as I would not say this is any better than good. If you are a fan of crossover prog, Neal Morse (or other Christian prog bands...if they exist), or hard/alternative rock you will probably find more here to enjoy than I did.

Syzygy is a US based outfit with a history going back to the early 90's, at first known as Witsend. They issued one album under the latter moniker in 1993, but prior to their second production The Allegory of Light in 2003 they changed to their current band name. Realms of Eternity is their third effort, and was issued in 2009.

I'm not yet familiar with their first two efforts, but as the band has been kind enough to provide me with reviewers copies of these as well it will be interesting to see what they have offered previously. For this third installment in their discography progressive rock of the symphonic variety is that's served though, and a pretty vintage one at that.

Long, epic compositions dominate this effort. Three of the first five compositions on this album stretch beyond the 10 minute mark, while the last 8 tracks are in fact one creation clocking in at close to 30 minutes in length. This gives the band ample opportunity to explore long, instrumental passages, and like many well known acts of yesteryear they do this in a pretty non-repetetive manner. Many themes are explored, and the band opts to either alter and evolve or move between the various segments rather than to thoroughly explore a specific passage and then leave it behind for good.

Guitars in various guises, keyboards and organ are the main and dominating instruments used, with multi-layered harmonic passages the stylistic exploration of choise. Dissonances, disharmonies and other elements from jazz and experimental music are only utilized on select occasions, Syzygy have their feet firmly placed in the classical-tinged variety of symphonic rock on this venture.

Fans of Genesis will find many resemblances in sound spread throughout this album, as far as I can tell that is the dominating musical influence for this act. They don't limit themselves to that sound, as we're also served both instrumental and vocal passages with distinct Gentle Giant tinged mannerisms. Fans of Yes and early King Crimson should also discover familiar sounding elements without much trouble, and we're also treated to a few constructions that makes a nod or three in the direction of the folk-influenced part of Jethro Tull's back catalogue.

A merry mix of vintage sounding progressive rock in other words, with clear and distinct influences easily caught. And to Syzygy's credit they rarely venture forth into replicating territories either. With a stylistic expression as heavily explored as this one brief moments where they sound exactly like another outfit are pretty much unavoidable, but I get the impression that the band has worked pretty hard to achieve as few such moments as possible.

Overall a strong effort from this US act, and one that should appeal strongly to fans of mid 70's progressive rock of the symphonic variety. I suspect many of those will regard this production as a strong candidate for album of the year 2009. Personally I won't subscribe to that notion, but it is a high quality release from start to finish; and a strong effort overall.

Highly recommended, in particular to fans of Gabriel era Genesis.

It's weird, but I hear Scorpions here (in guitars and voice), but far more progressive. It's my first experience with Syzygy and I have to say that I'm quite happy about it. Very refreshing and inspiring, makes me imagine things all the time. Very long album and this time, it's well worth of it. Well, except first track Darkfield, which is very, very repetitive, using the same pattern (Oh hell, I just hear Scorpion's Alien Nation here). Others are fine. This and few more bad symptoms that makes me feel little bit uncomfortable, but in general, it's OK album.

4(-), almost 3 star, but I hope it will be better in future.

The roots of Syzygy can be found in Eighties cover band Abraxas which featured guitarist/lead vocalist Carl Baldassarre, keyboardist Sam Giunta and bassist Al Rolik. After the group disbanded, Carl and Sam kept working together and with the addition of drummer Paul Mihacevich they recorded their debut 'Cosmos And Chaos' in 1993 under the name of Witsend. A period of writing and raising families resulted in a hiatus but they returned as Syzygy with the critically acclaimed 'The Allegory Of Light' which featured Al as a guest musician, released in 2003. All of the vocals has been handled by the band themselves up to this point, but for the new album they felt that they needed someone else to take them to the next level and after a long search brought in Mark Boals (Ted Nugent, Yngwie Malmsteen, Uli Jon Roth, Erik Norlander etc).

Now, bringing in a heavyweight singer such as Mark means that may reviewers (myself included) would expect great things of this album even before it made it to the player. Now, I was possibly expecting even more things as I have been lucky enough to hear their earlier works so I was extremely keen to know what they had been doing in the intervening years.

Well, to say that I wasn't disappointed was something of an understatement. Musically the band aren't afraid to go back to some classic prog bands such as Gentle Giant, Yes and UK while also bringing in the AOR musicality of Styx and Journey, throwing in some more recent references such as Spock's Beard and letting the pot just swirl and mix together as it feels. This is an album that is incredibly complex, but the sheer musicality and melody means that the listener doesn't get overwhelmed by everything. Note density? Check. Keyboard/guitar interplay? Check. Abrupt changes of musical direction? Check. Strong complex palette of keyboard sounds? Check. Great vocals and harmonies? Check. Incredible album that I want to play repeatedly? Check and triple check.

This is an awesome album, every time I play it I hear something new that just takes my breath away. Play the 10 minutes plus "Dreams" and you will see what I mean ? just brilliant. If you go to their site they have a special offer on all three albums ? you owe it to your ears. www.syzygymusic.com

Imagine having an equalizer that allows you to adjust the amount of influence, style, or sound of a set list of prog bands and create a new band sound. Let's say you were to set Glass Hammer to 7 (out of 10, not 11), Dream Theater to 1, Wobbler to 1.5, Anima Mundi to 0.5, Cairo to 3, and well, a couple of other bands could be set in there two and the appropriate adjustments made. You might very well end up with something that sounds like Syzygy's "Realms of Eternity".

Modern day prog music is a funny fish. In the 70's, everyone was busy coming up with their own thing. In the 80's, the old guard were trying to reinvent themselves while the young ones who grew up with 70's prog tried to make it work in the new music scene, giving us neo-prog and progressive metal. But after grunge had its moment in the limelight in the 90's, progressive rock made a miraculous recovery. The new bands of the day could take their influences from the 70's and the more interesting developments of the 80's and begin making a new style of progressive rock. Now nearly 20 years have passed since prog's back-to-being-respectable revival and in the recent years it seems to be sitting quite confidently in its rightful throne. It's very common for reviewers to cite prog influences of the 70's in music even as recent as this year; however, in my opinion, the 70's are no more obvious here than in shadows and traces. Listening to this album reminded me much more of prog music of the last two decades than the first decade. Thus I mentioned the groups above (though I was reminded once or twice of Jethro Tull and Dixie Dregs).

But this is one exciting album! Before the first track had finished I was already thinking of my review. By the time the album was over I was already thinking of playing again on my way home from work. There are prog albums that you know are going to be good once you have a chance to get into them. And then there's an album like this where right off the bat you know it is going to get played a lot. I had to pay a hefty penny for this as an import in Japan but it was worth every yen, and it hasn't left my ear buds since!

So, what's so freaking spectacular about this album? This is exactly what I expect a prog rock album to sound like. Let's go over my checklist.

Guitars: acoustic strumming and picking, clean electric, distorted heavy guitar, gentle effects and quick runs and bursts, varied time signatures and tempo, odd pacing, jazz and classical influences. Check.

Keyboards: piano, synthesizer, moog, organ, delicate, funky, spacey, atmospheric, rockin' - it's all there. Add guitar/keyboard interplay and you're there. Check.

Bass: a chunky low end that holds it's own and even sets the riff, a low end that stops and turns on a dime. Check.

Drums: anything is possible from rapid fire bursts and fills to odd beats to creative percussion to slow gentle steady rhythms. Check.

Strong vocals: I don't expect good vocals from every prog band (Lord knows there are some great musicians out there who can't hold a note vocally) but this guy, Mark Boals, who sings as a guest vocalist on four tracks has the right mix of edge and melody. He is a true singer. A funny thing, I was listening to "Darkfield" and thinking, "Who is this guy? I know this voice but from where?" The second time through I was at last able to place him - vocalist on Uli Jon Roth's "Under a Dark Sky". I didn't find him too impressive on that album and actually thought he sounded too generic as a hard rock vocalist. But I think he sounds better here (though I was reminded of Uli's album in the heavier parts of this album) and perhaps suits the music and style of this album more than he does Uli's album which is so heavy in theme and music (symphony and choir with rock band). Syzygy add harmony vocals and beautiful harmony choruses (one part reminds me of Cross but you'd be more likely to say Yes) and so you can check all that too.

Eclectic music: rich synthesizer sounds, hard rock and metal guitar, acoustic pieces with strings and flute, weird twists and turns and stops and starts, jazzy sections, funky sections, spacey sections, AOR rock sections, folk, classical - it's all here. Check

Mini epics and a suite: two songs are over 10 minutes, one is over 16 minutes, and "The Sea" forms a suite of 8 movements or parts or sections, whatever you want to call them. These eight parts are divided into separate tracks but follow the theme of the suite and despite their diversity (acoustic guitar with flute to almost progressive metal) everything seems to have its rightful place. Nothing comes across as added just to show that they are capable of playing it. Check.

Instrumentals: Lovely short acoustic ones and rollicking crazy bombastic ones. Check.

Complex music: Check.

Syzygy have simply put it all together into one incredible album. When someone asks me what progressive rock is I always think about what is a good album to lend them as a definitive example, and that might be classic Yes or Genesis, or recent stuff by Wobbler or Galahad. This album sums it up very well, I think. It's amazing that this is only the group's third album between 1993 and 2009, but then again it seems like the time in between is where they learn their chops and get it all together to make a killer album. At just over 77 minutes I would normally say that it's too long, but dividing the album into a set of individual tracks and a suite seems to justify the length. The album is never boring or repetitive. It's just so darn well done through and through. I can't find fault here. And I read that Steve Hackett and Patrick Moraz both gave this album their highest praise.

'Realms of Eternity' - Syzygy (73/100)

To their credit, Syzygy are one of the few progressive bands I've heard that reinvent themselves each time a new album comes about. That they release a new album averaging every eight years probably doesn't hurt that fact; with the three albums that we have so far from Syzygy (including the debut they wrote under the Witsend moniker) paint an impressive sense of progress. Cosmos and Chaos had a certain charm to its Genesis-inspired meanderings, but felt light on substance. When their lives permitted, Syzygy's second album emerged a decade later; The Allegory of Light was an incredibly different animal than the debut. It featured well-rounded contributions from each of the three Syzygians, and offered as much instrumental complexity as could be fit on a traditional prog album; the effect was generally more impressive than that of its predecessor, but new problems emerged in the music. Most importantly, it felt like the band had contracted a moderate case of Transatlantic syndrome- that is, technical bravado and overbearing prog cliches coming at the cost of an emotionally empowered listening experience.

With Syzygy's third outing Realms of Eternity dropping a mere six years later, it's once again clear that the band have done some soul-searching. Though it's not as bold of a leap as the one they took between Cosmos and Chaos and The Allegory of Light, Syzygy have finally given their style a much-desired sense of balance. Between melody and instrumental fireworks, the intimate and ambitious, Realms of Eternity is the first album in the band's career together that sounds like they know not only where they want to go, but how to get there.

The importance of Syzygy's fleshed-out roster to the album's success cannot be overstated. The introduction of Mark Boals (listed here as a guest vocalist, although he's obviously so much more than that) has finally given Syzygy the confident voice their music deserved. While Carl Baldassarre's sparing vocal performances weren't bad in the past (he offers a great vocal performance of his own on the mellowed acoustic "Echoes Remain"), his plain delivery wasn't well-suited to the bombastic lengths the renewed Syzygy were reaching for. Mark Boals' induction not only frees Baldassarre to concentrate on the guitar, it's opened up a swath of musical possibilities for the band as a whole. It was clear on The Allegory of Light that Syzygy wanted to write songs with a heavy vocal presence, but without a full-time singer they shyed away from it (that possibly explains why the album was so heavy on the instrumental pyrotechnics). Boals is everything Syzygy could have wanted out of a vocalist. He's got a resolve in his performance that could stand toe-to-toe with some of the great vocalists in progressive and heavy metal, and knows exactly when to tone down his delivery. Realms of Eternity also sees the entry of bassist Al Rolik, and while a full-time bassist isn't as much of a boon to Syzygy's music as the new vocalist, I noticed a confident aggression in his playing here, closely reminiscent of the ballsy presence Chris Squire had on the best Yes albums.

The longstanding core of Syzygy aren't any worse off for the change either. While the more melodic and palatable approach doesn't give Baldassarre or keyboardist Sam Giunta as much space to explicitly strut their skills as they had on The Allegory of Light, there are still more than enough Dream Theater-type instrumental breaks for the band to explore ideas at greater leisure. Again from the past album, Paul Mihacevich's drumwork is a testament to his expertise with dynamics. Not only do these guys have decades of experience between each of them, they have decades of experience playing together, as a trio. With the chemistry and partial telepathy that arises from working together for such a long time, I imagine it was that much easier for Rolik and Boals to join in on the fun.

Including a better-than-ever mix and production, Syzygy's execution is the best it's ever been with Realms of Eternity, and they put themselves head and shoulders above most other contenders in traditional progressive circles. My feelings are more mixed towards the songwriting and composition on the album. Realms of Eternity sounds as enthusiastic as Witsend did with Cosmos and Chaos, but they're not as used to working with vocals as with their proggy instrumentals. Some tracks- like "Echoes Remain", the excellent "Dialectic" and parts of the half-hour epic "The Sea"- are really successful with the vocal integration. "Dialectic" in particular is one of the best tunes Syzygy have ever done, better than "M.O.T.H." off of The Allegory of Light and maybe even better than Voyager from the debut. With other parts, I'm less impressed with the way Syzygy incorporated Boals. The worst offender is undoubtedly "Dreams", which has an AOR "fist-pumping" chorus that feels lame and awkward, especially given its otherwise cerebral surroundings.

Even though Realms of Eternity has been improved most with the new vocalist, it's unsurprising that Syzygy's best strength lies in their instrumental interplay. Like the best of Spock's Beard or Beardfish (how many beard-related prog bands are out there, I wonder?), Syzygy have a nostalgic, throwback flair to their proggy explorations that is pleasantly refreshed with the energy they put into it. Take "Darkfield" or "Dialectic"; the way Syzygy incorporate these extended prog passages isn't particularly innovative (they usually function in the songwriting as extended bridges, often following a chorus) but the energy they pour into these parts makes them exciting even to a seasoned prog veteran.

Of the most importance to Realms of Eternity is obviously "The Sea", a mammoth that roughly eats up the last third of the album's disc space. While Syzygy hinted at tracks being linked with The Allegory of Light, the sense of a 'suite' didn't extend much past the CD booklet. With "The Sea", we're looking at Syzygy's first full-blown epic, one that's received a fair bit of acclaim in the years since its release. Undoubtedly, "The Sea" is home to Syzygy's best melodic integration; it's driven by motifs and themes, some of which closely recall earlier parts of the album. Even if it doesn't feel like a standalone epic so much as a particularly idea-heavy chunk of the album, "The Sea" is one of the band's best achievements to date. The overture balances out introduction of themes with playful solos. Throughout the dynamic shifts and bright melodies, Syzygy keep me reminded of Spock's Beard in the way they merge prog traditions with accessible hooks. "The Sea" is largely a joy to hear, with the two "Variations" exercising the limits of the band's intensity. Given how impressed I am with "The Sea", it's all the more disappointing that its "Finale" ends with such a default reprise and bombast. Slowing down the central melodic idea and adding gospel(?) ad- libbing in the background may have conceivably worked, but on the coattails of some of Syzygy's most technically accomplished instrumentation, I'm consistently underwhelmed with the way they capped the epic. With each album, Syzygy have impressed upon me the fact that they are potentially excellent composers, but the way they structure and arrange their most challenging work tends to feel mechanical.

In spite of the obvious leaps Syzygy have made here, I have enough issues with Realms of Eternity (some of them fresh with this album) to hold me back from really loving it, certainly enough for me to disagree with the 'Album of the Year 2009' buzz it triggered some years back when the record was new. Yet, having listened to Syzygy's albums in their chronological order, I can't help but be impressed by how far they have come as musicians and a band. Especially considering that traditional/'throwback' progressive rock usually repulses me this side of the new millennium, that they've effectively livened up the style is a feat unto itself. In a way, each of the three Syzygy records could be seen as debut albums; Realms of Eternity doubly so. If this may be seen as a promise of even better things to come from Syzygy in the future, I hope we won't have to wait a decade to hear their next step. If recent interviews ring true and the band are indeed in the midst of fresh material, that wait will be over before we know it.