After a first album in 1996 “All About Yourself”, Maltese expatriate, vocalist and keyboardist Trebor Tabone moved to Prague, Czechia in the early 2000s and reformed a new local crew to continue with a ‘changed illumination’ that led to the masterful 2016 recording “The Burden of Paradise” and “Binary Suns Chapter 1 -Operant Condition” in 2020 that were both met with critical acclaim. Together with talented fretman and multi-instrumentalist Petr Lux , Jirka Matousek on bass, and David Filak on the drum stool, Trevor has finally reached the top of the podium with a masterful push, a completely impressive modern take on melodic prog, that should consolidate their ongoing career with massive doses of appeal and credibility.
The 7 part “Mindspeaker” suite turns on the ignition of an immediately thrilling sensibility that encompasses a swing from Neo to Symphonic Prog, accessible perhaps, ear-friendly certainly but stitched together with eloquence and sophistication, as witnessed by the myriad of details presented by the players. Over the course of its 20-minute running time, the instrumental prowess is overtly polished, the vocals enjoying telling the story with just the right amount of conviction. The serpentine arcs of melodic twists and turns are always kept in check (sorry for the pun) with a brazen and bold crunch that titillates the ears (“The Escape Room” and “Mythopoeia”), where the symphonics kick in with frenzied abandon. The vocals are quite unique but musically one can imagine a harder-edged ‘Trick of Tail’ and you are halfway there, leaving enough of their own style to shine through. Larry Gowan had an album called ‘Strange Animal’ back in 1985 that has a similar feel, a progressive emphasis on song with outstanding melodious expertise, much of the music here reminds me of these influences. Lux, Matousek and Filak thoroughly impress in maintaining the sizzle all along the ride. The sweeping orchestration on “The Singularity “ glows like a shining star, the underlying bass line elevating the piece to enjoyable height, as its veers into the finale “Labour of Love”, a sorrowful ballad that oozes responsibility and personality, with a gigantic bass intervention from Matousek that put a huge smile on my ears. A masterful piano flurry puts tucks in the blanket.
The 4 part “The Syncretist” clocks in over 12 minutes with urgent pomp and circumstance , the riffing Lux guitars shaving sparkling splinters and the boom-boom-tchak bass /drum assault absolutely numbing the nerves, while Trevor lets his fingers do the singing on the ivories. The second part ‘Pillages of Souls’ puts the listener in direct pleasure mode, nothing extreme or technical mind you, the magnified vocals and piano becoming even more attractive, a hint of Supertramp permeating the air. Damn solid section with a terrific lead guitar blurt. The acoustic guitar shifts the mood on ‘Full Circle’ adding conviction to ‘the image of the angels’, a consummate segue while staying in the pocket. The fourth section dives into desperation and sorrow, as if to punctuating the story with and ending that wishes only the best. Nothing more, nothing less. This suite is ,simply put, a wonderful progressive journey that merits being heard and appreciated, a mellotron saying goodbye and a piano lowering the curtain.
A stand alone 7 minute + job on “A Fool’s Errand” (see what I meant by Supertramp?) , offers a throttling premise, Tabone ‘s voice higher pitched, while the trio bash ahead unrepentant. This is surely the most straightforward track here, a well-developed structure that has an almost Beatles-like simplicity, clanging guitars, insistent piano and dense vocals, while the rhythm section bangs in the needed nails into the cross. Lux does nice torture on his fretboard, just for good measure.
“Constant Silver Lining” is another 4-part composition, this time 11 minutes are involved, and we revert back to a more cinematographic atmosphere where the keyboards set the canvas with darker motifs, the pounding relentless as Filak and Lux are on the same rhythmic page ( like some band called Led something), it’s a heavy hitting, bruising, trembling rocker that has Trevor crooning on top of the surfing wave, ‘living the dream’. The two central sub parts are more contemplative, as if lost and looking for a new direction, a new library of data to guide us there perhaps, the corkscrew lead guitar and synth solos devilish. Melancholia comes back for another curtsy, the chorus eye-opening and habit-forming, with broad strokes and compelling drama. Piano and cello beckons on the horizon.
A trio of sections on the bellicose “The Stalker Talks“, and here, the mood gets substantially hotter and heavier, with heavy-metal axe gymnastics that screech into the cortex, stop and start variations that ultimately lead to ‘a state of disarray’ that compels one ‘to do it all over again’, round and round we go. Confusion will be our epitaph is expressed by the cyclical instrumental display that verges on insanity, love is never clearly cut and definable, after all, it is a feeling, iznit? The piece ends on a positive tone, as if moving through time, ready to face any consequence.
“Last Call” puts the final set of algorithmic codes on the finale (check the cover art for clues LOL), a piano-centric melody that exudes playfulness, a stunning acoustic guitar splurge to keep in mind, a clear sense of temporary finality. The orchestration usher the arrangement into sailing into the wide blue yonder and being set free.
If you enjoy the various bands named above (I can add the superb Canadian band Mystery to the list), then you will find the different light glowing in your heart and mind, for many moons and suns. Until the end.
4.5 relation chips