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14 tracks of synth-driven,
electronic, instrumental prog-rock with occasional modern classical
overtones and even guitar on a couple of tracks.
Sonic Curiosity (USA)
Galactic Anthems is Glenn Adams, a Colorado based independent composer. This
CD from 2005 offers 55 minutes of explosive progrock.
The pieces on this release were recorded from 1987 to 1994 and represent the
kind of music that infused his compositional capacities with such
overwhelming verve. Joining him on two tracks is Dan Ciarfalia on
pyrotechnic guitar.
Here, Adams exhibits a different side of his creativity with instrumental
progrock tunes that rock with strapping power. Stunning keyboards deliver
robust melodies capable of bringing down the house with their remarkable
zest. Marching riffs belt out with astounding scale, dwarfing the earth
itself with their monumental proportion. Majestic pinnacles resound with
monstrous puissance, transforming every instant into a sonic epiphany.
The use of textural electronics is pretty minimal here, with the majority of
the music existing in a far more dynamic territory. Complex riffs surge and
frolic, evoking a festivity of grand scope. From the mystical portents of
“Dragon’s Lair” to the plunging voyage of “Orbital Burn” (which is
reprised in “March of the Organic Robots”), Adams applies his
compositional mastery with surprising ease as he conjures distinct moods of
fantastic demeanor.
Adams’ epic percussion escalates everything to even greater heights. The
rhythms pound and blast with relentless verve, injecting spunky animation to
an already frenetic medium. Dramatic tension abounds.
The guitar sears like a blazing sun, imbuing the tracks with
ceiling-scraping ecstasy. There’s even a touch of surf guitar hiding in
the mix.
Fans of outstanding progrock will not be disappointed.
Matt Howarth, 2004
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