I'M NOT A HERO

Now this is the 6th band album in the meanwhile, delivered by a trio deriving from the French speaking part of Switzerland. The moniker METAMORPHOSIS is standing for a project more or less driven by multi-instrumentalist Jean-Pierre Schenk (keyboards, vocals). On this occasion reduced to a trio, he's supported by Olivier Guenat (guitars, bass) and drummer Alain Widmer again. Former member Gabrielle Mäder still has contributed some lyrics. They are offering fine neo prog styled mid-tempo songs, occasionally arranged with a proper heavy note, also some spacey ingredients and a quite passable singing voice.

The opening dramatic Dark World delivers nice choir arrangements and heavy riffs. 'I've tried my best, I'm not a hero', this probably marks the album's essential statement, presented within the second track, which surely turns out to be an album highlight. So Now What stylistically differs due to it's groove and drive. I'd like to draw some references to the likes of Phi, Clepsydra, Collage, Satellite, Perfect Storm, Eloy, to name a few. Spheric and melancholic keyboard patterns all over, each and every guitar solo is well appointed. Not really spectacular, but still a solid album in any case. 3.5 stars on the PA scale are well deserved.

Metamorphosis, the neo-prog project of keyboardist/vocalist Jean-Pierre Schenk has released its sixth studio album in 2021. The band has Schenk's emotional voice and dark & melancholy style as its main recognizable traits, but there's always some Floydian ('Division Bell'-era) electric guitar as well. The types of synths and metal guitars are tasteful as ever on this record. The atmospheres remind me a bit of Marillion on the 'Clutching at Straws' album, though Metamorphosis is less sophisticated from a compositional point of view. Usually the songs are made up of a few chord patterns and some lead guitar themes. For me personally, the concept album 'Then All Was Silent' (2005) was the record on which Metamorphosis just clicked with me and it has remained on my playlist ever since. The other albums of the band are usually a bit too much alike, and though 'I'm Not a Hero' isn't going to change that completely, it does sound like the band has progressed over the years. The vocals and lyrics by Schenk are still - and I'm glad for it - filled with a childlike hope for a better world and an senior type of sadness because of it. He fights, he struggles, he looses, he simply doesn't have an answer for it all. He drowns in it, and so does the listener. I think this is why I have always had a soft spot for this Schenker and his sorrowful, bleak type of neo-prog. He kind of makes you feel for him - which in turn is a unique musical experience. This album has a strong run of songs with the slow burner 'Dark World' and the catchy title track and it even has an instrumental track 'When Life Starts Again'. 'More is Less' is another strong song. As with almost any album these days the album could have been more tightly knit together had the two least favorite songs been cut from the record. In the end this is a strong release for Metamorphosis and it should appeal to a lot of neo-prog and crossover prog fans out here. I'll round my rating up to a four star rating, because I don't want Schenker to feel even worse about life. That's just me joking, this album will stay on my playlist just like that other fine record.

Back with their first album in five years, Swiss band Metamorphosis had another change in line-up. As always, the band is based around multi-instrumentalist Jean-Pierre Schenk who here provides vocals and keyboards, while he is joined again by guitarist Olivier Guenat (who has been involved since the second album), this time also providing bass, plus drummer Alain Widmer who was there for 2016's 'The Turning Point' when for a while they became a full band. I must admit it was only when looking at PA that I realized I had reviewed them previously, 2009's 'Dark', which shows just much of an impression they made on me last time, and here we are in a similar situation.

That they have been influenced by Porcupine Tree and IQ is never in doubt, with possibly some elements of Citizen Cain and the likes of Collage, but this sounds all very much on the surface. There is no real depth to the music so while listening one starts to wonder how much longer there is to go and as soon as it is finished there is no recollection of what has been going on. Due to where this was sat on my lists I have actually played this far more than I normally would for review, yet each time it is like listening to it for the very first time apart from the overarching feeling that it is something I would rather not play again out of choice.

It is not that there is anything inherently bad with it, just that it does not reach the heights one would expect from a band that has released six albums and has been in existence for more than 20 years. I am sure there will be many progheads who will get a great deal from this, I am just not one of them.