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WORLD IS ROUND

Believe

Neo-Prog


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Believe World Is Round album cover
3.47 | 96 ratings | 11 reviews | 16% 5 stars

Good, but non-essential

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Studio Album, released in 2011

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. World Is Round - Part 1 (0:34)
2. No Time Inside (5:16)
3. World Is Round - Part 2 (4:27)
4. Cut Me Paste Me (2:48)
5. Lay Down Forever (5:52)
6. Bored (4:20)
7. So Well (4:46)
8. Guru (4:54)
9. New Hands (5:58)
10. Poor King Of Sun/Return (9:55)

Total Time: 48:50

Bonus track on 2010 digipak edition:
11. TBC (3:37) - hidden track

Line-up / Musicians

- Karol Wróblewski / vocals
- Mirek Gil / guitars
- Konrad Wantrych / keyboards
- Satomi / violin
- Przemysław Zawadzki / bass
- Vlodi Tafel / drums
- Tomek Osiecki / dilruba, sitar

Releases information

Artwork: Slav Haratym (photo)

CD Metal Mind Productions ‎- MMP CD 0682 (2010, Poland)
CD Metal Mind Productions ‎- MMP CD 0683 DG (2010, Poland) With a bonus track

Thanks to rivertree for the addition
and to Quinino for the last updates
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BELIEVE World Is Round ratings distribution


3.47
(96 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(16%)
16%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(43%)
43%
Good, but non-essential (27%)
27%
Collectors/fans only (12%)
12%
Poor. Only for completionists (2%)
2%

BELIEVE World Is Round reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Rivertree
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator / Band Submissions
4 stars Mirek Gil and the other BELIEVE members are certainly obsessed with mesmerizing melodies. Since 2006 they have refined this trademark, over the course of four studio albums in the meanwhile. And with 'World Is Round' they basically remain faithful to their principles and have recorded a fine album once more. In order to offer contrasting moments some songs are also provided with a rather heavy attitude, mainly caused by Mirek Gil's guitar riffs and solo excursions. I would point out Guru and Cut Me Paste Me here where Karol Wróblewski proves that his voice is a big affair, not only silky exclusively.

When I started to examine this album with intense I detected some things which annoyed me - but this almost dissolved in the meanwhile. No Time Inside for example features a stomping rhythm, the drum playing is minimalistic, very effective anyhow - everything is focussed on the main melody and vocals, violin, keyboards and even guitar are used with caution here. At first I was irritated - but it works fine in the end! Now speaking of charming moments the title track deserves the pole position - keyboard strings and a celestial violin are backing. Although intensively flirting with mainstream pop this is a really nice song!

Most of the tracks appear in a prog outfit though. Showing a more sophisticated arrangement I would count Lay Down Forever and Bored as really typical for the whole Believe/Satellite/Collage family. Furthermore with New Hands you won't miss an exemplary ballad featuring acoustic guitar, piano, marching drums ... plus wonderful organ and mellotron add-on towards the end. The album's last song is even knocking at the ten minute door - decorated with an oriental flavour based on violin and sitar - starting somewhat innocent but evolving to a top-notch neo prog classic just as the complete band starts to intervene.

'World Is Round' is full of heart-wrenching melodies and catchy arrangements, sometimes even drifiting into popular territories - not a problem though because this occurs not all the way through. As for that Dreaming Tree's effort Progress Has No Patience comes into my mind when thinking of something comparable. Definitely an album to which I will come back again from time to time - NOTED!

Review by progpositivity
PROG REVIEWER
2 stars If Believe's goal on their 2010 release "World is Round" was to create a pleasantly listenable "middle of the road" album that still manages to meet the minimum qualifications required for an album to be considered "progressive rock", they succeeded magnificently!

On the "plus" side, Karol Wróblewski's vocals are well performed and the album is well produced. But I cannot shake the feeling that these songs make a better impression taken "one at a time" rather than "one after another" in succession. Everything leading up to the finale was certainly "nice enough" and somewhat "progressive" kind of... sort of...

Introductory sitar on the final track, "World is Round", provided welcome respite from the sonic sameness and an emotionally inspired violin solo performance closed out the album in fine form. In the end, however, it was "too little to late" as I was left pondering where this creativity and depth of emotion had been during the previous 9 tracks.

"World is Round" can be characterized as relaxed pop-rock with a melancholy vibe and violin added to the arrangements. It is not objectionable. It is not poorly executed. But neither is it particularly compelling or memorable.

Too bad we can't award "half-stars". This one deserves 2.5 at least. Perhaps it will grow on me with repeated listens. If so, I'll be sure to round upward. If you love this CD, feel free to send me a message telling me about its sublte virtues. But for now, despite its strengths, I just can't seem to award it a 3rd star.

Review by Easy Livin
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
4 stars CD is round (CD is superb)

Just over a year after the superb "This bread is mine", Believe return with this their fourth studio album. The line up which recorded "Bread.." remains intact, but is enhanced by the addition of keyboard player Konrad Wantrych. The band's configuration is altered slightly too, with vocalist Karol Wroblewski contributing lyrics for the first time.

The title of the album may imply a rather obvious theme, but the circles described herein are multifaceted, encompassing such areas as the life circle and the adage what goes around, comes around.

Musically, those who were entranced by the band's highly melodic previous albums will find "World is round" to be a highly satisfying sequel. Listening to songs such as the second of the two title tracks, it is easy to be drawn in superficially, and assume this to be a prog-lite affair. To do so though is to completely overlook the majestic subtleties of both the compositions and the arrangements. Perhaps it is Wroblewski's unusually trained sounding (for prog) vocals which contribute to the misconception, but listen to the following "Cut me, paste me", and a much harder, almost metallic, edge becomes apparent.

Once again the contribution on violin of Satomi offers some magnificent additional colours, her status in the mix varying between overt solos and atmospheric backgrounds. Konrad Wantrych comes to the fore on tracks like "Bored", where he adds some fine piano. Guitarist Mirek Gil's presence on the other hand is more understated than usual, with surprisingly little in the way of lead guitar solos. Such solos are not completely absent though, with "So well" in particular featuring some of Gil's finest work to date. At times there is a Marillion feel to the music here, with "New hands" sounding particularly Hogarth-esque.

Most of the tracks here are relatively short, with only the closing two part piece "Poor King of the sun/Return" extending to 10 minutes. This piece sets out rather differently to its peers, primarily due to the Kashmir atmosphere of the violin and sitar duet. As we move into more orthodox prog territories, Gil's lead guitar combines with Karol's vocals and Satomi's violin in a final push for the ultimate melody, carried all the while by keyboards which subtly draw us towards the captivating conclusion.

If I have a criticism, it is the brevity of the album, particularity the standard release. While admiring the band's policy of not padding things out for the sake of it, perhaps some of the tracks could have been developed further, or a couple more songs recorded. In all though, this is another excellent addition to the discography of this highly gifted group.

With thanks to Metal Mind Productions for the pre-release review copy. The album is released in January 2011.

Review by lazland
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars Given the pedigree of this band, in particular the excellent Collage and Satellite, I was anticipating great things from this, my first new purchase of 2011. As it is, what we have here is an interesting collection of (mainly) short tracks, veering very close to crossover rather than neo territory, that are catchy and well performed without being standout.

No Time Inside, as a good example, is a track which could have benefited from more imaginative use of the violin on offer from Satomi, but instead strays close to dreariness, never once bursting out of its self imposed shell. In contrast, World Is Round (Part Two - the first part is a short instrumental) is far more interesting, certainly in terms of its more upbeat manner which does remind one quite strongly of the material Marillion were recording at the time of This Strange Engine.

We get a slice of prog metal with the very short Cut Me, Paste Me, featuring the now, I suppose, obligatory growling vocals which, to these ears, grate more than pleasure. Again, it is well performed, but really does nothing whatsoever to grab the listener's attention. With So Well, we get folk rock/pop, very pleasant in its execution but feeling somehow out of place. Therein, I feel, lies the problem with this album. There is nothing at all wrong with diversification of sounds and influences on a single work, but this one feels rather like a band not really being able to decide just who and what they are. That said, though, the piano solo in this track is brilliant. At the bottom end of the scale, Guru is a mess of a track, featuring more grating vocal effects and aimless direction.

Quibbles aside there are highlights on this album, and the first track which I would rate highly as one which will be listened to for some time is Lay Down Forever, a marvellously layered piece of music which creates a suspenseful buildup to an intense second half. Mirek Gil's main lead solo is excellent and dark, whilst the dark and heavy backing by the remainder of the band is memorable.

I really like Bored, which is a simple pop/rock track that is effective in its simplicity. Another track that shines in its simple arrangements is New Hands, probably a little too commercial for many tastes, but to these ears an uplifting and really positive track in contrast to a lot of the other fare on offer. In addition, the longest track on the album, and the one that comes closest to what we would describe as traditional prog, Poor King Of Sun Return, is a very enjoyable track, full of contrasting and interesting melodies, and the sort of territory I would like to band to explore more fully on future releases.

It would, in my opinion, be over stepping the mark a great deal by rating this as an excellent addition to any prog rock collection. It is, by and large, a good album, but one thing is absolutely sure. There will be many better releases over the course of the next eleven months.

Three stars.

Review by kenethlevine
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog-Folk Team
4 stars Mirek Gil has more or less established a signature sound through his MR GIL and BELIEVE repertoire. While "This Bread is Mine" was a disappointment, his resurrection of Mr Gil in the form of last year's "Skellig" carried the torch for melodic, even hook laden rock built around Mirek's expressive guitars. Of course, with BELIEVE, we also get Satomi's vivacious violin, and the artistic success of every disk by this band seems somewhat dependent on how wisely her skills are deployed.

While this time around the results are better, and more in line with what we got on the masterful "Yesterday is a Friend", I do wish that BELIEVE would get the metal and heavy bluesy rock out of their system once and for all - "Cut me Paste me" and "No Time Inside" are not even good examples of these styles respectively, and plenty of other bands do it better. In the latter especially, the violin is so pummeled by the dreary incessant beat that it cannot hope to tame the base animal within "Guru" is perhaps the worst of the lot for all the aforementioned reasons, and its faux South Asian aspirations. If the group wants to go dark and sinister, they have shown they can meet the challenge without fomenting histrionics or headaches - just look to "Lay Down Forever", in which vocalist Karol finally comes into his own in the style reminiscent of the group's spottily brilliant debut.

Several tunes here are up with the best of the group's output to date. But be forewarned this is not traditional neo prog, even by the standards set within the branches of this Polish family tree. The instrumental breaks are far more concise and the songs have generally defined verses and choruses, yet this is miles from the charts in intent and delivery. "So Well" employs a sensuous percussive backing, dancing fiddles, acoustic guitar, and tasteful backing vocals around a sumptuous tune. "Bored" is more upbeat but still possessing a folksy charm partly due to Satomi. But Gil steals the show towards the end with a trademark shivery solo - he is truly one of the few modern guitarists whose musical demeanor evokes the violin, which perhaps explains his infatuation with all things Satomi. "New Hands" is another sparkling ballad in which Konrad Wantrych's keys glisten. You know where it's going but it's the journey. If you want to introduce prog to a skeptic popster, try this at home. The title cuts, including a secret track at the end, are almost as good for the same reasons. For more die-hard progressive fans, go for "Poor King of Sun/Return", 10 minutes that evoke an exotic flavor not heard since the band's debut, righting every wrong committed by "Guru" , and more. What is so appealing about "Believe" is how familiar, almost nostalgic, they sound, yet how distinctive and hard to categorize they are. These ingredients are the stuff of fan loyalty.

"World is Round" isn't consistent like the best this group has done, but, with program and skip functions at the ready, you can render it down to 8 good and mostly better songs, so I am going to do a world of good and "round" up.

Review by Windhawk
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars Polish outfit BELIEVE was formed back in 2005, put together by veteran composer and guitarist Mirek Gil. It has been rather active since then, with a live album and a DVD in its back catalogue in addition to a total of four studio albums, of which "World Is Round" from 2011 is the most recent. As with the band's former two studio efforts, this CD was issued by the progressive rock and metal specialist label Metal Mind Productions.

Believe's fourth studio chapter "World Is Round" is a production that should cater quite nicely to the tastes of those looking for art rock of a mainstream-oriented nature, with strong melodies and dominating, high quality lead vocals as the most essential features. Symphonic backdrops and violin details does flavor the proceedings nicely, but not in a manner I think would inspire those with an interest in capital P progressive rock. Neo fans and those with a taste for sophisticated rock with an emphasis on distinct melodies would appear to be a key audience for this disc, and I would think most of those defining their core musical interests in such a manner should find it to be a satisfying experience.

Review by Warthur
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars It's a shame that, having crafted such a unique and wonderful sound on Yesterday Is a Friend, Believe didn't choose to develop it, instead reverting to the unoriginal and - to me, at least - unsatisfying middle of the road melodic rock sound presented on World Is Round. Occasionally peppered with a little Mellotron in order to tick the "prog" checkbox, the album is reasonably well performed but the compositions lack any distinctive flavour and the special character of the band seems to have been almost entirely lost. It's a shame, because there were few groups doing anything as distinctive as what Believe did on Yesterday is a Friend but all too many playing the sort of material here.
Review by Tarcisio Moura
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars After the relative disappointment that was The Bread is Mine I kind of lost interest in Believe. And my curiosity was only spurred when I read so many glowing reviews about their 2017 release, Six Widows. After checking that CD and founding a neo prog masterpiece, I was keen to go back and listen to the previous two they had produced in 2011 and 2013. Although it was clear that 2013´s The Warmest Sun In Winter was already in the Six Widows direction, but lacking Satomi´s violin on most of the tracks, World Is Round is more subtle, but still shows the sound that the band would create so successfully a little later.

At first I did not enjoy the album very much, it reminded me too much in the style of The Bread is Mine, but like another reviewer here said, after a few spins you start to get it: the music is very good, deceptively simplistic and full of details. It is a step forward into the right direction, with better songwriting and more personality. Ok, there are a couple of tracks that some passages spoil the overall effect, falling in the traps of their recent past like the heavy/grunge traits of Cut Me paste Me and Guru, but most of the time the flowing is good and the new tunes are superior than the previous effort. The last track, Poor Sun King/ Return is an almost 10 minute suite that starts with indian sounds, complete with sitar, and develops into a great build up with several changes climaxing with a fine melody played by Satomi and ending with a gentle piano. Great prog stuff, even if not exactly bombastic. The ballad New Hands is another highlight, featuring singer Karol Wróblewsk´flute, exquisite violin lines and subtle keys. It shows more clearly the direction the band would go from then on.

With a good production, more personality and stronger cuts, World Is Round may not be exactly Believe´s best CD, but it is still a fine work and well worth checking out (specially if you liked its follow ups). It may take a little while to get it, but once you do, you´ll be rewarded with some real fine, melodic symphonic prog where they prove the motto less is more is really a valid statement.

Rating: something between 3,5 and 4 stars. Even with a couple of missteps this CD is still above mere very good. Recommended.

Latest members reviews

4 stars In my opinion this is the best album the band put out so far. The lyrics, atmosphere and overall musicianship is outstanding. The band really embraces the concept of 'less is more'. You can tell that the musicians are really good and tight, but they in favor of the song. The compositions a ... (read more)

Report this review (#1131234) | Posted by Kingsnake | Thursday, February 13, 2014 | Review Permanlink

2 stars Unlike our esteemed Collaborators, I found this 4th undertaking by Believe to be their poorest effort to date; and a declining progression from their first album. I get the feeling that Believe are cashing in on "All Things Polish." It feels rushed and Walmarted. I waited on the edge of my seat t ... (read more)

Report this review (#418832) | Posted by merid1en | Sunday, March 20, 2011 | Review Permanlink

5 stars Repeated listens to this newest effort from Believe lead me to conclude that after the disappointing debut effort from Karol Wroblewski on "This Bread is Mine", Believe has clearly rebounded in outstanding fashion. For my money this is the best of their four studio releases to date. The song w ... (read more)

Report this review (#380795) | Posted by davemuttillo | Sunday, January 16, 2011 | Review Permanlink

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