Transport Aerian - 2021 - Skywound

(43:37; Melodic Revolution Records)




















Transport Aerian has always been the vehicle for multi-instrumentalist Hamlet, but over the years he has brought in more people so that for this album it is actually a band for the first time as opposed to Hamlet and associated guests. Rachel Bauer (additional vocals & narration) is back for her third album, and they are now joined by Umut Eldem (keyboards, organ, piano), Paul De Smet (drums) and Stefan Boeykens (guitar), while Hamlet provides vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass, and programming. I was a huge fan of the last release, ‘Theriantrope’, so was looking forward to this album, but I must confess that after the first playthrough I really wasn’t sure. Part of that is due to the sheer contrast in the styles being provided within the space of 43 minutes, and there are no doubts that certain sections work better than others, but I must confess that by the time I worked through it for the fourth time I found there was a great deal on here to enjoy.

It is a concept release, whose main themes are focused on the tragedy of an ordinary loving couple caught in the turbulent events of the world preparing for the war and standing on the brink of the global catastrophe. I was struck at just how strongly this is neo-prog at times, and if they have not been influenced by Credo I was would be quite surprised, yet there are also sections where they move strongly into prog metal, and allows the guitars to really shine. It is when they veer into a more electronic style, such as on “Latgalian Gothic” where my attention starts to wander, as the programming is far too much to the fore. Hamlet’s vocals don’t work as they should, and it sounds as if they are deliberately stepping away from what might be expected to create something which at times is more atonal and experimental.

When they are in full flow then that is when they are at their best, creating large sounds which are modern anthems, but while I enjoy experimentation as much as the next, there are times when what they are doing really does not gel in terms of the rest of the album. The result is something which is interesting and intriguing, as opposed to essential, but if Hamlet keeps this group of musicians together I am sure they will become more organic over time.

Kev Rowland, December 2021

Links:
http://transportaerian.net/
https://mrrmusic.com/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thirteen of Everything - 2023 - Time and Other Delusions

Image
(68:22; Basement Avatar Records) Track list: 1. Timeline 8:57 2. Alternate Life 12:02 3. Where the Time Goes 5:32 4. The Penultimate Flight of Armando the Pigeon 7:11 5. The King of Istanbul 10:35 6. Warmth and Darkness 7:32 7. Count All the Days 16.33 Line-up: Brett Cosby - guitars Mick Peters - Chapman stick, bass, pedals, vocals Ted Thomas - drums, percussion, vocals Bob Villwock - keyboards with: Thad Miller - keyboards Prolusion. US band Thirteen of Everything has been a going concern for a bit over 20 years, releasing their initial demo back in 2002 with official albums following in 2005 and 2019 respectively. Following what has been a brief pause between albums for this band they are now preparing to launch their third studio album "Time and Other Delusions", which will be released on US label Basement Avatar Records. Analysis. In terms of the different variations one can find in the progressive rock universe, Thirteen of Everything resides safely inside the symphonic ...
Read more

Deaton Lemay Project - 2022 - The Fifth Element

Image
(63:04; Deaton Lemay Project) Track list: 1. The Great Awakening 5:32 2. A Different Place in Time 7:24 3. Dragonfly 3:35 4. The Nightmare 4:28 5. Exordium 6:24 - Elements of Life Suite 6. Overture 4:43 7. Fire 6:10 8. Water 6:11 9. Air 4:19 10. Earth 6:53 11. Music 7:25 Line-up: Roby Deaton - keyboards, guitars, vocals Craig LeMay - drums, percussion with: Hadi Kiani - vocals Ehsan Imani - guitars Josh Mark Raj - guitars John Haddad - bass Charles Berthoud - bass Liza Evans - violin Prolusion. US band DEATON LEMAY PROJECT started out officially back in 2018, following a 25 year long period of gestation. They released their debut album "Day After Yesterday" in 2019, and following what I suspect has been a rather busy planning and recording period during the years of the pandemic the creative twosome of Deaton and Lemay are back with their second album "The Fifth Element" at the start of 2022. Analysis. While the fifth element apparently used to be defined as aether ...
Read more

Jay Graboski - 2023 - Authentic Fake

Image
(77:11; Oho Music) Track list: 1. In Dotage 3:55 2. Season of Extremes 3:54 3. 28721 3:38 4. Dot on Your Door 4:55 5. Die Before You Die 4:00 6. Hidden Agenda 4:43 7. Out on a Limb 3:58 8. Mired in Malaise? 3:00 9. Cosmos of the Soul 3:51 10. The Hours 5:32 11. Frog Legs 2:41 12. Metaphors 3:28 13. The Witness Watchers 3:41 14. Authentic Fake 3:05 15. Your Luck is Awake 4:43 16. The Crown 3:51 17. The Doomed Princess 4:01 18. St. Judas 4:12 19. Where Words Do Not Reach 3:28 20. Well, I'll Be 2:35 Line-up: Jay Graboski - vocals, guitars, bass, percussion, glockenspiel with: Dale German - guitars Ray Jozwiak - accordion, keyboards, bass, Moog Dave Kelly - guitars, programming, keyboards, percussion Julie Keough - backing vocals Harry Maben - drums Patrick McAvinue - fiddle Gene Meros - saxophones Bill Phelan - backing vocals, guitars, mandolin, recorder Bill Pratt - keyboards, backing vocals, horn arrangements David Reeve - drums, percussion, keyboards Gyro J. Scope - sequencing Prol...
Read more