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Pär Lindh Project: Time Mirror

After a string of albums in the '90s, The Pär Lindh Project is back with a new album Time Mirror. It has been a ten year wait since the 2001 release Vini Vidi Vici. The wait has been understandable considering the unfortunate passing of their vocalist Magdalena Berg in 2007. On the new release the Scandinavian keyboard maestro is joined by first time band members Al Lewis of Starcastle fame on drums and vocals and the excellent William Kopecky on fretless and fretted basses.

If you are like me and dig keyboard driven progressive rock strongly influenced by ELP this disc should be right up your alley. It is excellent and if I would have listened to it sooner it surely would have crept up near the top of my best of the year list.

This is symphonic music with a heavy classical influence with Lindh's keyboards taking center stage. His playing is exceptional and his instrument list is impressive. In particular, his Hammond and church organ often make the highlight reel. Of course this is not a one man band as Lindh has some pretty good help. First and foremost are the lead vocals of Al Lewis who sounds remarkably similar to ex-Yes front man Jon Anderson. It is uncanny to say the least and I enjoyed every minute of it. Kopecky also needs to be recognized as his bass runs are a real delight. You may have noticed an absence of guitar but I feel it's not really missed as the music is richly layered with Lindh's keyboards making for a full, fleshed out sound.

Although there are only four songs, three of them have a running time of over nine minutes with the first, the album's title track over seventeen minutes in length. It is long but the time flies by as Lindh's plethora of keys are a joy to listen to. The song has a bold and dramatic beginning, maybe even a little pretentious but I would not want it any other way. A darker mood settles in before upbeat melodies and intense Hammond organ provides the necessary earworms. Add to that some scintillating church organ and we have an epic in the making. Besides ELP, I also heard snippets of Alan Parson's Project in this one.

The odd song in the bunch has to be the piano driven "Waltz Street" with its ragtime sensibility and honky tonk style piano. It's an uplifting track highlighted by some fabulous interplay between bass and Hammond. More ripping bass can be found on the melodic "With Death Unreconciled" where Lindh puts his various keyboards to good use as he does in the closing track "Sky Door" where a '70s inspired musical landscape is infused with softer parts complete with slow droning keys and wisps of percussion.

The long wait was worth it as Time Mirror is an excellent album that will be adored by keyboard aficionados and symphonic rock junkies alike. Well done Mr. Lindh!


Track Listing:
1. Time Mirror
2. Waltz Street
3. With Death Unreconciled
4. Sky Door

Added: March 6th 2011
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist's Official Site
Hits: 2384
Language: english

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