|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Steensland, Johan: Duality
 Duality is a carefully constructed progressive rock album that shows Johan Steensland’s clear musical skill and ambition. The concept follows a character struggling with memory and identity, and the instrumentation ranges from piano and flute passages to more elaborate rock-prog arrangements. The musicianship across the album is never in doubt.
There are moments where Steensland’s strengths shine, especially in the more atmospheric pieces. Tracks like “Walking In a Straight” Line and “A Perfect Lie” (two of the clearer melodic anchors on the album) offer emotional warmth and a stronger sense of direction compared to some of the longer, more densely arranged sections. The production is clean, and the performances feel precise.
However, the album’s pacing and overall tone were difficult for me. Much of Duality stays in the same mid-tempo flow, creating a uniform atmosphere that, while pleasant, did not fully engage me. It is a lengthy record, spanning over an hour, and I found the lack of dynamic contrast made it difficult to stay invested. The quality is there, but it simply does not match my personal taste.
Still, I respect the craftsmanship behind it. Fans who enjoy introspective, slow-burning progressive rock will likely appreciate Duality far more than I did. For me, it is an impressive work that I can admire, but not one I will revisit often... cheers!
Track Listing:
1. Fragments (2:06)
2. They Believe That I Am Kind (5:20)
3. Only Good Men (4:50)
4. The Shredded Suit (5:05)
5. A Perfect Lie (4:00)
6. An Ordinary Man (4:53)
7. Let Me In! (6:53)
8. Walking In a Straight Line (4:47)
9. Black Sea (3:57)
10. The Dr. Dorian Dance (6:09)
11. What Would You Give? (5:02)
12. Here And Now (10:02)
Added: January 27th 2026
Reviewer: Jose Antonio Marmol
Score: 
Related Link: Artists @ Bandcamp
Hits: 302
Language: english
[  Printer Friendly Page ]
[  Send to a Friend ] |
|
[ Back to the Reviews Index ]
|
|
| » SoT Staff Roundtable Reviews: |
Steensland, Johan: Duality
Posted by Michael Popke, SoT Staff Writer on 2026-01-27 20:20:40
My Score:
I agree with my SoT colleague, Jose Antonio Marmol, that this overly long concept album from Swedish composer, educator, singer and multi-instrumentalist Johan Steensland tends to wallow in a low-energy space that perhaps reflects the somber mood and hospital-room setting of Duality. The 63-minute, two-act disc tells the story of fiction writer and amnesiac Eddie and a head nurse named Lydia who cares for Eddie -- and eventually falls in love with him (I think). The mood finally lifts with “An Ordinary Man,” bursting forth with an upbeat arrangement and some stunning guitar work from Scar Symmetry founder Per Nilsson, followed by “Let Me In!,” which brings down the curtain on “Act 1.” That musical shift continues throughout most of “Act 2,” which more fully showcases Steensland’s musical range and depth. Vocally, he sounds a bit like Peter Gabriel, especially when backed by piano and flute, and fans of Gabriel’s recent work are especially encouraged to check this out -- as are concept-album enthusiasts.
|
|
|
|
2004 Sea Of Tranquility | For information regarding where to send CD promos and advertising, please see our FAQ page.
If you have questions or comments, please Contact Us.
Please see our Policies Page for Site Usage, Privacy, and Copyright Policies.
|
All logos and trademarks in this site are property of their respective owner. The comments are property of their posters, all other content Sea of Tranquility
SoT is Hosted by SpeedSoft.com 
|
|
