ALL THE DREAMS

This prolific Polish prog band has released 5 albums since their debut in 2014 and owning and enjoying all of them except that first one, it is fair to say that the Adekaem are here to stay. They have progressed immensely, refining their craft, as their previous The Great Lie (2021) was a stunning piece of work. Led by the savvy duo of Andrzej Bielas (keyboards) and Krzysztof Wala (guitars), their style has been polished (excuse the pun) to a glorious sheen. Aided by a rock-solid rhythm section of Krzysztof Wawra on bass and Grzegorz Bauer, both mainstays with Millenium and Ryszard Kramarski Project, as well as a slew of other similar artists, the Adekaem are a professional sounding band with immense melodic prowess as well as impeccable musicianship. Lead vocals are handled equally by two entrancing vocalists who have worked with the above on numerous occasions.

The sweeping "Soul of Syria" starts off the proceedings in a symphonic tribute to this tragic land with a difficult history of endless warfare in arguably the 'toughest neighbourhood on the planet', one that I have visited in the past and can vouch for the previous claims. Lyricist Jakub Bason provides the content for singer Marcin Staszek to emote the sadness emanating from that storied country. The floating like quality of "Premonition" serves almost as a segue with Wala's plaintive guitar crying in obvious pain, the ringing rhythm chords weaving quite the storm. And as most omens, it ends abruptly as if awakening from an uncontrolled slumber. The longer, 7 and a half minute "the Geographer" ratchets up the sound into a more bombastic, heavily melodic blanket with the choppy guitars offering movement, blending perfectly with the majestic keyboard flurry. This is the hallmark quality of the band, as the guitars and keys fuse in complete agreement, paralleling and diverging when needed, both on an even keel. The extended synth solo is one of restraint and melodic passion, which is something the Poles kind of have a hang for. The sudden emergence of wailing Arabic voice is truly hypnotizing, like a cobra slithering out of its straw basket, looking for a place to plunge its fangs. A fascinating track. A trio of shorter but exalting pieces seek to alter the mood and they most successfully do so. The breezy "Something Is Coming" sounds almost like an 80s dream-pop nugget, a wispy synth leading the vocals along a pleasant melody line, showcasing the considerable vocal talents of Marcin Staszek. "Mystic Moon" is suitably darker instrumental with a slippery bass groove, as Wawra mans the fretless with immense prowess. A trumpet synth patch offers a convincing jazzy touch, extremely medicating and soothing sliver of sound. The elegant "Disassociation" may sound like a hit single possibility, a gorgeous piano -led melody with Daniel Kurtyka providing the microphoned voice, and Wala offering up a compelling axe solo. This is another total winner, as Daniel elevates the emotion, as it spirals upward like a vortex of lush beauty.

Another luxuriant track with tons of instrumental details, "Last Day's Sun" convinces from the get-go as Bielas does an incredibly contained synthesizer solo, rekindling images of Camel keyboardists Peter Bardens or Foss Patterson, the opposite of blazing hyper-fast playing! The vocal and the main melody have a brooding, melancholic tinge that adds a silent rage to the proceedings. The resonant "Inmate's Cry" sounds like a Peter Murphy prog piece, with a haunting voice that seems to echo off the sweat stained walls of some imaginary penitentiary, a despondent synth and an angry guitar coalesce, as if pleading for some kind of eventual liberation or pardon. Another change of pace, "Full Moon Hike" has a vaporous playfulness to its slow burn melody, where bubbly synths and tingly guitar slashes merge into a dreamy whole, as if walking in a nighttime forest with a torch as a guide. Finally, we reach the title track and the album finale, "All the Dreams" simply unites all the previous attributes into one statement, a heady brew of coloured sound that encompasses their talent. The pulsating rhythmic foundation establishes the platform for a wicked electric guitar romp, that is as tortuous as it gets, duplicated by the same electronic keyboard adventure, two instrumentalists who know how to combine their talents into a cohesive melodic message. The final vocal outcry is exemplary.

Premonition, Disassociation, and Inmate's Cry get a bonus track reworking that only highlights how good these tracks really are. Excellent piece of art with a consummate sound, absorbing cover art and distinguished musical expression.

4.5 complete fantasies

The band's next step. During those two years after releasing their recent album THE ADEKAEM protagonists and composer duo Andrzej Bielas and Krzysztof Wala have culled all their sentimental dreams appearing in one way or another. And then immediately managed to set this into new music. The production also draws on a few tracks that were leftovers from former 'The Great Lie' sessions. Furthermore important to know, the band's core now is enlarged to a trio, due to Jakub Bason, who is responsible for the lyrics in particular. Concerning bass, drums and the vocals several other musicians are collaborating, all are known for being active already with other bands deriving from the comprehensive prog pool in Poland.

When considering the band's entire catalogue I'd still prefer the 2021 release 'The Great Lie' anyhow. What you will get here on 'All The Dreams' are ten nice accessible tracks, aiming to offer something melodic and charming, most certainly. However, more drifting into popular fields in this case, actually getting close to the likes of Tears For Fears, Simple Minds or Cutting Crew maybe. Just to note the short excerpt Something Is Coming for instance. Probably just being some of those leftovers, The Geographer and the album title track are convincing much on the other hand, when considering the expected progressiveness and trickiness. Nice album, but not necessarily a must have.