'Alizarin' is the project of the American 'Josh Kay' who released in 2018 a first fully instrumental studio recording and which evolves between rock and progressive metal with jazzy forays with the use of keyboards in all its forms which makes an original group and apart in the progressive musical landscape. With this new opus 'The Last Semblance', 'Josh Kay' adds his voice to all the titles which, to read some reviews, does not please everyone, and it is true that the great strength of this formation is the instrumental side which is still well put forward in 'The Last Semblance'.
8 tracks for nearly an hour of listening, this is the menu of this opus which begins with 'Elegy Simulacra' which borders on 8 minutes and already shows several facets, a fairly classic sung first part, then a jazzy interlude in which comes a 'Gilmourian' guitar. Follows 'Fathom' in a darker style in the form of a mid-tempo with a final highlighting the keyboards of 'Avelino Ramirez', then 'A Wreath of Temperance' opens in a disturbing atmosphere, then, hardens the tone with a more energetic part which contains here and there jazz sounds. Despite a clean acoustic introduction, 'Velvet Margin' exudes the same atmosphere as its predecessor but with more harmonious melodic lines and 'Heirloom' once again emphasizes the keyboards supported by some guitar riffs making it a more energetic track with a rather melodic refrain. With 'Zero Sum', which has a remarkable instrumental section, we are close to a progressive metal elaborated in the manner of formations like 'Porcupine Tree', then, 'Attenuation' is much more symphonic with keyboards that fill the whole space and the guitar which wants to be less energetic with soft arpeggios and it is with the powerful 'Ivory Silo', in a progressive metal with electronic sounds that the album ends by offering us a remarkable last instrumental section.
In summary, even if the melodic lines of 'Alizarin' are not necessarily very immediate, the fact remains that 'The Last Semblance' is a quality album that should appeal to an audience adept of an elaborate progressive that requires a few listening to appreciate it... | |
