It's always great to hear new,
old-school styled progressive rock. Syzygy, formerly
known as Witsend, who last released Cosmos and
Chaos back in 1993, have returned with a new name
and a fiery new album. Combining elements of Yes,
Jethro Tull, Genesis, Gentle Giant, ELP, and Deep
Purple, The Allegory of Light is a churning,
powerful amalgam of complex yet melodic music that
surely will bring a smile to any prog-rock fan face.
The opening title suite begins with the raging
"M.O.T.H.", a bristling inferno containing awesome
keyboard chops and textures from Sam Giunta, and thick
power chords from guitarist Carl Baldassarre. At just
over eleven minutes this is the epic section of the
suite, and at times reminded me of the more aggressive
parts of Tull's Thick as a Brick. "Beggar's
Tale" is a Genesis influenced little segue featuring
Giunta's acoustic guitars and lyrics dealing with the
loneliness of the elderly. The band then rampages back
into aggressive mode for the final part called
"Distant Light", led by the nimble drum work of Paul
Mihacevich and the acrobatic guitar solos of Giunta.
The "Age of Mankind" is the next suite, and is made
up of the Gentle Giant-meets-ELP instrumental called
"Zinjanthropus", which is twelve minutes of classic
complex prog, and the prog-metal tinged workout of
"Industryopolis." The former has all sorts of neat
interplay between Giunta and Baldassarre, and the
latter has a chilling mid-section that harkens back to
vintage Red-era King Crimson, with ominous keys and
bone crunching guitar riffs. This is simply awesome
instrumental prog-rock folks.
"Forbidden is the next piece, a real emotional,
somber tune with acoustic guitars and Baldassarre's
yearning vocals. The lyrics here once again deal with
loneliness, and the band manages to really hit home
with the feeling of despair and isolation after
hearing the song. The rocking instrumental
"Lightspeed" is up next, which has a Steve
Morse-meets-Rush feel, and is littered with Giunta's
power chords and intricate lead work. The closing epic
"The Journey of Myrrdin" is the crowning achievement,
powerful, symphonic, and dramatic. Mellotron mixes
with heavy guitars, gymnastic drum work provides the
backdrop for furious synthesizer explorations, and it
all works. At just over 17-minutes, this is a wild
ride that combines complexity with memorable
arrangements, and is all-instrumental. A perfect end
to an extraordinary CD.
The band also provided us with a cassette copy of
the original Witsend album Cosmos and Chaos,
which is currently just being reprinted again in CD
format. The music there follows a similar path,
although the production on The Allegory of
Light is much better. It is still a great example
of complex symphonic rock, and those wishing to seek
out the new release should look into acquiring a copy
of the Witsend CD as well. Highly recommended!
