Back when I was a few years younger, I always looked forward to the new albums by the well known prog bands like Marillion, Genesis, and Glass Hammer. What would they have conjured up this time? Would I like it or not? Sometimes I didn't dare listen to them because I thought they might be disappointing. So, I played the albums on my record player with great anticipation. But the built-up suspense was often for nothing, because it almost never disappointed. Nowadays, it is rare for me to listen to a new album by a famous act with such anticipation. Yet, there are exceptions. One of them is The Samurai Of Prog. Over the years, they have built up an amazing musical catalogue. I am always curious to see what their next step will be and whether they can reassure me again with a fine new album. This is also the case with their latest album, titled The 7 Voyages Of Sinbad. So, let's see what it has turned out to be this time. Thumbs up or down? As with most albums released by The Samurai Of Prog, this time too it concerns a well-known fantasy story, namely The 7 Voyages of Sinbad. The author is unknown but as far as I know the story comes from the'Abbasid Dynasty (750-850 A.D.). More specifically, one could state that the seven stories about Sinbad the Sailor originate from One Thousand and One Nights, the collection of fairy tales from the Middle East. The story of "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor" tells the tale of Sinbad who ventures out to sea, at first to acquire wealth, but afterwards in search of adventure. During these voyages he encounters many obstacles including giant animals, monsters, and savage cannibals, yet always seems to escape with an even greater fortune than when he started out. A classic tale of fantasy that calls for a musical adaptation by the musicians of The Samurai Of Prog, as they have already successfully done multiple times with other well-known stories told on their previous albums. All this is led by the familiar central duo Marco Bernard (Shuker basses) and Kimmo Pörsti (drums and percussion). The other musicians who contributed will be mentioned later when discussing the individual tracks. For this new album, too, they once again asked various composers to contribute musically. This time, the music was written by Beppe Crovella, Stefano Vicarelli, Octavio Stampala, Alessandro Di Benedetti, Rafael Pacha, Mimmo Perri, Marco Grieco, and newcomer Chris Engels. Let's go through numbers one by one. Guided By The Moon - What a start. I could only have dreamed of this. A fantastic start to the album. Here, the musical project shows that they settle for nothing less. Everything simply has to sound perfect to offer the listener, who has already been spoiled many times by their albums, what they expect. Keyboard player Beppe Crovella comes up with an excellent piece of music which has influences of jazz and progressive rock. His keyboard parts are excellent and include beautiful playing on the Mellotron, organ and synthesizers. Amazing guitar parts of Toni Jokinen can be enjoyed as well. Former project member Steve Unruh delivers outstanding vocal parts and his playing on the violin is also excellent. The Valley Of Diamonds - The musical quality remains high on the next track as well, written by keyboard player Stefano Vicarelli. This time, it is a fantastic instrumental piece that evokes memories of power keyboard trios like Ars Nova, Trace, Gerard, or Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Naturally, the influences of Keith Emerson come to the fore. But Rick Wakeman is also knocking on the door. Leading roles are also reserved for the amazing rhythmic section. It is simply beautiful how the six minutes are played to the fullest. Mark The Stars - Don't think the musicians are taking a step back. No, it remains a joy to listen to the next track, written by Octavio Stampala. The song reminds me a lot of the music made by Rick Wakeman during the time he released albums such as Journey To The Centre Of The Earth (1974) and The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table (1975). The synthesizer parts, in particular, are beautiful, as are the female choirs coming from the keyboards. Steph Honde (Hollywood Monsters) provides the track with powerful vocals. End Of The Day - The next beautiful song was written by Alessandro Di Benedetti. He provides some great keyboard parts. But here it is Michael Trew, the amazing singer of Moon Letters, who steps to the forefront with his beautiful emotional voice. Roine Stolt lays down some great guitar parts on this wonderful piece of music. Sometimes bringing you back to the the heights of Genesis. Trapped By Old Age - This is the first of three consecutive tracks lasting longer than ten minutes. Once again, Trew showcases his strong vocals on this musical piece written by multi-instrumentalist Rafael Pacha. He plays every instrument you hear except the bass and drums, which are naturally played by the core members. Musically, the piece is a blend of classical, folk, rock, and prog. The result is a fantastic mix that remains captivating from beginning to end. The music occasionally sounds Oriental, which is only natural when telling a story from the Middle East. In your mind's eye, you see the belly dancers dancing around and the snakes slithering across the floor. The Isle Of Wonder - The second piece, which lasts around ten minutes, is also beautiful. This time written by guitarist and keyboardist Mimmo Perri, who demonstrates his mastery of both instruments. A lovely musical piece featuring vocals by Daniel Fäldt (Simon Says). The distorted voice in this track is also beautifully executed. But above all, we must not forget Beatrice Birardi, who plays the darbuka in an excellent manner and brings the Eastern element back into the music. The Last Shore - The final ten-minute piece is once again composed by my favourite Samurai Of Prog keyboard player. His name is Marco Grieco. Unruh is also back on vocals for this poignant musical piece, in which he also plays the violin again. This time, he leaves the beautiful flute contribution to Giovanni Mazzotti. Jokinen makes his presence felt once again on his electric guitar. The piece features a beautifully bombastic ending, just the way we like to hear it. A great guitar solo included. Well done. Sinbad The Sailor - The closing piece was written by the German multi-instrumentalist Chris Engels, whom we know primarily from his excellent albums under the name Cen Project. This is his first contribution to the Samurai Of Prog, and hopefully not his last. Here, he provides the vocals and keyboard contribution in a beautifully melancholic piece of music, just as we have come to expect from him. It is a wonderful conclusion with fine acoustic guitar and keyboard work. Naturally, the synthesizer solo cannot be missed. It is great that Chris is receiving the recognition here that he deserves from a wider audience. Naturally, a beautiful cover couldn't be mised, and that is certainly the case here. Once again, Ed Unitsky lets us experience the adventures through his vivid images. Because of the elaborately designed 6-panel mini-LP card sleeve and the 20-page booklet it is just as if you are present in Sinbad's company yourself. It is clear that a thumbs-up is in order after listening to yet another fantastic Samurai Of Prog album. The suspense beforehand was perhaps unnecessary, as it was already clear that they always deliver quality, and this is no exception. On this album, which comprises eight excellent tracks of varying lengths, they continue the band's established style of pure progressive rock. Almost every genre is explored once again. Classical music, jazz rock, folk, rock and of course progressive rock. Although different composers are responsible for each track, the overall effect is cohesive. From improvisations and complex soundscapes to simple, catchy melodies. It is all there as always. Furthermore they demonstrate a knack not only for musical diversity but also for storytelling. It's a sumptuous, melodic album, rich in instrumental nuances, and supported by lyrical and visual elements. Once again The 7 Voyages Of Sinbad did not disappoint. The high expectations are fully met. The fan of great professional prog is completely satisfied with this exceptional album. I am already looking forward to their next musical adaptation of a well-known story. Maybe it will be The Count Of Monte Cristo or The Three Musketeers both written by Alexandre Dumas. Or what about a musical version of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas by Jules Verne. Maybe they will choose Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes or Heart Of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Actually, it doesn't really matter what they come up with next time. One thing is certain. I don't really need to be afraid of whether it's good or bad. Because The Samurai Of Prog never disappoints. **** Henri Strik (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
