REVIEWS AS THE ARC LIGHT SESSIONS
Do you know John ALARCON? When John gets up in the morning, he composes music. After dinner, he puts down a text to this music. His supper finished, he heads for a studio where he joins his four musician accomplices to record this song. At the end of the evening, he returns home and spends part of the night mixing and arranging the room. Then he sleeps for a few hours, before getting up to compose new music, then writing a text to this music, then...
Do you know John ALARCON? Well, I don't know John any better than you; in fact I'm sure many of you already know him very well, but not me, I admit. But that doesn't take away my right to imagine that his days and nights are spent the way I've just described: a music lover, recording song after song, album after album. I have little chance of being wrong in my guess: THE ARC LIGHT SESSIONS, a Quebec group of which John is the founder and leader, released no less than four albums in 2020, three in 2021 and two in 2022! Since the founding of the group in 2015, twelve albums have been released! One would think that with such a rhythm, quantity does not rhyme with quality. However, I really liked this twelfth opus that I present to you in this text. Impossible on the other hand for me to compare with the rest of their material (I have just discovered this group), but if I rely on the reviews of a few previous albums that I unearthed on the web, the quality of this twelfth offering does not would be no exception!
So, THE ARC LIGHT SESSIONS, what does it look like? Ah, the comparison game. We try to avoid it, but sometimes it's the best way to explain in writing how music sounds. On "A Performer's Life", there are ten magnificent melodies that last between three and eight minutes (including two instrumentals), in the form of a symphonic which flows admirably well, like a delicious mixture of GENESIS and CAMEL. The omnipresent flute, which sometimes gives the answer to the electric guitar in a beautiful way, obviously supports my comparison even more, but it is also the general atmosphere, the symphonic intensity, which makes me think of these two groups. As well as a lot of keyboards, and just a good dose of electric guitar, among others on the title track. On this same piece, it feels like being in the circus at a certain moment; effect certainly desired by the group, whose opus is precisely a concept album on the idea of a life that would be lived in the form of public performance by circus artists.
I mentioned GENESIS, but in several places on the album, it is more precisely Steve HACKETT's style that we feel, reminiscent of his famous "Voyage of the Acolyte". The piece "Never" is the one where I hear this influence the most, with oboe on acoustic guitar, followed by a familiar electric guitar (this piece which, moreover, begins with another inspiration, in the presence of a very EMERSON piano - a keyboardist admired by John precisely). For its part, "Opening Act", with its many signature changes and several "breaks", offers us a beautiful demonstration of the effective rhythm section found throughout the album. “Passion” and “We Live on Smiles” are two other favorite tracks of mine.
Only two small weaknesses harm this album a little for me: the voice and the production. ALARCON's voice looks a bit like Peter HAMMILL's, which may please or displease, depending on taste. But beyond this comparison, I find that this voice lacks a bit of brilliance and power, that it often sounds like a lament. And this voice is often too much in the foreground, burying the instruments; the production would need to be perfected at this level. More generally, the production and the balance of the instruments deserve to be reworked on this album. In a few places, it even feels like the volume on the keyboards is constantly going up and down; It's a funny feeling, to my ears anyway. Is it the speed of release of the group's albums that makes the time lacking for production? Maybe. Or is it my ears. But despite this, these two weaknesses are not great enough to prevent me from greatly appreciating this work that I have been listening to on repeat for some time.
Unfortunately, we will not have the chance to hear this album live, because THE ARC LIGHT SESSIONS is a studio-only project. But nevertheless, we have a lot of music to listen to (in any case, I have eleven other albums that I promise myself to discover in the coming months!). What...? Oh yes…? Oops, forgive my distraction. It's that someone whispers in my ear that a third album in 2022 might be in the works!!! Until then, I warmly recommend “A Performer's Life"
THE ARC LIGHT SESSIONS is the group of frontman John ALARCON, handyman, especially pianist from 11 years old, keyboardist, influenced by ELP, GENESIS, KING CRIMSON, PFM, by Pat METHENY for jazz and classics such as BACH, CHOPIN or HENDEL. A musician who explores the vintage sounds of yesteryear to continue to make us dream about the sounds of dino groups. He has been producing a lot lately, covid obliges I think and this is his 13th album with this ALS project founded in 2015. 40 years of creating music, let's get into the arena.
"Don't You Believe" with Luc in intro, classical instrument when you hold us; jazzy vocals with Steve's well-placed drums, sumptuous break with that magic flute; the guitar solo plunges back into the same group with a different reading from what GENESIS could have released; the return of the voice was dispensable, one of the magical titles that plunge into the universe of genesis. "Seeking" medieval symphonic intro with trumpets, soft intro for a calm and also more complex variant, acoustic at the start making all the instruments look like a generalized solo; it's almost pompous, it's above all full of sensitivity, the most beautiful title in my opinion. "Summer's Gone" short title and nursery rhyme ballad with some vintage touches of divine Mellotron that can only make you regress pleasantly on the 'Trespass' period. “Eye of the Beholder” for a long classic free jazz crescendo; a bit of Robert WYATT's 'Rock Bottom' buzzes during development.
"Conundrum" for a ballad, limit classico-romantic and fine here; the Mellotron is used sparingly as well as Patrick's guitar; piano break all in sensitivity then it gradually advances on the GENESIS sound of the beginnings. "Autumn" on a classic piano declination from the intro, the melodic nursery rhyme which is especially worthy of its spleen solo à la HACKETT. “The Bitter End” for the complex title through the use of keyboards and melancholy, spleen guitar; the beautiful piece that makes you cry; the finale flies away, symphonic until the end of the piano. “Always on the Verge” for the pronounced piano and flute melody, soft voice that lacks relief somewhere, a little on Willian Sheller ballads too; the variation makes me think of the beginnings of the great GENESIS before its ardor, Anthony Phillips period; the vintage keyboard space drives the point home, finale on the piano almost jazzy-classic in fact, in short a superb final title.
THE ARC LIGHT SESSIONS is prolific in these uncertain times distilling its pieces stamped symphonic progressive rock, titles generally around 6 minutes. Rock often folk, jazzy, pastoral, bringing back to the beginnings of progressive rock itself. Titles imbued with delicacy where the sounds are worked it seems to land on their listening. Here there is no metallic fusion, we stay on the bucolic, meditative floor and that's it; a guaranteed journey into the progressive past. I read that they are classified neo-prog, I correct retro-prog like when we had time with all the quality that goes with it. John ALARCON is a good musician, a very good musician who has a noble approach. This album is to be listened to by the fire while listening to the crackling flames"
8.1/10 Alain Massard progilprog radio (translated from French)
With the tenth album in 6 years (third in 2021!), the group ARC LIGHT SESSIONS, created by Canadian musician John ALARCON, is quite prolific! The style of the musician, approaching the symphonic side of Prog but without a pompous side, always takes us by the hand and makes us travel to a not-so-distant musical past! For neophytes of the group, it's Neo-Prog mixing musical bits easily reminding us of the good years of groups such as GENESIS, CAMEL, or even a little ELP!
Mr. ALARCON's creations invite us to close our eyes and let ourselves float on the nine (9) pieces, one after the other. The piano and the flute are always present and the musician's slightly sweet vocals ensure that nothing is heavy, everything is fluid. The title track 'Redemption' temporarily takes us back to the GENESIS album “Wind and Wuthering” with a light CAMEL sauce. The most 'violent'(!) track is the last of this digital album: 'What We Would Do'. My favorite!
It's a pleasant album to listen to and can play as background music during a meeting between Prog music maniacs!
8.9/10
Gerald Hawey (www.profilprog.com) (translated from French)
"A peine un an après la sortie de « The Unintended Consequence Of Memory », mais 4 albums plus tard ( !), me voici avec « The Poetry in Contemplation ». J’avais assez apprécié cet album, un bel exercice de prog symphonique dans le style anglais des années 70. Et puis un submergé par les innombrables sorties de 2020 j’avais un peu zappé l’ami John Alarcon … Une écoute rapide du dernier me convainc rapidement que le canadien n’a rien perdu de son imagination musicale et que son prog résolument symphonique est toujours bien présent.
« De l’Espace », un joli titre qui voit loin et de haut, et c’est bien ce qu’évoque ce puissant instrumental qui fait la part belle au piano et au Mellotron, le tout avec un grand raffinement mélodique et harmonique.
« Ashes » c’est une superbe intro au piano d’essence genesienne, claviers et flûtes s’en donnent à cœur joie dans un style assez lyrique plus italien qu’anglais. On redécouvre aussi la voix assez caractéristique de par sa tessiture assez grave de John Alarcon, qui semble avoir pris en charge la totalité des vocaux pour ses albums depuis 2020. Et c’est sans doute le seul bémol que j’attribue à sa musique : un registre vocal un peu plus aigu et lyrique ferait grand effet sur une telle musique.
« Maybe » se révèle être une ballade essentiellement piano et voix, plutôt néo-classique avec de superbes modulations harmoniques. Néo-classique l’intro de « Pleasure And Pain » l’est sans conteste avec une mélodie au hautbois et des traits de ce qui me semble être un violoncelle. La suite c’est dur pur prog façon « Trespass » ou « Voyage Of The Acolyte ». Petit délire organistique pour lancer « Beyond The Pale » qui poursuit avec une flûte mélodique qui parcourt tout le morceau. « As I Am » est d’abord un hymne puissant et conquérant entrecoupé de passages instrumentaux piano, guitare et Mellotron.
« Unified » c’est une nouvelle fois une entrée néo-classique toute en légèreté avec cordes, clavecin et flûte pour un nouvel hymne assez lumineux et une conclusion grandiose. La piste terminale et accessoirement la plus longue de l’album, « In Good Conscience Was I » débute par un intéressant quatuor à corde, dont le thème est ensuite repris avec plus de force et de pesanteur aux synthés. Un peu de violoncelle au passage, et le thème est repris sur une rythmique cette fois très martelée. Un autre bel exemple de ce que sait faire John Alarcon.
Il y a du Steve Hackett dans la musique de John Alarcon, je ne parle pas de guitare, mais plutôt de style et de tournures musicales. Quant à la guitare c’est plutôt vers Anthony Phillips qu’il faut se tourner. Bref, le Genesis des commencements n’est jamais très loin, parsemé de quelques doses d’ELP voire de Gentle Giant et de PFM.
Si je compte bien, cela nous fait 6 albums en 1 an … ce qui fait écrire à John sur son site Le nouvel album et sorti et après une période très productive, il est temps de prendre une pause. Voilà qui devrait me laisser un peu de temps pour découvrir les autres albums, mais le dernier en date « The Poetry in Contemplation » reste un beau témoignage de l’art de John Alarcon et de son Arc Light Sessions !" - Pierre Progcritique mai 2021
"John Alarcon est né à Madrid mais a émigré vers le Canada dès l’âge de 8 ans. Il est le fondateur principal de The Arc Light Sessions. Chanteur, compositeur, producteur et claviériste, il joue du piano classique dès l’âge de 11 ans et rapidement tombe en pâmoison devant les exploits d’un certain… Keith Emerson. Principalement influencé par les ELP, Genesis, King Crimson, PFM, Anthony Phillips ou Steve Hackett, mais aussi par des artistes de jazz comme Pat Metheny ou divers compositeurs classiques comme Bach, Chopin ou Haendel... En 2000 et 2002, il sort deux albums «Between Day and Night» et «The Fairest of Moments». Enfin, il fonde The Arc Light Sessions en 2015 avec le chanteur Chris Atwill pour un premier album «Perchance to Dream». C’est ensuite une jolie succession de disques, quatre exactement en comptant deux derniers opus sortis cette année, prolifique le Monsieur! Car le 1er mars sortait «Chromatic Overture» alors que le 15 avril sortait l’album qui nous intéresse. Je soupçonne l’artiste de recycler tout ce qu’il a composé depuis un paquet d’années. Je me suis même laissé dire qu’un certain «Discovery of light» venait lui aussi tout juste d’apparaître, une galette tous les deux mois, le studio n’aurait pas le temps de refroidir!
Alors, qu’en penser? Oui, les claviers sont rois dans l’œuvre d’Alarcon et dans un style qui nous ramène derechef en 1975/76 alors que Genesis assoit sa notoriété à la face du monde. L’impression de chutes de studio de la Genèse ne serait pas faire une insulte au talent du compositeur, au contraire. Par contre, sa façon de chanter sonne comme un Peter Hammill en plus grave, les intonations et les placements au détour d’un break sont comme des petits cousins de celles du leader de VdGG. Le piano est aussi plus présent sur la plupart des morceaux que de grandiloquentes orgues à la Emerson dont on sent poindre, pourtant, l’influence sur certains morceaux. Le chant et le piano sont donc prégnants dans l’œuvre, la sensation d’écouter Hammill (The persistence of memory) est acquise quelque part dans un coin du cerveau mais quand un «The company we keep» ou un «Trouble in paradise» déroulent, Genesis pointe son nez au balcon. Je pense qu’Alarcon n’a pas digéré ses influences, mais pas la peine de prendre un citrate de bétaïne pour s’en défaire, perso, ça me va très bien, étant un incurable adepte du Genesis 70’s. «Into the ether» trottine son bonhomme de chemin sur les traces d’un Tony Banks sans donner le moindre signe de fatigue. Ça en devient limite fascinant car, quelque part, je me dis que Genesis aurait pu continuer sur la voie d’un progressif qu’il a contribué à établir dans certains critères, voire étalonner le genre. L’impression avec tous ces musiciens qui ont été marqués en leur chair du fer rouge des complaintes de la Genèse, que tout n’a pas été écrit et joué… Mais je m’égare. The Arc Light Sessions emploie, outre Alarcon, les Québécois Hugo Emard (basse), Steve Valmont (batterie), Luc Tremblay (flûte et hautbois) et le guitariste Patrick Simpson. À propos de flûte tiens, le solo dans «The enemy time» donne des frissons, le titre tendant à se la jouer grand orchestre, musique classique, entrelardé de passages pianistiques bien sentis, Alarcon martelant parfois son piano comme qui vous savez. Je reste dubitatif quant aux intentions de TALS mais sur la forme, admiratif du talent de composition et le jeu où, subtilement, s’efface le quatuor derrière le maître des lieux. À découvrir mais si vous êtes inconditionnel de… allez je ne le dis plus!"
Bernard Vincken
Prog Censor
"Canada regularly gives us great progressive music. Without going back to the previous quarter century or decades (Harmonium, Rush, Saga,…), we have the head of Mystery, Huis, for example. But do you know about The Arc Light Sessions and / or Synthology? Not sure. John Alarcon, a pianist by training, is behind these two musical projects. In the early 2000s, Synthology released 2 albums in a rather neo-prog style, very melodic, which I highly recommend. More recently, the project The Arc Light Sessions is born, and declines a rather symphonic style. John Alarcon is currently in a rather active phase, judge for yourself: 2 back-to-back albums, including "The Unintended Consequence Of Memory" in question here, and already a brand new project, "The Discovery of Light", some of which songs are available for listening on YouTube.
First listen, first track, "All Our Sorrows" immerses us in an atmosphere of the "Nursery Cryme" type, and that will be the general tone of the album with its keyboards, flute, pastoral music, fairly melodic and harmonic treatment characteristics. Without forgetting of course the stainless mellotron! Some passages on keyboards in this first song also remind me of a French group (unfortunately gone but whose music remains) that I particularly like: "Hécénia", which deserves a rediscovery "retro" on occasion.
"The Company We Keep", and further on "The Enemy Time" and "Mystery" embark on neo-classical intros, a bit pompous for my taste and with the organ for the first, clearly better for the second with its imitation of a string orchestra, then repeated on the piano, and in a Vivaldian style of violin for the latter.
The pieces are linked in a symphonic style sometimes pastoral, sometimes flamboyant, most often in major tones, so bright! I particularly like "Trouble in Paradise", its guitar theme and its particularly successful harmonic modulations. Well seen also the short and instrumental "Intro The Ether".
"The Enemy Time" and "Mystery" already mentioned above for their beautiful neo-baroque intros, end this album on more extensive rhythms and harmonies and perfectly highlight the musical and instrumental science of John Alarcon, perfectly supported by his musicians (including an excellent guitar). The album ends with a majestic A major chord.
For those who love this typical 1970's sound, symphonic, pastoral, neo-baroque and I surely forget it… The Arc Light Sessions and in particular the excellent “The Unintended Consequence Of Memory” will make you revisit places you already know with "Trespass" or "Nursery Cryme", without forgetting the first works of Anthony Phillips and Steve Hackett, even the beginnings of ELP. So take a little (musical) tour around Montreal, and tell me what you think!" - 4.5/5 Pierre Le Thiez (Progcritique.com)
"Before CDBaby.com shut down its webstore for music, I found another great band I had never heard of before. That band is The Arc Light Sessions. Their new album Chromatic Overture is a wonderful, deep dive into the classic progressive rock I grew up with, namely, Genesis and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Chromatic Overture is the third release for the band, after: Perchance to Dream, released in 2015, and Remastered, released in 2017.
The band is made up of John Alarcon, on piano, synthesizers, organ, mellotron and lead vocals; Hugo Emard, on bass; Steve Valmont, on drums; Luc Tremblay, on flute and oboe; and Patrick Simpson, on guitars. The Arc Light Sessions was the creation of keyboardist and composer John Alarcon. He has created symphonic progressive rock that contains elements of some of my favorite bands from the ‘70s.
John Alarcon was born in Madrid Spain, he emigrated to Canada with his family at the age of 8. His musical history started at the age of 11 when he began taking piano lessons from his father and went through a classical repertoire while also diving into rock, pop and prog. His main progressive rock influences are Genesis, ELP, PFM, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Yes, Anthony Phillips and Steve Hackett.
Every track on this album will take you back to places you have probably travelled before like Nursery Crime, Foxtrot, Selling England by the Pound, and ELP’s debut. “Reality” and “Red Flower of Summer”, could have found a place on any of the early Genesis albums I mentioned above. You can hear the affinity with Anthony Phillips and Tony Banks throughout. On “All in Time”, John Alarcon sounds like Greg Lake, only with a higher pitched voice. He keeps the same cadence and maintains the dramatic affect Greg always used to trap with each word and note. The lyrics sound like something Greg might have written. The keyboards and guitar are early Genesis. Can’t remember anyone bringing the sound of those famous bands together so well before.
“Spellbound” is an instrumental track filled with Steve Hackett guitar flights that will bring back memories of the band’s first three albums. The keys sound like ELP. Wonderful to hear the two band’s styles mixed so well. “A Place for You”, is filled with piano and supporting guitar, with bass and drums, that drifts into a “Ripples” echo on piano. “Move Aside”, is another great mix between the styles filled with great lyrics. ELP like lyrics and vocals set to Hackett like guitars and Banks keys. “Wasn’t Born Yesterday” is full of great piano, and mellotron. “These Winter Blues”, come complete with winter wind and plenty of Genesis rhythms from the Collins era. “It All Begins…”, is full of synthesizers with dancing rhythms. The Hackett – like lead guitar is excellent. A mostly instrumental track full of memories from the past. Some of this track reminds me of Steve Hackett’s solo work. “In this Life”, opens with running piano, before the synthesizers kick in. A powerful lyrical closer.
This is a great album, that for me, blended two of my favorite bands from the classic era of progressive rock. I heard moments of guitar supremacy I remember from my youth. The keys took me back to the wonderful characteristics now lost with the passing of Keith Emerson. Banks keyboards are evident all over the tracks as well. Please get this album and enjoy the sound of the music of classical progressive rock from the ‘70s, given a new melody and new lyrics"
- Mark Preising from Progressive rock central (April 2020)
"For those of you who missed The Arc Light Sessions 2015 debut Perchance to Dream, they are back with Kaleidoscope, reflecting a change in personnel and what I think is a much stronger set of symphonic prog compositions. This band/musical project is the brain-child of John Alarcon. Coming in at just under an hour, these eleven tunes range in length from three to nine minutes but in many respects the length of the tracks really seems to have no bearing on the proggy feel of the whole listen. It’s worth pointing out that four of the tracks are instrumental which adds to the musicality present. There is a very European feel that runs throughout; at times I hear hints of Spanish, French or even Italian Progressive Rock bands. The whole package it wrapped up with a distinctly early Genesis vibe especially in the keyboard department. The only things missing perhaps are the twelve-string guitars. What is present, a lot, are the flute and the Mellotron; they show up all over the place in classic symphonic prog fashion. New vocalist Chris Atwill brings a sincere earnestness to the microphone as well as more than a hint of accent and while it’s not distracting it does tend to draw attention to that “European” feel. Speaking of guitars, they tend to take a back-seat on the disc, with the obvious emphasis on the many different keyboard sounds. This gives a more orchestrated feeling to these compositions as well as a softer, at times more pastoral tone with subtle ascending lines building in power only to softly modulate before shifting in time and tempo taking a composition in a completely different direction. The music is complex without being intricate or fiddly. It’s another step in the right direction in my books. Fans of symphonic prog would do well to check out The Arc Light Sessions as there is much to enjoy here. " - Jerry Lucky (Jerrylucky.com)
"It’s been many years since we last heard from John Alarcon through his then musical project called Synthology. Over that time much has changed including the band name going forward. Now recording under the name The Arc Light Sessions, Montreal based Alarcon has surrounded himself with some very talented and capable performers but as before the music revolves around Alarcon’s grand symphonic keyboards. He takes his inspiration from the Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson school of progressive rock and isn’t afraid to show it. Perchance to Dream was released at the tail-end of 2015 and features just over one-hour of music split over thirteen different compositions all thematically linked. I must admit the immediate vibe I got putting on the disc was to be taken back to the early recordings of Rick Wakeman’s English Rock Ensemble, both in terms of compositional approach and keyboard sounds. These are the types of songs that revolve around melody, whether vocals are included or not, they flow smoothly even as they change time and tempo. Songs tend to be linked together displaying a more panoramic approach to the musical presentation. Interestingly musical change-ups abound and the symphonic nature of the music is enhanced by the complex keyboard arrangements. All the right keyboard sounds are in the right place and while there are moments where the vocals become somewhat melodramatic if you are willing to look past the delivery you come away with a very satisfying listen. Perchance to Dream is a fine example of modern symphonic Progressive Rock and I recommend fans of the genre check out The Arc Light Sessions to find out for themselves. Welcome back John Alarcon"
Jerry Lucky (Jerrylucky.com) author of the Progressive Rock Files
"The Arc Light Sessions is a studio-based art rock/progressive project from Montreal, Canada. It represents the return to composing and recording music of John Alarcon after a 13-year absence. Previously, he recorded two albums under the name of Synthology in the early 2000s. What he has created is a very engaging and extremely attractive collection of compositions, which will appeal to anyone whose tastes are more at the symphonic/pastoral end of the prog spectrum.
That symphonic vibe begins with Perchance To Dream ... Only To Awake, which includes elements of other classic bands such as Camel and Mike Oldfield with a Rick Wakeman-like piano solo also in the mix. There Will Come A Day contains a distinctive, piping synth solo, a flowing guitar, flute and piano, while "Through These Years " has a hymn-like quality.
Most of the album continues in a similar symphonic vein, with the stand-out track being "The Old Man And The Sea", which contains several twists and turns in its instrumental passages, switching between keyboards and guitar, along with another gorgeous piano solo.
Leading on the vocals is Chris Atwill, who presents his parts with great passion, but I have to say that I am not over keen on his voice. Alarcon steps up to the vocal plate for "The Ghosts Of Winters Past "with Nathalie Buddo on backing vocals, and again it is an extremely pretty song. Elsewhere Misunderstood is a slightly darker song and Till The End is one of several charming instrumentals on the album.
This is a highly listenable album, with lots of lilting melodies and classic influences coming through in the mix. It is certainly worth investigating, as one of the lesser known releases of 2015. " Alison Henderson, DPRP.NET (Dutch Progressive Rock Pages, November 2015
"Another good independent release from 2015, it will please in full those who like a more progressive light in the line of groups like Supertramp, Barclay James Harvest and The Moody Blues. Music filled with pianos, flute and guitar….great singer!" Cesar Lanzarini, Rock Progressivo, Brazil
Do you know John ALARCON? When John gets up in the morning, he composes music. After dinner, he puts down a text to this music. His supper finished, he heads for a studio where he joins his four musician accomplices to record this song. At the end of the evening, he returns home and spends part of the night mixing and arranging the room. Then he sleeps for a few hours, before getting up to compose new music, then writing a text to this music, then...
Do you know John ALARCON? Well, I don't know John any better than you; in fact I'm sure many of you already know him very well, but not me, I admit. But that doesn't take away my right to imagine that his days and nights are spent the way I've just described: a music lover, recording song after song, album after album. I have little chance of being wrong in my guess: THE ARC LIGHT SESSIONS, a Quebec group of which John is the founder and leader, released no less than four albums in 2020, three in 2021 and two in 2022! Since the founding of the group in 2015, twelve albums have been released! One would think that with such a rhythm, quantity does not rhyme with quality. However, I really liked this twelfth opus that I present to you in this text. Impossible on the other hand for me to compare with the rest of their material (I have just discovered this group), but if I rely on the reviews of a few previous albums that I unearthed on the web, the quality of this twelfth offering does not would be no exception!
So, THE ARC LIGHT SESSIONS, what does it look like? Ah, the comparison game. We try to avoid it, but sometimes it's the best way to explain in writing how music sounds. On "A Performer's Life", there are ten magnificent melodies that last between three and eight minutes (including two instrumentals), in the form of a symphonic which flows admirably well, like a delicious mixture of GENESIS and CAMEL. The omnipresent flute, which sometimes gives the answer to the electric guitar in a beautiful way, obviously supports my comparison even more, but it is also the general atmosphere, the symphonic intensity, which makes me think of these two groups. As well as a lot of keyboards, and just a good dose of electric guitar, among others on the title track. On this same piece, it feels like being in the circus at a certain moment; effect certainly desired by the group, whose opus is precisely a concept album on the idea of a life that would be lived in the form of public performance by circus artists.
I mentioned GENESIS, but in several places on the album, it is more precisely Steve HACKETT's style that we feel, reminiscent of his famous "Voyage of the Acolyte". The piece "Never" is the one where I hear this influence the most, with oboe on acoustic guitar, followed by a familiar electric guitar (this piece which, moreover, begins with another inspiration, in the presence of a very EMERSON piano - a keyboardist admired by John precisely). For its part, "Opening Act", with its many signature changes and several "breaks", offers us a beautiful demonstration of the effective rhythm section found throughout the album. “Passion” and “We Live on Smiles” are two other favorite tracks of mine.
Only two small weaknesses harm this album a little for me: the voice and the production. ALARCON's voice looks a bit like Peter HAMMILL's, which may please or displease, depending on taste. But beyond this comparison, I find that this voice lacks a bit of brilliance and power, that it often sounds like a lament. And this voice is often too much in the foreground, burying the instruments; the production would need to be perfected at this level. More generally, the production and the balance of the instruments deserve to be reworked on this album. In a few places, it even feels like the volume on the keyboards is constantly going up and down; It's a funny feeling, to my ears anyway. Is it the speed of release of the group's albums that makes the time lacking for production? Maybe. Or is it my ears. But despite this, these two weaknesses are not great enough to prevent me from greatly appreciating this work that I have been listening to on repeat for some time.
Unfortunately, we will not have the chance to hear this album live, because THE ARC LIGHT SESSIONS is a studio-only project. But nevertheless, we have a lot of music to listen to (in any case, I have eleven other albums that I promise myself to discover in the coming months!). What...? Oh yes…? Oops, forgive my distraction. It's that someone whispers in my ear that a third album in 2022 might be in the works!!! Until then, I warmly recommend “A Performer's Life"
THE ARC LIGHT SESSIONS is the group of frontman John ALARCON, handyman, especially pianist from 11 years old, keyboardist, influenced by ELP, GENESIS, KING CRIMSON, PFM, by Pat METHENY for jazz and classics such as BACH, CHOPIN or HENDEL. A musician who explores the vintage sounds of yesteryear to continue to make us dream about the sounds of dino groups. He has been producing a lot lately, covid obliges I think and this is his 13th album with this ALS project founded in 2015. 40 years of creating music, let's get into the arena.
"Don't You Believe" with Luc in intro, classical instrument when you hold us; jazzy vocals with Steve's well-placed drums, sumptuous break with that magic flute; the guitar solo plunges back into the same group with a different reading from what GENESIS could have released; the return of the voice was dispensable, one of the magical titles that plunge into the universe of genesis. "Seeking" medieval symphonic intro with trumpets, soft intro for a calm and also more complex variant, acoustic at the start making all the instruments look like a generalized solo; it's almost pompous, it's above all full of sensitivity, the most beautiful title in my opinion. "Summer's Gone" short title and nursery rhyme ballad with some vintage touches of divine Mellotron that can only make you regress pleasantly on the 'Trespass' period. “Eye of the Beholder” for a long classic free jazz crescendo; a bit of Robert WYATT's 'Rock Bottom' buzzes during development.
"Conundrum" for a ballad, limit classico-romantic and fine here; the Mellotron is used sparingly as well as Patrick's guitar; piano break all in sensitivity then it gradually advances on the GENESIS sound of the beginnings. "Autumn" on a classic piano declination from the intro, the melodic nursery rhyme which is especially worthy of its spleen solo à la HACKETT. “The Bitter End” for the complex title through the use of keyboards and melancholy, spleen guitar; the beautiful piece that makes you cry; the finale flies away, symphonic until the end of the piano. “Always on the Verge” for the pronounced piano and flute melody, soft voice that lacks relief somewhere, a little on Willian Sheller ballads too; the variation makes me think of the beginnings of the great GENESIS before its ardor, Anthony Phillips period; the vintage keyboard space drives the point home, finale on the piano almost jazzy-classic in fact, in short a superb final title.
THE ARC LIGHT SESSIONS is prolific in these uncertain times distilling its pieces stamped symphonic progressive rock, titles generally around 6 minutes. Rock often folk, jazzy, pastoral, bringing back to the beginnings of progressive rock itself. Titles imbued with delicacy where the sounds are worked it seems to land on their listening. Here there is no metallic fusion, we stay on the bucolic, meditative floor and that's it; a guaranteed journey into the progressive past. I read that they are classified neo-prog, I correct retro-prog like when we had time with all the quality that goes with it. John ALARCON is a good musician, a very good musician who has a noble approach. This album is to be listened to by the fire while listening to the crackling flames"
8.1/10 Alain Massard progilprog radio (translated from French)
With the tenth album in 6 years (third in 2021!), the group ARC LIGHT SESSIONS, created by Canadian musician John ALARCON, is quite prolific! The style of the musician, approaching the symphonic side of Prog but without a pompous side, always takes us by the hand and makes us travel to a not-so-distant musical past! For neophytes of the group, it's Neo-Prog mixing musical bits easily reminding us of the good years of groups such as GENESIS, CAMEL, or even a little ELP!
Mr. ALARCON's creations invite us to close our eyes and let ourselves float on the nine (9) pieces, one after the other. The piano and the flute are always present and the musician's slightly sweet vocals ensure that nothing is heavy, everything is fluid. The title track 'Redemption' temporarily takes us back to the GENESIS album “Wind and Wuthering” with a light CAMEL sauce. The most 'violent'(!) track is the last of this digital album: 'What We Would Do'. My favorite!
It's a pleasant album to listen to and can play as background music during a meeting between Prog music maniacs!
8.9/10
Gerald Hawey (www.profilprog.com) (translated from French)
"A peine un an après la sortie de « The Unintended Consequence Of Memory », mais 4 albums plus tard ( !), me voici avec « The Poetry in Contemplation ». J’avais assez apprécié cet album, un bel exercice de prog symphonique dans le style anglais des années 70. Et puis un submergé par les innombrables sorties de 2020 j’avais un peu zappé l’ami John Alarcon … Une écoute rapide du dernier me convainc rapidement que le canadien n’a rien perdu de son imagination musicale et que son prog résolument symphonique est toujours bien présent.
« De l’Espace », un joli titre qui voit loin et de haut, et c’est bien ce qu’évoque ce puissant instrumental qui fait la part belle au piano et au Mellotron, le tout avec un grand raffinement mélodique et harmonique.
« Ashes » c’est une superbe intro au piano d’essence genesienne, claviers et flûtes s’en donnent à cœur joie dans un style assez lyrique plus italien qu’anglais. On redécouvre aussi la voix assez caractéristique de par sa tessiture assez grave de John Alarcon, qui semble avoir pris en charge la totalité des vocaux pour ses albums depuis 2020. Et c’est sans doute le seul bémol que j’attribue à sa musique : un registre vocal un peu plus aigu et lyrique ferait grand effet sur une telle musique.
« Maybe » se révèle être une ballade essentiellement piano et voix, plutôt néo-classique avec de superbes modulations harmoniques. Néo-classique l’intro de « Pleasure And Pain » l’est sans conteste avec une mélodie au hautbois et des traits de ce qui me semble être un violoncelle. La suite c’est dur pur prog façon « Trespass » ou « Voyage Of The Acolyte ». Petit délire organistique pour lancer « Beyond The Pale » qui poursuit avec une flûte mélodique qui parcourt tout le morceau. « As I Am » est d’abord un hymne puissant et conquérant entrecoupé de passages instrumentaux piano, guitare et Mellotron.
« Unified » c’est une nouvelle fois une entrée néo-classique toute en légèreté avec cordes, clavecin et flûte pour un nouvel hymne assez lumineux et une conclusion grandiose. La piste terminale et accessoirement la plus longue de l’album, « In Good Conscience Was I » débute par un intéressant quatuor à corde, dont le thème est ensuite repris avec plus de force et de pesanteur aux synthés. Un peu de violoncelle au passage, et le thème est repris sur une rythmique cette fois très martelée. Un autre bel exemple de ce que sait faire John Alarcon.
Il y a du Steve Hackett dans la musique de John Alarcon, je ne parle pas de guitare, mais plutôt de style et de tournures musicales. Quant à la guitare c’est plutôt vers Anthony Phillips qu’il faut se tourner. Bref, le Genesis des commencements n’est jamais très loin, parsemé de quelques doses d’ELP voire de Gentle Giant et de PFM.
Si je compte bien, cela nous fait 6 albums en 1 an … ce qui fait écrire à John sur son site Le nouvel album et sorti et après une période très productive, il est temps de prendre une pause. Voilà qui devrait me laisser un peu de temps pour découvrir les autres albums, mais le dernier en date « The Poetry in Contemplation » reste un beau témoignage de l’art de John Alarcon et de son Arc Light Sessions !" - Pierre Progcritique mai 2021
"John Alarcon est né à Madrid mais a émigré vers le Canada dès l’âge de 8 ans. Il est le fondateur principal de The Arc Light Sessions. Chanteur, compositeur, producteur et claviériste, il joue du piano classique dès l’âge de 11 ans et rapidement tombe en pâmoison devant les exploits d’un certain… Keith Emerson. Principalement influencé par les ELP, Genesis, King Crimson, PFM, Anthony Phillips ou Steve Hackett, mais aussi par des artistes de jazz comme Pat Metheny ou divers compositeurs classiques comme Bach, Chopin ou Haendel... En 2000 et 2002, il sort deux albums «Between Day and Night» et «The Fairest of Moments». Enfin, il fonde The Arc Light Sessions en 2015 avec le chanteur Chris Atwill pour un premier album «Perchance to Dream». C’est ensuite une jolie succession de disques, quatre exactement en comptant deux derniers opus sortis cette année, prolifique le Monsieur! Car le 1er mars sortait «Chromatic Overture» alors que le 15 avril sortait l’album qui nous intéresse. Je soupçonne l’artiste de recycler tout ce qu’il a composé depuis un paquet d’années. Je me suis même laissé dire qu’un certain «Discovery of light» venait lui aussi tout juste d’apparaître, une galette tous les deux mois, le studio n’aurait pas le temps de refroidir!
Alors, qu’en penser? Oui, les claviers sont rois dans l’œuvre d’Alarcon et dans un style qui nous ramène derechef en 1975/76 alors que Genesis assoit sa notoriété à la face du monde. L’impression de chutes de studio de la Genèse ne serait pas faire une insulte au talent du compositeur, au contraire. Par contre, sa façon de chanter sonne comme un Peter Hammill en plus grave, les intonations et les placements au détour d’un break sont comme des petits cousins de celles du leader de VdGG. Le piano est aussi plus présent sur la plupart des morceaux que de grandiloquentes orgues à la Emerson dont on sent poindre, pourtant, l’influence sur certains morceaux. Le chant et le piano sont donc prégnants dans l’œuvre, la sensation d’écouter Hammill (The persistence of memory) est acquise quelque part dans un coin du cerveau mais quand un «The company we keep» ou un «Trouble in paradise» déroulent, Genesis pointe son nez au balcon. Je pense qu’Alarcon n’a pas digéré ses influences, mais pas la peine de prendre un citrate de bétaïne pour s’en défaire, perso, ça me va très bien, étant un incurable adepte du Genesis 70’s. «Into the ether» trottine son bonhomme de chemin sur les traces d’un Tony Banks sans donner le moindre signe de fatigue. Ça en devient limite fascinant car, quelque part, je me dis que Genesis aurait pu continuer sur la voie d’un progressif qu’il a contribué à établir dans certains critères, voire étalonner le genre. L’impression avec tous ces musiciens qui ont été marqués en leur chair du fer rouge des complaintes de la Genèse, que tout n’a pas été écrit et joué… Mais je m’égare. The Arc Light Sessions emploie, outre Alarcon, les Québécois Hugo Emard (basse), Steve Valmont (batterie), Luc Tremblay (flûte et hautbois) et le guitariste Patrick Simpson. À propos de flûte tiens, le solo dans «The enemy time» donne des frissons, le titre tendant à se la jouer grand orchestre, musique classique, entrelardé de passages pianistiques bien sentis, Alarcon martelant parfois son piano comme qui vous savez. Je reste dubitatif quant aux intentions de TALS mais sur la forme, admiratif du talent de composition et le jeu où, subtilement, s’efface le quatuor derrière le maître des lieux. À découvrir mais si vous êtes inconditionnel de… allez je ne le dis plus!"
Bernard Vincken
Prog Censor
"Canada regularly gives us great progressive music. Without going back to the previous quarter century or decades (Harmonium, Rush, Saga,…), we have the head of Mystery, Huis, for example. But do you know about The Arc Light Sessions and / or Synthology? Not sure. John Alarcon, a pianist by training, is behind these two musical projects. In the early 2000s, Synthology released 2 albums in a rather neo-prog style, very melodic, which I highly recommend. More recently, the project The Arc Light Sessions is born, and declines a rather symphonic style. John Alarcon is currently in a rather active phase, judge for yourself: 2 back-to-back albums, including "The Unintended Consequence Of Memory" in question here, and already a brand new project, "The Discovery of Light", some of which songs are available for listening on YouTube.
First listen, first track, "All Our Sorrows" immerses us in an atmosphere of the "Nursery Cryme" type, and that will be the general tone of the album with its keyboards, flute, pastoral music, fairly melodic and harmonic treatment characteristics. Without forgetting of course the stainless mellotron! Some passages on keyboards in this first song also remind me of a French group (unfortunately gone but whose music remains) that I particularly like: "Hécénia", which deserves a rediscovery "retro" on occasion.
"The Company We Keep", and further on "The Enemy Time" and "Mystery" embark on neo-classical intros, a bit pompous for my taste and with the organ for the first, clearly better for the second with its imitation of a string orchestra, then repeated on the piano, and in a Vivaldian style of violin for the latter.
The pieces are linked in a symphonic style sometimes pastoral, sometimes flamboyant, most often in major tones, so bright! I particularly like "Trouble in Paradise", its guitar theme and its particularly successful harmonic modulations. Well seen also the short and instrumental "Intro The Ether".
"The Enemy Time" and "Mystery" already mentioned above for their beautiful neo-baroque intros, end this album on more extensive rhythms and harmonies and perfectly highlight the musical and instrumental science of John Alarcon, perfectly supported by his musicians (including an excellent guitar). The album ends with a majestic A major chord.
For those who love this typical 1970's sound, symphonic, pastoral, neo-baroque and I surely forget it… The Arc Light Sessions and in particular the excellent “The Unintended Consequence Of Memory” will make you revisit places you already know with "Trespass" or "Nursery Cryme", without forgetting the first works of Anthony Phillips and Steve Hackett, even the beginnings of ELP. So take a little (musical) tour around Montreal, and tell me what you think!" - 4.5/5 Pierre Le Thiez (Progcritique.com)
"Before CDBaby.com shut down its webstore for music, I found another great band I had never heard of before. That band is The Arc Light Sessions. Their new album Chromatic Overture is a wonderful, deep dive into the classic progressive rock I grew up with, namely, Genesis and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Chromatic Overture is the third release for the band, after: Perchance to Dream, released in 2015, and Remastered, released in 2017.
The band is made up of John Alarcon, on piano, synthesizers, organ, mellotron and lead vocals; Hugo Emard, on bass; Steve Valmont, on drums; Luc Tremblay, on flute and oboe; and Patrick Simpson, on guitars. The Arc Light Sessions was the creation of keyboardist and composer John Alarcon. He has created symphonic progressive rock that contains elements of some of my favorite bands from the ‘70s.
John Alarcon was born in Madrid Spain, he emigrated to Canada with his family at the age of 8. His musical history started at the age of 11 when he began taking piano lessons from his father and went through a classical repertoire while also diving into rock, pop and prog. His main progressive rock influences are Genesis, ELP, PFM, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Yes, Anthony Phillips and Steve Hackett.
Every track on this album will take you back to places you have probably travelled before like Nursery Crime, Foxtrot, Selling England by the Pound, and ELP’s debut. “Reality” and “Red Flower of Summer”, could have found a place on any of the early Genesis albums I mentioned above. You can hear the affinity with Anthony Phillips and Tony Banks throughout. On “All in Time”, John Alarcon sounds like Greg Lake, only with a higher pitched voice. He keeps the same cadence and maintains the dramatic affect Greg always used to trap with each word and note. The lyrics sound like something Greg might have written. The keyboards and guitar are early Genesis. Can’t remember anyone bringing the sound of those famous bands together so well before.
“Spellbound” is an instrumental track filled with Steve Hackett guitar flights that will bring back memories of the band’s first three albums. The keys sound like ELP. Wonderful to hear the two band’s styles mixed so well. “A Place for You”, is filled with piano and supporting guitar, with bass and drums, that drifts into a “Ripples” echo on piano. “Move Aside”, is another great mix between the styles filled with great lyrics. ELP like lyrics and vocals set to Hackett like guitars and Banks keys. “Wasn’t Born Yesterday” is full of great piano, and mellotron. “These Winter Blues”, come complete with winter wind and plenty of Genesis rhythms from the Collins era. “It All Begins…”, is full of synthesizers with dancing rhythms. The Hackett – like lead guitar is excellent. A mostly instrumental track full of memories from the past. Some of this track reminds me of Steve Hackett’s solo work. “In this Life”, opens with running piano, before the synthesizers kick in. A powerful lyrical closer.
This is a great album, that for me, blended two of my favorite bands from the classic era of progressive rock. I heard moments of guitar supremacy I remember from my youth. The keys took me back to the wonderful characteristics now lost with the passing of Keith Emerson. Banks keyboards are evident all over the tracks as well. Please get this album and enjoy the sound of the music of classical progressive rock from the ‘70s, given a new melody and new lyrics"
- Mark Preising from Progressive rock central (April 2020)
"For those of you who missed The Arc Light Sessions 2015 debut Perchance to Dream, they are back with Kaleidoscope, reflecting a change in personnel and what I think is a much stronger set of symphonic prog compositions. This band/musical project is the brain-child of John Alarcon. Coming in at just under an hour, these eleven tunes range in length from three to nine minutes but in many respects the length of the tracks really seems to have no bearing on the proggy feel of the whole listen. It’s worth pointing out that four of the tracks are instrumental which adds to the musicality present. There is a very European feel that runs throughout; at times I hear hints of Spanish, French or even Italian Progressive Rock bands. The whole package it wrapped up with a distinctly early Genesis vibe especially in the keyboard department. The only things missing perhaps are the twelve-string guitars. What is present, a lot, are the flute and the Mellotron; they show up all over the place in classic symphonic prog fashion. New vocalist Chris Atwill brings a sincere earnestness to the microphone as well as more than a hint of accent and while it’s not distracting it does tend to draw attention to that “European” feel. Speaking of guitars, they tend to take a back-seat on the disc, with the obvious emphasis on the many different keyboard sounds. This gives a more orchestrated feeling to these compositions as well as a softer, at times more pastoral tone with subtle ascending lines building in power only to softly modulate before shifting in time and tempo taking a composition in a completely different direction. The music is complex without being intricate or fiddly. It’s another step in the right direction in my books. Fans of symphonic prog would do well to check out The Arc Light Sessions as there is much to enjoy here. " - Jerry Lucky (Jerrylucky.com)
"It’s been many years since we last heard from John Alarcon through his then musical project called Synthology. Over that time much has changed including the band name going forward. Now recording under the name The Arc Light Sessions, Montreal based Alarcon has surrounded himself with some very talented and capable performers but as before the music revolves around Alarcon’s grand symphonic keyboards. He takes his inspiration from the Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson school of progressive rock and isn’t afraid to show it. Perchance to Dream was released at the tail-end of 2015 and features just over one-hour of music split over thirteen different compositions all thematically linked. I must admit the immediate vibe I got putting on the disc was to be taken back to the early recordings of Rick Wakeman’s English Rock Ensemble, both in terms of compositional approach and keyboard sounds. These are the types of songs that revolve around melody, whether vocals are included or not, they flow smoothly even as they change time and tempo. Songs tend to be linked together displaying a more panoramic approach to the musical presentation. Interestingly musical change-ups abound and the symphonic nature of the music is enhanced by the complex keyboard arrangements. All the right keyboard sounds are in the right place and while there are moments where the vocals become somewhat melodramatic if you are willing to look past the delivery you come away with a very satisfying listen. Perchance to Dream is a fine example of modern symphonic Progressive Rock and I recommend fans of the genre check out The Arc Light Sessions to find out for themselves. Welcome back John Alarcon"
Jerry Lucky (Jerrylucky.com) author of the Progressive Rock Files
"The Arc Light Sessions is a studio-based art rock/progressive project from Montreal, Canada. It represents the return to composing and recording music of John Alarcon after a 13-year absence. Previously, he recorded two albums under the name of Synthology in the early 2000s. What he has created is a very engaging and extremely attractive collection of compositions, which will appeal to anyone whose tastes are more at the symphonic/pastoral end of the prog spectrum.
That symphonic vibe begins with Perchance To Dream ... Only To Awake, which includes elements of other classic bands such as Camel and Mike Oldfield with a Rick Wakeman-like piano solo also in the mix. There Will Come A Day contains a distinctive, piping synth solo, a flowing guitar, flute and piano, while "Through These Years " has a hymn-like quality.
Most of the album continues in a similar symphonic vein, with the stand-out track being "The Old Man And The Sea", which contains several twists and turns in its instrumental passages, switching between keyboards and guitar, along with another gorgeous piano solo.
Leading on the vocals is Chris Atwill, who presents his parts with great passion, but I have to say that I am not over keen on his voice. Alarcon steps up to the vocal plate for "The Ghosts Of Winters Past "with Nathalie Buddo on backing vocals, and again it is an extremely pretty song. Elsewhere Misunderstood is a slightly darker song and Till The End is one of several charming instrumentals on the album.
This is a highly listenable album, with lots of lilting melodies and classic influences coming through in the mix. It is certainly worth investigating, as one of the lesser known releases of 2015. " Alison Henderson, DPRP.NET (Dutch Progressive Rock Pages, November 2015
"Another good independent release from 2015, it will please in full those who like a more progressive light in the line of groups like Supertramp, Barclay James Harvest and The Moody Blues. Music filled with pianos, flute and guitar….great singer!" Cesar Lanzarini, Rock Progressivo, Brazil
REVIEWS AS SYNTHOLOGY (2000-2002)
"The Fairest of Moments" (2002) Fossil Records
"Through the Doors of Time" on YouTube
"Lost in the Cathedral" on YouTube
"Through the Doors of Time" on YouTube
"Lost in the Cathedral" on YouTube
"Synthology has a big, melodic prog sound, heavy on long-toned guitar and translucent keyboards. Evocative of a softer, dreamier version of Asia, their music is thoughtfully conceived, and makes for rewarding listening. John and James Alarcon on piano, synths, and guitars, have fashioned what they call “ …in some ways a concept album…born in the dreams and the nightmares of the human condition.” Nevertheless, a celestial-bright keyboard sheen (similar to that used by Iasos on his great Angelic Music) predominates, surrounding the yearning voice of Marysa Mardini, Churchill Downes on bass, and “The Winkler” – methinks a machine – on drums. John has impressive keyboard chops which nod, occasionally, in a direction of Keith Emerson. Special mention goes to the great riff he’s fashioned for the title track, which boasts some beautiful harmonies. They also get kudos for excellent cover graphics: the trippy aura, set against a background of stark white, perfectly compliments the music’s heady atmosphere." - Larry Nai, Progression Magazine
"The oft-forgotten Canada has another musician worthy of attention here. John Alarcon (keyboards), together with family member James (guitar), have completed their 6-month labour of love and released a CD drenched in lush synths and piano, over which the excellent Hernandez (Cast) style guitar soars. If I was to try to provide comparators, I would suggest a prog-lite Cast, or maybe a more ethereal Tantalus. Overall, the comparison I am most drawn to is the underrated Tony Banks solo album ‘A Curious Feeling’, as much for the keyboard-led sounds as well as the atmospherics of the album as a whole. Whilst the production occasionally lacks the clarity that I always seem to require in my own personal listening habits, the listening experience is most pleasant, and the enjoyment seems to increase with every listen as more nuances are drawn out. Singer Marysa Mardini has a good voice, and the drums are such that they undermine the thought that they be machine generated. In short, a solid album of rich keyboard-led music, with much stirring guitar and haunting melody to please the ear." - Wondrous Stories, magazine of the Classic Rock Society
"This album from Canadian band Synthology is a debut. Mastermind is John Alarcon at keyboards in cooperation with his brother James on guitar. The other people are "only" musicians and the winkler is only a synonym for drumcomputer. The album shows influences from neo prog. Bands like Arena or the early IQ are shining through the songs..." - Thorsten Guerntke, DURP.com
"There are records which appear from nowhere, but from the very first sound you feel your heart beating faster. Unknown to anybody brothers John and James Alarcon supported by Marysa Mardini and bassist Churchill Downes have released a cd which fans of reflective and intelligent music will love immediately. If you remember the first solo record of Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks – Synthology has the same atmosphere and moody sound like his 1979 release “A Curious Feeling”. We have here very similar synthesizer sounds, the same melancholic atmosphere and slowly building climate. It’s splendid to listen to this music as it flows to our ears inconspicuously, but in the final effect it breaks into our brain so deeply that it stays in the brain for long hours. We have beautiful songs like “Abracadabra” or “Nosferatu”, we have ravishing instrumental compositions like “The Voyage of Dexius”. It’s a pity the record is so short and I wish that the magic of this magnificent record would continue much longer. This is not a problem since my hand automatically goes back to the play button. One more good piece of information for the end of this year: Synthology will release their next cd and I can’t stand waiting for it!” - Artur Chachlowski, Metal Hammer Magazine (May 2001)
"'Between day and night' is a high quality release and a total must for fans of Neo-prog. The CD contains 10 songs, of which about 6 songs feature the good female lead vocals of Marysa Mardini. Opener "Comes the night" is an excellent instrumental uptempo melodic Neo-prog rocker. Next track "Abracadabra" features the female lead vocals and is great Neoprog, with some lovely keyboard work of John Alarcon, who together with his brother James (guitarist) are the leaders of SYNTHOLOGY. The CD continues in this Neo-prog style, with both instrumental and vocal tracks. The best songs are "Between day and night" (great female fronted Neoprog, a la TRACY HITCHINGS), "Curtain call" (polished ballad) and the instrumental slow melodic rocker "Living in dreamland". SYNTHOLOGY is a very good band, a must for fans of Neoprog. " - Gabor Kleinbloesem, Strutter 'Zine
"I’m here to say that progressive rock is alive and well in Canada. It is perhaps a small contingent of dedicated musicians who tread those waters, but they are committed to the cause. One of the shining lights of symphonic prog in Canada would have to be a Band from Montreal calling themselves Synthology. Some time back I reviewed their second release. They had indicated they were working on a re-mastering of their first CD entitled Between Day and Night originally released in 2000 and that has now been released. I’m happy to say this is more than just a re-release, it is in fact a re-recording of their first CD, and what treat it is. Just for the record, Synthology is primarily John Alarcon who handles all the keyboards and composes and arranges everything. On Between Night and Day he enlists the help of James Alarcon (guitar), Tony Duncan (drums), Antoine Yu (12-string guitar), Marysa Mardini (vocals), and Benoit Lacroix (flute, oboe). The sound here is of a real band. Now I’ve not heard the original, but I’m told there has been considerable reworking of some of the pieces. Of note is the extensive use of Mellotron samples you’ll hear throughout. The music Synthology create falls squarely in the symphonic prog realm. It is flowing, lush, pastoral, all those things that we’ve come to expect from the genre. The guitar work here has a distinct Steve Hackett feel and fits the overall sound perfectly. The keyboard sounds range from the typical churchy organ, piano, synth and Mellotron choir and strings. The rhythm section of bass and drums are solid performing the roll of momentum and in that regard all the compositions are more or less mid-tempo, although many of the compositions do reflect subtle shifts in atmosphere. Subtle is the key here as we may go from a section where voice and piano dominate, only to change to a flute musical bridge. Of the nine compositions, six of them are in the three or four minute range leaving room for two around seven minutes and one running out to thirteen minutes, but even in the shorter compositions one has the feeling of depth, texture and fluidity as each piece seems to reflect a fullness one moment and then softer ambience the next. Most of the songs have vocals handled by the warm and expressive voice of Marysa. Her vocal style seems to fit perfectly into Alarcon’s composing style. The feeling evoked by much of the music on Between Night and Day is one of hope or even joy.For those of you needing a musical reference point, and I know how helpful that can be at times, imagine if you will the symphonic side of Harmonium crossed with early Steve Hackett and you’ll get a pretty clear audio sample of what to expect here. Synthology’s Between Night and Day was such a pleasant surprise to my ears. It turned out to be one of those CD’s I kept going back to over and over again. There’s a lot of great music here and you’ll hear more each time it plays. Top marks to Synthology. Fans of softer, melodic symphonic prog will definitely want to pick up a copy." - Jerry Lucky, Progressiveland
"I said it once before, history hasn’t been kind to second releases for many bands. Yet here I am again with a sophomore release that I believe is a real winner. From the opening Hammond-like organ runs Synthology’s “The Fairest of Moments” you know what territory you’re in. It’s that mid period Genesis around the Wind and Wuthering time with that particular keyboard sound and style of pitch bending. That being said there is plenty going on here to distance Synthology form its early influences. For example the neat little instrumental sections separating the longer pieces. Cut #2 entitled “The Bridge” has a particularly captivating melody crafted with simple keyboard piano/string/flute/Arp sounds layered on top of one another. I wish it was longer than the allotted two-minutes. Synthology is the brainchild of John Alarcon who moved to Montreal, Canada from Vancouver back in 1993. Their first release which, as I understand it was more of a band effort was also a little less adventurous. This time around Alarcom, who handles all the keyboards, is assisted by Peter Warren (bass), Luc Hebert (drums), Jon Graham (guitars) and Marysa Marbini on vocals. This second release is awash in, as the name implies a symphonic string pads, and full rich production and masterful arrangements. The songs are mostly on the long side with the three-part title track clocking in at just under 19 minutes. As a result while vocals run throughout, there is plenty of long instrumental passages. A mixture that seems to work. I want to stress that the compositions are no mere carbon copies of old Genesis, there’s some real craft going on here. I believe Alarcom has the ability to construct symphonic progressive rock with the best of them. Getting back to the vocals, Marbini’s powerful tenor at times hints of Jon Anderson, but she retains a distinctive approach. As a vocalist interpreting or creating the melody is a charged responsibility. And in that department her origininality is most evident. There are times in cut #3 “Seven Wonders” where it sounds as if she’s singing off key. And yet on numerous listens she hits the same notes leading me to think it’s in no way a mistake but in fact intended to generate a certain emotion on the part of the hearer. It may take listeners time to warm up to her approach but with each listen it becomes less obvious and more a part of the song. She comes into her own with the opening strains of the title track. Her vocal tone is totally captivating. In summary Synthology’s “The Fairest of Moments” is a splendid second release, with lots of interesting keyboard sounds and performances and a supporting cast who admirably give the record depth and confidence. A dramatic symphonic tour ‘d force." - Jerry Lucky, Ghostland.com
"The Fairest Of Moments is the second album from Synthology, a studio based band from Montreal, Canada. Their first album, Between Day And Night, was based on compositions by the Alarcon brothers, John and James together with a number of studio musicians. This time round only John Alarcon and Marysa Mardini (vocals) contributed to the album from the original contributors on the debut album. Further help came from Peter Warren (bass), Jon Graham (guitar) and Luc Hebert (drums). Thankfully one should also note that the band have done without The Winkler, which was the original drum machine use on the debut album, and employed the services of a proper drummer. Stylistically the music remains stepped in the seventies with many of the classical influences of the debut album resurfacing once again. The presence of Marysa Mardini, and her sensual strong voice once again draws comparison to Renaissance, especially due to the fact that there is much piano accompaniment on various tracks such as the opening The Falling Sky as well as on Through The Doors. One of the main promises made prior to the recording of this album was the fact that most of the tracks would be of a longer duration and thus allow more musical exploration to take place, one which the band have fulfilled to the maximum. A strong influence seems to have been Steve Hackett as well as Genesis, with both keyboards and guitars played out in true style on more than one occasion. Seven Wonders, with its introductory The Bridge, is somewhat overdrawn in its use of atmospheric keyboards and admittedly, Mardini's voice does come across as slightly strained. Somewhere it seems that he voice does not seem to suit the slower moments. This is more than made up for by tracks like Edge Of The World with its Incommunicadoesque keyboard licks The instrumental Lost In The Cathedral reaffirms the influence Tony Banks has on John Alarcon while the title track The Fairest Of Moments is the culmination of what Alarcon has tried to achieve with this album. Running in at close to twenty minutes, this track manages to incorporate every style and influence that permeates throughout the rest of the album, from Genesis to Renaissance. With The Fairest of Moments, John Alarcon has managed to confirm what had been promised with the debut Between Day And Night. The album is replete with references to the glorious seventies and should be most enjoyable to all those who like the traditionally styled progressive rock of that era. On the other hand, Alarcon has not yet seemingly achieved a distinctive sound of his own with Synthology that would allow the band to be readily identifiable as an individual entity." - Nigel Camilleri, Dutch Progressive Rock Pages
"This second release by Synthology is a very tasty neo-prog album, with longer pieces and a little more adventure than the band's debut release "Between Day and Night". Virtually a one-man band, Canadian based keyboard player John Alarcon has surrounded himself with some very able friends to help out. However, it is Alarcon himself who stands out, with some excellent keyboard work. His schizoid piano style is not dissimilar to Patrick Moraz, which shows particularly in the opening track "The Falling Sky". Elsewhere though his keyboards are much more restrained, especially in the use of strings and choral effects which tastefully add to the music. His writing abilities are good too, and he cleverly uses the dynamics to give momentum to the music. One small criticism might be that the vocals of Marysa Mardini are a little too low in the mix, and that the vocals sometimes don't quite gel. Mardini isn't a bad singer at all, but the result here is just a little over earnest.An imaginative album then, including a three part eighteen-minute epic "The Fairest of Moments" which has some interesting ideas." - Bernard Law, Wondrous Stories (magazine of the Classic Rock Society, UK) March 2002
"This is already the second album by this Canadian group led by pianist and composer John Alarcon. Similar to the one finished a year ago “Between Day and Night” it reminds one musically of Tony Banks’ s unforgettable album “A Curious Feeling”. Behind the microphone is Marysa Mardini which I think is probably the weakest link in the band. A solid rhythmic section is provided by Luc Hebert who is quite impressive on this record. The sublime and majestic keyboard work is another detail highlighting the development of the band when compared to the debut cd. The individual compositions here are considerably longer and at times deliciously pompous; the best being the three-part title suite, the eight-minute long “Seven Wonders” and “Through the Doors of time”. So while Synthology cannot be considered to be among the elite bands in the world of progressive rock, this album proves that they are indeed very close" - Artur Chachlowski, Radio Alfa, Krakow, Poland
"The second album by the Canadian progressive ensemble Synthology is entitled The Fairest Of Moments. A studio project of brothers John Alarcon (keyboards, composer) and James Alarcon (Guitars), lead vocals are provided by John's wife Marysa Mardini. Churchill Downes plays bass on the album. The Fairest Of Moments and the band's debut album Between Day And Night (review under construction) are both available from their American label Fossil Records. The band have announced a further album entitled A Requiem for Twilight that will be released in early 2003. John Alarcon's classical training is evident in the opening sequence of the epic length track "The Falling Sky" through the effective blending of piano and synthesizer keyboard parts. James' guitar riffs add texture as the pace of the symphonic piece picks up and Marysa's vocals join the mix. Likened by some to Tracy Hitchings on the group's former album, Marysa's voice is textured differently with a purity similar to Annie Haslam's but in a lower range; her vocals are also somewhat less theatrical. Backing vocals from the men adds substance in the more powerful moments. The album's instrumentals ("The Bridge" and "Lost In The Cathedral") blend lush symphonic arrangements, including woodwind and string sounds, swirling keyboard passages and guitar. One will be reminded of the classic 70s progressive rock textures of of Yes, ELP, Renaissance and other bands like Rebekka and Esthetic Pale. Listeners will certainly be reminded of Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson in John's keyboard work, especially during the introduction to the progressive masterwork "Through The Doors Of Time." Marysa's vocals are mixed way up in "Seven Wonders," a ballad-style track with classically progressive overtones especially in the keyboard- and guitar-centered bridge. The upbeat track "Edge Of The World" perfectly balances layers of keyboards and guitars with Marysa's voice. A choral style keyboard in the bridge perfectly compliments a dynamic guitar solo.
The title track is a three part epic that runs more than eighteen minutes with big themes that recur as the piece develops. Sweetly sung vocals are mixed way up in several of the passages, way above the swirling keyboard and guitar arrangements. Instrumental and stylistic similarities to Magenta (Musical Discoveries Best New Album 2001) are evident during several of the passages. The final portion of the track begins with a tremendous guitar solo supported by lush keyboard and percussion arrangements as vocals join the mix and the number brings the album to a tremendous conclusion. Synthology's latest album will appeal to a broad range of progressive rock audiences. Soundbites and further reviews are available at the band's website and mp3.com webspace. Click on the album cover to pay them a visit now. With the perfect blend of classical allusions, lovely female vocals and enduring instrumental arrangements, The Fairest Of Moments like their debut album is naturally a must listen!" - Musical Discoveries
"I am sometimes reluctant to review a particular CD, though this is not why it has taken me so long to get to Synthology's The Fairest Of Moments, what could have been an excellent album, except... Well, I'll come to that. No, the hesitation comes in when I think I have something strongly negative to say about the CD, that otherwise has strong merits (that is, if it isn't thoroughly awful, which this is not). Not that I'm obligated to like a CD, nor only review it if I like it. And it's never stopped me from reviewing that particular CD and being honest in my opinion. But, being the person I am, who grew up on a philosophy of being considerate and kind, it doesn't come naturally to me to "slag" off an artist. But let me summarize this CD up front before I dig into the details - great music, bad vocals. And let further state that I can't sing worth a darn myself, and if I were to be recorded doing so, some reviewer would likely say the same things about me that I'm about to say here in a moment. Those who can't, criticize those who can, they say. But, erm, that isn't the case here.
It's a shame when the music is good -- in this case with a strong influence of ELP, and mainly the E part of the acronym -- and the vocals are awful. Vocalist Marysa Marini is a tenor, like Jon Anderson, and for the first few moments I thought she was going to maintain that. But, at least to my ears, she is far from being on key (something I don't think about with Anderson). My harsh thought -- and I'm rarely harsh (remember, considerate and kind) -- was "don't people know when they can't sing?" How could one not know that he, and in this case, she, can't? I winced when she hit the higher notes... strained for the higher notes, more accurately. And see, it's this aspect that causes the hesitation. I don't wish to hurt anyone's feelings, but this is singularly the worst aspect of this album. In fact, it's the only bad aspect, but because it is so very much present in the music, it overwhelms opinion. Oh there are a few moments where Marysa Mardini sings okay, and she does get the style and emphasis right for this kind of music, conveying the right kind of emotion to fit the lyrics (I'lI add that others who've reviewed this CD have had differing opinions on her vocals), but...
All of which makes it a crying shame because it does take away from the enjoyment of the music, which is great. Those who love the classic prog sound of ELP, Yes and Genesis all mixed together, along with a few snippets of Marillion-like elements here and there, though I'd say those snippets are Genesis influenced. My thought when I was first composing this review was, what would happen if Emerson had been in Yes. Oddly enough, the two CDs I listened to just prior to listening to this for the first time were ELP and Yes. But life works that way, which has me convinced that things sent to me or bought by me are listened to when they are supposed to be listened to, when "their time has come" so to speak. And, its telling that the band I thought of most often was another ELP, Yes, Genesis (and Kansas) influenced band Glass Hammer (who I've also reviewed this month at the same time as this).
The rest of Synthology - the talented heart of Synthology - is John Alarcon (piano, organ, electric piano, and synths), Peter Warren (bass, 12-string), Luc Hebert (drums) and Jon Graham (guitar, guitar synth, and pedals). Together they play some very nice symphonic, synth rock - as you might have guessed from their name. Which, ahem, makes the other element all that more disappointing. There is a beautiful organ passage on "Seven Wonders" that does veer into being a little too "organy"... I want to say like a less expensive model... but this leads into a much better guitar solo/keyboard solo trade off section evocative of classic Genesis. Genesis, and the parpy keys of Marillion and Styx are recalled on "Edge Of The World" ... you might think a bit of certain passages in "Supper's Ready" and "Grendel."
Aside from vocalist, the central element in the music is Alarcon, everything built around his lush and wonderful keyboards, all making for a classically progtastic experience. The Emerson influence is apparent from the opening piano, then organ, notes of "The Falling Sky." Later on, soft beds of keys surround you while Warren and Graham play lead co-lead for a passage or two. There are some "sour" notes during the instrumental "The Bridge," as one of the keyboards sounds "off" to my ears. "Seven Wonders" is the longest single track aside from the closing title suite and contains some great keyboard passages. "Lost In The Cathedral" is another instrumental that features whoopy Emersonian keyboards over some Wakeman-like, baroquely-styled keys that hint at what two together might sound like (a long rumoured pairing that has yet to materialize). The centerpiece is the title track, broken into three parts, the first of which contains the best vocal performance from Marini (where she sounds a bit more like early Geddy Lee than Jon Anderson) in "Days Of Innocence".
The reviews I've read compared this to is Tony Banks' first solo release A Curious Feeling. I didn't think it myself independently, but hearing it with that in mind, I certainly know what they mean. A certain song based slant to the music, though the pieces here seem longer than those on ...Curious.... They are certainly more involved.
While you may not have thought this where the review would end up, I am recommending this CD to those who love classic prog, despite the disappointment of the vocals. Frankly, the wonderful music far outweighs the vocals, and there are enough instrumental passages to keep one satisfied. Just know that all the points given below are for the music itself" 4/5 Stephanie Sollow, Progressiveworld.net
"One of the things I hate when I write a review is when I´m listening to a band that, having all the members a high skill, one of them doesn´t reach the overall level. It is like a chain with strong chain links... if there´s only one weak chain link, the strength of the whole chain will be always determined by that weak chain link. If the member in question has a secondary role in the band probably it doesn´t mind; but the thing is different if we´re talking about the lead vocalist of the band. The voice is one of the most important instruments because the rest of the instruments rotate around it. Of course not all the vocalists are like Jon Anderson, Greg Lake or John Wetton, but if all the "big bands" have taken care of this aspect, they would have seen some reasons for it!.
In this case, Synthology is a band formed by a magnificent John Alarcon playing keyboards, a powerful Peter Warren playing bass and 12 strings guitar, a skillfullyJon Graham playing guitars, a correct Luc Hebert playing drums, and a mediocre Marysa Hardini as main vocalist.
The track list is as follows:
The Falling Sky (6:04)
The Bridge (2:49)
Seven Wonders (8:04)
Edge Of The World (5:11)
Through The Doors Of Time (6:41)
Lost In The Cathedral (3:31)
The Fairest Of Moments (18:51)
IV) Days Of Inocence
V) Of Moon And Stars
VI) End Within An End
In every track we can notice a good feeling among the band´s members and we can find high quality instrumental moments as, for example, the first minutes of the CD, the final minutes of "Seven Wonders" or "Lost In The Cathedral". In the same way there are lots of different styles, from E.L.P. to Genesis. There are also lyrical moments in "The Bridge", and frettless bass and wonderful keyboards a la Emerson in the final suite, with a great guitar. In addition to the aforementioned, we can find another deficiency in some melodies extremely repeated along the whole CD. In the same way, and although they contribute to the dynamism and variety, some changes of rhythm don´t find their place inside the general structure and sometimes the listener could have a feeling of boredom and bewilderment.
Anyway we must value the instrumental skill of the members and their ease creating imaginative and exciting atmospheres." Eduardo Aragon, June 2002, Progvisions
"The oft-forgotten Canada has another musician worthy of attention here. John Alarcon (keyboards), together with family member James (guitar), have completed their 6-month labour of love and released a CD drenched in lush synths and piano, over which the excellent Hernandez (Cast) style guitar soars. If I was to try to provide comparators, I would suggest a prog-lite Cast, or maybe a more ethereal Tantalus. Overall, the comparison I am most drawn to is the underrated Tony Banks solo album ‘A Curious Feeling’, as much for the keyboard-led sounds as well as the atmospherics of the album as a whole. Whilst the production occasionally lacks the clarity that I always seem to require in my own personal listening habits, the listening experience is most pleasant, and the enjoyment seems to increase with every listen as more nuances are drawn out. Singer Marysa Mardini has a good voice, and the drums are such that they undermine the thought that they be machine generated. In short, a solid album of rich keyboard-led music, with much stirring guitar and haunting melody to please the ear." - Wondrous Stories, magazine of the Classic Rock Society
"This album from Canadian band Synthology is a debut. Mastermind is John Alarcon at keyboards in cooperation with his brother James on guitar. The other people are "only" musicians and the winkler is only a synonym for drumcomputer. The album shows influences from neo prog. Bands like Arena or the early IQ are shining through the songs..." - Thorsten Guerntke, DURP.com
"There are records which appear from nowhere, but from the very first sound you feel your heart beating faster. Unknown to anybody brothers John and James Alarcon supported by Marysa Mardini and bassist Churchill Downes have released a cd which fans of reflective and intelligent music will love immediately. If you remember the first solo record of Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks – Synthology has the same atmosphere and moody sound like his 1979 release “A Curious Feeling”. We have here very similar synthesizer sounds, the same melancholic atmosphere and slowly building climate. It’s splendid to listen to this music as it flows to our ears inconspicuously, but in the final effect it breaks into our brain so deeply that it stays in the brain for long hours. We have beautiful songs like “Abracadabra” or “Nosferatu”, we have ravishing instrumental compositions like “The Voyage of Dexius”. It’s a pity the record is so short and I wish that the magic of this magnificent record would continue much longer. This is not a problem since my hand automatically goes back to the play button. One more good piece of information for the end of this year: Synthology will release their next cd and I can’t stand waiting for it!” - Artur Chachlowski, Metal Hammer Magazine (May 2001)
"'Between day and night' is a high quality release and a total must for fans of Neo-prog. The CD contains 10 songs, of which about 6 songs feature the good female lead vocals of Marysa Mardini. Opener "Comes the night" is an excellent instrumental uptempo melodic Neo-prog rocker. Next track "Abracadabra" features the female lead vocals and is great Neoprog, with some lovely keyboard work of John Alarcon, who together with his brother James (guitarist) are the leaders of SYNTHOLOGY. The CD continues in this Neo-prog style, with both instrumental and vocal tracks. The best songs are "Between day and night" (great female fronted Neoprog, a la TRACY HITCHINGS), "Curtain call" (polished ballad) and the instrumental slow melodic rocker "Living in dreamland". SYNTHOLOGY is a very good band, a must for fans of Neoprog. " - Gabor Kleinbloesem, Strutter 'Zine
"I’m here to say that progressive rock is alive and well in Canada. It is perhaps a small contingent of dedicated musicians who tread those waters, but they are committed to the cause. One of the shining lights of symphonic prog in Canada would have to be a Band from Montreal calling themselves Synthology. Some time back I reviewed their second release. They had indicated they were working on a re-mastering of their first CD entitled Between Day and Night originally released in 2000 and that has now been released. I’m happy to say this is more than just a re-release, it is in fact a re-recording of their first CD, and what treat it is. Just for the record, Synthology is primarily John Alarcon who handles all the keyboards and composes and arranges everything. On Between Night and Day he enlists the help of James Alarcon (guitar), Tony Duncan (drums), Antoine Yu (12-string guitar), Marysa Mardini (vocals), and Benoit Lacroix (flute, oboe). The sound here is of a real band. Now I’ve not heard the original, but I’m told there has been considerable reworking of some of the pieces. Of note is the extensive use of Mellotron samples you’ll hear throughout. The music Synthology create falls squarely in the symphonic prog realm. It is flowing, lush, pastoral, all those things that we’ve come to expect from the genre. The guitar work here has a distinct Steve Hackett feel and fits the overall sound perfectly. The keyboard sounds range from the typical churchy organ, piano, synth and Mellotron choir and strings. The rhythm section of bass and drums are solid performing the roll of momentum and in that regard all the compositions are more or less mid-tempo, although many of the compositions do reflect subtle shifts in atmosphere. Subtle is the key here as we may go from a section where voice and piano dominate, only to change to a flute musical bridge. Of the nine compositions, six of them are in the three or four minute range leaving room for two around seven minutes and one running out to thirteen minutes, but even in the shorter compositions one has the feeling of depth, texture and fluidity as each piece seems to reflect a fullness one moment and then softer ambience the next. Most of the songs have vocals handled by the warm and expressive voice of Marysa. Her vocal style seems to fit perfectly into Alarcon’s composing style. The feeling evoked by much of the music on Between Night and Day is one of hope or even joy.For those of you needing a musical reference point, and I know how helpful that can be at times, imagine if you will the symphonic side of Harmonium crossed with early Steve Hackett and you’ll get a pretty clear audio sample of what to expect here. Synthology’s Between Night and Day was such a pleasant surprise to my ears. It turned out to be one of those CD’s I kept going back to over and over again. There’s a lot of great music here and you’ll hear more each time it plays. Top marks to Synthology. Fans of softer, melodic symphonic prog will definitely want to pick up a copy." - Jerry Lucky, Progressiveland
"I said it once before, history hasn’t been kind to second releases for many bands. Yet here I am again with a sophomore release that I believe is a real winner. From the opening Hammond-like organ runs Synthology’s “The Fairest of Moments” you know what territory you’re in. It’s that mid period Genesis around the Wind and Wuthering time with that particular keyboard sound and style of pitch bending. That being said there is plenty going on here to distance Synthology form its early influences. For example the neat little instrumental sections separating the longer pieces. Cut #2 entitled “The Bridge” has a particularly captivating melody crafted with simple keyboard piano/string/flute/Arp sounds layered on top of one another. I wish it was longer than the allotted two-minutes. Synthology is the brainchild of John Alarcon who moved to Montreal, Canada from Vancouver back in 1993. Their first release which, as I understand it was more of a band effort was also a little less adventurous. This time around Alarcom, who handles all the keyboards, is assisted by Peter Warren (bass), Luc Hebert (drums), Jon Graham (guitars) and Marysa Marbini on vocals. This second release is awash in, as the name implies a symphonic string pads, and full rich production and masterful arrangements. The songs are mostly on the long side with the three-part title track clocking in at just under 19 minutes. As a result while vocals run throughout, there is plenty of long instrumental passages. A mixture that seems to work. I want to stress that the compositions are no mere carbon copies of old Genesis, there’s some real craft going on here. I believe Alarcom has the ability to construct symphonic progressive rock with the best of them. Getting back to the vocals, Marbini’s powerful tenor at times hints of Jon Anderson, but she retains a distinctive approach. As a vocalist interpreting or creating the melody is a charged responsibility. And in that department her origininality is most evident. There are times in cut #3 “Seven Wonders” where it sounds as if she’s singing off key. And yet on numerous listens she hits the same notes leading me to think it’s in no way a mistake but in fact intended to generate a certain emotion on the part of the hearer. It may take listeners time to warm up to her approach but with each listen it becomes less obvious and more a part of the song. She comes into her own with the opening strains of the title track. Her vocal tone is totally captivating. In summary Synthology’s “The Fairest of Moments” is a splendid second release, with lots of interesting keyboard sounds and performances and a supporting cast who admirably give the record depth and confidence. A dramatic symphonic tour ‘d force." - Jerry Lucky, Ghostland.com
"The Fairest Of Moments is the second album from Synthology, a studio based band from Montreal, Canada. Their first album, Between Day And Night, was based on compositions by the Alarcon brothers, John and James together with a number of studio musicians. This time round only John Alarcon and Marysa Mardini (vocals) contributed to the album from the original contributors on the debut album. Further help came from Peter Warren (bass), Jon Graham (guitar) and Luc Hebert (drums). Thankfully one should also note that the band have done without The Winkler, which was the original drum machine use on the debut album, and employed the services of a proper drummer. Stylistically the music remains stepped in the seventies with many of the classical influences of the debut album resurfacing once again. The presence of Marysa Mardini, and her sensual strong voice once again draws comparison to Renaissance, especially due to the fact that there is much piano accompaniment on various tracks such as the opening The Falling Sky as well as on Through The Doors. One of the main promises made prior to the recording of this album was the fact that most of the tracks would be of a longer duration and thus allow more musical exploration to take place, one which the band have fulfilled to the maximum. A strong influence seems to have been Steve Hackett as well as Genesis, with both keyboards and guitars played out in true style on more than one occasion. Seven Wonders, with its introductory The Bridge, is somewhat overdrawn in its use of atmospheric keyboards and admittedly, Mardini's voice does come across as slightly strained. Somewhere it seems that he voice does not seem to suit the slower moments. This is more than made up for by tracks like Edge Of The World with its Incommunicadoesque keyboard licks The instrumental Lost In The Cathedral reaffirms the influence Tony Banks has on John Alarcon while the title track The Fairest Of Moments is the culmination of what Alarcon has tried to achieve with this album. Running in at close to twenty minutes, this track manages to incorporate every style and influence that permeates throughout the rest of the album, from Genesis to Renaissance. With The Fairest of Moments, John Alarcon has managed to confirm what had been promised with the debut Between Day And Night. The album is replete with references to the glorious seventies and should be most enjoyable to all those who like the traditionally styled progressive rock of that era. On the other hand, Alarcon has not yet seemingly achieved a distinctive sound of his own with Synthology that would allow the band to be readily identifiable as an individual entity." - Nigel Camilleri, Dutch Progressive Rock Pages
"This second release by Synthology is a very tasty neo-prog album, with longer pieces and a little more adventure than the band's debut release "Between Day and Night". Virtually a one-man band, Canadian based keyboard player John Alarcon has surrounded himself with some very able friends to help out. However, it is Alarcon himself who stands out, with some excellent keyboard work. His schizoid piano style is not dissimilar to Patrick Moraz, which shows particularly in the opening track "The Falling Sky". Elsewhere though his keyboards are much more restrained, especially in the use of strings and choral effects which tastefully add to the music. His writing abilities are good too, and he cleverly uses the dynamics to give momentum to the music. One small criticism might be that the vocals of Marysa Mardini are a little too low in the mix, and that the vocals sometimes don't quite gel. Mardini isn't a bad singer at all, but the result here is just a little over earnest.An imaginative album then, including a three part eighteen-minute epic "The Fairest of Moments" which has some interesting ideas." - Bernard Law, Wondrous Stories (magazine of the Classic Rock Society, UK) March 2002
"This is already the second album by this Canadian group led by pianist and composer John Alarcon. Similar to the one finished a year ago “Between Day and Night” it reminds one musically of Tony Banks’ s unforgettable album “A Curious Feeling”. Behind the microphone is Marysa Mardini which I think is probably the weakest link in the band. A solid rhythmic section is provided by Luc Hebert who is quite impressive on this record. The sublime and majestic keyboard work is another detail highlighting the development of the band when compared to the debut cd. The individual compositions here are considerably longer and at times deliciously pompous; the best being the three-part title suite, the eight-minute long “Seven Wonders” and “Through the Doors of time”. So while Synthology cannot be considered to be among the elite bands in the world of progressive rock, this album proves that they are indeed very close" - Artur Chachlowski, Radio Alfa, Krakow, Poland
"The second album by the Canadian progressive ensemble Synthology is entitled The Fairest Of Moments. A studio project of brothers John Alarcon (keyboards, composer) and James Alarcon (Guitars), lead vocals are provided by John's wife Marysa Mardini. Churchill Downes plays bass on the album. The Fairest Of Moments and the band's debut album Between Day And Night (review under construction) are both available from their American label Fossil Records. The band have announced a further album entitled A Requiem for Twilight that will be released in early 2003. John Alarcon's classical training is evident in the opening sequence of the epic length track "The Falling Sky" through the effective blending of piano and synthesizer keyboard parts. James' guitar riffs add texture as the pace of the symphonic piece picks up and Marysa's vocals join the mix. Likened by some to Tracy Hitchings on the group's former album, Marysa's voice is textured differently with a purity similar to Annie Haslam's but in a lower range; her vocals are also somewhat less theatrical. Backing vocals from the men adds substance in the more powerful moments. The album's instrumentals ("The Bridge" and "Lost In The Cathedral") blend lush symphonic arrangements, including woodwind and string sounds, swirling keyboard passages and guitar. One will be reminded of the classic 70s progressive rock textures of of Yes, ELP, Renaissance and other bands like Rebekka and Esthetic Pale. Listeners will certainly be reminded of Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson in John's keyboard work, especially during the introduction to the progressive masterwork "Through The Doors Of Time." Marysa's vocals are mixed way up in "Seven Wonders," a ballad-style track with classically progressive overtones especially in the keyboard- and guitar-centered bridge. The upbeat track "Edge Of The World" perfectly balances layers of keyboards and guitars with Marysa's voice. A choral style keyboard in the bridge perfectly compliments a dynamic guitar solo.
The title track is a three part epic that runs more than eighteen minutes with big themes that recur as the piece develops. Sweetly sung vocals are mixed way up in several of the passages, way above the swirling keyboard and guitar arrangements. Instrumental and stylistic similarities to Magenta (Musical Discoveries Best New Album 2001) are evident during several of the passages. The final portion of the track begins with a tremendous guitar solo supported by lush keyboard and percussion arrangements as vocals join the mix and the number brings the album to a tremendous conclusion. Synthology's latest album will appeal to a broad range of progressive rock audiences. Soundbites and further reviews are available at the band's website and mp3.com webspace. Click on the album cover to pay them a visit now. With the perfect blend of classical allusions, lovely female vocals and enduring instrumental arrangements, The Fairest Of Moments like their debut album is naturally a must listen!" - Musical Discoveries
"I am sometimes reluctant to review a particular CD, though this is not why it has taken me so long to get to Synthology's The Fairest Of Moments, what could have been an excellent album, except... Well, I'll come to that. No, the hesitation comes in when I think I have something strongly negative to say about the CD, that otherwise has strong merits (that is, if it isn't thoroughly awful, which this is not). Not that I'm obligated to like a CD, nor only review it if I like it. And it's never stopped me from reviewing that particular CD and being honest in my opinion. But, being the person I am, who grew up on a philosophy of being considerate and kind, it doesn't come naturally to me to "slag" off an artist. But let me summarize this CD up front before I dig into the details - great music, bad vocals. And let further state that I can't sing worth a darn myself, and if I were to be recorded doing so, some reviewer would likely say the same things about me that I'm about to say here in a moment. Those who can't, criticize those who can, they say. But, erm, that isn't the case here.
It's a shame when the music is good -- in this case with a strong influence of ELP, and mainly the E part of the acronym -- and the vocals are awful. Vocalist Marysa Marini is a tenor, like Jon Anderson, and for the first few moments I thought she was going to maintain that. But, at least to my ears, she is far from being on key (something I don't think about with Anderson). My harsh thought -- and I'm rarely harsh (remember, considerate and kind) -- was "don't people know when they can't sing?" How could one not know that he, and in this case, she, can't? I winced when she hit the higher notes... strained for the higher notes, more accurately. And see, it's this aspect that causes the hesitation. I don't wish to hurt anyone's feelings, but this is singularly the worst aspect of this album. In fact, it's the only bad aspect, but because it is so very much present in the music, it overwhelms opinion. Oh there are a few moments where Marysa Mardini sings okay, and she does get the style and emphasis right for this kind of music, conveying the right kind of emotion to fit the lyrics (I'lI add that others who've reviewed this CD have had differing opinions on her vocals), but...
All of which makes it a crying shame because it does take away from the enjoyment of the music, which is great. Those who love the classic prog sound of ELP, Yes and Genesis all mixed together, along with a few snippets of Marillion-like elements here and there, though I'd say those snippets are Genesis influenced. My thought when I was first composing this review was, what would happen if Emerson had been in Yes. Oddly enough, the two CDs I listened to just prior to listening to this for the first time were ELP and Yes. But life works that way, which has me convinced that things sent to me or bought by me are listened to when they are supposed to be listened to, when "their time has come" so to speak. And, its telling that the band I thought of most often was another ELP, Yes, Genesis (and Kansas) influenced band Glass Hammer (who I've also reviewed this month at the same time as this).
The rest of Synthology - the talented heart of Synthology - is John Alarcon (piano, organ, electric piano, and synths), Peter Warren (bass, 12-string), Luc Hebert (drums) and Jon Graham (guitar, guitar synth, and pedals). Together they play some very nice symphonic, synth rock - as you might have guessed from their name. Which, ahem, makes the other element all that more disappointing. There is a beautiful organ passage on "Seven Wonders" that does veer into being a little too "organy"... I want to say like a less expensive model... but this leads into a much better guitar solo/keyboard solo trade off section evocative of classic Genesis. Genesis, and the parpy keys of Marillion and Styx are recalled on "Edge Of The World" ... you might think a bit of certain passages in "Supper's Ready" and "Grendel."
Aside from vocalist, the central element in the music is Alarcon, everything built around his lush and wonderful keyboards, all making for a classically progtastic experience. The Emerson influence is apparent from the opening piano, then organ, notes of "The Falling Sky." Later on, soft beds of keys surround you while Warren and Graham play lead co-lead for a passage or two. There are some "sour" notes during the instrumental "The Bridge," as one of the keyboards sounds "off" to my ears. "Seven Wonders" is the longest single track aside from the closing title suite and contains some great keyboard passages. "Lost In The Cathedral" is another instrumental that features whoopy Emersonian keyboards over some Wakeman-like, baroquely-styled keys that hint at what two together might sound like (a long rumoured pairing that has yet to materialize). The centerpiece is the title track, broken into three parts, the first of which contains the best vocal performance from Marini (where she sounds a bit more like early Geddy Lee than Jon Anderson) in "Days Of Innocence".
The reviews I've read compared this to is Tony Banks' first solo release A Curious Feeling. I didn't think it myself independently, but hearing it with that in mind, I certainly know what they mean. A certain song based slant to the music, though the pieces here seem longer than those on ...Curious.... They are certainly more involved.
While you may not have thought this where the review would end up, I am recommending this CD to those who love classic prog, despite the disappointment of the vocals. Frankly, the wonderful music far outweighs the vocals, and there are enough instrumental passages to keep one satisfied. Just know that all the points given below are for the music itself" 4/5 Stephanie Sollow, Progressiveworld.net
"One of the things I hate when I write a review is when I´m listening to a band that, having all the members a high skill, one of them doesn´t reach the overall level. It is like a chain with strong chain links... if there´s only one weak chain link, the strength of the whole chain will be always determined by that weak chain link. If the member in question has a secondary role in the band probably it doesn´t mind; but the thing is different if we´re talking about the lead vocalist of the band. The voice is one of the most important instruments because the rest of the instruments rotate around it. Of course not all the vocalists are like Jon Anderson, Greg Lake or John Wetton, but if all the "big bands" have taken care of this aspect, they would have seen some reasons for it!.
In this case, Synthology is a band formed by a magnificent John Alarcon playing keyboards, a powerful Peter Warren playing bass and 12 strings guitar, a skillfullyJon Graham playing guitars, a correct Luc Hebert playing drums, and a mediocre Marysa Hardini as main vocalist.
The track list is as follows:
The Falling Sky (6:04)
The Bridge (2:49)
Seven Wonders (8:04)
Edge Of The World (5:11)
Through The Doors Of Time (6:41)
Lost In The Cathedral (3:31)
The Fairest Of Moments (18:51)
IV) Days Of Inocence
V) Of Moon And Stars
VI) End Within An End
In every track we can notice a good feeling among the band´s members and we can find high quality instrumental moments as, for example, the first minutes of the CD, the final minutes of "Seven Wonders" or "Lost In The Cathedral". In the same way there are lots of different styles, from E.L.P. to Genesis. There are also lyrical moments in "The Bridge", and frettless bass and wonderful keyboards a la Emerson in the final suite, with a great guitar. In addition to the aforementioned, we can find another deficiency in some melodies extremely repeated along the whole CD. In the same way, and although they contribute to the dynamism and variety, some changes of rhythm don´t find their place inside the general structure and sometimes the listener could have a feeling of boredom and bewilderment.
Anyway we must value the instrumental skill of the members and their ease creating imaginative and exciting atmospheres." Eduardo Aragon, June 2002, Progvisions