BEYOND THE BEYOND

Here we have the new INFINITOME album coming our way, following one year after the release of the debut 'Voyage Home', that already was concipated with a distinct Sci-Fi story regarding the context. Important to know, the band is driven by brothers David and Richard Horn. Both are contributing concept, compositions and nearly all the main instruments. That means the bass, plus those other manifold guitars and keyboards. And besides some additional supporters they especially could engage Scott Higham again to play the drums for this production, a prolific and demanded musician from the UK. While listening to this multi-layered adventure, it's not really difficult to spot, with considerable reason the main stylistical frame should be assigned with the term Symphonic Space Prog. But hey, what is this all about actually?

A crew of five astronauts is on the first human flight to Mars. The narrative takes its run halfway between home and destination. At some point things won't go according to the plan anymore ... well, so much first ... in any case main protagonist Mae Dwight will be faced with a lot of challenges furthermore, that includes time travels and so on. But I'm not going to reveal the whole story, I'll leave this to the accompanying booklet. It's definitely worth it! According to that the predominantly instrumental music evolves in different phases too. Just like wandering between dramaturgy and calmness, straightforward and eccentric, soaring and grounded, melancholic and aggressive ... yeah, you're able to experience all of this during the course of the 'Beyond Mars' suite. While drawing on the symphony 'Mars, Bringer Of War', composed by Gustav Holst, this most probably marks the album's centerpiece.

It takes frequent attempts to capture those multiple impressions presented within the five movements. The lively piano impresses by way of example, and, contributed by Ilia Mazia, a rather exceptional instrument is incorporated here too, the Armenian duduk. By the way, a direct connection to their debut is manifested due to some shorter, let's say interludes, where all are initiated by the 'Fantasia' prefix. No drop in entertainment level furthermore, they are continuing with Baa Baa Goes The Sheep which magically sets some weird experience into music. Again solely one track contains lead vocals, featuring nice acoustic guitar and piano it's the closing melancholic ballad Day I Lost You. Based on a profound story this is an impressing statement in its entirety! Now at the latest Scott Higham should receive some extra kudos for his ambitious share. Also, the fine string arrangements will need some praise too. I already was impressed by their debut, but concerning song writing skills and musical execution this one is a step forward so much the more. I know, when evaluating brand new music, we should be careful to assign a masterpiece status all too fast. Okay, let's say time will tell, but it's definitely close to that.

Connections, familiar names, amazing artwork, or just plain old gut feeling, the perpetual hunt for new musical discoveries is always part of the greater adventure, as the chase often leads to the prize, the music itself. Yes, it is very often hunch-based, with occasional glimmers of familiarity, as was the case with this USA band led by two musician-brothers, both multi-instrumentalists of considerable skill. But what was whispered into my ear was "get it...get it...", as I recognized three names from the credit list: drummer Scott Higham (Pendragon, Caamora, Alan Reed, Clive Nolan, Imaginaerium), as well as one of my favourite current guitarists in Lee Abraham (Galahad, Riversea, Cosmograf, Sean Filkins) , throwing in the famed Karl Groom of Threshold on mastering and production and well, I slammed the golden buzzer down hard!

Those first few seconds just before pressing play are always full of trepidation, expectation, and excitation, because you never know if finally, your prog-hound nose will fail you! Ten seconds in, I was conquered, tarred, feathered, and tied to a whipping post, as the intense symphonic maelstrom pulverized my trembling senses. Led by David Horn (guitars, sax) as well as Richard Horn (keys, bass, guitars), Infinitome does not pussyfoot around with dillydallying of any kind! The 5-part epic suite "Beyond Mars" has the keyboard arsenal on full throttle, as swirling organs, zippy synths, bellowing mellotrons are all ablaze from the onset. This is a "space opera" without any vocals, save for the final track, and I guess one can imagine a sound not far from Hawkwind on steroids, sprinkled with way more complex contrasts as well as bombastic Wakemanesque tendencies. Higham is actually a highlight throughout as he pounds his drums with impeccable muscle as well as deft mathematical configuration, a beastly rhythm machine! Of course, space rock is not just liftoff thunder and screeching stratosphere sonic boom penetration but also silent propulsion within the vastness of the universe. These musicians apply these contrasts with immense skill, the bass and drums providing all the warp speed needed, giving the necessary latitude for some incredible melodic exploration, as on the rather impressive piano showcase of the Third Movement. The said bass-drum section really sizzles on the Fourth Movement, the reptilian bass slithering with lethal precision only to be marshalled by some tectonic drum fills, the groove is deliriously intoxicating and unremitting. There is a cinematic/soundtrack feel to this suite which eschews any useless noodling, as every note has a purpose and an objective. It is also incredibly detailed, with ornamental daubs of Armenian duduk, trumpet, French Horn, and Sax, enhancing even more the orchestral symphonics.

Change of orbit but still very much anchored in the star-studded galaxy, the brief "Fantasia: Space" is a shimmering electronic delight as if going through a deliberate docking procedure. Don't let the weird title baffle you, "Baa Baa Goes the Sheep" remains firmly rooted in the cosmic realm, a glittering expanse of instrumental decor, where strident guitar blasts coexist with choir-like synthesized bliss, brash sax blurts, binary drum pulses, manic bass furrows and endless sonic encounters of the third kind. Nothing drones on here, it's all very sharp, honed to perfection, chatty and breezy alternatively. The solar sandwich is completed with another slice of "Fantasia", this one called "Time", featuring another pool of liquid and vaporous serenity, an intergalactic lullaby for the ages. "Dream of Life" is the 12-minute epic that perhaps best defines this fine recording, as it incorporates into one whole entity, the entire musical style aimed at by the artists. Thrusting into the void in the classic space-rock tradition, then suddenly placid as if Vangelis was some kind of inspiration in developing colossal themes that are more orchestral in nature, the grandiose music evolves around sonorities that all coalesce into powerful arrangements that keep one anxiously fulfilled. Electric guitar riffs in unison with serpentine synth flurries, while Higham keeps the throbbing engines at maximum capacity, veering into the final overdrive. A jazzy violin appears through the hazy asteroid belt, sprinkling its mirrored glitz all over the dense void, turning it golden. A final "Fantasia", this one called "Fate" and lasting nearly 6 minutes, seeks to return to some unchartered oasis, where a thin spotlight shines on a brilliantly incandescent saxophone solo, as it warms up the vastness of space, something Dick Parry would have come up with in a jam when playing on the darker side of Luna.

A final song that lands back on earth on some verdant meadow, completely altering the sound, a blues-folky love ballad with a spirited vocal, lush with melancholic sorrow, crooned convincingly by Joshua David Pivato. Acoustic guitar provided by Lee Abraham, and a lovely anthemic send-off.

4.5 distant horizons