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░ ██ ██ Artist: The WindMill ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: To Be Continued.. █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2010 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2017-11-11 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Windmill Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Norwegian group, found in 2001 by musicians from █
█ the municipalities of Royken, Hurum and Asker in █
█ the eastern part of the country.The original █
█ line-up was Jean Robert Viita on keyboards/vocals, █
█ Arnfinn Isaksen on bass, Morten Loken Clason on █
█ multiple instruments, Erik Borgen and Bent Jensen █
█ on guitars and Vidar Kleivane on drums.The last █
█ quit in 2005, replaced by Svend Hjalmar Borgen, at █
█ a time when the group was ready to enter the █
█ studio for the recording of its debut.This was a █
█ very slow process due to limited time and █
█ technical problems, at the end of which Svend █
█ Borgen and later Jensen left the group.The █
█ remaining guitar parts were played by Erik Borgen █
█ and Clason and the rest of the drum parts were █
█ recorded with new drummer Sam Arne Noland.Finally, █
█ after three years of recordings at the Yellow █
█ House Studio in Fredrikstad, ''To be █
█ continued...'' was privately released in 2010. █
█ The result of the hard work by the group is more █
█ than rewarding.An album full of dynamic, fresh but █
█ also a bit of nostalgic Progressive Rock with both █
█ modern and analog instruments used, very much █
█ close to the music of LEAP DAY, GALLEON or █
█ FLAMBOROUGH HEAD.''To be continued...'' is filled █
█ with excellent compositions, built around melodic █
█ guitars, powerful organs, lovely vocal █
█ arrangements and some superb synthesizers.The █
█ album even contains a fantastic 21-min. epic, █
█ entitled ''A Day in a Hero's Life'', with strong █
█ GENESIS, YES and CAMEL inspirations, led by strong █
█ breaks, dramatic changes, instant melodies and a █
█ very rich and sensitive approach, incorporating █
█ influences also from Folk Music and Heavy Rock.But █
█ the remaining pieces are actually on the same █
█ level, full of delicate flutes, smooth organ and █
█ intricate guitar ideas to go along with quite █
█ decent vocals.The instrumental passages are also a █
█ highlight of the album.The strong sense of melody █
█ combined with the haunting atmosphere often █
█ created by the musicians result to extended █
█ instrumental themes, which cannot do else but █
█ capture the listener' attention and emotion. █
█ Starving for some Classic Prog transformed into █
█ recent years?The Windmill were established for █
█ this reason and their debut belongs definitely █
█ among the best 2010 releases.Great stuff and █
█ highly recommended. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ The Windmill from Norway is one of my fav █
█ progressive rock bands from recent years. I have a █
█ soft spot for their music since they released █
█ their first album in 2010 named To be █
█ continued.... Formed in 2001 but only in 2010 they █
█ come with thir first opus who become quikly a █
█ respected album in this genre. I love this album █
█ and everything thei offer from the music to the █
█ excellent art work made by the wife of the █
█ keybordist Kirsten K. Viita, really excelltnt work █
█ that goes hand in hand with the music. Now, the █
█ music is more then great, with lots of intresting █
█ arrangements, with each musician shining on their █
█ instruments. Opening with the catchy instrumental █
█ Cinnamon, what a great opener for sure, keyboards █
█ and guitar buit together in a perfect unit. Follow █
█ The colour of season, a mid tempo piece with nice █
█ melodic passages and all the ingredients to be a █
█ fairly solid tune, I like a lot the vocal parts. A █
█ day in hero's life is an epic clocking around 22 █
█ min of sheer briliancy moments, rich arrangements █
█ with excellent songwritting. Great changes in █
█ tempo and top notch musicianship Strong are the █
█ flute moments who gives a certain vintage █
█ atmophere overall. Solid track. The album is well █
█ balanced going from mid tempo passages to more up █
█ tempo in nice skilfull manner, from melodic lines █
█ to more heavy prog , passages thet flows very well █
█ and with substance. All pieces are excellent, not █
█ a weak or boring moments here. To be continued.. █
█ is to me one of the better examples how must sound █
█ a good solid prog rock album these days. Love it █
█ from the first spin. Recommended for sure, The █
█ Windmill is one of the best exponets in prog rock █
█ relam in last years. 4,5 stars without hesitation. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ You know those bands that have everything you want █
█ in music but still they haven┤t cooked enough the █
█ formula to fully deliver something special? Well, █
█ that┤s the case of this very interesting combo █
█ from Norway. Their musicanship is excellent, as █
█ expected. They play a mix of symphonic and neo █
█ prog, jazz rock and norwegian folk, which is █
█ melodic and, in some ways, original. There are █
█ several moments of great beauty like parts of The █
█ Eagle and Don┤t Be Afraid. However, the impression █
█ I get is that they pehaps should have waited a █
█ little longer to honey their songwriting and █
█ arranging skills. If they had done that, this █
█ could have been a killer debut. And that is █
█ specially clear in the case fo their epic, the 21+ █
█ minute A Day In A Hero┤s Life, which has several █
█ very fine parts but somehow does not deliver that █
█ vital cohesive feeling you want to hear from such █
█ massive undertaking. It sounds good, but not to █
█ the point you want to hear it again right after it █
█ is finished, if you understand what I mean. █
█ Ok, maybe I┤m being a little too harsh for an █
█ album that I found quite pleasing and with not a █
█ single bad tune on it. Even the vocals are quite █
█ superior to most prog bands nowadays. I guess if █
█ they develop their already obvious compositional █
█ habilities they can go from just very good to █
█ excellent soon. The title of the CD itsefl is █
█ quite telling and fitting. █
█ Conclusion: very promising. If you like melodic █
█ prog rock you should check To Be continued.... I┤m █
█ looking forward to hear their next works. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Barely a few minutes into their debut song on █
█ their debut album, the Windmill do the unexpected, █
█ they kick you in the software section of your body █
█ and make sure you cringe in delight! █
█ Talk about a spicy opener, humorously entitled █
█ "Cinnamon", elevating both the spice and the █
█ original Mission Impossible, Barbara Bain-acted █
█ vamp/spy. The sweetness is there at the beginning, █
█ almost jazzy and then swiftly turning bold and █
█ fiery. The bass guitar is unafraid to introduce █
█ itself and the solid drumming falls obediently in █
█ line. This is a fast- paced and shuffling █
█ instrumental exercise intended to limber up the █
█ spirit and showcase the quality of the █
█ instrumentalists, make no mistake about these █
█ guys' chops, they are quality musicians. The synth █
█ outbreak alone is remarkable, hinting at past █
█ glories and some devilish guitar phrasings. █
█ Tremendous introduction to their craft. █
█ "The Colour of Seasons" states a different mood, a █
█ fine cross between Collins-led Genesis and some █
█ quasi- Supertramp-ish feel, what with the sax and █
█ the heavy drumming. The vocal sections are limpid █
█ and pretty accessible, whilst the instrumental █
█ playing is just off the charts. Not a song that █
█ will hit you ASAP because of the Norse-tinged █
█ English singing, which may detract at the outset █
█ but fades kind of charmingly away. But the █
█ subtleties really bring in the warmth behind the █
█ nimble fingers. █
█ "A Day in a Hero's Life" is a bold statement, a █
█ rambling theatrical play that struts 21 minutes █
█ and such with delicious flair. It's not perhaps █
█ perfect but it's thunderously played, by inspired █
█ and confident players. The bizarre piccolo synth █
█ solo is beyond heavenly and celestial especially █
█ when the rest of the band kick in, rather █
█ boisterously! Pleasures nodes are floating in █
█ nirvana again. It's the style selectivity and the █
█ sonic structure that curiously inspire, as they █
█ display a lot of spirit in the instrumental parts. █
█ Fluid guitar rampantly fluttering into the most █
█ absurd voice choir you will ever hear, almost like █
█ Norse chanting, with a Canterbury/Gentle Giant █
█ twist. Very well pulled off and cleverly done. █
█ Morten Clason's sultry sax makes multiple █
█ entrances, very Floyd of course because of the █
█ languid exhortations into psychedelic glory, what █
█ with the raging campfire organ carpeting for the █
█ fuzzed-out axe solo. Very intense activity within █
█ the various segments of the epic, the piece never █
█ seems disjointed. Au contraire, the soloing simply █
█ inspires to even tighter playing and carving out █
█ seductive new ground, especially when the sax goes █
█ for an extended blast. This is ultracool, a word I █
█ like to cherish since my 80's fix with Ultravox. █
█ Keyboardist Jean Robert Viita does some █
█ unforgettable work throughout, as his presence is █
█ paramount to their colorful sound. █
█ "The Eagle" is a towering symphonic splurge with █
█ an arsenal of colorful keys leading the way, █
█ swirling guitars joining the simple melody fray, █
█ all quite grandiose and majestic. One has the █
█ impression of comfortable surroundings, the mood █
█ getting slightly funkier with that sensuous sax █
█ spreading some urbane perspiration, the soaring █
█ guitars grinding effusively and the elegant piano █
█ finishing the deal. Truly salivating stuff, with a █
█ little hint of Boston's "More than a Feeling" █
█ guitar work. █
█ "Don't Be Afraid" is a another heavy melancholic █
█ ballad , done superbly with sprawling sentiments █
█ that heighten the edge , a trademark that this █
█ band will repeat in the future I hope , as they █
█ simply revel in such gigantic melodies. The █
█ magical flute is strategically placed for maximum █
█ effect, certainly painting a Tull effect, what █
█ with profound relationship- based lyrics and an █
█ insightful vocal delivery. The booming Led Zep █
█ Kashmir-inspired section is stunningly fitting, █
█ giving the melodious track some well-deserved █
█ oomph, taking this piece into the heavens. The █
█ flute takes a lovely solo, the organ roils and the █
█ guitars explode. Simply perfect music that talks █
█ to me. █
█ "To Be Continued?" is a lovely folky melody, █
█ issued from the fine Norse folk tradition, hinting █
█ at more music to come ?.I actually enjoy final █
█ statements that appear as an intro to the next █
█ album, something early Mostly Autumn did rather █
█ convincingly, as it creates a sense of perpetual █
█ change. █
█ A fine opening page to the Windmill's obvious █
█ talent, a band to watch intently as their best is █
█ yet to come. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Cinnamon 5:42 ░
░ 2. The Colour of Seasons 6:53 ░
░ 3. A Day in a Hero's Life 21:36 ░
░ 4. The Eagle 7:12 ░
░ 5. Don't Be Afraid 10:03 ░
░ 6. To Be Continued.. 2:48 ░
░ 54:14 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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