Lunar Chateau - Beyond The Reach Of Dreams

Year of Release: 2001
Label: Musea
Catalog Number: FGBG 4393.AR
Format: CD
Total Time: 38:23:00

Two things that will strike you immediately about Lunar Chateau's sophomore release are, firstly, how much like the Alan Parson's Project the vocal material sounds, and secondly, how clearly you can hear every bit of production - percussion, bass, guitar, etc. As we learned with the review of their self-titled debut, Lunar Chateau are a trio formed of siblings, Novak Sekulovich on keys and lead vocals, Paul on bass and vocals, and Milo on drums and percussion. Lunar Chateau's sound is that of dreamy symphonic -- if you keep in mind Eric Woolfson fronted APP, then you will have a clear idea of how this band sounds. Interestingly, it was Paul who was credited with lead vocals on Lunar Chateau, not Novak, who instead sang backing vocals. Also, there are bits of a Camel influence here, too, as Novak sounds to me like Richard Sinclair.

The clear mix of this album alone makes it interesting... as nice a vocalist as Novak is, having him sing obscures somewhat all the instrumentation. You don't just hear Paul's bass, you feel it...you become it. Tinkling, chiming percussion comes to the fore on "Consequences II," and sounds as if Milo is playing a crystal goblet (though as Novak plays keys, this very well could be synthesized by him). This particular piece includes an adaptation of Ennio Morricone's theme for the film Citta Violenta as well, the credits say.

It is the instrumentals that are the highlights of this release, an album that comes seven years after their debut. Of these instrumentals, it is the title track, Beyond The Reach Of Dreams that takes top honors. It is a 10-minute three-part instrumental suite that starts out gentle and floating, not quite atmospheric, but latter day Tangerine Dream is as apt a comparison as any. It's not strictly instrumental, as a female voice (or sounding voice, as no person is credited) vocalizes (oohs, aahhs, and other ethereal utterances). It is spacey, that's for sure...giving us the feeling of deep space. One can tell the change in segments as the second part "Eridu" adds in the crash waves over ethereal choir-like voices (keys, probably, as they are mixed in as well). The final segment, "Farewell," takes on more religious tones -- male, monastic voices take over the ahhs. Subtle though it is, it is a stunning piece of music.

The album ends with an eleven-minute, three part suite called "Zeta Reticuli" (even the song titles sound Dream-ish, as we also get such nomenclature as "Olympus Mons" and "Solange In Rio.") Like the track that precedes this, this is mainly mellow and low key -- leading me to make this comparison: Tangerine Dream as produced by Alan Parsons with the vocalists named above as guests. The track's title derives from a star system located 37 light-years from Earth; the subject matter of this track is truly spacey, as it concerns the supposition that our planet was visited by aliens. As quoted on their site, Novak says: "In the USA, scholars and researchers like Zecharia Sitchin and Dr. John Mack of Harvard University believe there is very strong evidence of an alien/UFO presence on Earth today, and evidence of extraterrestrial/UFO activity throughout all of human history. The phenomenon is absolutely real.

The evidence goes all the way back to the Sumerian civilization. The Sumerians emphasized that they were descendants of the Anunnaki : 'The gods who came to earth from the sky.' The Sumerian texts describe how human beings were created by the genetic engineering of the Anunnaki. One of their leaders was called, Enki. One interpretation of the term 'garden of Enki' is that it was a metaphor for our planet: Earth." The three parts of the track correspond, accordingly to these questions: "Why did UFOs visit the Earth in the ancient past? Why are UFOs here today? What does this mean for the future?"

Well, the answer to the last question is, hopefully, that it will inspire future albums. Recommended.

Tracklisting:
Olympus Mons (3:56) / Far From Home (3:52) / Consequences II (5:40) / Solange In Rio (4:33) / Beyond The Reach Of Dreams (10:01) I. Sayadina II. Eridu III. Farewell / Zeta Reticuli (11:01) I. Overlords II. In The Name of A Star III. Encounters

Musicians:
Novak Sekulovich - keyboards and lead vocals
Paul Sekulovich - bass guitar and vocals
Milo Sekulovich - drums

Discography:
Lunar Chateau (1994)
Beyond The Reach Of Dreams (2001)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin US

Added: October 26th 2001
Reviewer: Stephanie Sollow
Score:
Artist website: www.lunarchateau.net
Hits: 2682
Language: english