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░ ██ ██ Artist: Headspace ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: All That You Fear is Gone █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2016 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-07-03 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Inside Out Music ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ There is a question that most readers of this █
█ website are all-too familiar with: ôAre you into █
█ Prog metal or the melodic stuff?ö For many, the █
█ answer is one or the other. For some, it is both. █
█ But there is a band that makes that question █
█ utterly irrelevant, and that band is Headspace. █
█ With a line-up that includes ThresholdÆs Damian █
█ Wilson, legendary bassist Lee Pomeroy (It Bites █
█ and Steve Hackett), Pete Rinaldi and Adam Wakeman, █
█ yes, that keyboard playerÆs son, expectations of █
█ Headspace were always going to be big. They █
█ delivered an EP in 2007, and then full debut album █
█ ôI Am Anonymousö in 2012, which was received with █
█ due acclaim. That album dealt with the concept of █
█ rebellion by the individual against societal █
█ grouping. █
█ Not content with their exploration of that theme █
█ in the first album, Messrs Wilson, Wakeman, █
█ Pomeroy, Rinaldi and new drummer Adam Falkner █
█ (Babyshambles), have now delivered a damn side █
█ more than a follow-up. The theme has been █
█ developed into a dystopian story of rebellion by █
█ the individual against the (sometimes chemical) █
█ brainwashing carried out by society, to the point █
█ of resurrection and ultimately evolution. Heavy █
█ stuff, maybe too heavy for those that donÆt like █
█ ôconcept albums?ö █
█ Well hereÆs the thing û with pure musical and █
█ lyrical brilliance that makes the question at the █
█ start of this review irrelevant, Headspace have █
█ delivered an album that is at the same time █
█ thoughtful, powerful, heavy and melodic, but above █
█ all, listenable. Whether you are into (or not █
█ into) the heavier side of Prog, melody, █
█ complexity, simplicity or concepts, if you are █
█ into Prog at all, you are going to love ôAll That █
█ You Fear Is Gone.ö █
█ The first track ôRoad to Supremacyö starts with a █
█ syncopated guitar riff accompanied by an ominous █
█ voice-over that is overtaken by WilsonÆs soaring █
█ vocal, tortured by the same riff, this time with █
█ RinaldiÆs heavy sound. Lyrically, the song is █
█ about people asking for societal change. The song █
█ jars but at the same time pleases with its █
█ alternating guitar, keyboard and vocal █
█ counterpoints, ending abruptly with a sound effect █
█ û an elbow in your face from the band, telling you █
█ that you should listen up. This song is about a █
█ changing world, and yours, the listenerÆs, is █
█ about to change. █
█ Logically then, the next song is called ôYour Life █
█ Will Changeö. The main character is detained and █
█ chemically brainwashed. Heavy lyrics like █
█ ôDictator û Freedom is Everythingö do not detract █
█ from the musicality. WakemanÆs beautiful keyboard █
█ patterns set a foundation for the heroÆs new █
█ mindset that will please even the most critical █
█ ear. The middle section reveals the band at its █
█ Proggy best, gelling to deliver a mind-bending █
█ rhythmic and melodic mixture. ItÆs all there û the █
█ melody, the frenzy, the brain-melting █
█ arrangements, the heavy guitar, the soaring █
█ vocals. The scene is now well and truly set û you █
█ will listen. █
█ Then, just when you think you know what this album █
█ is all about stylistically, a surprise comes out █
█ of nowhere in the form of ôPolluted Alcoholö. Our █
█ hero has had his mind altered and is lost in a █
█ haze. So what does the band deliver? A █
█ country-style guitar that could easily find its █
█ place in a Nashville û based blues band. But this █
█ is blues slide guitar PROG STYLE, as IÆve never █
█ heard it before. Our hero says that ôall he hears █
█ is a strange kid of muffled soundö. The bandÆs █
█ instrumentals provide the perfect back-drop for █
█ this state of confused anguish, mirroring his █
█ mindset perfectly. No heavy riffs here; no quirky █
█ timings, just a band of brilliant musicians █
█ providing an absolutely perfect backdrop without █
█ resorting to the usual ingredients. Utterly █
█ brilliant, and it all starts with country/blues █
█ guitar. █
█ ôKill You with Kindnessö takes the listener back █
█ to more familiar Prog-metal territory. It begins █
█ with the expected heavy riffing, but meanders █
█ deliberately on a true progressive course. Our █
█ hero is feeling better and the brainwashing is █
█ working, but there is a growing fear of what █
█ awaits him. The instrumental passages usher his █
█ story in a (dare I say it) Lamb Lies Down manner. █
█ The middle section is a melodic gem and gives way █
█ to the ôcaustic sarcophagusö that threatens him, █
█ and the band keeps up with an ominous and █
█ controlled chaos in a way that is beautifully █
█ reflective of the songÆs theme. █
█ ôThe Elementö is a dreamy, melodic exhibition of █
█ WilsonÆs immense vocal capabilities. He truly has █
█ a beautiful voice, and it is used immaculately. █
█ Jarring you from this dream to nightmare is ôThe █
█ Science Within Usö û a 13-minute epic that is at █
█ the core of the albumÆs concept. Syncopated vocals █
█ are almost spoken rather than sung until the █
█ melody returns with full vocal and instrumental █
█ beauty that never deserts the albumÆs ominous █
█ undertone. WakemanÆs keyboard melds with RinaldiÆs █
█ guitar solo to show how they have matured as a █
█ melodic partnership. The refrain ôDid you not █
█ notice the science within us?ö builds to a █
█ crescendo that evokes true emotion in the listener █
█ until the band unleashes a complex but utterly █
█ listenable climax in an instrumental passage that █
█ will please even the most hardcore Progger. █
█ ôSemaphoreö is built on a Wakeman riff and starts █
█ off by allowing the chops of new drummer Adam █
█ Falkner to be unleashed. He is no beginner. Those █
█ who like their Prog heavy with melodic interludes █
█ will love this one and ôThe Death Bellö. █
█ ôThe Day You Returnö is simply beautiful. For fans █
█ of the more melodic side of Prog, the opening █
█ melody of this song is right up there with the █
█ best. It progresses quite naturally to the heavier █
█ sound that Headspace is known for, but the melody █
█ is never forgotten, even during the fury of the █
█ instrumental climax. █
█ The title track deserves special mention. It █
█ starts with a flamenco-style guitar melody that █
█ will melt your heart, proving that this band █
█ understands beauty every bit as much as power, and █
█ more importantly, how to make them co-exist █
█ seamlessly. RinaldiÆs acoustic solo is beautifully █
█ executed. One of the high-points of the album, █
█ ôkeep going straightö is the songÆs message. █
█ Indeed. █
█ In the same vein, ôBorders and Daysö continues the █
█ beauty, this time based on a tasteful Wakeman █
█ melody line. Whimsical, questioning and beautiful, █
█ the song shows again that Headspace do not need to █
█ rely on heavy guitar riffing. They just choose to █
█ do so when they think itÆs right. In this one they █
█ choose not to, and the decision works █
█ magnificently. █
█ Final song ôSecular Soulsö starts with an █
█ unashamed reference to The Last Supper. It is the █
█ closing epic of the album and draws on all the █
█ impressive musical and lyrical talent that this █
█ band possesses. Everything is thrown into this █
█ boiling cauldron of delicious Prog stew. The █
█ melody, massive guitar riffing, counterpoints, █
█ perplexing time-changes, beauty, power, and █
█ startling musicianship all build to a massive █
█ climax. ôWe donÆt need another saviorö builds █
█ lyrically to ôI fearàthe vision of Heaven should █
█ die here.ö And on that lyric, the album suddenly █
█ ends. A magnum opus if ever there was one. █
█ Whatever your brand of Prog, itÆs all here. Every █
█ song is a winner in its own right, and despite the █
█ concept, can be listened to separately. ôAll That █
█ You Fear Is Goneö is a spectacular Prog album █
█ delivered in peak form by a band that has matured █
█ into something very special indeed. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Road to Supremacy 4:56 ░
░ 2. Your Life Will Change 6:41 ░
░ 3. Polluted Alcohol 6:10 ░
░ 4. Kill You With Kindness 8:17 ░
░ 5. The Element 1:50 ░
░ 6. The Science Within Us 13:14 ░
░ 7. Semaphore 5:39 ░
░ 8. The Death Bell 1:49 ░
░ 9. The Day You Return 3:25 ░
░ 10. All That You Fear is Gone 4:53 ░
░ 11. Borders and Days 5:23 ░
░ 12. Secular Soul 10:35 ░
░ 72:52 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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