Pictorial Wand - A Sleeper's Awakening
	Released: 2006 Label: Unicorn Records/Unicorn Digital Cat. No.: UNCR-5027 Total Time: 59:46 / 52:25
	Reviewed by: Richard Zywotkiewicz, May 2006 I might as well say this at the beginning: This album is easily the best thing I've heard in 5 years. While it is neo-progressive in execution, everything about it feels like classic progressive rock from the 70s. This 3 year labour of love is the brainchild of Norwegian Mattis Sörum who plays electric and acoustic guitars, el-sitar, organs, keyboards & does all the orchestra arrangements, besides writing the songs. This is a 2 CD set comprising almost 2 hours of symphonic progressive rock. The music is extremely diverse, ranging from soft, lyrical passages to guitar crunching heavy rock. Sörum's guitars and keys dominate almost all the work. And while many other "multi-instrumentalists" are just as competent, few seem to feed off the musical creativity of the session musicians (or himself, for that matter) as Sörum does. The music is grand and complex and like other concept operatic works, includes narration to help tell the story. Again, this is not overdone and generally complements the music. Many of the songs are pretty long and there are many compositional relationships to bind it all together. What I like the most about the music is the presence of analogue synths, along with rich compliments of flute, cello, oboe and the violin. This is a warm sounding CD unlike the precise coldness of so much modern music today. The concept is about a person who wakes up after a long, deep look in the mirror and finally becomes aware of his mistakes and the bad and selfish way he has lived his life. This theme is set in connection with the Seven Deadly Sins. Both CDs are extremely strong with no weak tracks or moments on the album. Memorable melodies abound, with soothing pastoral moments that explode into dynamic rock. The abundance of ideas keeps any one musical theme from ever being repeated and at the end, the listener is rewarded with a draining, yet satisfying experience. The artwork and packaging on this CD are also brilliant, with plenty of artwork look at while one enjoys the music. [See also Bobo's review -ed.] Pictorial Wand has made my first contender for album of the year. If you like complex, rich, warm symphonic rock, this album will thoroughly satisfy you. More about A Sleeper's Awakening: Track Listing: Disc One: Prologue / The King And His Land Part 1 / The Gate Of Lost Souls / Pride - The Path Of Thorns / Envy Pt 1 - In Shadow / Envy Pt 2 - Broken Glass / Wrath Pt 1 - A Wandering In The Dark / Wrath Pt 2 - The Beast Within / Gluttony - Corrosion Of Flesh Disc Two: Sloth Pt 1 - Retrospective Visions / Sloth Pt 2 - Red Sunset & A Drowning Fly / Greed Pt 1 - The Golden Path / Greed Pt 2 - Warning Not Heard / Lust Pt 1 - The Temptress Of Unchastity / Lust Pt 2 - A Sleeper's Awakening / The King & His Land Pt 2 - Pensiveness Musicians: Mattis Sörum - electric and acoustic guitars, el-sitar, organs, keyboards Tomas di Sansimone - drums Idar Eidsaune - bass Paal Selsjord Björseth - piano, organ, harpsichord Per Christian Jörstad - cello Synne Teiseth Norbeck - flute Staale Storlökken - synth solo Sigrid Inderberg - flute Hanna Haugan - cello Featuring the voices of : Petter Selliseth, Ingrid Strid, Lise Granden Berg, Gry Tonslien, Eva Marianne Olsson, Stian Lekness, Martin Adams Kvam, Nina Utbjör Guldal Contact: Website: www.pictorialwand.com Note: will open new browser window Discography A Sleeper's Awakening (2006)
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