NEOGRASS

This is overly neo and art prog styled, melodic and heartwarming stuff. At the latest the charming ballad Surrender proves that Emil Bekkevold is equipped with a volatile smooth singing voice for sure. But they are able to rock the boat too, for example proved by the following song Lost Search or the closing Me And You. Then I would like to point out Travel as the album masterpiece. A lively bass and the superb drumming are serving a priceless groove. The flow is simply impeccable! The short pressing Up You Go also marks a remarkable tune with excellent lead guitar presence. Furthermore the atmospheric Awake that comes with slight Mellotron backing and some Genesis feel. And then, surprise, some bluegrass really, definitely, due to a banjo involved on Passacaglia. 3.5 stars. Worth to be checked out if you like some well made gentle prog music.

It would be fair to say that Neograss is one of the most unique prog bands around. It seems that they are overlooked in the progressive scene due to their bluegrass roots, but to dismiss this record would be a tragedy.

"Atlantis" has a very unique sound. The band is excellent, a blend of deep vocals, banjo, drums, and synth (most notably mellotron). The captivating cover art is a good representation of the music; fresh, ambient and beautifully surreal. The symphonic texture of the record is ambient and beautiful. The album is a concept album based upon the mythical city of atlantis, and the music effectively portrays the story...in fact, I think that this is the greatest merit to the album. The musicianship is brilliant; all the musicians are very talented to say the least.

"Atlantis" is an excellent addition to a symphonic prog collection, and it should not go unnoticed. ☮

Clocking at almost half an hour, this composition goes through different variations, exploring the fundamentals of Bluegrass and the vintage atmosphere of 70's Progressive Rock, but while the description is quite charming, the result is not very conveincing.The opening melody with the smooth rhythm section and the orchestral Mellotron is the best part of ''''The Sea of Tranquility'' and actually this one is repeated a few times until the end.The more Bluegrass-oriented themes though are rather boring.Very calm, almost exclusively played on banjo, and strongly based on Bekkevold's American-styled vocals, these are too long and mellow to overblow the grandiosity of the proggier passages, while the two styles also seem not very tightly connected to each other.The vocals are also an acquired taste and very far from what the prog listener is used to.The ending part ''Recapitulation and Coda'' is possibly the more interesting one.Here the groovy banjo jams of Bekkevold stands nicely next to the sound of Mellotron and flute strings, the opening lovely melody is repeated once again and these minutes never loose their unique mood.

It seems a long way for Neograss to compete with the monsters of modern Progressive Rock, despite their semi-original style.Too many relaxed Bluegrass moments are not the best idea for original but still energetic sound.Maybe a tighter blend like on the closing part should seal the deal...2.5 stars.

As you all might have guessed, this is a concept album about the hypothetical lost continent. Nothing new, since that theme is/was the source of inspiration for dozens of bands like Eloy (Ocean) or Earth And Fire (Atlantis). However, the approach is quite particular and interesting: lots of mellotron waves and banjo solos, excellent and versatile rhythm section. Vocals are average: Emil Bekkevold (vocals and banjo) has an ok voice and his delivering is almost spoken, which gives it a unique flavor. Not great, nor bad, but unique anyway. Production is excellent. While their limited array of instruments make the CD a little too long for such ambitious undertaking, I enjoyed it much more than I had expected. Oddly enough, my CD has the Atlantis Suite played twice: one divided in 5 parts, and the other played as a whole piece, but they are the same. I´m still wondering why they did it (a 48 minute CD would be much more fitting).

Rating: that´s very difficult album to rate. The music is surely good and their approach is at least bold and creative. I guess I´ll have to listen to their other CDs to have a bigger picture of their overall work and possibilities. Here that is limited only by the few instruments used. So 3.5 stars is the more fitting.

Recommended to anyone who wants to listen to something different, but not too spaced out or freaky.