Plugged in progs make for keeping the fusion fuse lit on these two recent albums.
The quartet of Percy Jones/b, Alex Skolnick/g, Kenny Grohowski/dr and Tim Motzer/g-el used the time of the draconian lockdown for good, putting together a socially distant two albums of moods and music. The two discs are divided into chapters, with lots of static noodles and guitar permutations in “The Mystery” and some clever kinetic jabs of the guitars produced during “Over Strange Land”. Jones gets ominous before Growhowski pops the clutch into overdrive on “Brothers of Energy” while the team goes intergalactic on the spacey ‘Night Crossing”. For Chapter Two, Grohowski rocks hard to drive the effects of the electronics on “The Great Spirit” while a delicate ambient web is woven on “Departure Sanctuary” and soft string soundscapes on “Persevercnce”. The book closes with a high energy jam of “Cosmic Fire”-when are they touring? Will we need a vaccination to listen?
Asaf Sirkis plays drums and cymbal-like Crotales along with Kevin Glasgow on electric bass and Gary Husband on synth/keys/piano on this eight song collection of atmospheric originals. Guitarist Mark Wingfield joins in for a few of the tunes, most notably on the cool tones of the slow “Aquila”, the dreamily spacious “Polish Suite Part Two” and the gorgeous ethereal “Polish Suite Pat Three”. Sylwia Bialis adds dreamy “oohs” to the energetic, dark and intricate title track. Bright lights from the fusion fuse.