Saturday, May 06, 2006

Sylvan & Bonamici - Quest For The Last Virtue

Hear The Track Here

Oh come on, you don't seriously think I'd let this one by me, do you?

One of the better things about the way I review is that, every once in a while, I can get to choose some tracks I want to review - as opposed to the fekkin hordes that appear in my sign up threads. It's the only way I can keep up with my own musical preferences, albeit this time in a more Swedish vein than normal. A couple of Swedes is what Nad and Bon are and I definitely contend that their is something in the air in that country that churns out fine, fine musicians - and these are two of the best I have heard anywhere. Online or off it. Regular readers will be well aware of my liking for the works of this dynamic duo DESPITE them being peppered with a trillion Genesis references. Oh btw, that's the band Genesis, not the act of creation. Although knowing Nad and Bon, I'm sure an actual act of creation won't be far behind...

Hold on, maybe I ought to re-phrase that.

Now it should tell you something about the high regard that I hold these guys, not only do I weather the unholy reek of Genesis but when they release a new 14 minute track, I find that a cause for celebration. How weird is that? No weirder, let me tell you, than the amount of S&B tracks you acquire because Nad Sylvan is ever the fiddler with mixes. I have two versions of this epic, and I noticed while writing this review tonight that he even has ANOTHER online. Sheesh guy!!! All that work does pay off because I absolutely guarantee that you will not hear music like this anywhere else, but more especially online. Ever since I met their individual talents about three years ago, I have sensed that Nad and Bon together were something very, very special - way classier than the scuzzy internet fayre. It boggles my mind that no-one in (makes quotes) the music industry (shoots himself for making the quote sign) has latched on to this yet.

Quest will show you EXACTLY why, albeit it in a epic structure that will take centuries for me to assimilate. Musicianship of this calibre encased in a pristine Nad Sylvan mix is a blessing to the ears, no matter what the genre or style it lives in. Besides, although there are echoes of The Bearded Ones (Ed: I think he means Genesis again), Nad and Bon passed that reference at the starting post. Although I felt their earlier S&B tracks were somewhat tributish (Ed: is that even a word??), they transcended that IMHO with Welcome To The Farm and A Way Out. A Sylvan & Bonamici track and nothing but. I know for a fact that there are TONS of S&B fans on SC (even though they are no longer here), and that kinda gives me a right to highlight what they are doing. As I say, it'll take me forever to work everything off this tracks bones, but my first impressions were concisely phrased sections that were distinctly flavoured; jaw dropping, blow yer fat head off instrumentation and a herculean production task and it all works beautifully. The 'Calling' sequence is particularly hair raising, spine chilling, muscular music, and that is what I have come to expect from these talented musicians. Admittedly at 14 minutes it's really pushing the boat out but I'll tell you it's also the fastest 14 minutes you are ever going to hear.

Magnificent. (but I am soooooooooooooo biased....)

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