domingo, 12 de maio de 2019

NTH ASCENSION - STRANGER THAN FICTION (2019) UK






Surprise, surprise, surprise! NTH Ascension are back with a new record. Guys, I have to tell you that if you still don't know about them, now it's the time to get acquainted with the band's work.
They're from Fleetwood near liverpool, the keyboard player also does his best in the humongous outfit TEN, Gary Hughes' brainchild.
This is the time, they can no longer be ignored, the quality is so immense that you have to be foolish not to give them a try.
The human is a multitude of functions, electric impulses that makes us move, breath, love, hate,... there are humans made of numbers, humans made of words, humans made of an array of habilities,... me, i'm a human made of music. i feel music, rhythm, beats, like on that movie TRON, i'm an infinite world of music, and so when i tell you you're missing something true and amazing, believe me, you are.
England is a hive of prog music, since the 60's hundreds of bands emerged and took the world by sound engeneering, giving images to our senses that lived for so long in darkness, From Pink Floyd to Marillion, Yes to Genesis, King Crimson to ELP, Asia to It Bites, Alan Parsons to Threshold, Barclay James Harvest to Arena, etc,... they all made life more clearer, and still do, and now we have the likes of NTH Ascension holding the flag of prog rock.
I started this review with the word surprise 3 times, and it was not about the fact that there's a new record in stores, it's because i am really surprised with the work these Fleetwood boys just presented us. Michael Alan Taylor – Vocals; Darrel Treece-Birch – Keyboards (TEN); and the walker family, father and sons, Craig Walker – Drums & Percussion, Gavin Walker – Bass Guitar; and Martin Walker – Electric & Acoustic Guitars, come together as a tigh outfit and were we in the golden era, and the record companies would be fighting for their signatures and give them the final push towards stardom.
In one of my early reviews, i commented that they needed someone from the outside to take hold of the tables and somehow it happened. Darrel and Martin did the engeneering but the famed Eric Gillette did the rest in the USA. The job went so far that they stepped the ladder so high and now there's no turning back. They entered the realm of the holy, and now there is the big responsability to keep doing better and better each time; big task ahead. The quality is that good!
Let's talk about the surprise. Eight tracks, around 70 min. of music and lots of great moments to enjoy.
This time the quality just baffled me. Throughout the record there's a multitude of things to enjoy so well crafted that we can only find in the elite bands. From jazz fusion to eighties more happy moments, theatrical rock, power riffs bordering highest plains of metal, the force is strong in this one. just read the following:
The Opening- An instrumental stormy weather in the highlands slowly clearing for the take off with flutes from afar telling us there is life in the greens before the guitar floats side to side, leaving the grounds clearer...
True Identity- ... for this majestic piece that seems to come right out of a broadway show. Very heavy and dark, there's a lot of theatrical and vocal games, stints of Marillion\Fish. This is something done by very accomplished musicians, and with this tune i rest my case, only the good ones can do this. A favorite.
Fire in the Sky- The pounding on the keyboards is really powerfull, a complete rhythm section, i can imagine the keyboard player as a maestro driving the band throughout space and beyond, i just don't know how but there's something here that drives my senses to Asia and Geoff Downes in this one. you can't no longer ignore this keyboard player, he studied the best and he turned in to one. this tune has a lyric that shows the band's misfortunes in the last months ending up creating their own label; graciously turned into a up tune. Another favorite.
Reconciled- And now we have our 80's moment perfectly combined with subtle prog movements in order not to be displaced from the record alignment. Very well done!
Following tracks 5,6 and 7 are a continuation of the conceptual work started on the first record of the band the "Clanaan Chronicles", a fictional story in the vein of lotr\narnia, about the battle between good an evil beings an the subsequent hero that emerges to put the balance back again. So, musically it's a movie with lots of moods and ambients, very accessible and melodic were you can lay back and hipnotize yourself in deep worlds. There isn't a dull moment in these almost 30 min. of musical fiction.
Sound to Light- And for last we have another 80's moment starting in the form of an acoustic ballad and growing to a power riff driven movement. from there to another dimension far and beyond space, very keyboard driven. Then turning to some fusion jazz with pounding keys and finally back again to the 80's power moment. 18 minutes of pure delight. what a voyage!!! 



There's no weak song on this record, no bad leg, this is really good, ultra professional. You have to be that good to produce such a wine, full of flavours and yet all combined make a powerful liquid that really fills you up inside.
For a prog rock album, it's very strong, melodic and melodie driven, it's a formidable job! Darrel Treece-Birch is an amazing keyplayer, alongside now with the best of the best, wakeman, emerson, downes, etc...
But the rest of the band don't came after him, they complement each other perfectly, even the vocal performer goes further in his job this time, daring higher fields.
I am really surprised and thankfull for this amazing album. congratulations to the band, they nailed it good!
The best i've heard in a long time among lots and lots of fish and chips. I just wish them that someone comes and gives them the push they need to become noticed by the masses in order to enjoy this superb work.
In stores 31th of may 2019! Don't miss it!
mcLeod has spoken!

https://youtu.be/NpQwuZYU5pU