Although progressive rock certainly isn't going mainstream any time soon, some prog-rock artists are reaching for broader audiences. Two examples are America's Cryptic Vision and Germany's Alias Eye. Both artists (coinicidentally or not) are on ProgRock Records.
Boasting rich melodies and textured structures, nearly every one of the nine songs on A Different Point of You (the second full-length album from this quintet) makes its impact immediately. Arabian instruments flirt with heavy guitar riffs on the hooky opener "A Clown's Tale," and the lounge-song slink of closer "Too Much Toulouse" employs drum brushes and a melancholy piano to enhance the mood. In between are the egotistical "Fake the Right," the classy "Your Other Way" (featuring a beautiful Spanish guitar), the dream-like "Drifting" and the moody epic "The Great Open."
Vocalist Philip Griffiths sings without a hint of an accent, and the rest of the band keeps many of these songs in the mid-tempo range without reaching a lull. The closest A Different Point of You comes to slowing down is the piano ballad "Icarus Unworded." Despite its strong melody, it's a tad too quiet. But the next song, the compulsively upbeat "The Usual Routine," gets the disc back on course.
Simply stated, A Different Point of You showcases Alias Eye's musical maturation between 2001's still-impressive Field of Names and now. This is accessible and competent progressive rock that may not be as challenging as some other prog music being made today, but it's just as rewarding.
Track Listing:
1) A Clown's Tale (6:52)
2) Fake the Right (5:02)
3) Your Other Way (6:48)
4) Icarus Unworded (6:36)
5) The Usual Routine (4:42)
6) Drifting (3:18)
7) On The Fringe (7:00)
8) The Great Open (7:28)
9) Too Much Toulouse (3:15)
Total Time: 51:02
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