PSALM 6

This is a new release from ROZ VITALIS, a band from Saint- Petersburg, Russia. The band really sounds centered more in the keyboards playing of Ivan Rozmainsky, so I think that it is mainly his musical project. Anyway, the credits for the musical compositions and arrangements are divided among some of the contributors of this E.P.-album for most of the songs.

In their bandcamp web page this E.P. album is described as "the concept EP-album about spiritual quest and emotional upheaval of human being in a situation of strong stress. The title track and "Passing Over" are designed to be in the forthcoming studio full-length album with some adjustments. "The Prophet" is the soundtrack to the very famous opus by poet A. S. Pushkin. This album is "a wholesale artistic statement" rather than "a bunch of songs". 33 minutes of sinking into the spiritual world of human being seeking truth in the times of trouble".

After this description, I really was expecting a very "stressed", "strained" and maybe "very dark" E.P.- album, but fortunately for me this was not the case.

A song by song description from me:

"Psalm 6": a song which starts with distorted guitars, bass and drums, playing a riff in unison, plus some trumpets which play a different melody. It later changes to a quiet part with organ, trumpet and flute melodies, accompanied by some drums, bass, piano and acoustic guitar. Later, there are an electric guitar part and a keyboard solo. Apparently this song also should have included some vocals, because in their bandcamp web page there is a link for some lyrics ("Psalm 6"), which are not sung in the recording. The band plays at the end the same heavy riff that started the song.

"Trattamento 1": a song only played with atmospheric keyboards parts and an electric piano (which sounds like a Fender Rhodes). It has a bit of a New Age music influences.

"The Prophet": another song with atmospheric keyboards, a bit of bass and electric guitar, and a trumpet solo. It sounds to me a bit "reflective" in musical content. Apparently, this song also should have included vocals, because there is another link in their bandcamp web page for them (a poem by Pushkin).

"Denial of Access": it starts with a bit of piano and backing keyboards. A song only played with keyboards with a bit of "musical tension" in some parts.

"Passing Over": it starts with piano and acoustic guitar. It also includes drums, bass, flute and trumpet in other parts of the song.

"Trattamento 2": similar in musical content to "Trattamento 1" but with a different arrangement. Also with atmospheric keyboards, it also includes flute. It ends with a gong and "reflective" keyboards.

This is a very melodic album, full of keyboards parts . An E.P. which sounds to me very introspective in musical content. It maybe sounds to me with some influences from BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO with the use of the trumpet and some arrangements, and also from some New Age music and Classical music influences (with the use of some Church Organ keyboard sounds parts), plus a bit of influences from Jazz-Rock music too. As a whole, it gives to the listener some very good "introspective"and relaxing moments, and the music also shows hope and strength despite having stress in life.

I also think that this E.P. - album sounds very well to me in recording and mixing. But maybe it also sounds a bit more like a "preview" from their next album. It also does not have many instrumentation, and it sounds very well to me anyway.

This is the latest release from this Russian group, a half-hour EP that is somewhat of a preview of their next full-length album. All instrumental as the music of Roz Vitalis usually is, this continues with their symph prog-meets-avant-prog sound (with a little bit of jazziness thrown in). One interesting thing I noticed was how the music sometimes stops and then starts again with completely different music; if you were not paying attention you would think a new track started. The title track starts off with rocking symphonic prog. Nice riff on guitar/bass/drums which gets overlaid with overdubbed trumpets which sound great. What follows is some mellower moods featuring passages for organ, flute, acoustic guitar and piano. Later on some nice electric guitar soloing; I like the changing rhythm during this part. At the end is a weird sounding organ(?) solo, the flow of the other instruments compliments this solo. One brief reprise of the opening riff to end it.

There are two keyboard-based tracks entitled "Trattamento" - the first begins with a minute of symphonic synths. Another section is more electric piano oriented. The second part is a longer version of the first part which ends the EP. Here the two sections are reversed. "The Prophet" almost sounds like classic 1970s Klaus Schulze at the beginning. Later some nice echoed bass, churchy organ and jazzy trumpet. "Denial Of Access" is modern classical. There is a synth part here which sounds like a really warped Mellotron. "Passing Over" is probably the highlight and is one of the tracks planned to be reworked for the next full-length album. It opens with a nice mix of piano, acoustic guitar and cymbals. The drumming is rather jazzy compared to the other pieces on the EP.

Good melodies on different instruments throughout the piece, some of them reprised. At one point there is a great part with phased organ. Briefly goes into a more free-form section in the middle. Really like the acoustic guitar and drumming towards the end. Keyboardist and leader Ivan Rozmainsky creates some wonderful melodies in the music of Roz Vitalis. They are not too avant to scare some people away but at the same time not sugary sweet and safe. Interesting group. I will give this a 3.5 rounded down to 3 stars. Can't wait to hear what the new album sounds like.

ROZ VITALIS from St. Petersburg is an instrumental prog act led by composer and keyboardist Ivan Rozmainsky. I had the pleasure of getting and reviewing their latest album Lavoro d'Amore (2015), which I considered to be one of my favourite prog releases of that year. Now I was asked to review this 33-minute EP. It's said to be a sort of a preview of the upcoming full-length album. Sadly so, from my point of view. I could accept the shortness per se, but I don't like the idea of dealing with something that will lose some its value of usage when the finished product comes along. I try to take this music as it is, though.

The lengthy opening title track starts with rather metallic rock attitude and a heavy guitar riff that goes on for two minutes. Trumpets nevertheless make it clear that there's more to it. And indeed, the track continues beautifully as a flute-centred, melodic instrumental prog in a retroish manner. Electric guitar solo is lovely too, but the odd, distorted sound after that (a metallophone?) feels unnecessary to me. Synth-oriented 'Trattamento 1' starts with a New Agey atmosphere, but again the arrangement and mood go through some changes midway. This band never fails to be bravely progressive and find new sonic paths, while always offering familiar enough elements for an advanced prog-listener to feel comfortable.

'The Prophet' contains a lot of emotional contradictions represented by delicate piano, dystopically low bass playing and mysterious trumpet wailings, not forgetting the organ that makes me think of the Italian classic band GOBLIN. 'Denial of Access' is my least fave track here, it feels like a little odd excercise. 'Passing Over' returns to the more emotional, retro instrumental-prog approach, and the EP closes with a piano-oriented, melancholic 'Trattamento 2'.

This music is highly intelligent and full of surprises without losing emotional aspects either. There's no doubt that Roz Vitalis is among the finest prog acts in Eastern Europe today. But the nature of this release makes me stick with three stars only.

As with almost all releases by the St Petersburg, Russian act ROZ VITALIS, their newest release (in the form of an EP that is both an appetizer as well as a teaser for their upcoming album), this too is a concept album and deals with the human condition and how spiritual growth emerges from periods of extreme stress and upheaval. I say a sneak peak because both the title track and "Passing Over" will be re-released with new arrangements and additional layers of sound, so this EP can't be viewed in the light of an official full length release but basically serves as what EPs traditionally have been in the past.

The first and most apparent aspect of this release unlike any other release of their discography is that this immediately begins the title track with a bombastic guitar staccato assault that gradually weaves in additional instrumentation such as trumpets and additional guitars. My other first impression is that it's a tad more accessible, even commercial sounding compared to their previous angular rhythmic escapades down prog alley. This one sounds like it's well on its way to jumping into full prog metal but then after a couple of minutes it takes a 180 and transmogrifies into a super mellow almost folky approach that seems utterly divorced from the initial turbulence thus evolving into a folky space rock sort of melody that is highly accessible which is quite the change from previous offerings that always excelled in super progified doses of Rock In Opposition meets avant-prog.

"Trattamento 1" follows suit and becomes a very melodic space rock type of tune that continues the accessibility factor. It's almost as if the band has created an advertising campaign that is intended to entice new followers into the club. The magic in this one isn't in it's proggier-than-thou approach but rather in the tones and timbres that alternate along with some nice keyboard workouts within the context of the melody. As "The Prophet" slowly chimes in with its mellow keyboard parts, it's obvious that ROZ VITALIS is going for a much more subdued and easily listening (by prog standards) approach. After a career of frenetic prog workouts, PSALM 6 delivers a relaxed parade of melodies that are easily digested yet quite complex in how the instrumentation weaves in and out of timbres and musical textures tin their creation. It sounds a little too tame upon first listen but becomes more interesting as the listener focuses on the intricacies.

"Denial Of Access" delivers more of an expected melodic vs. complex approach that reminds me of past endeavors with different key parts sliding up, over and across each other like a pit of writhing snakes never knowing which slender serpentine torso is which. An amazing leapfrogging of key parts where one passes the torch to the next without fading out of the picture. "Passing Over" only continues all of these aspects but with some unexpected time sig changes but generally keeps it mild and mellow and never ruffles any feathers. This one might be a little long for what it offers but at least it's a pleasant ride. "Trattmento 2" ends the album with a predominantly keyboard only type of trade off of sounds.

This is definitely the most accessible release by ROZ VITALIS and if anyone needs to be coaxed into the club then this one will surely create an easy passageway into their more complex releases but personally i prefer the more sophisticated and daring releases. Despite that fact, i have to admit that these are extremely pleasant and melodious concoctions that take the same approach as Pink Floyd or Porcupine Tree in that there is a very definite approachability to the music but the complexity comes in through the subtleties of the production and arrangements and on those grounds this delivers quite well. I do indeed hope that PSALM 6 becomes the gateway drug for some into the deeper ROZ VITALIS universe because this is a band of extraordinary talent and originality that never simply repeats the same exact ideas on any particular release. This may be less prog oriented and more crossover but still quite the spectacular little EP of music but it is not quite the best the band has to offer. It's a nice little interlude between albums and all but i'm finding it a bit too tame and subdued for my tastes. Prog light is fine and dandy but i'd rather listen to pop if it's not prog with a little gusto :)

3.5 rounded down

"Psalm 6" is the latest release by Russian outfit Roz Vitalis, and is the first entry of their long and illustrious career to grace my ears. I've gotta say, I'm very impressed by what these guys have done.

Don't be dismayed by the RIO/Avant tag on this release; this music doesn't sound like a set of drums being thrown down a flight of stairs at all! Rather, Roz Vitalis manages to create 30+ minutes of gorgeous, melodic instrumental prog, all of which is very accessible. The title track kicks off all-guns-a-blazin', with heavily distorted guitars and brass exchanging frantic, pounding rhythmic lines. After a hectic start, though, the chaos falls to silence and the EP's most memorable passage takes hold. Roz Vitalis takes their time to allow splendid wind, piano and guitar melodies to take the listener away, off to nostalgic summer pastures. Very beautiful and uplifting stuff these guys do, and it grows gradually to an intense, dynamic finish. Not too bad for an intro!

The rest of the EP follows with a tad more mellow approach. That isn't to say that it gets sterile or complacent, of course, not in the slightest. Each track that follows is still rich in textures, with hints of drama here and there, albeit often presented quite subtly. There's no doubt that Rozmainsky is a fantastic composer, and has a real knack for creating serene, relatable sorts of moods. The folk-ier sounding sections of "Passing Over" in particular sound almost like the sonic equivalent of a lazy summer afternoon.

I'm always overjoyed to hear artists that can manage to produce positive, uplifting music without sounding trite, and Roz Vitalis does a great job at that on "Psalm 6". Having said that, the music here just doesn't seem to demand enough "permanence", so to speak. Indeed, this EP is in fact just a teaser for an upcoming studio album, which I have no doubt will be fantastic if this is any indication of the standard of quality. Of course, I can't get over the sort of temporary quality that the EP presents; the first few plays are fantastic but there just isn't enough going on to warrant a lifetime of enjoyment. So maybe "Psalm 6" isn't an essential piece of prog to be remembered decades from now, but I still recommend giving it a try in the meantime. On the higher end of 3 stars!

Last year I got a message here on PA asking for a review for this EP. I had some problems with my internet and it took several months before I could listen to this Roz Vitalis release. I must say I was not eager to do it, since RIO/avant guard is not really my cup of tea. I´m much more into melodic "traditional" part of prog, if there is such thing. But, out of curiosity, I decided to listen to this record since they were so nice to ask. And I was quite surprised. Their music was not what I expected. It was much more accessible than I thought. Sure enough, there are numerous weird landscapes and dissonance, but what really caught my attention was their flair for the nice melody too. So I decided to spin it for a few more times and that confirmed my first impression.

The only band I can think of to compare Roz Vitalis approach towards music is King Crimson. Ok, they do not sound like KC al all, but RV is the only band I know that balances RIO/Avant Guard with melodic themes in such powerful manner. Like KC, Roz Vitalis mix in equal doses weirdness and familiarity, complicated passages with simple ones, the dissonance and the melody. The result is one of the most interesting instrumental albums I have heard in a long time, full of surprises. Sometimes Psalm 6 sound like a soundtrack album from a thriller movie (The Prophet), in others there are jazzy brass passages followed by a wailing, melodic lead solo backed by acoustic guitars (the title track).And all is very well performed. I must say that even in their most freakish and non-melodic moments their music still sounds interesting and genuinely creative, they seem to be adept of the philosophy of "less is more". not an exercise on pointless weirdness, like I heard so many times. The excellent production also help matters much. the songwriting is high point in here, as well as their clever arrangements: All tracks are very good and varied. Listening to this CD is quite a ride.

In the end I was captivated by this group led by keyboardist Ivan Rozmainsky. I found Psalm 6 to be a very fine CD and I´m looking forward to listen to their other works too. Russia is definitely delivering some of the best prog music around nowadays. If you, like me, is not really into Avant Guard music but has an open mind for new sounds, you should try this one. On the other hand, if you are a RIO fan but does not mind for some nice, discernible melodies in prog music once in a while, this record is recommended too.

A nice surprise.

Rating: 4 strong stars.

This is so completely different from 'Overcoming-Up' that one would expect this to be by a totally different line-up, but although there have been some changes Ivan is still very much at the helm on grand Bluthner piano, electric keyboards and metallophone, while Vladislav still provides flute and Vladimir has moved to guitars from bass. They now have a drummer in Philip "Phill" Semenov, a new bassist in Ruslan Kirillov, a second guitarist in Vladimir Efimov with Alexey Gorshkov on trumpets and acoustic guitar, plus some guests providing percussion and bass clarinet. Apparently this thirty-three minutes long EP is about spiritual quest and the emotional upheaval of a human being in a situation of strong stress. Mind you, given that this totally instrumental as with all their work, it's a little hard to get all that without any lyrics.

I think this is the third or fourth release I've heard from this Russian outfit, and this is easily the most varied. There are times when I think I'm listening to Mike Oldfield, at others there are hints of early Barclay James Harvest and at others King Crimson. All this from a band that are supposed to be RIO/Avant. Ivan is always at the heart of everything that is going on, as would be expected, but this is very much a band as opposed to a project. His piano doesn't seem to be as far to the fore as in other releases, and certainly the guitarists and trumpets start the album off with such a bang that I wasn't even sure I was playing the right album! With hints of jazz, loads of melody, and a stronger move to the mainstream progressive field than many might expect, this is an album that will certainly intrigue many listeners who may not have wanted to listen to Roz Vitalis in the past. There is still plenty of space and tone within their music, and given that this is on Bandcamp why not wander over and give it a try?

Nice EP!

I am not an expert or in-depth-connoisseur of Roz Vitalis' music, but what I like about their sound is that it is in constant change, so you can go from experimental, avant-gard-ish tunes to symphonic moments in a blink, but always with a high quality. This time, in 2016 they released this 33-minute EP entitled "Psalm 6", divided yes, in 6 tracks that create countless atmospheres.

It opens with the title track "Psalm 6", it is actually the longest track here, first a blast of guitars and heavy sounds is spread, but later wonderfully contrasted (or complemented) by the brass section, which makes it a bit weird but awesome. After two minutes, the music vanishes and then a new structure is created; organ, bass and trumpets put a kind of funeral like sound that at the same time takes me to Balkan lands. But later there rare a lot of contrasts, some folkish tender passages made by flute and acoustic guitar. "Trattamento 1" is, on the other hand, the shortest track here. An electronic track with a calm atmosphere that will make you take a deep breath and feel relaxed.

This ambient-like sound continues with "The prophet". First it is relaxed but then somber atmospheres are created to cease the calm, a bit of tension and uncertainty are shared here, using also trumpet as a cool element. A cool example of a Roz Vitalis' experimental track. "Denial of Access" is a strange sound, first it seems to be a gentle track with friendly sounds made by piano and trumpet, and even an accordion, I think, but later some strange sounds (I assume made by keyboards as well) put some tension to the music, picturing some old horror-movies in my mind.

"Passing Over" is a longer track with classical piano and acoustic guitar creating nice atmospheres, later bass, keys and drums enter and a completely new structure is being built, but wait a minute, piano and acoustic guitar return to their original form, but now counting with the help of a wonderful flute. Some minutes lthere is a Goblin-like passage which happens to be one of my favorite moments of the album. Nice track! The last song is "Trattamento 2" which has once again classical piano notes and a soft sound; later some nice keys appear and produce new nuances, but in the end, the sound is very alike the whole track. I have to be honest; I would have loved more trumpets on the album, but in the end, it is a pretty nice and not ordinary release that I am happy to have discovered.

Enjoy it!