One question fellow Proggers- Why isn't this band known? Heck, another question- As these talented musicians have been together a while- Why the small body of work? I want more!
Sorry to begin the review of Sphere in such a greedy frame of mind, but Sphere3 (I'm not going to raise the 3 anymore to make typing easier ), is a band that I'd love to hear more albums from! Their EP totally impressed me with their amazingly mature compositional skills, musical talent that rivals Prog legends; while dazzling my senses with many textures, their use of dynamics, ear-grabbing hooks and technicality.
The EP contains three tracks- roughly 4-6 minutes in length- the last including vocals.
Though Sphere3 is a unique band, you can hear snippets of various prog styles (only for the sake of the comparison for the uninvited)
I hear a small hint of Weather Report, Hatfield & the North, possibly Camel, some Anthony Phillips and even a bit of Citizen Cain on one track, but please do not be deceived- this is complex, technical-brilliant progressive music that is unique and isn't afraid to hook you in with a great groove or riff, then hit you with a mellotron blast that emits the right power and emotion without entering the work of pretensiveness. Complexity at it's most simplistic nature and it works!
Cover artwork is slick, simple and effective. It has many textures to it, which fits the music perfectly. Nice job Steve!
My favorite track is the brilliant instrumental- Paralysis which builds up solid dramatics and textural tension. Lots of temp changes, excellent bass playing and drums with powerful keys, as well as some great guitar riffs/keyboard interplay from Steve Anderson (guitar) and Neil Durant (keys). I love the interjection of piano into the mix of classic keyboards and powerful mellotron- the bands adds layers and layers of sounds without getting too muddled- which can hurt song structure.
Shrimp.sng- the second track, brings a pronounced use of the Hammond organ and instrumental riffs, melded into another composition that is more upbeat that Paralysis, with a livelier tempo and excellent percussion.
The finally track: Lights going down, includes the disks only vocals. The composition and keyboards reminds me somewhat of Citizen Cain (not the vocals). Talented bassist William Burnett vocals sounds a tad like Anthony Phillips- but with a better voice (in a Hatfield style), he could use some polish, in terms of range, but his voice doesn't hurt the music at all. His lyrics and bass dynamic playing added with Neil Durant's synths- create great emotion to the complex piece. Steve Anderson's guitar work- always perfect for the tempo or style, is limited to a short solo here and there and though some have said that the guitar mix should be lowered, I disagree- the piece is mostly keyboard driven and the strong guitar mix works well (but this is only an opinion from a Prog fan and not from a qualified musician).
On these three tracks, Sphere3, has accumulated so much of what I like in progressive rock: time changes, dynamic sounds, fusion of different musical styles, etc. Many new bands can dazzle you with technical brilliance, but forget song structure, melody, and hooks and grooves that made me love bands like 70's Genesis, Camel, Bill Bruford, Steve Howe, etc. Musicianship is technically at a very high level and the band has the ability to synthesize their technique with song-based compositions that I haven't heard in a long time.
On the negative side is the production quality, which has that `done at home' quality. Mixing and engineering could have been more bold and even. But this could be easily solved with a good sound person and a quality studio or better equipment. The band deserves it.
Though three songs are not a great cross-section of a body of work or a all-encasing reviewable opinion of a `new' band... I recommend this small EP. If this is what's in store for Prog fans, then their long-waited for album- Comeuppance should dazzle the senses and the soul. This is a Prog band to revere and follow. Hopefully after all the past drummer changes, Jamie Fisher will now be a stable member of the band behind the kit and Sphere 3 will now be able to create a larger body of work to reap the needed attention to survive and progress in the Prog world and hopefully beyond.
Cover art is intersting... though the word `paralysis' could have been put in a better place to inhance the composition.
Can't wait to hear more from four very talented musicians. Hey guys! More music! What took you so long?
8.6/10
--L. Gaskins--
