Soundscape - Discovery

Year of Release: 1997
Label: Angel Thorne
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: CD
Total Time: 00:00:00

This review was intially posted to our message board at the time and put on the main site thereafter -ed

What can I say about Soundscape, other than the fact that they are on a completely independent label? There are two artists on the Angelthorne music label. Soundscape is one. The lead singer's solo work, Thorne, is the other. I was first introduced to Soundscape while at a concert in Poughkeepsie. They were the first of three opening acts. They were amazing, the others weren't. They also had copies of their CD Discovery with them. I enjoyed the performance enough that I bought the album.

I was amazed by what I heard on the album. The album itself is a concept piece based around the idea of a young boy's life as he ages, matures and becomes an adult. On the whole, this work is a very strong piece musically, with a firm balance between all of its components. Liquid riffs dominate this album with its powerful guitar and keyboard work. The bass line adds to the solidity of this work with its own calm blend into the music and impressive solo lines.

Here is where I shall fall into the pit, and please forgive me this, and use Dream Theater as a major basis of comparison. This progressive metal band captures the power and intensity that one would be accustomed to in Dream Theater's earlier works (i.e. Images and Words). However, this band's style, technique and sound creates an entirely different entity. In fact, Soundscape possesses a sound and personality unlike that of any other prog group today that I know of.

If you want to check out what this group sounds like, I'd suggest visiting the Soundscape homepage at www.angelthorne.com. There are full song samples of both Soundscape and the Thorne solo work in Real Audio format. I feel they could have chosen songs that better represent their music as a whole, but no fan of progressive music will be disappointed by the music.

[now in 2005, sound files are available at CDBaby.com and iTunes instead. In addition to the link below, you can also find info on the band at www.toddroseonline.com/scape/ed.]

Tracklisting:
A Christmas Carol Pt 1 / A Christmas Carol Pt 2 / A Christmas Carol Pt 3 / The God Inside / Between The Sun And The Moon / Discovery / Rite Of Passage / Sailing / The Wolf Is Loose / The Spirit of Adventure

Musicians:
Rob Thorne - vocals and keys
Todd Rose - guitars
Scott Waite - bass
Lou Caldarola - drums

Discography:
Discovery (1997)
Grave New World (rec 1998, rel. 2009)

Genre: Progressive-Power Metal

Origin US

Added: January 1st 2000
Reviewer: Shawn Farley

Artist website: www.myspace.com/soundscapeofficial
Hits: 2184
Language: english