25 Yard Screamer: Natural Satellite

25 Yard Screamer is a band I have been familiar with for a few years now having reviewed their Until All Are One (2011) and Keep Sending Signals (2016) albums. The Welsh band have recently released their seventh album titled Natural Satellite. I had been very impressed with the band’s previous material so I was looking forward to digging into their latest. I am happy to say the band continues to be in fine form.

This is a very moody disc with solid references to Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd and Hogarth era Marillion. The guitar and keyboards are used in equal measure often to create tension in the atmospheric soundscape. The band doesn’t focus on solos but more on creating shades of light and dark, mellow and heavy. The music is quite dense, even the mellow moments have an underlying intensity that serves to create plenty of tension. Aggressive guitar riffs are used often but in conjunction with softer sections so as not to become too heavy. The first track “The Storyteller� starts out moody before the riffs are unleashed and the band breaks out the heavy prog. I hear elements of Porcupine Tree in this one. “Devastate� has a darker feel with shifting moods between heavy and light but really this is very dense music invoking images of Porcupine Tree and Marillion, especially in the lead vocals which have a touch of Hogarth at times. More tension is created in the epic “The Silent Rising� featuring creative use of guitar and keyboards. Some of the riffs reminded me of something Rush would have done. “A Space Where Someone Should Be� is mellow and trippy with moody atmospherics and talking vocals. Another cool track. The last track is “Coda Jeremiah�, another epic to be sure. It’s another moody piece with clean and distorted vocals taking the music down a dark lit path. As I noted earlier the tension the band is able to muster, this time with more minimalistic forms is quite telling and always interesting.

25 Yard Screamer has continued to progress, becoming quite a stellar progressive rock band in the process. Natural Satellite is indeed a fine album and one I whole heartedly recommend.

A White Knight Records release.

The players:
Matt Clarke (bass)
Nick James (vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards)
Donal Owen (drums)
Guests:
Rob Reed (keyboards on “The Storyteller�)
Abbi James (spoken word and backing vocals)
Aled Bryn Pennock (spoken word)
Jeff Rees (lead guitar on “Never In The Detail�)

Track Listing:
1. The Storyteller (7:57)
2. Devastate (5:38)
3. The Silent Rising (15:28)
4. A Space Where Someone Should Be (9:17)
5 While We Are (6:26)
6. Never In The Detail (6:42)
7. Coda Jeremiah (14:20)

Added: October 23rd 2019
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 1216
Language: english

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