Sunday 18 March 2018

#13 - Top of 2017

The Samurai of Prog - On We Sail (Seacrest Oy)

In number 13, we have the 2017 release from  "The Samurai of Prog". The band with this album reach their most mature point yet, in terms of songwriting and cohesiveness and were able to present us with 65 minutes of immaculate  majestic prog rock!
The opener "On We Sail" is based on classic prog forms (think Kansas & Yes)."Elements of Life",  is more dynamic than its predecessor with some improvisation elements (along classic Yes compositions) and a beautiful central melody throughout the track. "Theodora" features guest vocals by Michelle Young, with her ethereal voice providing an excellent accompaniment to the dynamic composition. The instrumental "Ascension" that follows is more playful with the flute and the keyboards antagonising each other to create a magical music harmony, with piano adding a touch of melancholy. "Ghost Written" features more symphonic elements with violin and flute melodies playing a key part in the composition. "The Perfect Black" draws its  influences from Yes and is a very melodic instrumental composition with variation in the feelings it induces, from lightheartedness to epicness and all the variations in-between. "Growing Up" is a more 'earthy' and 'simple' composition, with more of a Genesis vibe than anything else. "Over Again" is an interesting piano solo composition which follows and eases the listener into "Tigers", the final track of the album. "Tigers" is the 10+ minutes epic of the release with guest vocals from Daniel Falt, which is gives an additional emotional range to the lyrics of the song.

Another excellent release for the band, who have already released the followup in 2018, with "Archivarium". Both releases are highly recommended for prog fans that want to hear fresh ideas on the basis of traditional prog forms.


94.7/100

Below is a video with various excerpts from the album




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