Following Sylvan’s tenth album, the excellent One To Zero, and a tour co-headlining with RPWL, the band have spent time working on other projects. First it was the turn of keyboardist Volker Sohl and guitarist Johnny Beck to release the excellent Control under the moniker ‘Violent Jasper’. This largely female fronted effort, with its sensitivity to melody, inevitably draws comparisons to the equally excellent Russian outfit, Iamthemorning. Now Sylvan’s lead vocalist, Marco Glühmann takes his turn to release an album.
With Sylvan continuing to impress with every album they release, and with Violent Jasper having set the bar so high, I had great expectations for this effort. Happily, I wasn’t disappointed. If anything, this album actually exceeds those expectations. What Glühmann has given us is an album that sits very comfortably alongside Sylvan’s releases to date whilst celebrating Glühmann’s own craftsmanship and raising some interesting questions about what the increasing proximity of Sylvan and RPWL means for the future of these bands and the Gentle Art of Music label. A quick peruse of the personnel shows that, alongside happy cameos from Billy Sherwood and Steve Rothery, we have quite an RPWL presence on this album.
The music has a good variety of tones and styles across its twelve-track runtime, whilst the delicate melodic touches and appreciation of harmony have all the hallmarks of what makes Sylvan such a great band. Knowing that the most likely listeners to this record will be Sylvan fans, I can say that they will definitely be happy with what is on offer here. Quite simply, this is a barnstorming hour of prog and melodic rock with the occasional nod towards the more mainstream end of popular music. All in all, a veritable sonic feast for the listener.
The album opens in strident fashion with Hear Our Voice, a track whose intro is a full-blown instrumental version of the chorus which, later adorned with vocals, the listener will note is blessed with signature Yes choir harmonies, provided here by guest, Billy Sherwood. The contrast with the softer minor chords in the verse is classic Sylvan circa Force Of Gravity. Speaking of which, Never Say Goodbye feels like it hails from the same era of the band, rounding out its bombastic five-minute runtime with a suitably heart aching guitar solo.
Reach Out is one of two tracks on here that began life in recording sessions back in 2010. This is one of the album’s highlights and, if it had surfaced on a Sylvan album, would have undoubtedly been a lead track or single (think Shine or One Step Beyond). A really strong chorus to this song; I actually gave this three listens on my first playthrough before progressing to track four. The following effort, Faceless, doesn’t feature on the LP, only on the CD and download. A pity, as this thunders along impressively with hard rock grandeur. I’m reminded of the title track from Force Of Gravity.
A complete contrast follows, Look At Me opens all stirring strings and piano, like the opening movements of Sylvan’s Home, and then blossoms into another grand chorus – epic balladry on show and the second of the album’s highlights. At Home strips everything back to the voice and a piano accompaniment. Superb modulations here and a true showcase for Glühmann’s remarkable vocals. The gradual addition of percussion and guitar never threatens to overwhelm this delicate piece. For A While has a pop/rock flavour to it but the lightness of the music is never superficial, it is a piece drenched in sentimentality to match the tone of the lyrics.
Black The Shade Out is the second piece to have originated in the 2010 sessions. Like Reach Out, it sounds like it could have graced a Sylvan record. Excellent contrast between the verse and the chorus and I particularly like the voice and strings runout at the end. One Last Hope has a menacing, industrial feel to the verse contrasted with the more hopeful chorus, the music and lyrics fitting each other superbly here.
Life Is Much Too Short opens with acoustic guitar and voice before building in the strings. The verse is very promising and, whilst the chorus never betrays it, it doesn’t seem to honour it either. This isn’t a weak track, but it isn’t as great as what has gone before – until the guitar solo, that is. A prog tour de force and just enough to sustain the song through its final chorus. Running Out Of Time is another of the album’s highlights. A quirky set of chord changes in the verse, haunting melodies, a sense of suspense, and one of the album’s finest choruses. My Eyes Are Wide Open sounds like something A-ha would have released in the Noughties. That’s no criticism; Riverside’s most recent is unashamedly influenced by bands like A-ha and sounds terrific – this album closer is no different. Rothery’s solo is unmistakable and rounds out the album nicely.
If there are a lot of references to Sylvan here that should come as no surprise. Glühmann’s solo effort shares much in common with the band he is lead vocalist for. As a Sylvan fan, this is not unwelcome to me and, as with Sylvan albums, this has so much to offer any prog or melodic rock fan who has not yet come to the Sylvan (and also RPWL) party. All of this said, though, the album showcases what a talent Glühmann is in his own right and how great a contribution he makes to Twenty-First Century prog. This is one of the best albums of the year so far. Don’t overlook it.
TRACK LISTING
01. Hear Our Voice (5:20)
02. Never Say Goodbye (5:13)
03. Reach Out (5:30)
04. Faceless (4:42)
05. Look At Me (5:05)
06. At Home (3:40)
07. For A While (3:22)
08. Black The Shade Out (3:29)
09. One Last Hope (4:25)
10. Life Is Much Too Short (4:27)
11. Running Out Of Time (5:34)
12. My Eyes Are Wide Open (5:23)
Total Time – 57:10
MUSICIANS
Marco Glühmann – Vocals, Keyboards, Guitars
Kalle Wallner – Guitars, Bass
Johnny Beck – Guitars
Marcus Grutzner – Bass
Yogi Lang – Keyboards
Tommy Eberhardt – Drums
~ With:
Billy Sherwood – Choir (1)
Steve Rothery – Guitar (12)
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Gentle Art Of Music (GAOM)
Country of Origin: Germany
Date of Release: 14th June 2024
LINKS
Marco Glühmann – Website | Facebook