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░ ██ ██ Artist: Solaris ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: MarsbΘli Kr≤nikßk II (Martian █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2014 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2015-05-03 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Solaris Music Productions ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Thirty years ago Hungarian eclectic progressive █
█ rock band Solaris recorded one of the finest █
█ progressive records of the eighties behind the █
█ Iron Curtain, Martians Chronicles (1984). The █
█ release of the fourth record of the band sees the █
█ band combining the 'Nostradamus' and original █
█ 'Martian Chronicles' styles in yet another mostly █
█ instrumental album - all vocals are without █
█ lyrics. The band has a broad pallet of sounds; the █
█ standard symphonic progressive rock █
█ instrumentation alongside with flute, violins, █
█ modern electronic sounds and vocal styles of █
█ different origins. One vocal solo even reminds us █
█ of Pink Floyd's 'Great Gig in the Sky'. Apparent █
█ is also the use of the Hungarian musical █
█ influences, which adds to the authenticity of the █
█ band its sound. The recording quality is very █
█ good, I haven't heard a better production with the █
█ major 2014 releases. █
█ The opening tracks of the 'Martian Chronicles' █
█ suite are all very well composed and eclectic in █
█ nature. The sound is great, the musicianship █
█ varied and the integration of the different █
█ stylistic elements works fine. After this we get a █
█ continuation of style with the two 'Voices of the █
█ Past' tracks. Then something strange, yet █
█ familiars happens (for frequent listeners of the █
█ band that is). The excitement and originality of █
█ the opening peaces wears off and a string of █
█ increasingly less interesting compositions █
█ follows. This has also been the case with the █
█ 'Nostradamus' (1999) album and in a lesser way █
█ with the debut. The final song 'Alien' is really █
█ strange with collections of strange sounds and █
█ boring composition. This is a pity, because █
█ otherwise this could have been one of the major █
█ albums of the year 2014. █
█ Conclusion. Well recorded and well played album by █
█ Solaris that will please fans of the symphonic and █
█ eclectic genres, but the second half is (yet █
█ again) quite weak. Four stars for the first halve, █
█ two for the second halve ? which makes up for █
█ three. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ It's hard enough for a band to maintain the level █
█ after an outstanding first release, but it's █
█ almost a suicide to attempt doing a sequel from █
█ that album after three decades, despite the █
█ difficulties implied SOLARIS dared to release █
█ MarsbΘli Kr≤nikßk II and managed to keep the same █
█ level. █
█ Of course is an advantage to maintain almost the █
█ same lineup and specially two extraordinaire █
█ musicians as Robert Erdesz and Attila Kollar, but █
█ to recapture the magic of a masterpiece is a test █
█ that SOLARIS passed with the highest grade. So █
█ after the praises, let's go to the music. █
█ The album starts with MarsbΘli Kr≤nikßk - 1. █
█ Tetel, a pompous and brilliant opener with Robert █
█ Erdesz creating a magical atmosphere, enhanced by █
█ Attila's aggressive flute and the beautiful █
█ choirs. The Eastern Europe folksy sound is perfect █
█ to capture the mystery involved in the concept, █
█ and the guitar solos by Csaba Bogdan (Who was also █
█ present in the original record as a guest) are █
█ strong enough to capture the interest of the █
█ listener with heavy rock riffs. █
█ MarsbΘli Kr≤nikßk II - 2-6. Tetel, is a 12 minutes █
█ epic where the band returns to their roots with █
█ that marvelous Eastern European atmosphere, but █
█ this time with the voice of Zsuzsa Ullmann and a █
█ magnificent violin passage, which blended with an █
█ amazing rhythm section traps the listener in the █
█ wizardry of this band. In part two Erdesz adds his █
█ keyboards to make it more mystifying if this is █
█ possible, but a heavy guitar solo by Csaba Bogdan █
█ makes us remember this is Progressive ROCK. █
█ MarsbΘli Kr≤nikßk - 7. Tetel caught me by █
█ surprise, because after a beautiful acoustic █
█ guitar and bass intro they leave their typical █
█ Hungarian sound for some sort of Space Rock with █
█ clear influence of "A Great Gig in the Sky". Not a █
█ copy but obviously inspired by the Floyd. █
█ Hangok A Multbol Tetel - 1-2. (Voices from the █
█ Past), is the only track where the two parts are █
█ clearly different, the first one is basically a █
█ collection of sounds created by Erdesz upon an █
█ hypnotic melody, but in part 2, the band moves █
█ towards electronic music with an acoustic guitar █
█ that creates a delicious clash of styles, and to █
█ make it more complex, Attilla Kollar plays a █
█ killer flute. The finale is so pompous and █
█ excessive that made me remember with nostalgia the █
█ early years of Symphonic Prog. █
█ A Vilag Nelkulunk (The World Without Us) █
█ represents one of the best team efforts by █
█ SOLARIS, even though the musicians have the chance █
█ to show their dexterity in several passages, it's █
█ a beautiful melody that flows gently from start to █
█ end with a couple of strong sections, specially █
█ provided by Bogdan's aggressive guitar and █
█ Kollar's flute in a style that resembles Thijs Van █
█ Leer. █
█ In Az Emberbogarak Buszkesege (Pride of Human █
█ insect) the band returns to the mood of the █
█ original 1984 album with that mystical Hungarian █
█ sound with a nice chorus to enhance the effect, █
█ but again Bogdan is in charge of some really heavy █
█ moments. █
█ Lehetetlen ("Impossible" but translated as "We are █
█ Impossibility in an impossible Universe Ray █
█ Bradbury") is one of the strongest tracks of the █
█ album because of the radical changes from melodic █
█ to frenetic, SOLARIS pushes the pedal to the metal █
█ and offers us one of the tracks that we progheads █
█ love so dearly. █
█ The album is closed by Alien Song, a catchy melody █
█ where Erdesz and Kollar feel free to add all the █
█ effects that they want crafting a track that works █
█ as a tension reliever after a strong album. Some █
█ people find it silly, I believe that humor has a █
█ place in Prog Rock (Ask Keith Emerson about "The █
█ Sheriff" or "Benny the Bouncer") and this track █
█ reveals brilliantly and with class this underrated █
█ side of music. █
█ To finish this review will only add that I like █
█ MarsbΘli Kr≤nikßk II even more than the band's █
█ debut, so I will rate it with 5 solid stars and █
█ propose it as the best 2014 album. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Solaris have created a beautiful album in "Martian █
█ Chronicles II" that warrants attention for those █
█ who enjoy symphonic music with a majestic █
█ atmosphere along the lines of Pink Floyd, Focus, █
█ Camel or early Eloy. The music is uplifting and █
█ cinematic with layers of keyboards and █
█ scintillating instrumentation with sax, flute and █
█ glorious strings. The female vocals at times may █
█ remind one of the style on 'The Great Gig in the █
█ Sky'. █
█ The atmosphere is dark and brooding on the '2nd █
█ movement'. 'The Martian Chronicles II Suite' is an █
█ epic in itself that moves from light shades of █
█ flute to the darkness of dramatic tension. The █
█ flute is absolutely captivating, the violins stir █
█ the soul and the guitars have that Mike Oldfield █
█ sound. At times the instruments are played with █
█ aggression but ever present are the lush keyboards █
█ and an overall conceptual treatment as one section █
█ segues to the next seamlessly. █
█ Acoustics open the '7th Movement' reminding me of █
█ Roger Waters style and then the female vocals █
█ enhance the Pink Floyd style as they are kind of █
█ wailed over soulfully so it's impossible to not █
█ sense an influence from "Dark Side of the Moon". █
█ It is very moving and emotionally charged █
█ augmented by a blazing guitar solo. █
█ 'Voices from the Past/ movement 1st' is melancholy █
█ synth and guitar quietly building to 'movement █
█ 2nd'. This section has a joyous rhythm and █
█ powerful lead guitar soloing. █
█ 'The World without us' is gorgeous flute lines █
█ over 12 string acoustics. The beauty in the music █
█ is incredible. It builds with heavier lead guitar █
█ and launches into Ian Anderson style flute chirps █
█ then back into a sound reminiscent of Snow Goose █
█ by Camel. A mesmerising piece of music. █
█ 'Pride of Human insects' is a quirky track with █
█ guitar and flute over a layer of synths. The █
█ violin is played with enchanting flair and later █
█ some female vocal intonations sprinkled over █
█ enhance the beauty. A scorching lead break lifts █
█ the track joined by strings and a heavy rhythm █
█ section. This is music of the highest quality. █
█ 'Impossible, 'We are Impossibility in an █
█ impossible Universe' Ray Bradbury' has tinkling █
█ piano at first until an onslaught of organ and █
█ blazing guitar dominates. The wall of sound is █
█ saturated by layers of keyboards over a frantic █
█ cadence. █
█ 'Alien Song' closes the album as whimsical as █
█ Focus gets with weird whistles and spacey synth █
█ sweeps. A Tardis sound is heard and trade offs █
█ between flute and guitar until A Klaxon goes off █
█ and it's over. A nice way to end the album that █
█ had been so serious up to this point. The tension █
█ is broken admirably with this last track. █
█ Overall this is a dynamic album with par █
█ excellence musicianship and some memorable █
█ melodies. Solaris are a band that demand █
█ attention. This is one of the great instrumental █
█ albums of 2014. I recommend it to those who enjoy █
█ adventurous music with a sci-fi edge. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. MarsbΘli Kr≤nikßk II / 1.TΘtel - Martian 6:08 ░
░ Chronicles II / 1st Movement ░
░ 2. MarsbΘli Kr≤nikßk II / 2-6 TΘtel - 12:41 ░
░ Martian Chronicles II / 2-6th Movement ░
░ 3. MarsbΘli Kr≤nikßk II / 7.TΘtel - Martian 3:30 ░
░ Chronicles II / 7th Movement ░
░ 4. Hangok a M·ltb≤l / Voices from the Past 7:39 ░
░ (1.TΘtel - 1st Movement / 2.TΘtel - 2nd ░
░ Movement) ░
░ 5. A Vilßg NΘlkⁿlⁿnk / The World Without Us 4:03 ░
░ 6. Az Emberbogarak BⁿszkesΘge / The Pride 3:07 ░
░ Of Human Insects ░
░ 7. Lehetetlen "Magunk Vagyunk a Lehetetlen 4:14 ░
░ Univerzumban" / Impossible "We Are an ░
░ Impossibility in an Impossible Universe" ░
░ 8. Alien Song 4:01 ░
░ 45:23 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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