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░ ██ ██ Artist: Iluvatar ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: From the Silence █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2014 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2015-09-27 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: 10T Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Hey, it took about 15 years to offer a new studio █
█ album - surely an unexpected novelty for quite a █
█ few prog fans, for others well worth the wait █
█ anyhow. The line-up remained stable since then, █
█ which also means that founding members Dennis █
█ Mullin (guitar) as well as Jim Rezek (keyboards) █
█ are still on board, and of course Glenn █
█ McLaughlin, who again is catering for a █
█ distinctive trademark with his singing voice. █
█ Anyway, a heavy cut at any rate, unfortunately he █
█ had to leave the band for personal reasons after █
█ the recordings were done. █
█ The album's real fortitude is that they are █
█ styistically far away from being reduced to a █
█ significant genre style alone. Something which █
█ surprised me (in a positive sense), as there are █
█ enough veteran bands underway solely resting on █
█ their laurels when recording new songs. And so █
█ each of the eleven songs appears in a rather █
█ different outfit where Jim Rezek convinces due to █
█ his varied keyboard work. Thus he's showing a █
█ modern electronically oriented approach at the █
█ very start while serving distorted samples and █
█ melancholic strings for example. █
█ Open The Door and Resolution are following with a █
█ powerful blend of neo progressive and heavy AOR. █
█ The instrumental Le Ungaire Moo-Moo seems █
█ dedicated to deal with cows or whatsoever? Who █
█ knows - in any case here they are practising some █
█ crimson-esque excursions including Mellotron. █
█ While featuring a rather spacey attitude my █
█ favourite track is The Silence.which comes with █
█ slicing guitar, spheric and twittering synths plus █
█ a hypnotic drive due to Chris Mack's effective █
█ drumming. █
█ Often I'm inclined to hear a crossover blend of █
█ Syzygy, Spock's Beard and IQ in some way. ILUVATOR █
█ have recorded an entertaining new album, released █
█ on 10t Records in summer 2014. The last track █
█ Until means a promise for more maybe, in any case █
█ this is equipped with a typical hidden special. No █
█ long track is featured on 'From The Silence' this █
█ time and they don't define something really new █
█ ...what convinces anyhow is that the compositions █
█ are inventive, full of melodic moments, ranging █
█ between proper and exorbitant. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ I was excited to hear this new album from Iluvatar █
█ because the band was highly recommended, and they █
█ keep getting likened to some of my favorite bands. █
█ After hearing "From the Silence", I have to admit █
█ that the band is great and has tons of potential. █
█ I really enjoyed the album, though I do have some █
█ concerns. █
█ The band consists of Glenn McLaughlin on vocals, █
█ Dennis Mullin on guitars, Jim Rezek on keyboards, █
█ Dean Morekas bass, and Chris Mack on drums. Glenn █
█ has a wonderful, strong voice that is accented by █
█ Mullin's band-defining guitar that does remind me █
█ of Riverside's style. Jim's keys waver in and out █
█ of the amazing guitar solos and the strong rhythm █
█ section that is punctuated especially by Dean's █
█ amazing bass grooves. In some ways, this album is █
█ definitely neo-prog, but there is a certain amount █
█ of modernity here, too. █
█ The album highlights are "Across the Coals" and █
█ "The Silence", tracks that have incredible █
█ cooperative instrumentals, including year-topping █
█ guitar solos. However, I feel the rest of the █
█ album could use work. I get the sense that there █
█ are gaps in the melodies, as if they weren't █
█ matured as much as they could have been. I also █
█ feel that the first half of the album is somewhat █
█ dull and very common in sound. It's good, sure; █
█ but not great. When the high points come, they are █
█ strong and emotional. Getting to those points, █
█ however, can be a sleep-inducing, pedestrian █
█ affair. All in all, however, this a good album. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. From the Silence 0:52 ░
░ 2. Open the Door 4:48 ░
░ 3. Resolution 7:03 ░
░ 4. Le Ungaire Moo-Moo 3:28 ░
░ 5. Across the Coals 7:55 ░
░ 6. The Storm 4:00 ░
░ 7. Favorite Son 4:15 ░
░ 8. Between 7:00 ░
░ 9. The Silence 6:21 ░
░ 10. Older Now 3:19 ░
░ 11. Until 6:01 ░
░ 55:02 ░
░ ▒ ▒
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