This is the debut album by Swedish Prog band Hidden Lands, which was formed by four ex-members of the band Violent Silence: keyboardist / guitarist / songwriter Hannes Ljunghall, keyboardist Bjorn Westen, vocalist Bruno Edling and bassist Phillip Bastin. The quintet lineup was completed by drummer Gustav Nyberg. The album includes six original pieces, all written and composed by Ljunghall, one of which an instrumental. With a double keyboard lineup the group is capable of playing a lot of notes at the same time, which normally would have been a certain recipe for overdoing it, but they somehow manage to avoid that trap, which is already a success. In fact the two keyboardists manage to complement each other quite cleverly, producing together an amazing array of synthesized keyboards sounds, which sound interesting and are often fresh and surprisingly original. The rhythm section is rather restrained, which is perfect for this setting, playing exactly what is needed and leaving the frontline to the keyboards and occasional guitar improvisations. The vocal parts are limited, with most of the music being instrumental and the vocalist is also somewhat composed, which again works rather well in the overall scheme of things and is infinitely more pleasing that having manic screams torturing the listeners' ears. Of course the lyrics are in English (again), which is a shame. What is wrong with Swedish I ask? The music is the strongest asset of this album; moody, atmospheric, laid-back and beautifully melodic, with that certain Scandinavian gloominess and melancholy Proggers love so much. All six compositions are pretty much on the same level musically, which creates a pleasant listening experience from start to finish – definitely a rarity among the neo-Prog releases in the last decade. This album has some brilliant double keyboards moments and on the whole is an excellent Prog experience, which should be appreciated even among the sternest fineschmeckers. These musicians have a lot of potential and I hope they keep the band together this time, with us looking forward to their next recording. Although not a mind-blowing masterpiece, it is a very solid album, which should be well received by most Prog connoisseurs, right across the sub-genre chasms. Wholeheartedly recommended! Review by "Jazzis" (Rate Your Music).
RATING: 8.25 / 10 **GREAT**
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