Sylvan - Presets

Year of Release: 2007
Label: ProgRock Records
Catalog Number: PRR215
Format: CD
Total Time: 62:14:00

It was 1990 when the brothers Kay and Volker Söhl formed their first band together, Chamäleon. The following years were spend trying to define an original sound and by exploring various musicians. It was late 1995 when singer Marco Glühmann invested his talents into this new project. Marco was the missing ingredient they desperately needed to make their mark, so in 1997 Sylvan was finally born. It took the band another two years before their debut album was released. Contrary to a lot of young prog acts, the band makes sure it doesn't suffocate by using the obvious neo-prog clichés. Instead they take their music one step further by adding elements one can find with today's top bands ranging from Coldplay to Keane, Porcupine Tree to Snow Patrol.

On their previous Posthumous Silence album, Sylvan already introduced shorter tracks. This concept album included a lot of catchy songs based around strong melodies. Fans will be pleased to hear that Presets, which was recorded at the same time as Posthumous Silence, continues this tradition. Only the title track is twelve minutes long, with most of the other compositions being around the four minute mark. This automatically means that some of the songs are so accessible they can easily fit in whatever daytime radio format. For sure Marco Glühmann's expressive and versatile voice is one of the main elements for the band's success, as he once again proves all over this album that he has a voice that can easily rival the best of the current rock scene! "For One Day" is almost certainly a hit, as could be "Former Life" in edited form, as well as "Transitory Times."

It is not because the line-up is that of any normal rock or prog outfit that you are constantly treated to long guitar- and/or keyboard solos. In fact the entire instrumental offering is very much composed and arranged in favour of Marco's voice who switches from a normal voice to head-voice without the slightest problem. So unlike a lot of other bands, you don't get one meaningless solo after the other, but a well balanced arrangement in order to create real songs with great atmospherics and meaning. Fans of the more traditional epics are looked after during the title track, which closes this fine album. Here Marco's voice slightly sounds like that of IQ's Peter Nicholls, whilst from a musical point of view there are also resemblances with current IQ material.

Out of a rating of maximum five stars this one most certainly deserves ? six!

Tracklisting:
One Step Beyond (7:16) / Signed Away (4:29) / For One Day (3:49) / Former Life (7:13) / On The Verge Of Tears (3:28) / When The Leafs Fall Down (4:57) / Words From Another Day (2:26) / Cold Suns (4:27) / Hypnotized (4:01) / Heal (3:25) / Transitory Times (4:09) / Presets (12:42)

Musicians:
Marco Gl?hmann - vocals
Matthias Harder - drums
Sebastian Harnack - bass
Kay S?hl - guitars
Volker S?hl - keyboards

Discography:
Chamäleon - Chamäleon (tape) (1992)
Chamäleon - Slaves (tape) (1994)
Chamäleon - Demo '95 (tape) (1995)
Signs Of Life (track on a sampler) (2000)
Deliverance (1999)
Encounters (2000)
Artificial Paradise (2002)
X-Rayed (2004)
Posthumous Silence (2006)
Presets (2007)
Leaving Backstage (2008)
Force Of Gravity (2009)
Sceneries (2012)
Home (2015)

Posthumous Silence - The Show (DVD) (2008)


Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin DE

Added: April 15th 2007
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg
Score:
Artist website: www.sylvan.de
Hits: 3403
Language: english