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""The Face of Life" remains an album to be discovered, and which will require some listening to integrate all its elements which, once assembled, will provide good musical moments to the attentive listener."
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3/5
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For a good decade, Kinetic Element, an American band led by Mike Visaggio, has been taking us to the roots of progressive rock, the 70's, while dressing it with a certain modernity. After two albums full of music, the singer/keyboard player offers us a third, more compact offering, concentrated around two epic tracks, whose duration is in line with the new standard imposed by the rebirth of vinyl.
Epistle' begins this new album on a rhythmic basis, with a bass at the beginning, which is one of the founding elements of the band's sound, often playing in the high notes. This first track, a little muscular, may remind you of Deep Purple, especially since a (short) melodic line seems to be pumped straight out of "Smoke on the Water". In the calmer passages, a delicious assemblage of melodic lines that overlap refreshes the ears, allowing above all to override a song that, far from being unpleasant, turns out to be very ordinary.
And after this effective warm-up, the two pavers "All Open Eyes" and "The Face of Life" will distil everything that the Progressive rock fan (with a big P) is entitled to expect. Obvious yessian influences personified by vocal harmonies and Mark Tupko's bass playing, when the main theme of the first named evokes Genesis, embellished with frequent rhythmic breaks, numerous purely instrumental sequences and a mix of vintage and modern sounds for the best effect.
And for those who would be surprised by the classicism of the time, Kinetic Element also introduces some dissonant sounds as well as technical parts where the instrumentalists compete in dexterity... The ensemble is seductive, reconciling the different trends of progressive rock of the 70s with a modernist feel, while remaining accessible.
Unfortunately, a few lengths come to taint this balance sheet, which until now has been flattering. First of all, the two epic beaches are struggling to convince in their entirety: the pompous finale that drags on for'All Open Eyes', the slow start of'The Face of Life'. Similarly, we will regret an excessive profusion of themes, which does not allow some of them to be developed in greater depth, sometimes giving the impression of jumping from rooster to donkey. On the other hand, the last two tracks, very similar, are anecdotal.
And finally, we will regret a very average production that does not really pay tribute to the cleverly crafted compositions, full of variety both in the themes delivered by easily accessible melodies and in their rendering.
Despite these few negative points, "The Face of Life" remains an album to be discovered, and which will require some listening to integrate all its elements which, once assembled, will provide good musical moments to the attentive listener.
- Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Epistle (07:10) 02. All Open Eyes (15:57) 03. The Face Of Life (19:35) 04. Last Words (04:04) 05. Lost Words (02:55)
LINEUP:
Mark Tupko: Basse Michael Murray: Batterie Mike Visaggio: Chant / Claviers Peter Matuchniak: Guitares Saint John Coleman: Chant
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STAFF:
3.5/5 (2 view(s))
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