Sylvan Force of Gravity
by Franco Wissa
Staff Writer
One of the great progressive bands around today is back, this time with an incredible CD titled, Force of Gravity. From the opening refrains of the gorgeous title track, “Force of Gravity,” the talents of all the band members are evident as the piano, acoustic guitar and pitch perfect vocals of front man Marco Gluhmann come together into one sweeping, cascading music avalanche.
Never at any one time does one instrument get in the way of another, and the angst coming from the voice of Gluhmann right away makes this one of this CD’s highlights. The music flows toward the listener with 5 minutes and 14 seconds of musical heaven. The staccato, almost choppy vocals of the hard rocking “Follow Me,” the sensational piano of the hauntingly beautiful “Turn of the Tide,” and “Midnight Sun,” the tongue-in-cheek wickedness that comes from “King Porn,” where during the chorus, the music soars, the mid tempo “Embedded,” are all sensational. Track 9, “Episode 609,” is one many listeners can relate to, and something that many of us have perhaps done, where we take the belief that the fictitious family seen on our favorite television program is indeed our own real family. Heard on “Episode 609 is “…Why isn’t life as easy as it’s meant to be? Why isn’t there a happy end, as seen on TV?…”
The 14 minute (!!) “Vapour Trail,” is a track that fans of progressive rockers Emerson Lake and Palmer, early Genesis, Camel and Kayak will latch onto, and want to listen to it again and again. “Vapour Trail,” is flawless, and while some may think 14 minutes is long, take a listen to this showcase of talent and say that again. “Vapour Trail,” is soft in moments, mid-tempo in others, and hard rocking in still others. Coming in and out of ear shot are hints of jazz, hard rock, progressive, melodic and futuristic, and throughout the lyrics makes sense, and the music flows along perfectly. Heard during the first few moments are a flight attendant’s pre-flight instructions, and what comes next is a track speaking of a man’s thoughts and dreams. From the final verse come the lyrics, “…. Flying from my past – way up and above – leave the time behind. Heading for the stars, for the ones I love – I think of you. Do you dream or think of me? I’m hoping, please, can you hear me?” Just a wonderful, superb track.
While many bands take the approach the only a few of the featured tracks are to be ballads, Sylvan lays out their tracks in the order that makes sense to them. And what makes sense to the CD. They lay out their feelings on their sleeve, there for all to see and feel from. With little regard for “the norm,” where a ballad must be only featured mid-CD, Sylvan pays little attention to such trivialities and the result is a CD where the listener is carried on a musical journey. Each track complements the track before it, and the result is a CD that only adds to this magnificent band’s overall repertoire.
Sylvan has done it again. While sadly, not releasing CDs that become big sellers, what this band does have is a solid, faithful following of core listeners, that look forward to each release knowing that what will be heard is a mesmerizing, gripping and fascinating collecting of tracks that only further cement this band has one of today’s best.
Pick up a copy of Force of Gravity. Latch on the musicianship, the lyrics, and the songwriting and allow yourself to be carried away. For while listening to this, one finds they doing just that. Sylvan has done themselves proud – and Force of Gravity is proof.
Label: ProgRock Records
Track listing:
Force of Gravity
Follow Me
Isle in Me
Embedded
Turn of the Tide
From the Silence
Midngiht Sun
King Porn
Episode 609
God or Rubbish
Vapour Trails
Musicians
Marco Gluhmann – vocals
Matthias Harder – drums
Sebastian Harnack – bass
Jan Petersen – guitars
Volker Sohl – keyboards
HRH Rating: 8.9/10