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Progland was founded by John Gabbard in 2005. It's purpose has been to provide you, the music community with the latest music and dvd reviews. It will continue to be your link to the most popular music reviews in the progressive world.

 

Satellite-Evening Games

Label - Metal Mind
Reviewed by: Tom Karr
Genre: Prog Rock
Country: Poland
Language: English
Length: 75:43
Release Date: 1/2005
Label:
Metal Mind
Band Members: Wojtek Szadkowski / drums, percussion Robert Amirian / vocals
  Sarhan / guitars Krzysiek Palczewski / keyboards
  Przemek Zawadzki / bass guitar
     
Track Listing: 1.)- Evening Games (16:45) 8.)-Take it as it is (3:39)
  2.)- Never Never (7:02) 9.)- Ill Follow the rain (bonus) (3:25)
  3.)- Rush (5:47) 10.)- You know and I know (bonus) (6:44)
  4.)-Love is around you (5:39)  
  5.)- Why (6:59)  
  6.)- Beautiful world (9:05)  
  7.)-Evening Overture (10:38)  
     
The Review

I've not heard Satellite's first disc A Street Between Sunrise And Sunset but I have heard of people saying with some disappointment that this disc is darker and more of a downer than the first. Wow, the first album must have really been something great for people to react this way. Always (fashionably) late to the party, I say that Evening Games is in itself something of an interesting release to ponder and try to hold on to for a while. The whole album is like some whispered secret that makes one look over their shoulder after hearing it. And the secret seems to have something to do with the band's penchant for mixing pop and neo-prog.

For those not familiar with Satellite, (like myself a week ago) they are a Polish neo-prog band steeped in the sound of IQ and Marillion and they feature a lot of techno dance rhythms and highly produced segues from one passage to the next and one song to the next. They are quite polished musically and they offer Hogarth-like vocals, sometimes plaintively emotive, sometimes shouted, but often whispered, painful or sarcastic. They thrive on dynamic contrasts and Satellite's music is a skillful blend of lush keyboard passages with Hackett-like guitar accompaniment and short but roaring sections of metal guitar and over the top drumming.

The disc begins with a sixteen minute piece, "Evening Games" that is really two songs trying only somewhat successfully to be one. It's too long, but it's also a pretty good symphonic prog song. The next two, "Never Never" and "Rush" are both nice tunes in the IQ/Marillion-ish mold and they also sport some invitations to comparisons with Yes, The Flower Kings and Depeche Mode as well.

"Love Is Around You" is slow, cheesy ballad with a clever chorus. It's kind of like the old Pet Shop Boys (remember them?) or a bad Midge Ure single. Quite nasty, this one. Next comes what I consider the best work of this album, "Why" It is presented in symphonic fashion and has a number of meter and time changes that are handled with great skill by the very talented Wojtek Szadkowski on drums. The opening motif played on guitar is reminiscent of The Alan Parsons Project and this song reminds me somewhat of Genesis. It is followed by the other standout track from this disc, "Beautiful World" a minimalist tune with a catchy hook and a great blend of prog and pop music. Its vocal delivery is wonderfully sarcastic at times and is excellent overall. It has a gorgeous center, instrumental section with a very nice Hackett style guitar solo.

"Evening Overture" and the albums closer, "Take It As It Is" are both more pop oriented, the first more modern and accessible and the closer more of a traditional Marillion style ballad.

This seems to be, overall, a mixed success. Some of the pop seems a bit frivolous at first but some will hit your sweet spot right away and when the band sticks to symphonic prog they clearly know what they're doing. What's unclear, even a couple of years after this discs release, is how the bands melding of neo-progressive, techno and conventional pop music will go over with fans in the prog community.

RATING: 4/5

©Thomas Karr April 30, 2006

 

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