Prog rock fans will find lots to like in Sylvan's latest, impressive, concept album.It's not always the heavy music that attracts us here. And when the mellow comes in the form of European art rock, we're down with it. North German band Sylvan tends to fit the progressive end of the spectrum in terms of lyrical and compositional sophistication, weaving an emotional concept album with their latest, Home.
There's a great dichotomy to this album, at once sprawling and majestic, but also intimate and humbling in its treatment of the album's protagonist who journeys through life's brutalities to find the titular place of safety and belonging that she desires. The music here, like a lot of progressive music, ranges from soft and mellow (Not Far From The Sky) to heavier and aggressive (In Between), and interestingly, it sounds more German in the latter moments, with a definite European sound a la Rammstein or even Vanden Plas. Ultimately, it's that sense of dynamics that elevates this music, and I would love to see a full video presentation of this album should it ever come to fruition.
The Bottom Line: European progressive music is some of the best of the genre, with Germany's Sylvan ably demonstrating some of the most sophisticated composition to be found without threatening to bring the house down around themselves with the weight of excess. Wunderbar!
- Genghis always get nostalgiac when he hears Ronald Reagan soundbites...