INNERSPACE: Rise (PROGRESSIVE ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

The creation and the release of a second album are often revealing not only of the difficulties to start from scratch for a new project but also of the vicissitudes of the life of a group. Thus Innerspace does not escape this rule of the existential questions: to remain on its assets or to evolve but until which point? How, with what means and with whom? The only survivors of the adventure of "The Village" released in 2012 are Simon Arsenault and Phil Burton. It was therefore necessary to recruit new musicians and then go through the ordeal of a long fundraising campaign to give birth to "Rise" which has just landed in our editorial office.

Although lacking a strong personality, a common defect for a first album, "The Village" had a nice resonance with Music Waves and our readers, by offering a progressive rock in a very Pink Floyd vein. Initially, the album was planned to be double but the band slightly revised its ambitions to fit its new work on a single CD.

From the start, things get going and it is enough to pass the introduction with Gregorian chants and the first notes of 'Tree Of Life' to realize that Innerspace has evolved its music. The track develops a superb melody on the piano during which will come to graft alternately the violin, some wind instruments and, of course, the guitar which makes its entrance late with grace and subtlety. The lack of amplitude which could have been lacking in the first album is erased as well as the too marked references with Pink Floyd. Of course this connotation is always present, notably in the most symptomatic track 'In Motion' which compiles samples and guitar flights superbly executed by Simon Arsenault.

Taking the opposite side of its predecessor, some tracks are really different from this one by bringing more personality between the delicate 'The Other Side', piano-voice interpreted with finesse by Phil Burton, the almost US rock of 'Under The Spotlight' with a chorus under the cheers of a conquered public or the fast 'Fill The Void' with its hypnotic and catchy melody.

But what would be a progressive album without an epic track? After the first seven melodically accessible and rather neo-progressive tracks, comes the time of 'Dystopian Delirium', a 27-minute track cut into five denser parts and in a vein reminiscent of Neal Morse Band. Following a vocal opening in Latin language canon, the old school keyboards are very present with organ sounds ('Shadow Of Freedom') to reach an orchestral fusional enjoyment in the heart of the track ('Forsaken Dreams'). Then, the group calms down the game until the end of this bravery piece ('Stronger Than Death', 'Dusk'). The progressive aspect is thus more pronounced and will require several listenings before revealing itself completely.

Innerspace succeeded with this superbly composed and interpreted "Rise" to find the good formula by preserving a base which makes its essence, while muscling and varying its playing. Thanks to its few rough edges and its symphonic touches formidably brought, the group accentuates the cinematographic aspect of its music allowing to convey many emotions. "Rise" can largely claim to be the prog/neo prog album of the year and is a must have. - Official website

INNERSPACE

RISE

AUTRE LABEL

PROGRESSIVE ROCK