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░ ██ ██ Artist: The Samurai of Prog ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: The Imperial Hotel █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2014 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2015-05-03 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Seacrest Oy Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ PROLUSION: based in Finland, the multinational █
█ project THE SAMURAI OF PROG is a band that was █
█ started by Marco Bernard and Kimmo Parsti back in █
█ 2009, and from 2010 and onwards also featuring the █
█ talents of Steve Unruh. Following two initial █
█ productions that mainly consisted of cover █
█ material they have now focused on exploring █
█ original material. "The Imperial Hotel" is their █
█ third studio recording, released by the Finnish █
█ label Seacrest Oy in 2014. █
█ ANALYSIS: The Samurai Of Prog, both the creative █
█ trio at the heart of the proceedings as well as █
█ the encore of guests that contributes both on the █
█ creative process or as "mere" instrumentalists, █
█ all appear top have a deep love and fascination █
█ with progressive rock as it was explored in its █
█ heyday. Vintage symphonic progressive rock pretty █
█ much sums up this album as a whole, and you can █
█ add descriptions such as elaborate, well mixed and █
█ produced, elegant and sophisticated to this basic █
█ summary. A lot of thoughts and a careful attention █
█ to details have gone into all aspects of this █
█ production. If I should point my finger to one █
█ detail it would be choice and size of the font █
█ used for the lyrics in the booklet, which can be █
█ somewhat hard to read in places. Still, that is a █
█ minute detail and certainly not one that should █
█ deter anyone from checking out this production. █
█ There are only five songs at hand here, the █
█ greater majority of them fairly long just as in █
█ the classic progressive rock albums of yesteryear. █
█ And while only one of them is long enough to █
█ warrant a description as epic in length, that one █
█ track clocks it at just a couple of minutes short █
█ of the half hour mark. A massive, multi-part epic █
█ length excursion, exploring a rather intriguing █
█ story. Backtracking a bit, this CD opens with █
█ After the Echoes, an elegant nine-minute affair █
█ that appears to orient itself towards the likes of █
█ Yes in terms of specific expression. The light █
█ toned, melodic lead vocals and the lead and █
█ backing vocal arrangements combined with a beefy █
█ bass guitar kind of emphasize this direction, but █
█ without replicating all the details a clone band █
█ would go for. It's more of a general tendency, █
█ with a few specific details that are fairly close █
█ in nature. The following Limoncello is closer in █
█ expression to Camel initially, but ends up with a █
█ darker undercurrent and beefier arrangements that █
█ transport it out of this realm. Unlike the version █
█ of the song that appears on Robert Webb's solo █
█ album "Liquorish Allsorts", which to a greater █
█ extent maintains a mood and atmosphere comparable █
█ to Camel in just about all the instrumental █
█ sequences. Next up on this CD is Victoria's Summer █
█ Home, an elegant wandering standalone piano █
█ creation that serves as a prolog to the main track █
█ on this album. Title track The Imperial Hotel is a █
█ composition that was written with the UK band █
█ England in mind, but composer Robert Webb thought █
█ this song had more potential. And in the version █
█ explored on this CD, it would appear that this █
█ composition has been developed to perfection. █
█ Almost 30 minutes of tantalizing themes and █
█ motifs, with multiple parts, a good story at the █
█ core, and an overall sound and style that █
█ initially reminds ever so slightly of Genesis and █
█ then incorporates some Kansas vibes as it unfolds █
█ as well. The vocals and vocal style are the main █
█ ingredient for the former association, the manner █
█ in which the violin is used the core detail for █
█ the latter. A superbly crafted and executed █
█ composition, one of the few times where a █
█ half-hour track flies by in no time. Concluding █
█ piece Into the Lake isn't quite as alluring I'll █
█ have to admit. A cosmic flavored opening that █
█ eventually leads to a quirky song that in places █
█ sounds like a marriage between Gentle Giant and █
█ Kansas, with an initial visit from King Crimson in █
█ the opening phase, this creation is another kettle █
█ of fish entirely. It's also quirkier and more █
█ demanding than the other songs at hand here, but █
█ in sum it doesn't reach the same alluring heights █
█ as the most impressive title track. █
█ CONCLUSION: those fond of vintage era progressive █
█ rock in general and the symphonic varieties of it █
█ in particular should find "The Imperial Hotel" to █
█ be a real treat. There are a few select pointers █
█ towards many of the bands from the classic era █
█ that give the material a sense of familiarity, █
█ enough going on at all times to keep matters █
█ interesting, and the different instrumentalists █
█ involved all add elements and details to the █
█ proceedings that give the individual songs a █
█ distinct presence and individual character. Highly █
█ recommended to fans of progressive rock, and to █
█ those with an affection for vintage era symphonic █
█ progressive rock in particular. █
█ █
█ Line-up: █
█ Steve Unruh û vocals; guitars; violin; flute █
█ Kimmo Parsti û drums, percussion █
█ Marco Bernard û bass █
█ + █
█ Linus Kaase û keyboards; saxophone; vocals █
█ Octavio Stampalia û keyboards; vocals █
█ Robert Webb û keyboards; vocals █
█ Kamran Alan Shikoh û guitars █
█ Yoshihisa Shimuzu û guitars █
█ David Myers û piano █
█ Maria Kvist û vocals █
█ & several more musicians █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. After the Echoes 8:43 ░
░ 2. Limoncello 7:57 ░
░ 3. Victoria's Summer Home 2:53 ░
░ 4. The Imperial Hotel 28:09 ░
░ 5. Into the Lake 8:43 ░
░ 56:25 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
■ █▄ ░ ██
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