LIFE IN THE WIRES

It is strange to think that it is nearly 20 years since the debut, 'Milliontown', which had a major impact when it came out, and now Jem Godfrey (keyboards, guitar, vocals), Nathan King (bass, vocals), John Mitchell (guitars, vocals) and Craig Blundell (drums) are back with the fifth, which is a double album concept based somewhat on the band's last album, 2021's 'Day and Age'. In fact, the first track on this album starts with the end of the last track on that one, which is a nice touch. The story revolves around the main character Naio, an aimless kid heading for a meaningless future in an AI run world. He hears an old DJ talking on the ancient AM radio his mother once gave him and decides to trace the source of the signal and find "Livewire" to see if there's a better future out there. However, the All Seeing Eye is less than impressed at this bid for independent thought and fights back. Soon Naio finds himself pursued across the country by an outraged mob as he tries to locate the home of Livewire and his freedom. This story of an individual trying to find his way against a controlling world is nothing new, either in literature or music, case in point "If the thought processes of an individual can be permanently limited, To the point of strict conformity to an outside source of thought, The said individual need no longer be considered as such" ("We Are Sane", Twelfth Night).

But what makes this feel somewhat different for me is I remember having a crystal set radio as a boy in the Sixties and wondering what else was out there in the world as I scrolled through the static to hear foreign languages and music which sounded totally alien. Add to that Godfrey's skill as a composer, Mitchell's ongoing ability to make every project he is involved with indispensable, and a rhythm section to die for along with Godfrey deciding to undertake all the lead vocals himself this time means we get a very enjoyable neo/crossover prog album. The only downside for me is that it feels somewhat over produced and there is little in the way of vitality and excitement, which consequently means it comes across as single-layered as opposed to multi-faceted and while I enjoyed it, it does feel somewhat one-dimensional as opposed to having any great depth. It is just too clean, too perfect, but I am sure there will be many progheads who will disagree with me and feel this is superb. It is certainly worth hearing for anyone into modern mainstream progressive rock.

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Posted Saturday, January 25, 2025 | Review this album | Report (Review #3147783)

Frost* returns with this follow-up to their 2021 release Day and Age, a sprawling double concept album (14 tracks, 86 minutes). As masterminded by keyboardist-vocalist Jem Godfrey and ably assisted by John Mitchell (guitars-vocals), Nathan King (bass), and Craig Blundell (drums), Life in the Wires t ... (read more)

Report this review (#3124870) | Posted by BBKron | Thursday, December 12, 2024 | Review Permanlink

This may be the best recording of the year. It achieves near perfection with hooks and great themes. Frost* is a vehicle to express a keyboard oriented group which always achieves a strong level of harmony. They are able to fuse together lyrics and arrangements with chord progressions that ma ... (read more)

Report this review (#3124328) | Posted by maxsmusic | Tuesday, December 10, 2024 | Review Permanlink

I love you, Jem Godfrey, I really do. .. but this is not quite the masterpiece you (and several others here) think. It really recycles a lot of Frost* ideas from years past. What is fresh is just very noisy -- too much compression in the mix. I think "Life in the Wires, Pt. 1" is perhaps ... (read more)

Report this review (#3108754) | Posted by Windrunner | Sunday, October 20, 2024 | Review Permanlink

Frost* is the band that got me into progressive music, my favorite band, and I can easily say I haven't looked forward to an album this much since I was a teenager. For Frost, 3 years is a blistering pace, but that doesn't mean this album is rushed in the slightest. It's a fully formed idea that ... (read more)

Report this review (#3108638) | Posted by SephTR | Saturday, October 19, 2024 | Review Permanlink

I like this album, but there is fluff mixed with the stronger songs, so maybe a single album would have been more enjoyable for me. The compositions vary from ballads (1/3 of the album) to brutal - parts of "Propergander" are crushing. The solos, that were purposely absent from "Day a ... (read more)

Report this review (#3108486) | Posted by Grumpyprogfan | Saturday, October 19, 2024 | Review Permanlink

Life in the Wires, like any great album, takes time to take up residence in your head and reveal all of its complexity and splendor. For me, this is the most consistently excellent Frost* album to date, and even makes a great case for being considered a classic in its genre. Time will tell. The c ... (read more)

Report this review (#3108246) | Posted by herbert.dibdab | Friday, October 18, 2024 | Review Permanlink

This album is nothing less than a modern prog classic. Especially over the course of a double album, you would expect some filler material, but every track on here is a banger whose special qualities are revealed with repeated listenings. In many ways, it's a return to the glory of the Milliontow ... (read more)

Report this review (#3108181) | Posted by Wisdom Moon | Thursday, October 17, 2024 | Review Permanlink

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