Recollection Harvest Revivew
Publication: Prog-PT
Reviewer: Spulit

Oh well...A band with more than 20 years of existence shouldn't need any introductions. 15 studio recordings talk for themselves and those who are very much into instrumental progressive music surely already have listened to anything from this band. Gayle Ellett and Mike Henderson on guitar and keyboards, Chuck Oken Jr. on drums and keyboards, Aaron Kenyon on bass and keyboards and Henry Osborne on bass and guitar are really masters in setting up strong and engaging atmospheres. The previous works from this band were roaming about more ethereal compositions with cosmic textures and less appetite for melody. But things changed a bit with this new effort from this Californians. "Recollection Harvest" can be taken as 2 in 1. The first part, named "Recollection Harvest", comprises 5 tracks lasting for about 40 minutes. The melody and objective composition are the main ingredients in music and an energetic rhythmic section applies full power into our ears. The keyboards are dominant and almost devilish here and there. But the most interesting part is the fantastic moment of inspiration these guys were having while writing down this music! Everything seems so fresh and new! Take, for example, the first track THE MARCH TO THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY where some epic nuances arise and we're taken in a journey through a medieavalesque alike atmosphere filled with contemporary rhythms and instrumentation. DR. MONEY, the following track, denotes a retro feeling and is sculptured with some jazzy rhythms and roaring guitar solos. The first part of this record is filled with this kind of tracks, very melodic and texture rich. RECOLLECTION HARVEST, the last track of this first part, goes even deeper and is more psychedelic in parts, with very uncommon structures. The second part of this record, "Indian Summer", is filled with six tracks with a more atmospheric and acoustic vibe. The first track, INDIAN SUMMER, is not that acoustic at all and is more like a keyboard flush in a Tangerine Dream vibe. OPEN ROADS and THE GREAT PLAINS OF NORTH DAKOTA introduce a few ethnic elements and we can almost feel the dust in the air. The keyboards are in now more on the background and so things are a lot easier to digest at this point. The next tracks follow this same path and TWILIGHT IN ICE CANYON is the perfect symbiosis of all the musical elements introduced til now. All in all, one the best releases from this band and probably the best album to start exploring the plethora of albums released so far.