review: Illusory -- melodic prog from Greece

Illusory

Crimson Wreath

Rockshots Records

21 May 2021

1. Besetting Sins 05:01

2. Acedia 02:11

3. Crimson Wreath 06:35

4. Immortal No 04:25

5. All Shall Fade 01:51

6. All Blood Red 05:48

7. The Voice Inside Me 01:28

8. S.T. Forsaken 08:08

9. Ashes to Dust 05:51

10. A Poem I Couldn’t Rhyme 04:22

11. An Opus of Loss and Sorrow:Pedestal I: Past Forever Last 06:07

12. An Opus of Loss and Sorrow:Pedestal II: The Isle of Shadows 09:08

13. An Opus of Loss and Sorrow:Pedestal III: Agony’s Last 06:53

14. Fortress of Sadness 10:04

total time 01:17:52

Admittedly, when the topic is an album with a duration of one hour and 18 minutes, we have something potentially rewarding, yet such a playing time will scare away certain listeners based on the attention span necessary to wrangle with this Greek band. This poses a question that needs an answer: Is this album worth all of that time and effort that you will have to put into it? Their debut album in 2013 was some 53 minutes, the second one in 2016 was an hour and 12 minutes. Now, their third is even longer. They feature melodic singing that is front and center of the songs. For that reason, it is important that the listener like the tones and shades of the singing because it is impossible to get away from all this singing. It is a gritty yet still melodic voice, but not constantly hitting those super high notes to show off. It's a good singing voice, but every listener is different and should hear it for themselves.

The music is all about slow burners. It is not slow music, but it is not full-on speed, either. The pace of the music merits commentary. While the songs are not scorchers because this is a traditional, melodic band consisting of grown-ups (the origins of the band, under a different name, go back to 1992), the music stays at recognizable, pleasant tempos, with nothing crazy, experimental nor extreme. They pay attention to make sure that the songs stay away from monotonous extended segments throughout. It's a balance between intellectual music and uptempo/midtempo moods. Without a doubt, this is one of the best aspects of the songwriting. It is skilled melodic songs with lots of talent and hard work, with a good energy that also demonstrates that the musicians are aware to keep the listener entertained, not just show that they are skilled as theorists of cerebral prog music.

If the listener accepts the premise of classic-style, traditional, melodic song-oriented writing in a contemporary interpretation, then it’s worthwhile to investigate this album. Curious listeners might consider hearing song number eight called "S.T. Forsaken." This is a rather accurate example of the personality of this album.

S.T. Forsaken

https://www.facebook.com/IllusoryBand