Mystery Bloom's optimistically titled Lifetime in the Heart – a reworking of that band's earlier material from the mid-Nineties – was one of the best retro-spiced discs I heard in 2002. Think Extreme meets Tyketto. Unfortunately, Mystery Bloom seemed doomed by egos and the usual musical differences from the start, and the band never really took off before dissolving. But out of bad comes good, as New Machine – featuring Mystery Bloom's guitarist Bob Gilmartin and drummer David Garcia – have crafted an album just as engaging yet much more relevant than Lifetime in the Heart.
In addition to Mystery Bloom, both players spent time in Phantom's Opera, playing on that band's latest album, Act IV. New Machine – and New Machine – is a musical amalgam of the melodic leanings of Mystery Bloom and the progressive and pomp tendencies of Phantom's Opera. For this project, Gilmartin also plays bass, Garcia adds keyboards and both guys sing. The chemistry is immediately recognizable, as the 10 songs on New Machine ooze class. Think Kansas meets Rush by way of Pink Floyd, the Alan Parsons Project and Marillion, with brief visits from Bon Jovi and Dream Theater.
Accessible enough for your spouse but intricate enough for you, New Machine wraps three- and four-part harmonies around smart yet aggressive song structures. Granted, a couple tracks (the sappy "Meant To Be" and the balladesque "Blood In The Ocean") sound a bit too familiar, but that's only a minor complaint. The first inkling you're listening to something out of the ordinary comes on opener "Going Home," which incorporates a solemn piano, a classic-rock-drenched voice, exuberant power chords and a melodic guitar solo – all within one minute and 41 seconds. Subsequent tracks, namely the relentless and expansive rocker "In the Wake," the catchy "Falling" and the closing 11-minute-plus epic "Waterfront" confirm that New Machine is, indeed, one of the most refreshing 51 continuous minutes of rock you've heard this year.