Always a pleasure to listen to new output from Jeff Hamel under the Majestic flag. Together with drummer Mike Kosacek and the vocals of Chris Hodges, Celine Derval, Marc Atkinson and David Cagle, Jeff produced this 6 track and almost 55 minutes of music. Music that moves along the paths of (neo) progressive rock, with sometimes heavy passages, and on the other hand some more peaceful moments. But that is the way we like it, right?
Opening with Chariots, the albums epic of 11+ minutes. Beautiful built with several themes and shifting to quite some different styles and moods, this is a great example track for the album. Soaring solos and haunting keyboards, it is all there. Mother Dearest opens with a twisted organ sound and a riff that would not be out of place on a Spock´s Beard album. In this track some more heavy parts are present with heavy kick drumming and some fiery synth solos as well. Coll vibe throughout though, and never a dull moment. And even if there are only 6 tracks (with tracks 4-6 forming a concept), the nature of this is to keep it fresh and takes turns left or right, but always at a time you´d least expect it. Still it does not sound over ambitious or fragmented. So I had little problems liking this as I did with other albums featured here. Go check ´m out!
