Customer Reviews

Dark Third

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Pure Reason Revolution has created a work of progressive beauty. The challenge of taking progressive music to another place succeeds so well here. Many folks have this one very high on the best releases of the year so far and it is easy to see why. Not as dark as Riverside's great "Second Life Syndrome", "The Dark Third" contains beautiful music for those who love gorgeous female vocals in a progressive context. The vocals and harmonies are thrilling and fit very well with each song's textures and layers. The counterplay of the vocalist also works so well. The playing is stellar. With each listen you hear some wonderfully placed slide guitar, violin and piano within the cleverly crafted musical themes. No weak links here. "The Dark Third" is thrilling. PPR has made a major statement with this recording. Outstanding.

For a short period of time in 2006 Pure Reason Revolution looked like they might be the shining star for the future of progressive rock. They were signed to a major label (a rarity for prog bands these days) and received a lot of hype upon the album's release. Unfortunately less than a year later Sony would drop them like a hot potato and they would be forced back to independent label status. A situation that is very similar to Sony's treatment of Echolyn back in the late 90's. Major label or not this is a damn fine album, in fact it was one of my favorite releases of 2006, and simply put I love this disc. The band has a modern sound, but manages to incorporate elements of classic progressive rock as well. A post-rock influence can be found here as well making the album a challenging yet accessible listen. The liberal use of duel male and female vocals is captivating with lyrics that paint visual pictures of a science fiction theme. There is no one here that really stands out instrumentally, but the band as a whole gels into a fine cohesive unit. I got to see the band live at NEARfest last year and unfortunately was slightly disappointed in their live show. The band had lost one of its members just prior to the show and also had a really muddy sound mix. I would really like to get the chance to catch them again at some point. Overall I give this album my highest recommendation. To me this is what good modern progressive rock is all about.

This for me is the best prog rock debut album in ten years. I can only think of the Flower Kings debut in the same league. This band deserves to make it big in at least the prog rock circles. The album flows from beginning to end. I continually keep hitting the replay button for two songs in particular. Bullitts Dominae and Arrival/Intention Craft. This album and Porcupine Trees latest one "Fear of a Black Planet" are just utterly outstanding. They stand like monoliths compared to all the putrid rancid garbage being produced in America. I don't usually anticipate follow up albums from anybody but I am itching really bad to hear what they come up with next. I need more of that Pure Reason Revolution.

When is Progressive Rock not Progressive? When it's Pure Reason Revolution. The band doesn't really break any new ground here, but they produce an able auditory experience all the same. The most prominent theme on the album is lifted straight out of the lyrics to Pink Floyd's "Echoes": "...a million bright ambassadors of morning...". There are many "echoes" of past prog bands contained within the album: Opeth, Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree, Radiohead, Dream Theater, more. Perhaps the combining of these elements could be considered progressive? Perhaps.

Much has been made of PRR's vocals. There are subtle harmonies, and the layering of the male and female vox is striking at times, but the lyrical phrasing is redundant and boring. There's an almost chant-like feel to it, a very plainsong styled approach. The phrasing is so similar from tune to tune that a certain sameness sinks in, defeating the effect of the instrumental artistry. Singing across the instrumental phrase, not along with it, might help next time. And, please, vary phrasing song to song!

The problem for me was that the band had been hyped by the on-line progressive rock community, perhaps to an unrealistic degree... maybe there was no way they could have lived up to the created expectations.

Still, it's listenable, new, "progressive" rock, and if you enjoy the bands mentioned above, you may enjoy PRR.

This is a very strong initial release. The prog influences on this disc are overwhelming. Pink Floyd is the most obvious, but that is only part of the story. The band may be thinking Beach Boys, but I am hearing The Moody Blues. Early King Crimson and ELP also come to mind. Mix in some White Willow with a touch of Tool and the end product, that may at first sound very derivative, becomes something that sounds familiar yet new at the same time. As with any good prog release, there are some wonderful passages tucked inside, but more importantly everything on this disc works. Don't forget that there is almost 5 minutes of silence before you get to the last track.

In their Progression Magazine interview, Pure Reason Revolution say that they try for dark, heavy Pink Floydish washes of sound, combined with light, airy, soaring Beach Boys vocal harmonies.

This is precisely right.

But the band--though it has many influences--is not at all derivative.

The vocals in general and harmonies in particular are thrilling and never overdone.

The melodies are long, complex, and well-thought-out.

The bass is driven and sounds like Chris Squire.

The drumming is relentless and yet modulated and interesting.

All in all, best CD I have heard (prog or non-prog) in quite a while.

Pure Reason Revolution is a very promising new band that hails from the United Kingdom. They do not like to categorize themselves into a specific genre but if I were going to do it, I would say something like: Space-Prog-Folk Rock. Each song on the album has such great musicianship, and shows that these brits certainly know their way around writing catchy and melodic tunes! If you are a fan of Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd, Radiohead or any bands similar to those, you will love PRR.

What I love about this band is how they do not focus on a certain aspect or instrument in their songwriting; they focus on the song as a whole. Of course there are certain times when some aspects are more at the center of attention than others, but you cannot just say "Oh their songwriting is based on guitars (pianos, vocals etc)."

The two main vocalists are exceptionally catchy. They have more of the modern vocal style that's sort of pop-sounding, which is in no way an insult. I usually am not a big fan of female vocalists but I love the contrast between male and female vocals throughout the albums; her having a great voice doesn't hurt either!

To keep it short, I am going to be keeping an eye out for this band. Seeing how they can write songs this great on their first album, there is no way this band will stay un-heardof for long!

If you've heard anything off the disc, the rest will be similar, but so what, it's a bit of a concept piece, and prog songs are often rather long! They make a great addition to the i-pod with IQ, Porcupine Tree, and Pink Floyd. Get it, enjoy it, let the million bright ambassadors ring in your brain without an outside source, you will like it... then play Meddle. I just ordered the previous two discs and I hope that they are as good.

I sincerely hope this band is embraced by the prog and ambient rock communities. PRR embues everything I like about atmospheric rock. Some have called it a mellow affair and perhaps compared to death metal it is mellow, but the style here is very dramatic, reminiscent of early Pink Floyd. Like early Pink Floyd, the emphasis is on soundscaping, with lush, etherial, Beach Boy like harmonizing, repleat with keyboard flourishes, yet maintaining a connection to modern goth rock. Its like Polyphonic Spree meets Porcupine Tree meets Riverside.

Of course, those of you who are familiar with early Pink Floyd will recognize the Floydian references in at least two song titles, Bullets Dominae and Bright Ambassadors of Morning (from the song Echoes). This is not to say that these guys are merely aping Pink Floyd, because they're not at all. The use of male and female vocals gives it distinction from direct comparison. However, don't make the mistake of thinking its another goth band, which also feature male and female lead vocals. No one singer takes center stage here, both male and female are intertwined, and blend perfectly with each other; both are competant vocalists (no acclimation period required).

Also used throughout is mass choir vocal sections, whether its actually a mass choir or multi-tracking vocals, its a stunning effect. Couple this with a band that very adept at delicate, etherial sounscaping as well as dramatic, symphonic rock, and you have a spectacular prog album. Amazingly enough, as bombastic as the some musical passages are, it doesn't come across as over-the-top theatrical, like with some similar music (Nightwish comes to mind), rather it remains quite organic sounding.

This album is a throwback to a time when an album was an artistic statement, when album flow and feel was as important as the musical contents. Fans of Porcupine Tree or any other Steve Wilson project might find this their cup of tea. Any fan of early Pink Floyd should like this as well. This isn't a band in search of a 'sound', they come across as a band who are playing music they feel. The only question now is how on earth will they follow this stunning debut. Highly recommended.

Influenced by bands like Pink Floyd (particularly their earliest works), Led Zeppelin, as well as The Beach Boys and The Cure for their vocal harmonies, and even modern day Tool and some grunge elements, The Dark Third is a challenging debut album by Pure Reason Revolution.

The fourth track, "The Ambassadors of Morning", is a solid representative of the full album. It clocks in at a little over 12 minutes; blending numerous musical statements, from the Celtic folk parts to semi-electronic and analog synth work, to ambient atmospherics, to both male and female harmonies often sung in counterpoint, to classic rock guitar nuances. The song starts off with subtle keyboards while you can hear lots of sample sounds happening in the background. Far back in the mix, female vocalists hum wordless melodies before a heavier synth layer is introduced. This is followed by a very folky segment mixed with ambience and could make for a great movie soundtrack. The ambience generated by the keyboards is a testimony to the band's love for Pink Floyd. However, as the four-part harmonies kick off, the song turns into post-pop tune with great melodic sensibility. The multi-vocals take a back seat when the first chorus hits the tune with a very repetitive lyrical approach sung by deep, clean male vocals. Eventually the melody reaches its end and another lengthy instrumental section follows with lots of wind effects and sparse synth notes flying around. A grungy Tool can be felt before male and female vocals begin to sing in counterpoint and lead into the second big chorus that is repeated over and over until the last second of the piece.

The other songs are also composed similarly, always injected with a multitude of similar sounds, but when put together, they form these easy-listening pieces which indicate a promising future for this band. The first song, "Aeropause", evokes Pink Floyd with its droning rhythm and slide guitar. Three members in the band play guitar, and that culminates in a wide-ranging sonic pulse, especially on "Apprentice of the Universe". Also, the "dreamy" feel of the whole album fits the concept. Obviously, the band is quite interested in the phenomen of dreams and their interpretation, and that feel is perfectly captured on the whole album. That said, the avid Floyd, Zeppelin or The Cure fans may question the songs' validity, and to an extent, they may have a point. It's great the band wants to mix all these genres, but doing it right is more important.

The production done by Paul Northfield (Gentle Riant, Rush) is amazing; he's rendered an incredible sonic intensity on this album.