Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Matheos, Moore, and Portnoy have met my high expectations..., February 27, 2003
OSI is a "super-group" project consisting of Jim Matheos (Fates Warning) on guitar, Kevin Moore (Chroma Key, ex-Dream Theater) on vocals and keyboard, and Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) on drums. It also features Sean Malone (Gordian Knot) on bass and Steve Wilson (Porcupine Tree) as a guest vocalist on one song. Being a big fan of Chroma Key, Fates Warning, and Dream Theater, I had very high expectations for this CD ever since I first heard about it several months ago. Now that I finally have the CD in hand, I am very impressed. I would describe the music as a blend of Chroma Key and Fates Warning (not surprising since Matheos and Moore co-wrote most of the songs). The tracks range in style from very heavy (lots of "balls and chunk" as Portnoy would say) to very subdued. All of the tracks are marked with Kevin Moore's signature production style (i.e., multi-layered soundscapes with lots of voice samples and electronic sounds -- fans of Chroma Key will know exactly what I'm talking about). The result is something that has many elements of prog-metal, but which is very different from a typical prog-metal album. I am extremely pleased with this end result, however someone buying this disc expecting to hear a clone of Dream Theater or Fates Warning is likely to be disappointed. Another caution that I would like to mention is that Kevin Moore's voice might not appeal to everyone. I have no complaints about it -- in fact I think it fits the music very well -- but he does not really have a "lead singer" voice. If you do decide to buy this album, I would recommend paying a little extra to get the limited edition, which includes a second CD with three bonus tracks. The first two tracks on this bonus CD are cool cover versions of Pink Floyd's "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" (performed by Moore and Portnoy) and Neil Young's "New Mama" (performed by Moore). The third track is a 17-minute instrumental demo by Matheos and Portnoy ("The Thing That Never Was"), parts of which ended up forming the basis for five of the ten OSI songs. In summary, I think that anyone who is a fan of both Fates Warning and Chroma Key will love this disc. Fans of Fates Warning and/or Dream Theater who are NOT familiar with Kevin Moore's Chroma Key albums may like this disc, but they should definitely take into account the cautions that I mentioned above.
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28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Chroma Key On Steroids, March 8, 2003
Finally! A prog rock side project with more than just notes! If you are expecting to hear anything even closely resembling Dream Theater, Fates Warning, or any form of progressive metal, you will not find it here. What you will find, however, is some of the most artistically produced, beautifully layered, melodic, and textured music that is currently available. In a word, it is fantastic.This CD, in my opinion, is mostly Kevin Moore. Anyone who is a fan of Moore's music will be sucked into this CD from beginning to end. The music is very reminiscent of Chroma Key, but with the added "chunk" that Matheos and Portnoy bring to the project. In this respect, I might compare some of the songs to Dream Theater's "Space-Dye Vest" - but with the more subdued vocals of Moore. (As Dream Theater fans know, "Space-Dye Vest" was the stand-out track on their Awake album which was written by Moore and represented a big departure from the Dream Theater norm.) Whatever the comparison, this is great music from the core. Fans of Chroma Key - you'll love this CD. Fans of Fates Warning and Dream Theater - keep an open mind and appreciate the future of progressive rock. It has finally arrived.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pure Creativity! One of the best Prog CD's of the year!!!, February 24, 2003
By A Customer
This CD is the culmination of a side project put together by Jim Matheos, guitarist for Fates Warning. It includes Jim Matheos on guitar, Kevin Moore (Ex Dream Theater) on Keyboards, and Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) on drums. Bassist Sean Malone from Gordian Knot contributes most of the basslines, surprisingly, all done on a fretless bass. The CD weaves an interesting layer of sound throughout the entire recording, that changes shape constantly. One of the nicest things about this CD is that it never fatigues the listener with mindless progressive jaunts, rather, it envelops the listener in a world of sound and grooves that change shape often enough that it never gets monotonous. Sampling is present on this CD, but it's so creatively done that it intertwines with the music and forms part of the atmosphere. Kevin Moore has become a master as creating sonic landscapes, and Portnoy and Matheos ensure that these "landscapes" are backed up with some very firm content in the form of driving grooves and syncopated rhythms. The grooves on this CD stick in your head, and the odd melodic lyrics are also very memorable. The guitar work on this CD is heavier and more complex than much of the stuff Matheos has put out in the past, and it fits perfectly with the keyboard landscape that Moore has created. But I was most impressed with the variety of guitar work on this CD. Jim Matheos demonstrates his ability as a songwriter, by constantly expanding his boundaries. You wont simply hear re-recorded "Fates Warning" songs on this CD. James takes a completely different approach and it works very well. Overall, this CD is one that will stay in your CD player for a long time. Guaranteed!
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