|
Label: Progress Records
Tracks:
CD 1:
1 Three Colours (11:32)
2 Fall of Fame (9:53)
3 The Porch (5:16)
4 Liopleurodon (5:49)
5 Land (5:55)
6 Solitude (6:10)
7 The Price (14:36)
CD 2:
1 The Ocean (52:05) 1. Beginning, 2. And on..., 3. Tsunami, 4.
International, 5. Killer green, 6. Bermuda, 7. Atlantis, 8. Polar white -
Part I, 9. The abyss, 10. Polar white - Part II, 11. Blood waters, 12. Into
the deep, 13. Blue richness, 14. Black sea, 15. Tidal wave, 16. Undertow,
17. Swirl, 18. On the north shore - Part IV, 19. Pardise or what?
Musicians:
- Goran Fors: lead vocals, bass, taurus, guitars & keyboards
- Ulf Pettersson: keyboards & background vocals
- Sven Larsson: lead guitars & background vocals
- Dan Fors: drums & percussion
Guest musicians:
- Tanja Hedlund: vocals
- Johnny Martinsson: add'l drums on 'The Price'
- Stefan Olsson: Irish Bozouki on 'Land'
- Kristina Olsson: flute on 'Land'
The Swedish Galleon, to whom I only had listened in their best regarded
album, "Mind Over Matter". I think they already have a substitute for this
work, in the position of best album of their history. I'm talking about this
new double CD "From Land to Ocean".
Most current bands of the genre named neo-prog, are not among my personal
favourites. In my opinion most of them are revisits of the past, but less
inspired. Galleon are basically a neo-prog band, though they have been
capable in this new album of offering us a work where there are some
references to Marillion, Pendragon and IQ, but, at the same time, it sounds
more personal and fresher than all the current bands related to this genre.
It's like when we met an album like "Subterranea", among the whole vulgarity
of neo-prog bands of those years, and we realized that there was still
different and creative things to be done in this kind of prog. In fact, I
think that this "From Land to Ocean" is, maybe, the neo-prog album that I
have enjoyed more since mentioned "Subterranea".
The album is a conceptual work in a double CD issue. The first CD is titled
"The Land", and the second "The Ocean", where we only find a 52 minutes
suite.
It is precisely this second CD the best of this double work IMHO. A
symphonic rock suite called "The Ocean" divided into 19 parts, with all the
ingredients that the fans of this genre could ask for, with special
ability in the creation of melodies and in the combination of the different
tracks that shape the suite. I woudl emphasize the inclusion of a mellotron
passage ("Blood Waters") and another sublime one with electrical piano
("Black Sea"). Probably, this suite might be slightly shorter, but I admit I
enjoy it very much as it is.
In the first CD we find different tracks with a slightly more up-to-date
sound, and with some more rocker touching, and slightly attainable. But
equally good quality progressive-symphonic rock, and not very different
compared to the second CD. Standing out in this first CD, for my taste, the
wonderful "Solitude", again with a delicious electric piano.
Also, we find some long tracks like "Three Colours", "Fall of Fame" and "The
Price", between 10 and 15 minutes, very successful. The rest are simpler
songs that also are not bad at all, emphasizing the instrumental passage
of "Liopleurodon".
The only negative point, would be, as always in these cases, that the
influences are too much evident in some given occasions, especially in "The
Price", though I think it's not a problem. As a curiosity, I think that the
part of the suite called "Tidal Wave" is inspired in Eloy. In "Mind
Over Matter" already I could detect some Eloy's influences. I don't know if
this title suite, "The Ocean", it'is also a tribute to the German band.
Nothing new under the Sun, but this time it's really good neo-prog and
classic symphonic rock, and probably the best thing they've ever done. An
album that hooks you as what it is: a symphonic-prog-rock album, as those we
enjoyed years ago. probably is one of the candidates to reach the first
positions of 2003's polls.
Neo-prog fans have here an album of obliged acquisition.
Rating: 7.5/10
Ferran Lizana
|
