‘East of Lyra’ is the project of ‘Lee Payne’ who is part of the British heavy metal band ‘Cloven Hoof’ (see here) and who has always had a passion for progressive rock with an admiration for ‘Rush’ and ‘Yes’. This first 'East of Lyra' album is actually the result of a long gestation because 'Lee Payne' had in his luggage progressive rock compositions that he did not find enough metal for 'Cloven Hoof' and it is therefore end of 2019 that 'Eat of Lyra' was born.
It is with 'Siren Song', the longest track, that the album begins by embarking us on an epic saga with a succession of different atmospheres that range from peaceful rock to an energetic hard rock through psychedelic and symphonic with accessible melodic lines. The following is much less progressive but continues in this atmosphere of the seventies : 'Ecology Now' makes me think of 'Barclay James Harvest', then, 'Wings of Freedom' is a catchy title which can recall the pop of the 70s, and 'Shadowlands', after a calm introduction with beautiful choirs, continues in this energetic atmosphere. After the short and epic 'Epilogue', 'Where the Heart Is' is another catchy title with a heady melody and, 'Stand Up' hardens the tone with a simple but effective hard-rock, then, with 'Equinox', we return to rock with some progressive components that can make one think of 'Yes' and the album ends with the beautiful symphonic ballad 'Too Late' and the catchy 'High and Mighty' mixing 70s rock with a modern sound.
In summary, 'East of Lyra' is an album full of good surprises and, even if the progressive aspect remains limited, contains a variety of compositions which should make it suitable for a wide audience loving rock from the 70s... | |
