SUNCHILD

1. "Life Lines" (26:26) quite the NeoProg lite production--even bordering on religious rapture--compositional sophistication with excellent musicianship and great sound production throughout. The first reminds me of MOON SAFARI and THE FLOWER KINGS. From the seven-minute mark to 10:50 I'm reminded of KNIGHT AREA (and The Flower Kings). From the 11-minute mark to there's a EDDIE JOBSON quality to it, but then the vocals in the 14th minute make it slide back into the psuedo-religious MOON SAFARI feel of the opening section with some elements reminiscent of Mark Truek's UNITOPIA. The "heavier" motif of the sixteenth minute has some Focus and even Eloy elements but then the Hendrix riff of the seventeenth minute takes us into a vocoder voice and Yes harmonized vocals before some Rick Wakeman melodies and riffs. The motif of the 19th minute is rather late Pink Floyd-like. The calm of the 20th minute feels so TFK--even leading to one of Roine Stolt's signature low-key conspiratorial vocal sections (which is also very like David Gilmour's singing/vocal style). I love the accordion in any prog song but the brief appearance in the 22nd minute feels to contrived--as if the band is making a Mike Oldfieldian effort to throw every instrument available into the song--simply for the sake of saying it's there. Luckily, it reappears in the 23rd minute, albeit in the background. Overall, this is a very likable, inoffensive, well-put-together epic. Unfortunately, lyrically (and, somewhat, musically) it feels almost too imitative of The Flower King's 59-minute masterpiece, "Garden of Dreams," from their 1999 release, Flower Power. (45/50): - a) Timeless Motion - b) Wings of the Storm - c) The New Day Dawning - d) In the Garden of Hope - e) Beautiful Creatures - f) Crimson Queen - g) The Tide

2. "Northern Skies" (14:14) electric piano backs Antony's David Gilmour/Roger Waters voice impressions before more computer keyboard generated sounds work their way in. At the very end of the second minute the full rock band jumps in as female vocalists lead in the chorus. It's almost too beautiful (like a saccharine Christian rock song). Nice guitar solo from Alexandr Pavlov. Strong, soulful female vocal in the lead during the fifth minute. I like the HARMONIUM-like ("Dixie") saloon piano in the sixth and eighth minutes. The melodies and singing style begin to feel as if borrowed from the American band AMBROSIA. The nine-minute mark marks a return to the opening motif only, cleverly using treated electric guitar arpeggi in the fore instead of electric piano. Again, this is a very likable, inoffensive, well-put-together epic--even if it does plod along a bit. There are elements of this song (like the eleventh minute and female vocals) that I like better than anything in the album's other epic, but then there are some that feel rather common and banal. (27.5/30): - a) Only in Wildest Dreams - b) In the Valley of a Stolen Dream - c) Haunted Visions - d) Under the Northern Skies

Total Time 40:40

You won't find more accessible NeoProg than this.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of NeoProg--something most prog lovers will thoroughly enjoy adding to their music collection.

The lyrics paint intricate narratives, delving into profound themes and emotions, inviting listeners to explore the depths of human experience. Sunchild's ability to convey these complexities through their music showcases an exceptional depth of creativity.

While the musicianship provides a strong foundation, it's the captivating songwriting and Kalugin's skill that elevate this album to a level of artistry that's bound to resonate deeply with any discerning music lover.

With the album clocking in at over 90 minutes, some listeners may become uninterested near the end. I do believe the album would be better if they combined all the best moments into a single CD. In summary, "The Gnomon" offers glimpses of Antony Kalugin's talent and creativity, but it falls short of fully realizing its potential due to its unevenness and unjustifiable length.

On this one we have just two lengthy suites (plus a couple of short bonus tracks), that immediately transport the listener with dreamlike fluidity. These are not just long songs, but purposefully unhurried ones. Yes, there's a little bite to the electric guitars at times, but for all its implied grandeur, this album is for the most part a serene, meditative listening experience - comfort prog at its absolute comfiest.

If you're looking for something revolutionary and challenging, this ain't it. But if, like me, you sometimes need an album just to get you through another dreary day in the office - something that's light and reassuring, but with just enough proggy heft to hold your attention - then "Exotic Creatures and a Stolen Dream" might just do the trick.

The album consists of two epic songs, 'Life Lines' (26.26) and 'Northern Skies' (14.14) followed by shorter excerpts containing Single editions. The lyrics written by Will Mackie and Antony Kalugin have the ability to be interpreted by the listener in whatever meaning they perceive. I myself find the meaning of freedom prevalent. The freedom of action, the freedom of choice and the freedom of thought. The lyrics also seems to be a continuation from the Karfagen album 'Land of Green and Gold'. 'Life Lines' begins with cinematic and symphonic keyboards followed by the full impact of the band including lightning electric guitars, thunderous drumming and full throttle keyboards. The singing starts at about the 2.30 minute mark with the first theme. The singing reminds me of the same tone as the 'Seven Gates' song from the Karfagen album '7'. This has interludes of wonderful instrumentation of impressive keyboards, layers of synthesiser and classical piano. As with epic songs, there are waves of ebbs and flows with portions of elegant calmness, exquisite acoustic guitar, deep drums and bass lines along with the flows of driving Hammond like organs and soaring electric guitars. A welcome staccato guitar comes in amongst further singing and bombastic drums and I must give credit to the nylon guitar playing of Alexandr Pavlov. Beautiful undertones of electric guitar and accordion succeed with the classy use of saxophone with three minutes to go leading into the climactic finish.

'Northern Skies' starts straight away with Antony's calming vocals and piano. Glorious orchestral moments pervade and phenomenal background vocals by both Maria Panasenko and Olga Rostovska with strength and grace. There's a heavy softness to this song that I love. A lovely paradox that enhances the musical experience.

Antony's many layers of varying keyboards delivers not only a strong foundation but also announces his flare of improvisation and genius musicianship. The other band members have to reciprocate at this highest of levels to complete the successful recording of this album. Of which they do achieve.

This may not only be the best of all the Sunchild albums but maybe the best of all of Antony's other projects. This really is a stunning. It is melodious, flowing effortlessly with waves of all colours and tones to the ear. The whole album is a positive light that transcends.

The outstanding live performances recently across western Europe by Antony and his musicians besides receiving plaudits galore from fans and event organisers alike there was constant praise for songs they played that have been out of print for several years, as it happens Antony and Will had already been talking during the working of the new studio release 'Exotic Creatures' the need to repress once again these four excellent and very successful releases so that fans of Antony's music who have come on board in recent years could own the physical CD's themselves as they were only available via download, so Antony set about the time consuming task of remastering all four original albums as well as working on over 80 minutes of bonus material alongside some stunning new artwork and a high quality presentation digipak, the outcome is everything they wished for and a fabulous gift to you his fans They remind us of the continuing crazy high standard of music that he has put together now for almost two decades be WARNED its limited edition so make sure you get yours before its too late 5 stars .

Why so? As other reviewers have already stated, it picks up all the influences of symphonic prog that drew most of us to the genre to begin with, great guitar work, fabulous keys, and numerous other supporting instruments. The main tracks are lengthy and full of twists and turns, ups and downs, power and delicateness. While the two main tracks are constantly evolving there is a nice cohesiveness. There is a sense that you pick something new out with each listen which keeps you coming back for another play.

Another item of interest is the cover art which is very nice. For me, the art, if it is engaging, and meaningful (even if open to interpretation), always affects my perception of the music. In addition, this work does not overstay its welcome. It is an old-fashioned album length of about 40 minutes. Absolutely no filler here! Definitely leaves you wanting more, not wondering when it's going to end.

This brings me to my next thought. There has been some question as to the differences between his self-named works, and his other projects. I am not familiar with Hoggwash so won't touch that one, but it seems that the difference of the others as I see it is as follows. His self-named Antony Kalugin works, to me, come across as mostly instrumental, generally very mellow bordering at times on prog ambient and or light prog jazz rock.

Karfagin, which was my initial introduction to Antony's music, namely the "Dragon Island" suite, tends to come across more symphonic but leaning heavily on denser and more prog rock themes with more lyrics, but still sparsely interspersed.

Sunchild, on the other hand, while still symphonic, is definitely more prog rock oriented, even prog pop at times, with a considerably more extensive amount of lyrics. This appeals to me the most as I tend to be more song (with lyrics) oriented and I think this makes albums more accessible to those that may be checking out Antony's work for the first time.

Clearly, many find Antony's singing to be a bit of a weakness, citing a bit of an accent, and perhaps a bit limited range, but personally I like his voice a lot. He has his own sound, not at all unpleasant, and at times sounds a bit (or even a lot) Floydian. And, as has been noted by other reviewers, he shares the vocal duties with others that rounds out the overall sound and emotion of the music quite well.

For anyone not familiar with Antony's works (is this actually possible?) this is a great place to start. As some may say, there may be a certain amount of safety in his work, a certain amount of familiar ideas and themes, but they are spun around and presented in a way that is fresh and never boring. You will hear nice influences from the past and modern embellishments that will be most enjoyable. Give it a spin. You won't be disappointed! So, no new standard here, but one of Antony's best for sure. A solid 4 stars without question.

Exotic Creatures and a Stolen Dream is a wonderful chance for lovers of classic prog to sink themselves in new material. Chief architect Antony Kalugin is clearly a very skilled craftsman of song and instrumentation. This album hits all the usual boxes - epic length compositions, lots of keyboards, soaring guitar solos, extended storylines, theatric delivery, you get the picture. Others have mentioned Flower Kings and Spock's Beard and this album definitely sits in that range of the genre. I also get some Phideaux vibes (though I find that artist a lot more evocative.)

The album is essentially two epics. The longer first track, "Life Lines" shoots straight down the middle in so many ways. Mid-tempo, relatively mellow moods, no big risks. As a result I find the composition extremely pleasant but not very memorable. While very well executed, everything we get has been done before. The second song, "Northern Skies" is more brooding, a little slower, and I connect with it emotionally to a much greater extent. Female vocals (both lead and backing) feature more prominently and definitely add depth. The breadth of moods in the music is much broader here as well, and hold my attention to a greater degree. (As a complete aside, there is a little melodic element that quotes the theme to "Cheers" which cracks me up every time it goes by.) Some of the sections are little more quirky, more whimsical. Still epic, it's a much better song, but still doesn't take huge risks or present anything truly surprising.

I could see myself putting "Northern Lights" on a Prog 2023 Playlist. Scratches the classic prog itch well.