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

Seven Steps to the Green Door: Fetish

22/11/2016 By Dr Rob Fisher Leave a Comment

cover

I will make no secret of the fact that I am a long time admirer of the truly remarkable Seven Steps to the Green Door. From the double award winning debut album The Puzzle (2006), to the tour de force of inspired musical excellence embodied in Step in 2 My World (2008), to the beautifully crafted and lovingly composed journey that is The?Book (2011: complete with painted nail in the CD release!), this seven-piece band from Germany always produce music which probes the boundaries of intelligence, passion and vision.

After a four year wait, they return with Fetish (September 2015), a 78 minute musical tsunami which is simply breathtaking. The first listen, at times, can feel a little overwhelming. The music is alive, vibrant, full of energy, dynamism and joy. Full credit here must go to the superb arrangement and mixing by new guitarist Martin Schnella (guitar, bass, backing vocals) and excellent production values which allows the music to breathe in a revealing sound stage where each and every instrument is wonderfully transparent and quickly discloses the technical mastery and superb musicianship of the band.

Once you recover from the powerful initial impact, subsequent listens are a joyful revelation which repeatedly speak to something quite special being offered here in the perceptive and insightful writing of Marek Arnold (keyboards, sax) and Ulf Reinhardt (drums). There is a rich diversity of musical styles and creative segments that are thoughtfully sequenced and carefully fashioned to present an overall musical experience which is abundant in subtlety, nuance and finesse. Again and again you find yourself being engaged, being drawn in to so many different emotional journeys and captivated by the mesmerising ebb and flow of the   story which is unfolding in each track. As with previous albums, you are left in little doubt that this is a work of commitment, of care and ultimately of love. It shines through the album and carries you along from start to finish.

What is, I think, noticeably different with Fetish is the emerging (and quite rightful) confidence of the band to evolve their style where technical discipline flows hand in hand with joyful exuberance. The SSTTGD ‘sound’ from previous albums is alive, well and utterly unmistakable. But Fetish gives it a new context in which to shine as a result of which something new and much more profound emerges.

From the very beginning, two things are immediately noticeable. First, this is an album built around exquisite vocal work. The voice as instrument becomes the focal point for everything else and off which everything else finds its place. Anne Trautmann is sublime in the range and quality of expression she brings to the material. She is joined by Lars Köhler who brings just the right tonal counterbalance and guest appearance by the unmistakable Arno Menses from Subsignal. Together they give us a staggering range of performances which are a joy to hear. From the almost monkish purity of the opening 34 second track Possible Delayed (reprised at the very end of Ordinary Maniac), the wonderful interplay and layered harmonies of Still Searching (track 3) and the haunting melodies of Inferior (track 4) this album excels because the voices take centre stage, not as a dominant tool which drowns out the others but which takes its place alongside them and by doing so enables them to become so much more.

Indeed, this leads to the second noticeable feature of the album: the quite brilliant orchestration of the band to build complex and interweaving crescendo’s that are full of presence, depth and inventiveness. With guest contributions from Steve Unruh (UPF), the foundations are set by controlled, unswerving and menacing guitar work, occasionally unleashed to soar, sweep and ascend to new heights. This is underpinned by driving, ambitious and atmospheric bass work (Daniel Mash of Machine, UPF and ex The Tangent guests). The drums beat out an assured and masterful array of rhythms, full of authority (with additional percussion from Justo Suarez). Keyboards join and swell the building soundscape, enriching the atmosphere and lifting the mood whilst the vocals combine to bring poignancy and emotional bite.

This is a band at the very top of its game, giving us music of the very highest calibre. It is a remarkable album which will surprise, astonish, captivate and delight; spending time with it only increases your awareness of undiscovered depths and hidden treasures. Enjoy it: and let us fervently hope we don’t have to wait another four years for the next instalment on this band’s remarkable journey.

This review first appeared for Progradar
http://www.progradar.org/index.php/tag/seven-steps-to-the-green-door/

Label: Progressive Promotion Records
Format: CD, Digital
Release Date: 11th September 2015

Track Listing

1. Possible Delayed (0:39)
2. PORN! (8:50)
3. Still Searching (9:55)
4. Inferior (7:03)
5. Imprisoned (9:08)
6. Bound in Chains (8:53)
7. Last Lullaby (9:01)
8. Set in Motion (8:39)
9. Ordinary Maniac (16:10)

Total Time 78:18

Band

Marek Arnold – piano, organ, keyboards, saxophone, soprano flute
Lars Köhler – vocals
Ulf Reinhardt – drums
Martin Schnella – bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, baritone guitar, vocals
Anne Trautmann – vocals

with guest musicians:
Lars Bergerow – vocals (5,7)
Sören Flechsig – vocals (5,6,9)
Luca Di Gennaro – synth solo (9)
Elisabeth Markstein – vocals (9)
Daniel Mash – bass guitar solo (9)
Melanie Mau – vocals (1,2,3,8,9)
Arno Menses – vocals (8)
Alicia Pfeiffer – vocals (7)
Annemarie Schmidt – vocals (5)
Justo Suarez – percussion
Steve Unruh – violin solo (9)
Antonio Vittozzi – guitar solo (9)
Stephan Wegner – vocals (3)

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 Tagged With: Anne Trautmann, Marek Arnold, Martin Schnella, neo progressive rock, seven steps to the green door, Ulf Reinhardt

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