Millenium -
Vocanda 2013 Live In Studio


(CD 2014, 55:07, Lynx Music LM 83 CD)

The tracks:
  1- Back To Myself (Part II)(1:13)
  2- It Could Have Happened To You!(3:11)
  3- I Am(5:45)
  4- Visit In Hell(5:27)
  5- Waltz Vocanda(5:34)
  6- For The Price Of Her Sad Days(6:06)
  7- Lady Cash Cash(5:21)
  8- I Would Like To Say Something(5:05)
  9- The Purgatory Stop(3:12)
10- The Circles Of Life(6:22)
11- Back To Myself (Part I)(7:43)

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Within a few weeks I have to review another album from the Polish neo-prog band Millenium. This time it's a live version of Vocanda which was originally released in 2000. Vocanda 2013 Live In Studio is a recording of one of their rehearsals in the Lynx Music studio for a concert in Krakow on June 14, 2013 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Lynx Music.

After a few acoustic guitar chords, a short saxophone solo and some spoken words, the short song Back To Myself has already finished. Next is It Could Happened To You which could be an example of a Pink Floyd song from one of their latest albums. It's a good song, easy to listen to with smooth guitar and synth solos. Singer Łukasz Gall shows again why he belongs to the best singers in the Polish prog scene for many years. He easily sings the lyrics without any Polish accent. One of the key songs on this album is Visit In Hell. In this piece all band members show their qualities as a musician, but the major role is for the saxophone played by guest musician Darek Rybka.

The next one is a prog waltz, a rather strange phenomenon in the Millenium catalogue, but well played again. From an entirely different order is the oddly titled song Lady Cash Cash. The first part is a spoken dialogue between guest singer Karolina Laszko and Łukasz Gall about lust and money. The second part is actually more pop than rock music, although saxophone player Rybka kept my attention throughout. For The Price Of Her Sad Days is a typical Pink Floyd song; the only thing that's missing is the voice of Roger Waters. The long guitar solo is another highlight on this CD. Unfortunately I'm not a big fan of a song like The Purgatory Stop. It's very busy and boisterous without having a real good mixture between the lyrics and the music. The epilogue of this concept album starts with The Circles Of Life, a quiet song with bluesy guitar play. You might call it a light version of Shine On You Crazy Diamond, parts 4&5 by Pink Floyd. Everything what made the British band famous in their heydays can be heard in the final song Back To Myself (part II).

The fresh ideas, the new vocal and instrumental arrangements of the old tracks from 2000, make Vocanda 2013 Live In Studio an excellent recording by Millenium.

**** Cor Smeets (edited by Peter Willemsen)

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