Progressive Discoveries

Progression Through Discovery


  • Music
    • CD Reviews
    • Gig Reviews
    • Progressive Discoveries
  • Wine
    • White Wine
    • Red Wine
    • Sparkling Wine
  • Books
  • Education
  • Travel
  • Novelty, Innovation, Creativity, Finesse, Wisdom
  • About
  • Contact Page

Intervals – The Way Forward

19/01/2018 By Dr Rob Fisher 1 Comment

I remember well the first time I heard the debut album from Liquid Tension Experiment. An explosive wall of sound fizzing with life, carrying a high energy surge of technical musical brilliance and delivering insane levels of innovative artistry at a breathless, breakneck speed. The sheer power and vitality of the music snapped your head back and kept you utterly and completely transfixed from start to finish.

Rarely has a record caught my attention in quite the same way. Until now. An arresting guitar riff erupts over dazzling staccato power chords and a frenetic, throbbing drum rhythm kicks in to open the doors to Touch and Go (Track 1), a song positively dripping with creative excitement, frenzied purpose and no small sprinkling of sheer breathtaking virtuosity.

Aaron Marshall’s third studio album as part of the Intervals projects grabs your attention with a joyful, smiling wide-eyed intensity and simply refuses to let you go. A fresh, challenging, triumphant spirit permeates and soaks through every chord and every note; make no mistake, you can both hear as well as feel the pulsating spark of disciplined and controlled happiness resonating in and through every track this album has to offer.

Such a dramatic and thrilling opening needs the confidence and the courage of its convictions to drive such an impressive statement of intent. The Way Forward lacks for neither. Building on the core musical foundations established in The Shape of Colour (2015), the new release is an impressive and, in places, exciting evolution of the ideas, themes and soundscapes found in previous releases.

In this respect, Touch and Go serves as a gateway which admirably consolidates what has gone before whilst laying out the groundwork for the new directions about to be taken. Although focus firmly remains on the sheer passion and blazing brilliance of the guitar driven heart of this sizzling instrumental prog, Marshall now cradles it in a more embracing set of soundscapes, each laced with catchy hooks and evocative riffs.

What is immediately noticeable is a much greater degree of complexity in the song writing and more detailed intricacy in both the playing of the lead instruments as well as in the ways in which they interact with each other. A Different Light (Track 3) opens with a light, airy, almost playful riff which is then cheerfully mirrored and echoed through a bewildering series of fascinating variations and thoroughly enjoyable contrasts. Rubicon Artist (Track 6) uses a series of stuttering, shuddering chords and delightfully complex and elevated drum beats to dart from sequence to sequence, never resting, always in motion, carrying you forward.

In turn these highlight the way in which the songs have been carefully crafted and tightly constructed by weaving textures and interactions into each other and slowly building lavish layers to carry the main themes and tunes. By Far and Away (Track 4) is a wonderfully bluesy, (relatively) laid back arrangement which builds and segues between enchanting arrays of melodic moments. Likewise Belvedere (Track 5) gently weaves a variety of slow forming layers to reach a fully amplified crescendo bound tightly by some brilliantly magical guitar work.

The blistering pace and natural momentum of the music does not signal a lack of subtlety or diversity. The remarkably beautiful and hauntingly delicate The Waterfront (Track 7) with its distant echoed opening guitar refrain is ample evidence, if any is needed, of the ways in which Marshall brings significant depth and reflective appeal to the song writing. There is a yearning thoughtfulness and almost sad remembrance of things past which seems to hang in the chords and the passages of transition throughout the song.

By the time you reach the final song there is a feeling akin to having been on a roller coaster ride. As the carriages come to a halt and the experience ceases to be all consuming and gradually begins to dissipate, there is a breathless feeling of both intoxication as well as a satisfying sense of exhaustion. The Way Forward is an engrossing, fiery cauldron of musical inventiveness, spectacular musicianship and boundless vitality. Thoroughly enjoyable and well, well worth a listen.

TRACK LISTING
1. Touch and Go (4.21)
2. Impulsively Responsible (3.54)
3. A Different Light (4.36)
4. By Far and Away (4.08)
5. Belvedere (5.24)
6. Rubicon Artist (4.38)
7. The Waterfront (4.43)
8. Leave No Stone (5.29)

MUSICIANS
Nathan Bulla – Drums & Percussion
Aaron Marshall – Guitars
Cameron McLellan – Bass
Owane – Keyboards

ADDITIONAL INFO
Intervals Music
1st December 2017

LINKS

Website: http://www.intervalsmusic.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/intervalsmusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/intervalsmusic
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/aaronintervals
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Intervalsmusic
Bandcamp: https://intervalsmusic.bandcamp.com/

This review originally appeared for The Progressive Aspect
http://theprogressiveaspect.net/blog/2018/01/06/intervals-the-way-forward/

Please feel free to share this post....Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
Email this to someone
email
Print this page
Print

Filed Under: CD Reviews, Music Tagged With: Aaron Marshall, Cameron McLellan, Intervals, Intervals Music, Metal, Nathan Bulla, Owane, Tech/Extreme Prog, The Way Forward

Trackbacks

  1. 512: Variety + Intervals on Progressive Discoveries | Prog-Watch says:
    20/03/2018 at 5:06 pm

    […] Intervals – The Way Forward […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CAPTCHA
Refresh

*

Today’s Progressive Listening Choice

Today’s Progressive Listening Choice

5bridgeS: The Thomas Tracks: 2009

Please Note:

The web site is presently under initial construction.
  • E-mail
  • Twitter

Books

Phil Collins: Not Dead Yet

17/04/2017 By Dr Rob Fisher Leave a Comment

Time and public perception have been neither kind nor entirely fair to Phil Collins. A hugely impressive song-writer, musician, performer and (to a … Continue Reading

Justin Cronin: The Passage

01/03/2017 By Dr Rob Fisher Leave a Comment

I am normally dismissive of 'long' books. My general rule of thumb is anyone who needs more than 400 pages to tell a story probably isn't a good … Continue Reading

Alastair Reynolds: Revelation Space

26/11/2016 By Dr Rob Fisher Leave a Comment

For someone who claims to be a lover of science fiction writing it seems mighty strange that it has taken me this long to discover the literary … Continue Reading

Education

An Interdisciplinary Life

11/01/2017 By Dr Rob Fisher 2 Comments

21st century life is fundamentally interdisciplinary. From the moment we wake up to the time we go to bed, we live interdisciplinary lives. In all our … Continue Reading

Travel

Hawaii’s Secret Getaway Spots

10/10/2013 By Dr Rob Fisher Leave a Comment

Archives

  • February 2019
  • December 2018
  • September 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2013

Tags

AirbagBjørn RiisBrody GreenCam BloklandconcertCraig Blundellcrossover progDamanekDaniel TompkinsDanny LoprestoDave FosterFrançois FournierGentle Art of MusicInsideOut MusicIslington Assembly HallJean-Sébastien GoyetteJean PageauJem GodfreyJez MartinJohn MitchellKaribowKarisma RecordsKscopeMarek ArnoldMichel St-PèreMysteryNathan Kingneo progressive rockNick BeggsOakOliver RüsingProgressive MetalProgressive Promotion Recordsred wineSean TimmsSouthern EmpireSteve HackettSub89Sylvain MoineauThomas ThielenThresholdVolaWaitroseWhite Star RecordsYatim Halimi

Progression Through Discovery

Progressive Discoveries explores the worlds of progressive (rock) music, wine, education and travel, providing information, articles, reviews and opinion pieces written by Dr Rob Fisher and invited guest writers.

"Welcome to an interdisciplinary life. I care about things which have inherent meaning, value and purpose in a discordant and fractured world and passionately believe that interdisciplinarity is a way of living in the world which is capable of transforming people's lives. Being interdisciplinary gives you the tools you need to live your life more effectively and to cope a little better with making sense of the experiences we all wrestle with on a daily basis." Rob Fisher

Recent

  • Oak – False Memory Archive
  • Top Picks of 2018
  • Mystery – Lies and Butterflies
  • Southern Empire – Civilisation
  • The Paradox Twin – The Importance of Mr Bedlam
  • Queen – The O2 Arena, London, July 2018
  • Yuka and Chronoship – Ship
  • Subsignal – La Muerta

Search

Tags

Airbag Bjørn Riis Brody Green Cam Blokland concert Craig Blundell crossover prog Damanek Daniel Tompkins Danny Lopresto Dave Foster François Fournier Gentle Art of Music InsideOut Music Islington Assembly Hall Jean-Sébastien Goyette Jean Pageau Jem Godfrey Jez Martin John Mitchell Karibow Karisma Records Kscope Marek Arnold Michel St-Père Mystery Nathan King neo progressive rock Nick Beggs Oak Oliver Rüsing Progressive Metal Progressive Promotion Records red wine Sean Timms Southern Empire Steve Hackett Sub89 Sylvain Moineau Thomas Thielen Threshold Vola Waitrose White Star Records Yatim Halimi

Copyright © 2021 · Dr Rob Fisher · Progressive Discoveries · Progression through Discovery