Published on May 23, 1999
One of the benefits this gig has had for me is that I’ve
regained an interest in progressive rock that I hadn’t really had
since high school. But the more I listen to of modern prog-rock,
the more critical I find myself getting of the genre. It always
took a lot for me to get really excited about an album in this
genre; now, it takes even more for me to hop up on the soapbox and
sing a prog-rock group’s praise.
But that’s a-what I’m gonna do today – and the guest of honor is
Artension, whose third album
Forces Of Nature should open a lot of people’s eyes and
ears, and make this genre a popular one again. Showing that
progressive rock and metal can be successfully combined without
sacrificing any integrity, Artension unleash a ten-song
tour-de-force that actually leaves the listener feeling sad when
it’s over.
The group is centered around keyboardist Vitalij Kuprij, an
artist who could well be the Joe Satriani of the ivories. He treats
the keyboards like a guitar, whipping off break-neck speed lines
that I never thought you could do on a keyboard. On
Forces Of Nature, his work is sure to leave more than a few
jaws scraping the ground.
But this isn’t meant to take away from the contributions of the
other four members. Vocalist John West takes each song and, with
his own powerful instrument, helps to take these songs into
entirely new territories. Guitarist Roger Staffelbach is an
incredible talent as well; it’s exciting to hear the guitar and
keyboards occasionally trade licks on a solo. (Worthy of note:
guitarist James Murphy also contributes some lead work on this
album, and his solos blend right in.) Bassist John Onder and
drummer Shane Gaalaas round out the group, forming the rhythmic
backbone that pulls all these forces together.
Enough metaphors, you’re saying, how is the music on
Forces Of Nature? Think Yngwie Malmsteen without some of the
classical influences. Tracks like “The Forces Of Nature,” “Lost
Horizon” and “The Truth” all highlight a band that, if life were
fair, would be revered as superstars for this quality package. Even
my wife, who is not tolerant of a lot of the music I listen to,
found something to like. While “Guardian Of The Hunt” was playing,
she was able to draw comparisons to a song she likes; before she
knew it, she had sat down and was listening to the album with
me.
What seals the deal is the way Artension closes the album; “You
Are My Heart (Ode To Autumn)” is a piano and vocal piece that
brings the mood down from all guns blazing to introspective – nice
touch!
Forces Of Nature is an outstanding album from a group that,
chances are, you have never heard of. One listen to this album, and
you’ll regret not knowing about them sooner. I know I wish I had
found out about Artension when they first hit the market – and
something tells me I’ll be going out to snag their previous albums
soon.