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░ ██ ██ Artist: The Sea Within ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: The Sea Within █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2018 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2019-02-22 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Inside Out Music / Sony Music ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ The Sea Within û a new art-rock group formed by █
█ Roine Stolt (Transatlantic, The Flower Kings), █
█ Daniel Gildenl÷w (Pain of Salvation), Jonas █
█ Reingold (The Flower Kings, Karmakanic, The █
█ Tangent), Tom Brislin (Renaissance, Spiraling, Yes █
█ Symphonic, Deborah Harry) & Marco Minnemann (The █
█ Aristocrats, Steven Wilson, UK, Joe Satriani) û █
█ have announced they will release their █
█ as-yet-untitled debut album in Spring 2018. █
█ Roine Stolt comments on how the project came █
█ together: ôI think all it started as a suggestion █
█ from the record company - putting together a new █
█ band, starting fresh, seeing if collective writing █
█ could spawn a unique style. Call it a supergroup █
█ if you want - I think we can handle that.ö █
█ The members recently entered Livingston Studios in █
█ London to begin recording the basic tracks, and █
█ found an instant chemistry in the way they worked █
█ together. ôGoing into the studio in London was █
█ taking a great risk as we had not been in the same █
█ room together beforehand.ö Roine continues: ôWe █
█ had just sent demos around and didnÆt really know █
█ if we could make great music together, but we █
█ managed to track almost 2 hours of new music, a █
█ mix of collective ideas. We also had a lot of █
█ great æoff-timeÆ, sharing laughs and stories in █
█ local pubs û that part is important.ö █
█ Currently the members are putting the finishing █
█ touches on their debut album, and of the musicÆs █
█ direction Roine says: ôThere are elements of prog, █
█ pop, art-rock and many cinematic elements. I █
█ suppose the music comes from within our collective █
█ memories of all that we love as far as sounds, █
█ visions and poetry. We hope that discovering the █
█ music will be a journey for the open-minded fan - █
█ something as fresh and uncertain and unfolding as █
█ it is for usö. █
█ Drawing on their collective experience from across █
█ the rock and prog spectrum, The Sea Within sees █
█ them coming together to craft new music that sees █
█ them all leaving their respective comfort zones █
█ and challenging themselves. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Every vessel needs a captain, or it might drift █
█ and sail into oceanic oblivion, although it helps █
█ immensely to have a talented crew. Captain Roine █
█ Stolt, a legend in Progressive Rock, has done his █
█ fair share of steering over the years, but this █
█ time he has chosen a cohort of explorers that are █
█ each, in their own right, recognized masters of █
█ their respective crafts. █
█ █
█ Just consider this line-up: with Stolt are █
█ legendary skin-beater Marco Minneman (also singing █
█ and playing guitar), the one and only Jonas █
█ Reingold on bass, RenaissanceÆs Tom Brislin on █
█ keyboards/vocals and Pain of SalvationÆs Daniel █
█ Gildenl÷w on lead vocal and guitar. Flying ColorsÆ █
█ vocalist Casey McPherson appears on three songs █
█ and will be touring with the band. Add to this █
█ already intimidating list the names of guest █
█ artists Jon Anderson (yes, him), Jordan Rudess █
█ (yes, also him) and Steve HackettÆs woodwind █
█ player Rob Townsend, and you have a list of names █
█ that will draw collective, and very expectant, █
█ breath in Prog world. Talk about an ôall-aboardö █
█ line-up. Wow û (or should I say æAhoyÆ.) █
█ This ship is manned by the most expert navigators █
█ û that much is clear. Naturally, the result has █
█ been massive fan expectation and the inevitable █
█ rife speculation. Well, the ocean can be █
█ everything from a fun and frothy surferÆs █
█ paradise, to a terrifying, engulfing storm, from a █
█ pool of clear coral beauty to a vast abyss of deep █
█ darkness, and all that comes in between. Where do █
█ this captain and crew take us? LetÆs dive in. █
█ Opener ôAshes of Dawnö is the heaviest song on the █
█ album and certainly one of the darkest. █
█ GildenlowÆs and StoltÆs vocals are aggressive, █
█ anguished and tortured. The song is about the █
█ worldÆs economic chaos and is suitably weighty. █
█ Should you expect The Flower Kings? No. Agents of █
█ Mercy? A little. What you should really expect is █
█ King Crimson, 2018-style. There are no æspring in █
█ the meadowÆ images here. Stolt and Reingold go out █
█ of their way to make the song deep, dark and █
█ intimidating û like the bottom of an ocean abyss. █
█ TownsendÆs sax solo is also very King Crimson, █
█ abiding by this intended homage. Minnemann makes █
█ his effervescent mark typically early on, and █
█ æRedÆ-era King Crimson is the flavor of the █
█ moment. The vessel is weighty, laden with cargo, █
█ navigating dark waters and exploring familiar but █
█ frightening themes. █
█ ôThey Know My Nameö is more pensive and gentle, █
█ but no less dark in flavor. Despite this, it is █
█ not King Crimson. The band start to explore other █
█ compositional waters here, through Tom BrislinÆs █
█ efforts. Based on a lurking and pensive Brislin █
█ piano intro with an interesting chord progression, █
█ the song develops in to a Minnemann-driven chorus █
█ pattern with scattered accents, accompanied by █
█ ReingoldÆs huge, lingering bass tone. The chorus █
█ has a Classic Rock feel, and the song develops █
█ into a pleasing, if familiar, theme, ending with █
█ an anthemic guitar passage. Brislin steers us █
█ through the dark harbor. █
█ Calmer waters approach. Third song ôThe Voidö is █
█ slow and pensive, but extremely haunting and █
█ captivating. One of my favorite songs on the album █
█ ôThe Voidö has an excellent, haunting melody based █
█ on a gentle acoustic riff that sounds like the █
█ misty slopes rendered in the lyrics. There can be █
█ no doubt that Reingold had a dominant role in █
█ composing the music for this song, which is █
█ somewhat reminiscent of Karmakanic. It is a █
█ stupendous composition with miles of depth. █
█ Gildenl÷wÆs vocal is one of the best on the album, █
█ with a particularly anguished tone to his voice û █
█ perfect for the languid nature of the song. I did █
█ not feel the need for the Moog solo that appears █
█ in the mid-section, and thought that the song █
█ would probably have sailed even better without it. █
█ But soon enough that magnificent, effusive and █
█ tortured melody returns, to swirl around the last █
█ verse, which ends the song beautifully. æThe VoidÆ █
█ is absolutely breathtaking. █
█ ôAn Eye For an Eyeö brings matters to a much █
█ faster, pounding pace, starting as a full-on █
█ rocker in which Minnemann is given full remit to █
█ open up his startling chops. It is no surprise █
█ that Minnemann wrote this song. His fills are, as █
█ you would expect, confounding, and the song starts █
█ fast, heavy and hard. Regardless of the trickier █
█ Prog fills and time signatures, this one could, █
█ strangely enough, have been Thin Lizzy on Prog █
█ steroids. For those who like to rock, æAn Eye For █
█ an EyeÆ will be a highlight of the live set. It █
█ features a beautiful lingering guitar solo û as █
█ good as anything Stolt has done, just rockier. █
█ Then, led by Reingold and Brislin, the song takes █
█ a turn û the keyboard solo arrives and the song █
█ suddenly becomes tight and complex jazz-rock. █
█ Intricate and neo-jazzy, the solo is brilliant, █
█ and Brislin shows that he clearly deserves his █
█ place. After the solo, a jagged pattern again █
█ exposes MinnemannÆs wildly animated fills and █
█ leads into a melodic bridge, before the Rock █
█ returns to bring the song to a triumphant climax. █
█ There is a German torpedo in the water and it █
█ explodes in this song, which is a meridian on the █
█ album. █
█ ôGoodbyeö is, for me, the high watermark of this █
█ album. It begins with a quirky, staccato 7/8 Prog █
█ bass-riff that is very unusual and immediately █
█ entrancing. This intriguing riff remains █
█ throughout, but also morphs into a █
█ delayed-gratification verse by McPherson, and a █
█ glorious chorus. It is hopeful, happy and █
█ fulfilling æRecounting my life, it wakes my soul, █
█ here IÆm free, the river is an ocean, IÆm a █
█ riverÆ. There is something about the nature of █
█ McPherson as a performer that is of itself █
█ uplifting, and his voice, especially when █
█ counterpointed against the other vocalists in the █
█ band, is perfect for this varied Prog arrangement. █
█ The lead solos interspersed in the song are █
█ superb. While reminiscent of StoltÆs æ70Æs melodic █
█ Prog influences, he stamps his own unique sound on █
█ to them. At times, the song sounds like it could █
█ have been done by Yes if they had progressed █
█ compositionally into 2018 (though it is true that █
█ not even a Yes drummer has ever played double kick █
█ drum quite like Minnemann does here.) The whole █
█ song is a triumph, and the wild expectations of █
█ the bandÆs potential fans around the world will be █
█ fulfilled by this song. It is no surprise that █
█ æGoodbyeÆ was a collaborative composition between █
█ all five main band members. This is the █
█ compositional structure that works best for The █
█ Sea Within, and they should create more songs like █
█ this gem, which has everything. The oceans are █
█ alive. █
█ ôSea Withoutö is a jagged and discordant █
█ instrumental exploration of Crimson-esque █
█ progression, with some added sonic magnitude, █
█ lasting two minutes. Reingold delivers one of his █
█ signature fretless riffs at the end. It is a █
█ decent enough meander, but one feels that more █
█ could have been done with it. █
█ ôBroken Cordö comprises the obligatory 14-minute █
█ epic. Interestingly, it was not composed by the █
█ five main members, like the brilliant æGoodbyeÆ █
█ was. The song took several days to grow on me, but █
█ ultimately did so. It has a clear Sergeant Pepper █
█ feel at the beginning, and progresses from there. █
█ Various quirky, interesting, ethereal and anthemic █
█ passages create an overall result that is █
█ excellent, though not triumphant. It drags █
█ somewhat in places until the lead solo (with █
█ StoltÆs famous sound) rescues it. I had to listen █
█ hard for Jon AndersonÆs appearance, which is one █
█ of the backing vocals behind McPhersonÆs and █
█ Gildenl÷wÆs alternating leads, and his MasterÆs █
█ Voice is placed appropriately enough. The vocal █
█ harmonies in the chorus create an expectation of █
█ redemption, and indeed, the body of the song kicks █
█ in with Stolt and Brislin solos that redeem the █
█ arrangement. There is some further meandering █
█ thereafter, including a few redundant passages █
█ that could have been edited to create a slightly █
█ more finely-crafted epic, which I have no doubt █
█ the band will do in the future. Regardless, TFK █
█ fans will love æBroken CordÆ because the sweet █
█ vocal melodies so prevalent in that band are to be █
█ heard here. As a huge TFK fan, I appreciate the █
█ artistry of creating a slow, deliberate build, and █
█ I am prepared to invest in it. However, some might █
█ feel that this technique belongs in TFK rather █
█ than The Sea Within, whose line-up may have █
█ created somewhat different expectations. The song █
█ contains many great moments, but a slightly less █
█ expansive approach would have made it even more █
█ special. Either way, the song will ultimately █
█ please listeners and will certainly fulfill its █
█ æepicÆ intent after some listens. Rudderless? No û █
█ more like a delayed and very exploratory █
█ traversing of wide-open seas. █
█ Jordan Rudess makes an appearance on æThe Hiding █
█ of TruthÆ and one can immediately hear it, because █
█ his technique is simply unmistakable. He is on █
█ this song because of the way he plays û not █
█ because he is Jordan Rudess. The song is an █
█ elliptical Stolt pop melody that begins with █
█ swirling atmospherics, great Rudess piano work, █
█ and Casey McPhersonÆs outstanding vocals. It █
█ develops into a strong pop ballad. McPherson has █
█ an uncanny ability to create a hook just with the █
█ tone of his voice. RudessÆ intricate piano work █
█ sustains the song, and allows Stolt to provide a █
█ great melodic lead solo that is more about feel █
█ than notes. █
█ The release apparently comes with a 26-minute █
█ bonus disc in all versions. The first song on Disc █
█ 2, ôThe Roaring Silenceö, builds from nothing, █
█ through an ethereal opening, into a good, heavy, █
█ dark Prog composition that provides the listener █
█ with a crisper experience. ôWhere are You Going?ö, █
█ a Brislin/Gildenl÷w composition, starts as a piece █
█ of ethereal pulchritude. With a Beatles vocal and █
█ a misty riff, it soon then builds into a solid █
█ enough ballad, with an anguished feel. It is █
█ simple but good. ôTimeö is another compositional █
█ collaboration between the five main members. It is █
█ sad, dark and moody, and again reminiscent of King █
█ Crimson in an introspective mood (though █
█ admittedly with more expansive vocal █
█ arrangements). Filled with grief, the song is very █
█ emotive. Lastly, ôDeniseö is strange narrative of █
█ a man telling his woman that he will not be back █
█ because he is in prison, and asking her to █
█ remember him by their good times near the river. █
█ Filled with regret and remorse, it is reminiscent █
█ of a modern Prog take on æThe PrisonerÆs Song.Æ █
█ Overall, The Sea WithinÆs first album is a highly █
█ impressive but diverse voyage. Passengers on this █
█ ship will experience expansive high sea views, █
█ daunting subaqueous emotional depth and even █
█ fathomless submerged darkness. But they will also █
█ enjoy pleasing coral imagery, aquamarine beams of █
█ musical light, frolicking waves of melody, █
█ compositional variety and, most certainly, █
█ virtuosity of oceanic proportions. If the album █
█ misses the total perfection that its line-up █
█ portends, it is only because some of it feels a █
█ little more fragmented than it perhaps could have █
█ done. There is, without ever becoming piecemeal, █
█ some exploration on open waters. The distinct █
█ impression created is that the band ought to █
█ co-compose more as a unit, rather than the various █
█ members proffering their completed compositions █
█ individually. With the exceptions of æThe VoidÆ █
█ and æAn Eye For an EyeÆ, the most successful █
█ compositions on the album are the fully █
█ collaborative ones. The brilliant æGoodbyeÆ is █
█ most certainly an example of this. As these superb █
█ musicians begin to tour, to gel as a band, and to █
█ work together as much as geographical distance █
█ allows, they will no doubt combine to become the █
█ great force in Prog that has been predicted. The █
█ tempest has risen, but it will become a tsunami █
█ when these winds are harnessed together. █
█ The Sea WithinÆs first major gig will be in July █
█ 2018 at The Night of the Prog Festival in Germany. █
█ It will be interesting to see the frenzy with █
█ which the band, and Minnemann in particular, are █
█ welcomed there. I have no doubt that the crowd █
█ will be frothing like surf. The band intends to █
█ tour extensively, and is booked to appear on █
█ Cruise to the Edge, which will be a defining █
█ moment (not just because of the bandÆs name). █
█ When there are expectations this large, it can be █
█ a little unfair on the creators of the work. Is it █
█ quite as brilliant, special and perfect as the █
█ pundits have demanded it to be? At many points, █
█ yes, though at a few, perhaps not. But this is no █
█ temporary life-raft. On the contrary, there are █
█ some songs here that already place The Sea Within █
█ at the crest of a burgeoning Prog wave. The vessel █
█ has launched successfully, and even greater oceans █
█ await. With a little editing and more consistent █
█ production, the band is destined for some very █
█ exotic voyages indeed. There are masterstrokes on █
█ The Sea WithinÆs debut album û more than enough to █
█ augur well, if not guarantee, a massively █
█ fulfilling voyage, now and in the future. Don your █
█ life-jackets. █
█ █
█ Marco Minnemann: drums, percussion,vocal, guitar █
█ Jonas Reingold: bass █
█ Tom Brislin: piano, organ, synthesizers, vocals █
█ Roine Stolt: lead electric & acoustic guitars, █
█ vocals, orchestral FX █
█ Daniel Gildenlow: lead vocal & guitar █
█ + █
█ Jon Anderson: vocals (Broken Cord) █
█ Casey McPherson: vocals (Broken Cord, The Hiding █
█ of Truth, Goodbye) █
█ Jordan Rudess: grand piano (The Hiding of Truth) █
█ Rob Townsend: tenor saxophone (The Ashes of Dawn) █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Ashes Of Dawn 5:59 ░
░ 2. They Know My Name 5:09 ░
░ 3. The Void 4:54 ░
░ 4. An Eye for an Eye for an Eye 7:01 ░
░ 5. Goodbye 5:31 ░
░ 6. Sea Without 2:23 ░
░ 7. Broken Cord 14:10 ░
░ 8. The Hiding of Truth 5:34 ░
░ 9. The Roaring Silence 8:06 ░
░ 10. Where Are You Going? 5:54 ░
░ 11. Time 7:18 ░
░ 12. Denise 5:16 ░
░ 77:15 ░
░ ▒ ▒
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