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░ ██ ██ Artist: The Samurai of Prog ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Archiviarum █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2018 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2018-08-06 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Seacrest Oy ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Archivarum is a collection of special recordings █
█ which The Samurai Of Prog have made throughout the █
█ years. Four tracks are new, a few are previously █
█ unreleased, a few have appeared in other projects █
█ with which TSoP have been involved, and two are █
█ covers (none of the tracks have appeared in our █
█ albums before). All have been given a new █
█ treatment; they all have new mixes, and in some █
█ cases new arrangements. This isn't a typical TSoP █
█ album - please don't compare it directly to our █
█ previous releases. But all in all, we thought █
█ these tracks deserve to be assembled into a proper █
█ album. So, we threw a generous portion of love, █
█ care, and the kitchen sink at them to make them █
█ all shine. We were happily surprised to find that █
█ despite its piecemeal origins, Archivarium grew █
█ into a cohesive listening experience. We hope you █
█ agree! █
█ - Marco, Kimmo and Steve (January 2018) █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ If I remember right, someone wrote Marco Bernard █
█ to be the hardest-working musician that the writer █
█ knew. Probably it was on the liner notes of The █
█ Samurai Of Prog debut album in 2011. It can't be █
█ very far from truth, considering Bernard's key █
█ role on the massive, international multi-disc █
█ Colossus projects, and the breath-taking pace of █
█ TSOP releasing new albums full of high quality █
█ prog. Wasn't the fifth album On We Sail (2017) █
█ released just a short while ago? █
█ But then again, TSOP isn't a regular band; first █
█ off, the core trio of bassist Marco Bernard, █
█ drummer Kimmo P÷rsti and vocalist- █
█ violinist-flautist Steve Unruh don't need to █
█ compose the music themselves. The first two TSOP █
█ albums contained covers of mostly well-known prog █
█ classics, and the next two, Imperial Hotel and █
█ Lost and Found, were based on (in many cases, 70's █
█ dating and previously unreleased) compositions of █
█ the featured prog musicians across Europe and █
█ America. Archivarium is actually a collection of █
█ recordings made throughout the years, none of the █
█ tracks having been on a TSOP album before. It █
█ contains compositions of the musicians that they █
█ have worked with, and (more or less re-worked) █
█ tracks that originally have been released under █
█ other artists' names on the mentioned Colossus █
█ projects (the Decameron trilogy, to be more █
█ precise). Making them now TSOP tracks is explained █
█ by the fact that the original recordings featured █
█ TSOP members. █
█ 'Keep the Ball Rolling' by Octavio Stampalia (of █
█ Jinetes Negros) is a fine prog instrumental with █
█ some ELP/Kansas/Genesis/Camel flavour. 'Ahead of █
█ Fortune' is an edited and remixed version of █
█ Eduardo Garcφa Salue±a's [S.A.L.U.E.N.A.] track █
█ from Decameron III. 'La Oscuridad', in which Unruh █
█ duets with Michelle Young in Spanish, originates █
█ from the OCEANIC LEGION project that the TSOP guys █
█ had with Lalo Huber and Carlos Lucena (of Nexus, █
█ Argentina). This song is previously unreleased, █
█ whereas the other Oceanic Legion piece 'The █
█ sleeping Lover' (both are composed by Huber) █
█ appeared on Decameron II. █
█ 'Cristalli' (composed by and featuring keyboardist █
█ Michele Mutti of La Torre dell'Alchimista) is sung █
█ by Stefano "Lupo" Galifi from Museo Rosenbach. █
█ It's an enjoyable, at times fusionesque prog █
█ piece. Instrumental 'Elitropia' is a new mix of █
█ the Decameron III track of LATTE E MIELE, █
█ featuring keyboardist/composer Oliviero Lacagnina █
█ plus the TSOP trio. 'From This Window' was █
█ originally a demo from Kerry Shacklett; another █
█ one ended up as the On We Sail opener. - I █
█ sincerely like all these tracks. In fact, I'm █
█ pretty close to rate this with five stars (like I █
█ have done with two TSOP albums). █
█ The 8th track is a CAMEL cover: the majestic █
█ instrumental 'Ice' is among my Camel favourites. █
█ This recording was planned to feature Camel █
█ keyboardist Guy Leblanc (who appeared on the first █
█ two TSOP albums) but sadly he passed away. Luckily █
█ this cover sounds suitably different from the █
█ perfect and unbeatable original, due to sax and █
█ violin. Oh God, I just love 'Ice', and eventually █
█ I'll love this version as well. 'Predawn' is a █
█ beautiful piano solo by David Myers, continuing █
█ the tradition heard on each TSOP album. █
█ As a "bonus track" comes 'Heroes' (DAVID BOWIE), █
█ sung by Mark Trueack. This song was chosen by █
█ Kimmo P÷rsti from the two suggestions of Marco █
█ Bernard's brother who turned 60. Well... this is █
█ clearly my least fave on this release. The problem █
█ is that it follows the excellent main album and █
█ its serene ending without a pause and thus brings █
█ a sudden anticlimax. This, and the fact that I █
█ already had some tracks on the Decameron sets, █
█ makes me give only four stars. Nevertheless, █
█ Archivarium boldly continues the excellence of The █
█ Samurai Of Prog releases, and especially if you █
█ missed the Decamerons, you'll have over an hour's █
█ worth of wonderfully performed 70's style █
█ symphonic prog. Recommended? Sure!! █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Keep the Ball Rolling 6:07 ░
░ 2. Ahead of Fortune 5:16 ░
░ 3. La Oscuridad 9:50 ░
░ 4. Cristalli 5:24 ░
░ 5. Elitropia 4:56 ░
░ 6. The Sleeping Lover 8:32 ░
░ 7. From this Window 10:37 ░
░ 8. Ice (Camel cover) 9:41 ░
░ 9. Predawn 4:06 ░
░ 10. Heroes (David Bowie cover) (Bonus Track) 5:36 ░
░ 70:05 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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