Con once discos a sus espaldas, las huestes de Bruce Soord siguen adelante en su labor de conquistar a los amantes del rock progresivo. En este disco colaboran músicos de la talla de Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, King Crimson) a la batería, John Helliwell de Supertram al clarinete, Geoffrey Richardson de Caravan con un cuarteto de cuerda y Darran Charles, de Godsticks, a la guitarra.
“In exile” abre el fuego con una melodía comercial que les ha servido para convertir este tema en single aunque los toques progresivos no tardan en aparecer para mejorar el corte. “No man´s land” apuesta más por el clasicismo dentro del antedicho género. Su inicio acústico nos va llevando de la mano hacia el interior de un corte atmosférico que tiene su parte más enérgica cerca del final recordando a bandas míticas que están en la mente de todos.
“Tear you up” es una descarga en toda regla de rock progresivo de este siglo. La distorsión le deja paso a una melodía interesante que va evolucionando a mejor durante la canción. “That shore” tiene una hipnótica melodía que convierte a este medio tiempo en uno de los momentos álgidos del disco. “Take your shot” aglutina las distintas tendencias del rock progresivo actual y da como resultado un tema bastante importante en lo que a repaso de las influencias de la banda se refiere.
“Fend for yourself” comienza con una base solo acústica a la que se van incorporando instrumentos. Es un tema que crece y mejora poco a poco y que entra en tu mente a la primera escucha. “The final thing on my mind” es el epicentro de este disco, de este temazo salen las distintas tendencias sonoras que contiene, en él encontramos lo mejor de bandas míticas y el bagaje musical de esta banda saca los galones para darle forma a esta gran canción. “Where we stood” cierra el disco con todos los elementos arriba mencionados salpicados con elegancia sonora.
Este trabajo discográfico será una nueva forma de disfrutar de la música de la banda para sus fans y también una forma de descubrir a una banda mítica que lleva en esto un buen puñado de años y que tiene la decencia de hacer discos tan bueno como este. Recomendable.

El nuevo trabajo de estos ingleses es una maravilla progresiva, con un sabor a buen trabajo y experiencia. Esta gente lleva en la carretera desde el año 1999 cuando se juntaron gente tan diversa como su fundador Bruce Soord, quien inició esta aventura como un ensayo para dar rienda a sus gustos personales sobre la música, pues pertenecía a un grupo que no tenía mucho que ver con este estilo, llamados Vulgar Unicorn.
Con este, su onceavo disco de estudio, dan un paso adelante en el avance de su carrera, para demostrar que han vuelto a sacar un trabajo redondo, donde la calidad brilla por sí misma. Aunque algo corto (escasamente pasa de los 40 minutos) el trabajo compete el sonido que lleva siguiendo durante tantos años. Un Prog similar a lo que ofrece Porcupine Tree, y les ha salido maravillosamente bien. Además se han rodeado de buenos músicos invitados, como de John Helliwell de Supertramp, Gavin Richardson de Porcupine Tree o Darran Charles de Godsticks.
Después de cerrar una gira exitosa por Europa y Norteamérica, se han puesto a trabajar en todos los aspectos de este disco, y clave de este sonido es la parte técnica, llevada a cabo por el propio Bruce y por el teclista Steve Kitch. La experiencia de ambos a cargo de la grabación es amplia pues Steve ya producía los álbumes de la banda antes de entrar en la formación y Bruce masteriza discos de la talla de bandas como Opeth o Katatonia, de ahí el sonido tan preciosista y delicado que posee el disco, en general.
Los ocho temas que componen este trabajo brillan con luz propia y manejan una situación tensa y relajada en el sentido oportuno de cada instante. Grupos como los mismísimos Porcupine Tree o los Anathema de ahora suenan de la misma manera. Limpios y contundentes, a la vez que trasgresores de la línea marcada por muchas bandas de este género. Los 16 años de experiencia de la banda les permite dar con el sonido adecuado, pues en ningún momento suena repetitivo o cansino. Una autentica amalgama de sonidos bien pertrechados es lo que nos ofrece esta gente, en su disco más trabajado y profesional desde su obra maestra del 2008. Me refiero a Tightly Unwound, donde la crítica les encumbró al Olimpo del progresismo inglés, con un álbum sublime. Pero los retos están para superarlos. Y a mi entender, este disco supera con creces a aquel disco, y por poco que se les escuche de nuevo, fijo que encumbraran conciertos por el territorio global, y no solo cuando en el 2009 telonearon por la gira inglesa a Riverside, que ya es mucho decir, y es parte de su valía, por su excelso trabajo en esta disciplina musical tan poco valorada por los oyentes en general.
Si dejas los oídos abiertos a sensaciones experimentales, con un gusto especial por el buen trabajo musical, fijo que estos británicos llenaran ese espacio que dejas abierto para sentir ese aroma de perfección musical, que define claramente de que pueden presumir estos chicos. La pasión por la música y el refinamiento progresivo, pasando por toques indies y hasta rozando con el brit-pop, pero conduciendo un tren de modernidad y positividad dentro del progresismo, hasta que sacie tus deseos musicales.
Mi consejo es que le des una oída, o varias, pero fijo que algún matiz te va a enganchar, y en ese momento desearas encontrar esos destellos que te han hecho escuchar el disco completo, y seguir buscando más matices que te hagan succionar un trabajo de etiqueta, dentro de los grupos desconocidos, pero con un amplio rango en su país.

Con su anterior lanzamiento, "Magnolia" (2014), The Pineapple Thief había apostado por un sonido más digerible, algo alejado de sus raíces progresivas. Con referencias claras a bandas de estadio como Muse o Biffy Clyro, el conjunto inglés publicó el que debe ser su trabajo más accesible y "comercial" hasta la fecha. Dos años más tarde, Bruce Soord y compañía regresan con "Your Wilderness", su undécimo álbum de estudio, un disco con el que vuelven a una propuesta mucho más refinada, pero sin caer tampoco en la grandilocuencia o en el exceso de pirotecnia.
En sus 40 minutos de duración, "Your Wilderness" es un ejercicio nostálgico, de un tono contemplativo, en el que predominan las guitarras acústicas, pero que también da espacio a momentos cercanos al rock alternativo. 'No Man's Land' sintetiza de forma perfecta las intenciones de los británicos en su nuevo álbum: el tema comienza como una balada acústica, y con el correr de los minutos toma intensidad y rompe con la calma, desembocando en un cierre potente con un arsenal de riffs.
Estos matices son el mayor mérito de "Your Wilderness", una placa que se mueve tranquilamente por diversas intensidades y frecuencias: hay momentos donde las cuerdas eléctricas toman mayor protagonismo, como 'Tear You Up' o 'Take Your Shot', canciones con vocación evidentemente rockera, mientras que los cimientos progresivos de la banda relucen en 'The Final Thing on my Mind', pieza de 10 minutos de duración adornada con precisos arreglos orquestales, una de las más ambiciosas no sólo del trabajo, sino que de toda la discografía de The Pineapple Thief.
En tanto, la introspección llega a su punto álgido en 'That Shore', tema de un corte más ambiental o en la exquisita 'Fend For Yourself', un tema minimalista, con influencias del jazz de cámara, que sorprende además con un bello solo de clarinete, cortesía de mismísimo John Helliwell de Supertramp.
Pero si se trata de colaboradores ilustres, el disco cuenta con la participación nada menos que de Gavin Harrison, baterista de King Crimson y Porcupine Tree. Encargado de todas las percusiones, su envidiable técnica se nota a lo largo de todo el trabajo, siendo más evidente en el inicio con 'In Exile' o en la mencionada 'No Man's Land'. El mismo Bruce Soord reconoció la importancia de Harrison en esta nueva colección de canciones, asegurando que su contribución redefinió su sonido y la forma de abordar sus inquietudes en el estudio. La labor del baterista no hace más que enriquecer un álbum redondo, generoso en alternativas y que sabe mejor con cada escucha. Haciendo a un lado cualquier desglose, "Your Wilderness" demuestra por qué The Pineapple Thief está entre los actos más interesantes del progresivo moderno. Uno de sus lanzamientos mejor logrados, sin dudas.

Luego de su anterior trabajo Magnolia (2014) los ingleses dejan de lado el camino electrónico y del rock más tradicional, editando Your Wilderness, que se esmera por forjar una senda más abierta hacia lo acústico y brindar una atmósfera de pasividad, pero también combinándolo con sendos riffs en la justa medida que no invaden la esencia progresiva del álbum.
Para lograr todos estos cambios Bruce Soord modifica ligeramente su interpretación llevándola hacia un lado más melancólico, y tal como lo habían informado previamente, la banda recibió la colaboración de grandes músicos en la grabación del disco, entre los que destaca Gavin Harrison (King Crimson, Porcupine Tree) en la batería y Darran Charles (Gosticks) en las guitarras. Con esto obviamente crecieron las expectativas respecto al resultado del LP.
Desde el comienzo con “In Exile” y “No Man´s Land” queda claro que el ex Porcupine Tree no tan solo viene a llenar un cupo, sino que también a plasmar su depurada técnica en la estructura y sonido de cada composición, donde afloran de inmediato los nuevos caminos musicales que quiere explorar The Pineapple Thief.
Por razones como la anterior es que Your Wilderness está lleno de pasajes memorables: los riffs de Charles que hacen crecer a “Tear You Up” convirtiéndolo en el mejor tema del disco y la atmósfera fresca y delicada que consiguen “That Shore” y “Take Your Shot”. Por otro lado, la balada dulce que es “Fend for Yourself” se engrandece con el clarinete interpretado magistralmente por John Helliwell (Supertramp).
El lado más progresivo no queda afuera, y la banda lo saca relucir con “The Final Thing of My Mind” que con sus distintas secciones y en sus casi diez minutos de duración logra ser una síntesis que relata de manera excelente el disco, haciéndonos viajar sobre los distintos sonidos que abarca; con partes melódicas y acústicas, que con la ayuda de los invitados van creciendo y desembocan en un final redondo.
Para el final está la melancolía de “Where We Stood”, marcando el epílogo de un álbum que con sus ocho canciones y 41 minutos de duración quizás parece no ser tan digerible en las primeras escuchas. Algunos podrán considerar que suena algo flojo y homogéneo ya que toma buena distancia de los discos anteriores, sin embargo, con la incorporación de nuevos invitados y, por consiguiente, elementos sonoros, la banda quiere cautivarnos y vaya que lo logra, porque finalmente terminan por enriquecer y transformar a Your Wilderness en un disco refinado y lleno de detalles donde nada queda al azar, con arreglos y armonías que seducen por la cantidad de capas que se le pueden sacar.
Este disco marca un punto de inflexión respecto de cómo la agrupación manifiesta sus ambiciones musicales de aquí hacia el futuro, algo muy importante especialmente después de alcanzar su onceavo álbum, y que en este caso se encamina a paso firme como uno de los destacados del 2016.

UK threesome THE PINEAPPLE THIEF has been a feature in the UK rock and progressive rock scene since the tail end of the 1990's. releasing new albums at a steady pace and maintaining a fairly well established fan-base worldwide as well from what I understand. "Your Wilderness" is their most recent studio album, and was released through renowned UK label Kscope in August 2016.
Those with an interest in the more indie rock oriented takes on the progressive rock genre should find much to love on this latest studio production by The Pineapple Thief. This isn't the kind of album that use overly dramatic effects or pompous arrangements to create moods and atmospheres, but rather opts to explore landscapes of a more delicate and melancholic general nature. Perhaps more of a mainstream oriented affair if regarded in a more superficial manner, but with liberal amounts of subtle details that makes the end result a rather more sophisticated venture than you'll initially get the impression of.
Just about all the songs have something of an ebb and flow structure to them, and sparse, delicate recurring sequences is something of a red thread throughout. This approach is explored in many different manners however, but just about all the compositions opens with a gentle touch. Dampened instruments or sparse instrument arrangements paired off with the emotionally laden, frail lead vocals of Bruce Soord is a recurring feature, with songs then either slowly building up towards a more intense expression or a song alternating between more stark, contrasting gentle and fleshed out arrangements the main variations encountered.
The vocals often gives these songs, especially in the gentler passages, something of a Radiohead vibe, while the more sophisticated, multiple layered ones gives the compositions something more of a Porcupine Tree vibe. On this occasion there are tracks that heads off into other directions as well, the more vibrant landscapes explored in Tear You Up can be mentioned, as well as the subtly intense, slightly Tom Petty flavored piece Take Your Shot. Some nice, softly jazz-tinged details are included in the calmer, darker toned Fend For Yourself as well, further expanding the total scope of this album.
At the end of the day this album is dominated by the gentler, melancholic and fragile moods however, with frail, emotionally haunting landscapes and soft melancholic movements the key characteristic traits defining this production. Besides existing fans, I'd suggest that those fond of the calmer parts of the Radiohead back catalogue and those fascinated by the gentler parts of Porcupine Tree's material would be something of an ideal crowd for this CD.

This album got me out of my mutism.
I actually read a review in a Quebec newspaper saying this art-rock album was the sh...the bomb I mean. I said 'Oh well, it's probably overrated, but let's give it a try'...Boy, am I glad I did. I never got really into the Pineapple Trip, and frankly they always seemed to me another band catching the Porcupine Virus. Well, they indeed pay tribute to Wilson and Co. but in a very convincing way. Very, very convincing way. Yes, they are that good.
All in beauty and (pardon my french) retenue, they are not exploding but imploding gently. The Pineapple Gang is very capable of letting the beast roar here and there, but surprisingly, this album is not so rock but oscillating between the rock and mellow. By mellow I mean 'rainy' or 'eerie', at least 'foggy'.
Beauty, retenue and rainy, whatever the formula is, it bullseyed. A beautifully crafted with no tracks to throw away, gently sang by a convincing Soord who will grow on me as the replays go. I say go with this eyes closed. It does not need a long review, it is at it is: the best album Porcupine Tree never released.
When the Porcupine is sleeping the Pineapple dances.

I've felt for sometime that Bruce Soord's lyrics were very personal and the perfect example is the "Little Man" album where you can read my feelings on the lyrics in my review and they don't get much more personal than that unless you count this one perhaps. Here we have a theme about lost love and how he has been driven to the wilderness of life, in exile, in no man's land, yes the song titles alone reveal much. It's the lyrics though that talk about a breakup and I can only assume it's about Bruce and his wife. It could be about me and my wife which of course makes this album about as personal to me as it possibly could be. There's been plenty of tears while listening to this album, it couldn't possibly be more meaningful to me or come at a better time as for the first time in my life feeling like I'm living alone in exile, in no man's land or in my wilderness. Even the cover art with the wife and daughter looking towards the wilderness is meaningful, are they looking for someone who has been sent away?
Bruce had said in an interview I read last summer that he had gotten away from his Prog roots on the last few PINEAPPLE THIEF albums and this is the recording where he has embraced his love for Prog that he's had since he was a kid. Bringing in drummer Gavin Harrison(PORCUPINE TREE) to replace recently departed drummer Dan Osborne doesn't hurt of course, in fact it's huge. Geoffrey Richardson(CARAVAN) adds strings, John Helliwell(SUPERTRAMP) adds clarinet and Darran Charles(GODSTICKS) was brought in to play the more complex guitar parts, and I noticed he was in the video for the opening track "In Exile". The results are far better than I imagined. Yes the emotional element is huge for me with the lyrics but the atmosphere is at times massive. Lots of reverb and depth to the sound. Also Bruce's vocals are different this time around as he sings in a higher register most of the time and his vocals come across as fragile much of the time, plus the vocal melodies and harmonies really add a different flavour to their sound.
"In Exile" opens with drums as the vocals and mellotron join in quickly. Nice prominent bass a minute in, harmonies too as this is quite catchy. The guitar solo before 3 minutes brings PORCUPINE TREE to mind as random drum patterns help out, then it all kicks back in. Nice. The final one plus minute is all instrumental and really enjoyable. "No Man's Land" is a top three but each tune is special in my opinion. Acoustic guitar and fragile vocals to start along with relaxed harmonies as the keys join in. Just before 2 1/2 minutes we get silence then vocal melodies and some power arrive quickly. They sort of start and stop until it kicks in hard at 3 1/2 minutes to the end. This one is so emotional for me.
"Tear You Up" is another top three. Intricate guitar work to start but it's blown away by some strong drum work and more. It then settles back with vocals. Such a moving chorus(gulp). "And now I'm drifting on the open sea, what's left of me." Checkout the heaviness 3 minutes in, so unusual for a PINEAPPLE THIEF album. So good! And it lasts for about a minute. "I can't tear you up, I cannot tear you up, all those currents run to you, back to you." "That Shore" opens with some beautiful atmosphere as drums and deep sounds join in followed by fragile vocals. Man the soundscape vibrates from the thick atmosphere. This one's all about the mood and those heart breaking lyrics.
"Take Your Shot" kicks in well before a minute but check out the bass and other sounds that it starts with. I do like the harmonies and vocal melodies on this one. It's so catchy as well. It picks up after 2 minutes, man this is good! "You held me down and took the fight to the heart of my life, you set me up all of this time, yeah you did this". "Fend For Yourself" opens with strummed guitar and reserved vocals. "Go fend for yourself, you will find me frozen in stone, with a whisper you had flown and never looked back". A melancholic clarinet solo before 2 minutes is perfect here. Vocal melodies follow as the song and lady fade away.
"The Final Thing On My Mind" is my final top three. Wow this one clocks in at almost 10 minutes. Picked guitar as drums join in then vocals before a minute. I have to say the vocal arrangements are so well done on this album. There's so much depth of sound here and those vocal melodies add so much to my enjoyment. The intensity is building before 3 1/2 minutes as the strings join in. This is insane! Then a calm with picked guitar only takes over. The vocals are back a minute later. The lyrics here break my heart all over again. "Every waking dawn it's you I see, coming back to me. Everything you did is a part of me, ripped apart from me". It kicks in after 8 1/2 minutes including some scorching guitar. "Where We Stood" ends the album in an emotional and sad way as we get strummed guitar and reserved vocals standing out. Some soaring guitar too. Again check out the lyrics.
Without question this will be near the top or right at the top of my "best of" list for 2016. Whenever music touches me like this it's almost like having a moment with God.

Another very solid, melody-rich album from these PORCUPINE TREE-inspired musicians. I like the band's choice to employ more sparse, almost acoustic instruments and more spacious arrangements of their music in support of Bruce Swoord's solid vocals. Despite the help of a nice group of guest artists--including former PT drummer, GAVIN HARRISON, the album has quite a stripped down sound from previous Pineapple Thief.
1. "In Exile" (5:10) is a pretty solid album opener. Driving, insistent, melodic. (8.5/10)
2. "No Man's Land" (4:17) a gorgeous song with the first half sounding quite similar to Damon Albarn's "Out of Time." (9.5/10)
3. "Tear You Up" (4:51) a solid song that feels very familiar from the PT discography but lacks power, punch or freshness. (8/10)
4. "That Shore" (4:52) is a very pretty, delicately textured song whose sound foundation formed during the first 35 seconds is actually the most complex part of the song! Bruce's very delicate, emotional vocal which follows is then supported by even more sparse soundscape for the first and second verses. Even the choruses are pretty low key. Atmospheric. (8/10)
5. "Take Your Shot" (4:38) a song founded on acoustic instrumentation, it has a kind of throw-back rock sound--like an 80s band like TOM PETTY, LOVE AND ROCKETS, or even a bit of TEARS FOR FEARS. (8/10)
6. "Fend for Yourself" (3:43) sounds a lot like a previous hit of theirs, "My Debt to You," only a slightly more acoustic version. I like the presence of the woodwind. (8/10)
7. "The Final Thing on My Mind" (9:53) another solid prog epic from TPT. Nice dynamic shifts. (9/10)
8. "Where We Stood" (3:45) sounds like a STEVE WILSON song (as opposed to a PT song)--but this is really the first one. Chord progression, instrument sounds, vocal stylings, song arrangement. But it's good! (8.5/10)
This band just keeps getting more and more polished . . . at doing pretty much the same thing they've been doing for over a decade now.
A solid four star album; an excellent addition to any progressive rock music collection.

I first heard about the Pineapple Thief a couple of years ago, despite the fact that the band is active for almost 2 decades now. I listened to a couple of their songs, and then added in my collection the album Magnolia (2014). Their style can be described as a mix of bands like Muse, Porcupine Tree, Radiohead and Gazpacho, to name a few. Their music in most occasions is mellow, melancholic, romantic, but it also has a "wilder" side from time to time, which I find very welcome. I mean, let's get serious; how much melancholy one can stand? I really enjoyed their previous album, that's why I was very curious to listen to this new one, especially when I learned that some very good musicians are participating in it; like for example Gavin Harrison of Porcupine Tree, John Helliwell of Supertramp and Geoffrey Richardson of Caravan. When I first listened to the album I felt like I was listening to a new but a more mellow version of Magnolia. All the elements that characterize their sound are present, but the overall outcome is a more melancholic and a less inspired one. (Always in my opinion). It is one of those albums that you can easily listen from the start till the end, even use it as a background music without being annoying, but I have the feeling that there is something missing here. Maybe a couple of stronger compositions, maybe a little more "powerful" parts; I can't figure it out. Of course the album includes some really fine songs and moments, like for example the songs 'Tear You up' and 'Fend for Yourself', especially when John Helliwell's clarinet enters. But the overall feeling I get is kind of a "flat" one, and that bothered me to be honest. I'm having difficulties when it is time to choose my favourite(s) songs out of it, because I like the album, but I can hardly pick the one or two songs that are making the difference in it. But this is only my personal opinion, that's why you should listen to it and form your own one. I read some very positive reviews, and saw some very high ratings, so maybe this album doesn't match my music tastes so much. As for my rating, I'm affraid I can't give more than 3.0 out of 5.0 stars to it.

Rejoice Porcupine Tree fans, who are abandoned by their prog icon Steven Wilson! Pineapple Thief is here to save your souls!
I must admit that I've never been a fan of The Pineapple Thief, which frankly also amazes me, since theoretically this band has most of the elements I like in prog music. Moody, atmospheric, melodic and experimental music should be fun, right? No, I checked each of their albums many times in the hopes of finding a new favorite band, but I failed miserably. While I always felt that the main influence in their music was Porcupine Tree, somehow the music did not click, although I definitely adore Porcupine Tree.
This time, it's different. So different that it made me write my first review for this site after many years of readership and my hiatus in music journalism. This is the first Pineapple Thief album, that IMHO does "everything" right. The inclusion of Gavin Harrison is probably one of the most important factors in elevating their music to new heights but of course there is more to it than that. Crystal clear production, Geoffrey Richardson's breathtaking string arrangements, Darran Charles' amazingly concise and effective solos really shine and above all Soord's songwriting has IMHO considerably matured, which resulted in interesting song structures and also infectious melodies. This is something very hard to achieve, and those who can do this, mostly become prog icons of our age (I'm looking at you Mr. Wilson).
Speaking of Steven Wilson, I always felt that Bruce Soord subconsciously aspired to become the next Wilson of our time and this is the first time that he passed this exam with full marks IMHO. The music in Your Wilderness can be summarized like this: Imagine the latter day Porcupine Tree, take away the excessive heaviness and instead put more tendencies towards modern british rock/indie music with some pop sensibilities into the cauldron and voila! Since most of us crave for a new Porcupine Tree album, this album felt like an oasis in the desert. Yes, nothing groundbreaking here, nothing new to hear but this is the most "complete" album in this style since 2008. The only flaw? It's so damn' short!
I'm not a fan of track by track reviews and will never do anything like that but Your Wilderness is an album which is greater than the sum of its parts. I've never found a moment where my amazement ceased in this magnum opus thus I don't hesitate to give it five stars. Recommended for Porcupine Tree fans!

La banda de rock progresivo SYNDONE, un grupo histórico italiano, comenzó a finales de 1989 cuando el tecladista y compositor Nik COMOGLIO decidió formar un trío en una onda ELP, con Paolo SBURLATI en batería y Fulvio SERRA en bajo. Muy inspirados comenzaron a generar ideas musicales evitando los arreglos fáciles, especialmente los que se dedican a la guitarra, el instrumento más sobreutilizado en todo género.
El nombre del trío surgió del interés de todos por un nombre que evocara “santidad” «sacralitá», “Turín” (que es de donde es el trío), “espiritualidad” y “grabado en surcos” «solchi incisi» como en los viejos LP, lo que hizo a Nik pensar en SYNDONE, con “Y” para diferenciarse de la famosa reliquia y hacerse internacional al mismo tiempo sin ser blasfemos. De hecho, el nombre evoca de inmediato a Turín en cualquier lugar del mundo, cosa que le agrada mucho a Nik.
Tras dos realizaciones, "Spleen" (1990) e "Inca" (1992), producidas por Beppe CROVELLA, la banda se desintegró por broncas entre ellos y cada miembro agarró su propio rumbo. 18 años más tarde la banda regresó en formato de quinteto para una nueva realización, cambiando a trío nuevamente en su 4to disco.

There was no time to be thrown away just like this for Syndone and the Italian band revisited Beppe Crovella's studios for the recordings of a second album, which was to be released under the title ''Inca''.It seems that the trio had recruited a fresh member, keyboardist Edo Rogani on piano, Moog synth, synthesizers and Hammond organ with Nik Comoglio handling the same instruments plus the acoustic guitar.The album was released in 1993.
The arrival of a new keyboardist led Syndone straight to a full-blown E.L.P. sound with less emphasis on jazzy leanings and an obvious turn to bombastic, virtuosic, keyboard-driven semi-Symphonic Rock, which still retained some Fusion lines, sounding at moments a bit like NIACIN.With a heavy vintage array the style is quite close to the 70's, especially when the Hammond organ and Moog synth come in the forefront, while the music is very dense, technical and quirky with endless twists and complex themes, which often flirt with a jamming approach.The sweet, Italian vocals, which appear every now and then, remind me of LA TORRE DE ALCHIMISTA's lead singer Michele Giardino.They still seem not be actually fond of the melodic lines, as the album contains very few of them and appears to be strongly based on the technical accomplishment of the keyboard duo, while originality is an issue as well.But this is far from a dissapointing release.Good use of dual analog keyboards and a tremendous energy at moments are definitely rewarding, while some atmospheric synth flashes are also quite nice.
E.L.P.-like Symph/Fusion with a powerful tone and a heaven for all freaks of analog keyboards.The vocals are also pretty beautiful, as a result this is a more than decent release from the 90's.Recommended.

A real step forward from their debut album. Inca is a lot better written, produced and executed album. The songs are all stronger and more mature although the band has some hints to a more catchy approach in the singing parts wich makes the album more accessible but also less interesting. The singing is also better this time but the songs are a bit short and I would have liked them longer so they could develope more. THere are some great keyboard parts on the album, the last song is one of my favourites wich contains some great stuff although the singing is a bit cheezy. A real good album that should have the rating 4 for italian symphonic lovers and 3 for the rest of the prog community.

I reviewed Spleen in the New Italian article some issues back. Inca is the dual keyboard follow up to Spleen and is a big step up in terms of vision and quality. My biggest complaint with groups like Syndone is their penchant to combine complex and involved progressive rock with bouncy pop rhythms and mediocre verse-chorus structures. Like Calliope, Syndone have two prominent styles. Inca opens with a suite of three tracks that portray one of these styles – a keyboard-fronted dynamic rock with driving ever changing rhythms and lots of Hammond and mini moog. This was a great way to start the album. The title track portrays the other style – boom BASH rhythms all the way through and pop styled vocals and melodies. The rest of the album switches back and forth between these styles, often within one track, and simultaneously switches from excellent to mediocre. I hope for the future the band will continue in their more involved and original style. The whole band is quite talented and do a good job of taking the ELP / Italian classical rock style to a new modern standpoint. We may be hearing good things from this group, Inca is a pretty good release.