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░ ██ ██ Artist: Lee Abraham ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: The Seasons Turn █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2016 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-10-03 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Festival Music ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Lee Abraham got on my radar as a replacement for █
█ the lamented bassist Neil Pepper on Galahad's █
█ latest releases, but I did not really get further █
█ involved until "The Seasons Turn" was announced, █
█ featuring a few musicians that I really love a █
█ great deal, such as the fabulous Marc Atkinson, █
█ owner of a uniquely expressive voice that is quite █
█ rare in Progland. His work with Riversea and Nine █
█ Stones Close are imminently fabulous monuments to █
█ expressive singing. Drummer Gerald Mulligan from █
█ Credo also lends his thumping talents to the mix, █
█ as well as lead singer Mark Colton. Add other █
█ luminaries such as Martin Orford (IQ), Robin █
█ Armstrong (Cosmograf), Dec Burke (Frost* and █
█ Darwin's Radio) and Simon Godfrey (Shineback) and █
█ you know the quality will be front and center. The █
█ Abraham band members are new to me as of today but █
█ certainly not tomorrow, as Alistair Begg on bass, █
█ Christopher Harrison on lead guitars and Rob █
█ Arnold on piano and keys are all first rate █
█ musicians. █
█ To kick off an album with a 24 minute marathon █
█ tour de force is quite the gamble, but it seems █
█ apparent from the very first note that Abraham █
█ wanted to stamp this opus with some immediate prog █
█ brilliance, and this tremendous title track is an █
█ absolute corker! There is little doubt that Marc █
█ Atkinson's voice has a more feminine tinge (as █
█ opposed to some bluesier growl), not far behind █
█ the magnificent Steve Balsamo's wail, he of IO █
█ Earth and Kompendium fame. Everything here is █
█ sheer magic, as only emotionally charged and █
█ progressively structured music can be at times, █
█ especially when peppered by Rob Arnold's eloquent █
█ piano motifs, as well as the howling mellotron █
█ detonations carved by a honed prime electric █
█ guitar that slices through the haze. Epic and █
█ grandiose, this is a vigorous affair that takes no █
█ prisoners, somewhat akin to the very recent and █
█ muscular IQ work, in that it offers depth, █
█ panorama and altitude. When Marc Atkinson clutches █
█ the microphone, the sonic thrill begins in █
█ earnest, not just a glorified chops session but a █
█ bona fide epic masterpiece! While not complex in █
█ structure, the music is not commercial or even █
█ accessible to all, as it has an ethereal quality █
█ that emotes on a multitude of levels. The chorus █
█ seems like one may hear in some vivid dream, █
█ exploded onto a canvas of colors with bass blue, █
█ dark violet drums and golden guitar twirling the █
█ brush. Harrison rages, rants and rampages very █
█ correctly, elevating the piece to the most █
█ glorious heights with multiple solos throughout, █
█ though it must be stated that Atkinson really █
█ shines very brightly as a lead vocalist, proving █
█ to be among the very very best in Progland. Stick █
█ man Mulligan pounds the colossal finale into █
█ proper submission. No other word comes to mind █
█ than: WOW! █
█ After such a volcanic experience, "Live for Today" █
█ serves as a definite refocus, a refreshing insight █
█ into the daily routine, a comforting disturbance █
█ (or a disturbing comfort, if you prefer) that is █
█ perfectly highlighted by Dec Burke's brittle █
█ lament, a sizzling guitar barrage that fizzles █
█ like hell-bent phosphorous, Alistair Begg foraging █
█ the low end with his moody and animated bass █
█ guitar, winking at Mulligan and his kit, a 7 █
█ minute ditty that is just the perfect segue to the █
█ previous megalith. █
█ Marc Atkinson has a few different vocal tones, █
█ somewhat growlier (as in tired) on the next piece, █
█ the bouncy "Harbour Lights", a somewhat Genesisian █
█ tendency pervades the arrangement, with loads of █
█ keyboards, an expressive and boisterous guitar █
█ presence, while the rhythm section sets a strong █
█ foundation. Toss in some fortuitous flute work █
█ from Martin Orford and the brilliance illuminates █
█ the proceedings in a very demonstrative manner. █
█ The more straight forward power balled "Say Your █
█ Name Aloud" features Credo's lead lung Mark Colton █
█ and he is no slouch either, a gifted vocalist that █
█ exudes charm and passion. This is the only █
█ outright 'commercial' moment here, a relatively █
█ simple piece with countrified guitar pickings, █
█ almost a British styled Eagles like song. It █
█ serves nicely as respite but we progheads prefer, █
█ as ELP would once put it, 'The Endless Enigma" of █
█ unending prog adventure. █
█ The sensation returns with another masterful █
█ extravaganza, the 16 minute "The Unknown" which █
█ now features Shineback's Simon Godfrey on lead █
█ vocals, in what should be best described as a █
█ modern neo-prog epic that speaks to the 21st █
█ century fan, a longing to be free, to be █
█ stimulated and to find some kind of musical █
█ release, as our world continues to veer towards █
█ insanity. Between idiot politicians, severe █
█ weather dislocations, social apathy, terrorism, █
█ disappearing airplanes, GMOs, increasing wealth █
█ gap and Brussels dysfunctionality, there is really █
█ little respite. The snarling guitar barrage █
█ underlines the frustrations, the barely expressed █
█ rage, the pharma-fueled apathy and the flickering █
█ glimmer of some kind of future salvation. Yeah, █
█ right! The bullish song slithers along, undeterred █
█ by any pretense, content to hurl guitar sparks █
█ into the gun powder room, and the rest be damned! █
█ The drum beat is tectonic, the keyboard arsenal █
█ finds itself unleashing all its weapons of ivory █
█ and the finale is pure bombast! The piece ends on █
█ a very elongated and spooky cosmic sound that █
█ bodes little good fortune for the future. Let us █
█ pray? █
█ Some of the most vivid artwork ever, a sensational █
█ package that deserves to be heard, appreciated and █
█ adulated. The two epics opening and closing the █
█ album are simply fabulous works of genius. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. The Seasons Turn 24:46 ░
░ 2. Live for Today 6:51 ░
░ 3. Harbour Lights 7:11 ░
░ 4. Say Your Name Aloud 5:01 ░
░ 5. The Unknown 16:10 ░
░ 59:59 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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