THE BRIDE SAID NO

Nad Sylvan has reunited again an impressive list of musicians for this new release. After the short intro, "The Quartermaster" bring some cool keyboards parts in a happy kind of mood. "When The Music Dies" is a song of a different mood with some gorgeous vocals and chants, it's rather melancholic. The rest of the album goes from that semi-ballad and melancholic passages to some more upbeat parts with more place left to the guitar, in "White Crown" and "What we have you done" for example. In the song "Crime of Passion," the melody is spot on with catchy groove and sumptuous orchestration in the Steve Hackett style. "A French Kiss In an Italian Cafe" is a smooth romantic song, probably the weakest track of the album. "The Bride Said No" is the most unpredictable track starting in a soul and funky style before a break in the middle where things get heavier with the keys, bass, and some busy guitar playing. After the previous album, the songs here seems to be working a bit more for me. I think that the Genesis influence is less obvious with some diversity throughout the album and a nice balance between the modern style and past influence.

Nad Sylvan is of course the latest incarnation of the archangel Gabriel, providing a myriad of prog bands the ability to step up to the microphone and sing. To be fair though, his original voice is way more nasal and high-pitched than either Peter or Phil, so please, lets us forego the usual copycat platitudes, as it's simply not true. 'The Bride Said No' is his 5th solo album and quite possibly his best yet, garnering worldwide praise for his efforts. A cooperative effort between Nad and a slew of good friends to help, as some of the prog royalty deigned to show up on the menu. Steve Hackett, Roine Stolt and Guthrie Govan are among the top guitarists in rock period. Some interesting pairings on the rhythmic side with Tony Levin and Doane Perry on one set of tracks and Jonas Reingold bonding with Nick D'Virgilio on another series of pieces . These tandems do not get any better!

After a brief sonic intro, the whistling 'The Quartermaster' lays down the mood quite effectively, a modern prog ditty with thrash rhythms and a hard ass demeanor. Jonas carves the low end, Nick bashes persuasively and Nad sings his heart out, aided by some siren vocals from the ladies. Shimmer, shake and shambles, this is a rowdy adventure that owes a great deal to classic prog stories, flushed by some strident synth colorations.

A mammoth track like 'When the Music Dies' will win anyone over with the sheer magnificence of the melancholic melody, the glorious chorus and the intricate buildup to both. Nad's vocal delivery is not only deeply heartfelt but it's also overpoweringly impressive. Levin and Perry really do the modern rhythm tandem rather well, pulsating forward with glee. I love the similitude to the Bond theme of 'You Only Live Twice', a perfect melody and a genial arching chorus. This my friends, is the real deal. Killer!

More upbeat and very 'Genesisian' is 'The White Crown' with Reingold and D'Virgilio leading the process, involving some spooky synth passages, a high-pitched duet develops between Nad (who can hit the high notes) and backing female vocalist Sheona Urquhart, a very convincing piece of complexity.

On the sultry ballad 'What Have you Done', Nad tells quite the sweet story, trading vocals with Jade Ell and luxuriating in the breeze, sliced open by a long passionate Hackett solo followed by a patented Govan scorcher that smolders like phosphorus. This is another timeless piece of brilliance that cannot and should not escape awareness.

Another nugget is the bold and convincing 'Crime of Passion', with Roine Stolt conducting the proceedings with his slippery guitar rants, Jonas and Nick propelling resolutely and monstrous symphonic keys icing the cake. The orchestrations add a dramatic dimension to the arrangement that elevates it from its rather humble origins. Hackett makes another cameo as only he can, immediately identifiable and mesmerizing.

Tony Levin proves again why he remains the master of the 'basso profundo' (a live quote from the Gabe), manhandling the electric bass as well as the Chapman stick with genial bravado on the romantic and cinematographic 'A French Kiss in an Italian Caf'. Allied with splendid backing vocals from Urquhart and Ell, sliced by some more Hackett , Nad overflows with bittersweet ''l'gance' and 'amore', deliberately emoting on the highest plane. Urquhart blasts a very Roxy Music-ish sax solo to finish off.

The title track is the epic 12 minute+ cliff-hanger that infuses drama and vocal gymnastics from three busy lead vocalists (Nad, Jade and Tania Doko), thus performing a mini-opera of sorts with a story of unfulfilled love and the yearning for freedom. While highly progressive and theatrical, there is a soulful feel that is immediately apparent, not just in the vocal mannerisms but also in the sensual musical instrumentation, that span the slick and sultry to the bombastic and delirious. The instrumental proficiency on display here is ridiculous, by any standard, Jonas in particular proving his reputation as a maestro of the bass guitar. The dynamic storytelling is compelling and convincing, forcing Hackett to blast a tortuous solo off into the stratosphere. Great imagery, fabulous words and a dramatic delivery wins me over immediately, as the white crown makes a reappearance in the lyrics. Slick dude, you are Nad. You go, guy! The mid-section is distinguished by a wailing aria from Tania that will shake your universe, soulfully emotive and overpoweringly impressive. The bride then says no, which leads to a 2 minute silence and a hidden 5 minute bonus track called 'Black Sheep'.

A very entertaining release from an artist that I admired from afar but did not really comprehend. I do now. He is not just another pretty face or a musical box. He is Nad Sylvan.

4 dead rings

Nad Sylvan is a US-born Swedish progressive rock artist, best known for his collaborative work with The Flower Kings' Roine Stolt on the symphonic project Agents of Mercy, and as the vocalist of Steve Hackett's band on the Genesis Revisited tours, mainly recognized for his idiosyncratic voice that strongly reminisces Peter Gabriel's 70s sound. Circulating in the world of music since his childhood, Sylvan has a couple of solo releases to his name prior to his exquisitely good 2017 effort 'The Bride Said No', his second album on Inside Out Music, and the second part of his Vampirate trilogy, a character and a storyline conceived by Nad himself.

This very interesting recording is a bit like a mini prog opera, developing the story of the aforementioned fictional vampire, the music is tremendously dramatic, pompous and rich with vibrant sounds and quirky melodies, all topped by the overly impressive vocal performance of the main man here, Nad Sylvan, who has written most of the music himself, too. It is the cast of guests and collaborators on 'The Bride Said No' that make it even more exciting - Roine Stolt, Steve Hackett, Tony Levin, Guthrie Govan, Nick D'Virgilio as well as a couple of female vocalists, everyone contributing something to the overall greatness of this hidden prog gem.

The album opens with the little 'Bridesmaids' instrumental piece leading to the keyboard-infested 'The Quartermaster', a very powerful and uplifting prog rock powerhouse of a song, developed around the main riff that Nad had in circulation for some years, in his own words. Simply a promising introduction to the rest of the record; Following this is the angelic 'When the Music Dies', a beautiful mellow composition that serves as a tribute to the greats of the musical world that have passed away. Then comes the Baroque-tinted 'The White Crown', a song which Sylvan uses to showcase his enviable vocal range, and a more guitar-oriented piece. 'What Have You Done' is a joyous mini-epic, slowly building-up and unfolding like something that has come out of the 'Wind and Wuthering'-era Genesis sessions. The next couple of songs are no less great - 'Crime of Passion' is very theatrical and even eerie, while 'A French Kiss in an Italian Caf' is just magical. The album closes off with the 12-minute title track, the apex of the whole story - haunting, intriguing, and entertaining, this is a pretty good example of all the things Nad does best, and these would, of course be, writing memorable melodies, expressing every single lyric cerebrally through his powerful voice, and surprising the listener with all the peculiar shifts taking place in his songs.

A highly recommended 2017 release, this has to be one of the hidden gems in the modern prog world; Nad Sylvan is an interesting artist who has a lot to showcase at this age of his, wearing his influences on his sleeves for sure, but also introducing his own personal ideas through gorgeous writing and instrumentation, reminiscing the best of the 70s.