ARNIOE

The new Arnioe album "The Teen Years" is a high quality production from multi instrumentalist Aron Scharfegger dedicated to his favourite albums. This is in fact a tribute to all of his favourite artists and the albums that began his record collection when vinyl was king. In the liner notes Aron explains "there was this fantastic record store located beneath the main central railway station where you could choose an album then go and listen to it on one of the 20 listening booths". As a teen Aron spent hours listening and he invites us to embark on a journey back through time reliving his teenage years in Prog. Here is an affectionate look back at some of the greatest progressive rock artists in history.

It begins with the infamous Uriah Heep and their album LOOK AT YOURSELF. As you listen to this song you will no doubt recognise the Uriah Heep trademark sound and like all these tracks, features some of the actual melodies from that album.

Next up is a tribute to The Who with their album WHO'S NEXT. The Who was Aron's first ever rock concert. Again the instrumentation is similar to what you might expect when listening to this band and it's a delight when Behind Blue Eyes chimes in.

Next is a tribute to Black Sabbath's PARANOID with some quirky passages of non metal until we hear the familiar verse from the original. Surprisingly sounds low key for a Sabbath.

A tribute to Pink Floyd's MEDDLE follows and even features some moments from Echoes with sonar bleeps and the affectionate guitar work dedicated to the brilliance of Dave Gilmour.

Deep Purple's MADE IN JAPAN is next and even features THAT riff that we all know and which all guitarists tried to mimic. The Ritchie Blackmore style is evident and there is that unmistakable sound of the powerhouse Hammond. This is definitely one of the highlights on this album but I was really taken with the next track.

Jethro Tull's AQUALUNG is simply one of the quintessential classics and this is a grandiose tribute. As one might expect it is replete with glorious flute and weird time changes in that inevitable Jethro Tull style. A wonderful track with some cool riffs. The flute is played by Adam Pume and other guests include Liz Sisales, on Cello and Viola, all real treasures on this album augmenting the sound and overall enjoyment.

The final cut is dedicated to Yes, my favourites, and it's CLOSE TO THE EDGE. Ah paradise! This is definitely one of the greatest albums of all time and the track on this album clocking in at eight minutes and 20 seconds is a definitive highlight. The liner notes explain once again "I was drawn to this album by the cover art work, the fadeout green and that brilliant Yes logo. It was in the new release rack so I had to have a listen. From the first few unusual bird sounds and into this totally different song structure, I was mesmerised". You are not alone Aron!

In conclusion, these original tracks that pay tribute to these great prog artists culminates in one of the most affectionate journeys back through prog history that I've heard in a long time. Aron does not attempt to copy any of these artists, for indeed that would be futile, rather he enjoys paying reverent homage to the sounds and the atmospherics of these wonderful bands. Check out "The Teen Years" for yourself and embark on this journey through progressive rock history.

"Doesn't It End Here" is the latest release from Australian band Arnioe and it unleashes the creative talents of founder, vocalist and multi instrumentalist Aron Scharfegger. The focus is on the instrumental sections where Aron plays guitar solos and indulges in glorious keyboard workouts. His vocals are easy listening style, and the lyrics are based on searching for meaning and love, as well as metaphysical themes and dreams, and what is on the other side. Aron is joined by the steady rhythmic beat of percussionist Richard Paitsh, and bassist Alan Seis. There are passages of beauty with the viola and cello from the hand of Liz Sisales.

The music ranges from heavy Prog through to the moods of ambience and tranquillity with such gorgeous pieces as 'Save Me from Falling', opening with a bed of spacey synthesizers in the spirit of Pink Floyd's 'Shine On'. It builds gradually with esoteric guitars and a breath of piano. Then it bursts into a full blown rollicking rhythm with a great bassline and drum beats with a frenetic organ working overtime and some guitar riff distortion. It is a great start to the album.

'River of Mercury' is laced with synth chimes tingling and a smattering of viola until the tempo quickens and swooping spacey synths soar. The vocals are well executed and more raspy than Aron on past albums. The piano reverberates beautifully as cosmic synths from Mars shimmer over and are joined by a delightful high pitched keyboard; extremely spacey.

'Don't Know' opens with spaced up synths and then rhythmic acoustic vibrations with more than just a hint of Yes' 'And You And I'. I like the melody on this as Aron sings to the guitar, and there are some very pleasant acoustic picking along with the strumming. Aron sings "you say that secrets have been found but I don't know". The chorus sounds similar to an acoustic Led Zeppelin song I have heard. Later the song becomes interlaced with quivering pitchy synths and symphonic pad. Suddenly a metal distorted guitar crunches in and some delirious lead solos, bringing the song to another level. It is an awesome innovative song with many mood swings to delight in.

After these fantastic three songs, the album continues its level of excellence on 'Chinese Whispers'. an infectious guitar riff cranks along over a swirling synth foundation. The riff is wonderful making me want to pick up my guitar and work it out. This song again features some great vocals over a wall of sound, and it blazes with acoustics and a melodic chorus. The lead break plays over the heavy riff with admirable skill. Then piano in staccato style and some vocal intonations change the mood. There are some glorious synth workouts towards the end; a terrific track.

'Asian Eyes' pulls back the sound to an isolated piano playing pretty notes as Aron sings melancholy style. The key pads are beautiful underneath, creating an atmosphere of tranquillity. Later it builds to an emotional lead guitar break with nice string bends on full stretch and tremolo. It is one of the best guitar solos on the album and really lifts the emotional resonance. The squiggly synths enter and a very different faster style ends the track.

'Endless Dream' opens with piano and vox sounding a lot like Peter Gabriel; "how can I survive?" A haunting piano interlude comes later, and some angelic harmonies and a beautiful Cello solo creating a Gothic soundscape. Easily the most ethereal song on the album.

'See You On the Other Side' is a mini epic just under 10 minutes, and features a rhythmic acoustic beat and shimmering organ as the verses are sung. There are several time sig changes from hyper fast to slow and measured. This has a number of complex switches in cadence and time signatures. The shuffling rhythm that breaks through is a rocker and always is followed by a steady tempo. There is a break and Aron sings, "rise, breathe, see another day with me, near, far, reach beyond the stars." The guitar here reminds me of the coda of Yes' 'Starship Trooper'; in the same way it reminds me of the extended coda of Arnioe's 'Centre of the Universe'. What an awesome track to close the album.

In conclusion I believe this is Arnioe's best album to date. It is certainly very symphonic and spacey and perhaps one of his most progressive in terms of musicianship and song structures. On first listen I was impressed, but on subsequent listens the songs really grew on me. The guitar riffs are catchy, the synths are mesmirising and the vocals are superb throughout. This is a wonderful album with some of the best musicianship from the creative talents of Arnioe.

Arnioe has created another special album with "Tension and Release" that features a very melodic collection of songs with some innovative musicianship. The album opens with 'The Opening', an obvious title, and this is a grand start indeed clocking 8:10. It has a Pink Floyd Echoes feel with the whale sonic effects and drones. The guitars drive home a great melody with some pounding drums hammering the nails in.

'Tentative Selection' sounds like a wash of Mellotrons with a punctuated rhythm helped by pulsating bass and off beat percussion. It settles into an odd cadence with grand shimmering organ stabs. The time sig changes are effective melting over with repetitive motifs of fuzzed guitar notes. After this wonderful opening the Hammond sound dominates and then quiet vocals with a Neal Morse flavour chime in; 'inside my shadow I wait to appear'. The song builds with eloquent lead breaks and a measured beat. Aron Scharfegger certainly is a great musician to play so many styles and instruments, and his voice is crystalline and easy on the ears.

'Station of Dreams' is very weird vocally with a warbled effect reminiscent of psychedelic works of the 60s. The pitchy synyths play off a strong acoustic layer. The lyrics are whispered softly; 'See me on the roundabout, on the swings and round about, shades of colour black and blue, taking me away' and 'I've been living in a photograph forever'. This is a melancholy track again sounding very much like Neal Morse. 'Rise and You'll Fall' has a wintery effect over a piano vibe and builds with cool steel staccato notes and a fast rhythmic feel. The 4 note structure is broken by more forceful vocals; 'you have lost and you have found, holding out, holding out where you wanna be, fly away and spread your wings, head on out to sea.' This is a more upbeat song with bright lead breaks and keyboard melodies. It feels Neo with Marillion like keys and accentuated harmonies. There is even a reference to Pink Floyd with ; 'come on and have a cigar.' The chimes towards the end are very effective maintaining a wintery atmosphere. Then a Black Sabbath like riff grinds as the lead guitar joins, and quavers of organ pads. Overall, an excellent track.

'Centre of the Universe' travels along running out to 8:41, opening with acoustic reverberations. The Hammond organ sound enters and then a measured cadence of guitar, bass and drum and finally the vocals return, speaking of a 'distant future dreaming of the past', 'flowers in the sun', and the main stanza 'if you see me pass me by, don't forget me when your heart is aching, if you need it you can fly.' The atmosphere is akin to classic Yes with Steve Howe style guitar motifs. It is great how it breaks after 5 minutes and then definitive Steve Howe guitars come in sounding so much like 'Starship Trooper' outro, down to the wavering sound mixing, and even the rhythms are identical. The keyboard solo over this phrase is also like Yes with Wakeman-ish keyboard runs. The influences of Yes are of course obvious but 'Starship Trooper' is one of my alltime favourites so I enjoyed this affectionate homage.

'Please Yourself' has some spacey sounds in the intro, and a pleasant guitar chord progression with breathy vocals; 'long time awake but you're still sleeping, wonder the thoughts you might believe in, I wonder, I wonder, I wonder, I wonder'. The dreamy ethereal atmosphere is beautiful, especially those soft keyboards. It builds into a space rock stanza, with Aron singing 'rise and discover all the wonders of the day'. Heavenly synths play over the main rhythms.

'The Closing' is almost 10 minutes long and literally closes the album. It begins with spacey atmospherics, that have an ambience but are soon overwhelmed by a strong keyboard and guitar progression. It has a 60s psych rock vibe, especially with the Hammond flourishes, and twin guitar embellishments. The grandeur settles into a heavy ascending guitar riff and harmonised vocals overlaid with a high and low part that are effective; 'you can see beyond, you can see the light to the distance.' The lead guitar breaks are excellent and soon the pace breaks into a sole keyboard pad and well executed acoustics. The song moves into melancholy territory with Aron asking; 'who's the one I see? Who's in charge of me?' a syncopated rhythm enters with some great basslines and sustained church organ sounds. The lead guitar soars over the top with incredible finesse, some of the best on the album. In fact this track has to be the highlight of 'Tension and Release'.

Overall the album tends to grow on the listener after a few listens. At times the vocals are a bit shaky but they often become a comforting source with all the musicianship on offer. The songs tend to rely heavily on huge lead breaks and grandiose organ flourishes. There are many styles but mainly it feels melancholy with occasional outbursts of symphonic Prog and Neo. It is not consistent in terms of innovation or excellence, but at least 3 tracks here are absolutely stunning especially 'Rise and You'll Fall', 'Centre of the Universe', and 'The Closing'. The album certainly is melodic and a pleasant journey on every listen.

'One Before X' - Arnioe (6/10)

For a long time, Arnioe was one of those bands that I kept hearing about, but had never had the opportunity to listen to them. When I was offered the chance to get to hear that this Australian progenitor of 'renaissance space rock', I was in a rare spot to have an anticipation and excitement for Arnioe, without having any pre-conceptions about what they were all about. All I knew before going into the band's latest album 'One Before X' was that they were respected and appreciated by the prog rock community. In no short supply of ambition, I can see why Arnioe have garnered their acclaim in retrospect, although I would withhold declaring that Aron Scharfegger and company have yet breached the threshold of real excellence for this sort of music.

Arnioe describes their music as a sort of 'renaissance space rock'. This term to me first inspires impressions of Italian classicists tripping out on psychedelic substances, but the reality of Arnioe's music is a little less preposterous. The trend today in modern prog rock has been to focus a little more on the melodic side of things, and although Arnioe covers a fairly wide range of sounds and instruments, melodic songwriting is at the core of what multi-instrumentalist Aron Scharfegger and the band are doing here. The spacious guitar wandering will no doubt draw comparisons with Pink Floyd circa 'The Wall', but Arnioe's sound reminds me most of Peter Gabriel's post-Genesis career. The lead vocals offered on 'One Before X' are quite reminiscent of Gabriel's more matured, laid-back approach, and the instruments share that much in common. There are a sprinkling of proggier guitar pieces around 'One Before X'- take the opening riffs for 'Awaken' or 'Eternal Changes'- but a synth- laden softness is the general rule for Arnioe's music.

As laid-back as Arnioe's sound is, the prog title is not undeserved. Arnioe earn their keep through the sheer variety of interesting sounds they comfortably fit into the music. There is not a great derivation from the upbeat and dreamlike atmosphere, but the manners in which Arnioe achieve that mood vary quite a bit, whether they're using spacey electronics, guest saxophone solos, or a more straightforward soft rock sound. It is Arnioe's consistent vibe that staves off the album's incoherency, but 'One Before X' is not without some significant weaknesses. The compositions tend to get a little too comfortable with themselves, and sparing the exceptional closer 'IX', it feels like these songs could have used some rearranging to make them feel more lively throughout. Arnioe's greatest bane however is the production, which- while not terrible- leaves a lot to be desired, particularly with any higher- quality studio. The mixing has a tendency to obscure the vocals underneath the rest of the music, and, considering that electronic music is such an important part of what Arnioe is doing here, the fact that many of the beat samples feel lifeless hurts the strong human element.

'One Before X' does not strike me as excellent, although Arnioe's stronger suits are ample evidence to justify why I kept hearing about the band. Arnioe's greatest strength lies in its ambition to experiment with such a variety of different sounds within the course of one album, but as one could anticipate from this approach, it holds the band back from executing any of them with excellence.

Arnioe returns with what I believe is it's 5th album.

This Australian combo is a one man band with Aron Scharfegger and various guest musicians. A nice and tidy unit, in other words. Ate My Words is seventy-one minutes long, divided into eight pieces. It has a mix of a new-age and easy listening build up of songs with some hints of Pink Floyd and Eloy. In other words; listen to this album while relaxing in a sofa. Unfortunate, that means falling into sleep in my case. Burnt potatoes, falling cookery standards and a vocally very unimpressed girlfriend is the end product. This album and this music is simply not so interesting that it keeps me awake. Hence, a nailbed has replaced the sofa while I am listening to this album with the view to review it.

The music is based on tangents, guitars, woodwinds, cello, drums and bass. It is entirely instrumental. It has some good melody lines and some good solos. It is not a bad album at all. Hence, it deserves a good character from me. My gripe is that albums like this is tedious and sleep inducing. But a lot of melody lines here makes me take notice. In particular without the comforts of a nice pillow.

I am by no means a fan, but this album is a weak three stars album.

3 stars

Home grown Aussie multi-instrumentalist Aron Scharfegger's latest album clocks 71 minutes and is purely based on one musical theme. The album is titled "Ate My Words" and he presents the theme in 8 parts on this 2011 release. Aron plays many instruments ranging from guitars, piano, keyboards, synthesizers, percussion, bass guitar and saxophone. There are guest artists on the album that add to the musicscape including Greg Genna on guitar, Chris Fournier on synthesizers, guitar, and bass, as well as vocalist Mahne Dupre and the Kiew Youth Orchestra who play the orchestrated sounds of violins, cellos, basson, and horns. The production is excellent and there are some definite moments of brilliance and an overall consistent sound quality.

Arnioe's instrumental album begins with very spacey synth swirls, very patiently building in intensity from the minimalism of a solo synth to a wall of sound. At 3:40 the organ staccato chords slam in over the manic synthesizers and really lift the ambience to a solid punctuated beat.

Part 2 begins with strange synth effects and a sustained keyboard pad ascending in volume. The spacey phased electric guitar solo is terrific. Some vocalisations are included on this, though incoherent, and they work rather well with the progressive feel of the music.

Part 3 is very different with creepy violins ascending and descending over a strong percussion and synth squiggles. The atmospherics are broken with vocalisations and scats. The heavy guitars come in eventually and overpower the sound.

Part 4 is a plethora of majestic vocals, and a choir with a strong upbeat tempo to drive it. The mood is rather sombre in places and a delightful lead guitar break lifts the mood.

Part 5 is a happier melody and this contrasts sharply with the shadowy bleakness of Track 6. It begins with big booming drum pounding, backmasked creepy vocals and an ethereal violin sound creating a haunting chilling atmosphere. Part 6 is perhaps the darkest track on the album and it builds to a terrific Pink Floyd style guitar piece.

Part 7 is the best track with a killer riff driving it along and some absolutely sensational organ work and very heavy guitars. Lead breaks abound and shift from left to right speaker alternating in volume. The sound is heavier and more forceful bordering on metal. The Hammond sounds are high pitched and very strong.

Part 8 features awesome emotional saxophone playing and a very powerful back beat. The sax reflects the isolation and melancholia of the music. There are some very innovative melodies on display, pretty acoustics, and percussive excellence. The song locks into an elongated Dave Gilmour style lead guitar solo and some spacey effects. Overall the song is another highlight on the album.

Arnioe's latest album is an instrumental treat and has a myriad of emotional mood swings. The musicians are solid performers and there are some real surprises with light and dark textures on the canvas. 3 solid stars for sheer innovation in the compositions and delightful musicianship.

'Ate My Words' is the 5th album from ARNIOE,, headed by multi - talented Aron 'Arnie' Scharfegger. Special guests on this album include Greg Genna, the Kew Classical Youth Orchestra and multi instrumentalist and FONYA leader, Chris Fournier. If you are expecting some of ARNIOE's 'sing along' compositions here, well you will be well disappointed. THIS IS PURE COMPLEX CROSSOVER PROG AT ITS BEST. A concept album divided into 8 Parts, takes you through a journey of themes and genres, varying from classical to metal culminating into the final haunting vocal section of Part 8 which explains the entire concept / theme / idea. This recording should be put into the 'Beethoven' catagory - no middle ground - you are either going to love it or hate it. For me, this is a pieceof Prog art that should be cherrished.

The second album from the Australian artist Aron Scharfegger under the moniker Arnioe.

Arnioe is entirely a one man project with all instruments played by Aron Scharfegger himself. Once again, the music is variations over the theme "Pink Floyd"..... with some additions. The additions is a pretty electronica dominated soundscape at times and some strong leaning towards Roger Waters solo stuff.

The music Arnioe is bringing to the table on For I've Been There is pretty melodic, but not in the AOR sense of melodic. There are some Floydish avant-gardish elements here. But they are more as bridges between the medium long songs.

The quality factor is not particular high. I still think, as in my review of his debut album, Aron Scharfegger is making a mistake by doing everything himself. Another voice and not at least; another creative input would make a lot of difference. That and the lack of some great songs is my main gripe with this album. The good thing about the album is the good songs here. There is nothing here I really dislike and would point out is fatal flaws with this album. It is just that it could had been a better album.

This is a good effort and a good album from Aron Scharfegger. And that's all I can say, really.

3 stars

More Pink Floyd than Pink Floyd themselves.

This is a line from Marty's interview with Aron, describing this album. I could not agree more. The album starts out like some left overs from Floyd's A Momentary Lapse Of Reason album. The saxophone........ well, you get my reasoning. The rest of the album takes us on a voyage through a Floydian landscape. Their final four albums, to be more precise. The vocals is not a million miles away from David's vocals too.

Aron plays all instruments on this album and that is both a weakness and a strength. Strength because the album has a clear narrative running through it. Weakness too of the same reason. The album is slightly one dimensional. The sound suffers from the recording constraints. When that is said, this is not a bad album at all. It actually works well and the songs are all good. It is pretty obvious that this is a debut album. It is a good effort and Aron deserve a lot of credit for it. This is an artist I would like to check out more.

3 stars

First album by talented multi-instrumentalist Aron Scharfegger is similar to his latest album "So Heaven Is Gone" in some aspects. There are influences by Pink Floyd (strong one, glad for this), and it's very nice when saxophone joins the show. Remember Dick Parry ? Even it's not as good as his performance, it's very good. Fits the mood perfectly.

Note that for better understanding, you should see my other review too, as there are many same elements used, even it's somehow different.

While White Cliffs reminds me dreamy guitar solo-ed Genesis song and in general sounds like 70's Prog stuff. On the other hand, we then returns to PF again with Heads Up.

Don't forget that it's not copying of style, these songs just sounds like something that could have been done by Pink Floyd and I'm using this band because it's well known and can explain how these songs sounds.

This album is more melodic than SHIG. I still wonder how Australia is connected because from conversation with Aron, I know that his country, his homeland influenced him too.

4(+), remarkably good album, quite surprise to find this as debut.