not-so-new, and up-and-coming bands worthy of attention, I stumbled upon a rare find in the prog garden this week; a prog band with big talent, big names, an impressive line-up of both musicians and production staff, and a marvelous sound. This week the Concert Closet heads back home to the USA for some world-class progressive rock from Seconds Before Landing.
interesting--and pretty freakin' cool--way to operate! The prog garden certainly has its share of creative thinkers and "waltzing on the edge" musicians...let us stride headlong to the buffet for a first person listen and peel back the curtain...
First vibrations to awaken my eardrums are the cautionary sounds of "Solitary Man." An eyebrow-raising opening; the tension mounts among the wary silence. Vocals cut through as if sung through a phone receiver...and the mood continues its downward spiral. Seconds Before Landing hits hard without drawing blood; you feel yourself being pulled into darkness yet feel no desire to turn back. As pleading vocals gently bore through your skull, the intrigue continues to lull while clever guitar work penetrates almost unnoticed....quite the first course!
As a balancing act of sorts, I chose "Alice Springs" for my second serving. The soft acoustic opening has an Alan Parsons Project/Gentle Giant feel to it...soothing like lip balm during a winter windstorm. The vocals pierce the music gently; so delicately you almost wonder how they made it through and where they came from. Understated percussion rounds out what truly is a song slight enough to bounce raw eggs off of, yet strong enough to grab you by the ears and demand attention.
Liner Notes...Seconds Before Landing originated in Pittsburgh PA in the mind, heart, and soul of John Crispino. John released a prog concept album under the S.B.L. name in 2012 called "The Great Deception." Trey Gunn of King Crimson fame (among other highlights on his resume) performed on the album, which received rave reviews. S.B.L. later released a second album, "Seconds Before Landing 2." While the title may not exactly grab you by the throat--the music will.
Musicians are varied on both albums and include not only John Crispino on drums and percussion, keyboards, synthesizers, lead vocals, and special effects, and Trey Gunn on guitar; but also Tim Bogert, Steve Schuffert, Michele Cricco, J.D. Garrison, Jamie Peck, John Palumbo, Maurice Witkowski, Carrie Marie Jackson, and Vanessa Campagna. Both releases were mastered by Andy Jackson, who has worked with Pink Floyd and received two Grammy nominations. Mr. Crispino apparently has a lot of friends in the prog garden only too happy to help cultivate some fresh new growth...
Seconds Before Landing uses dark hues to paint vivid pictures, and the canvas drips with dramatic emotion and powerful imagery. John Crispino walks the entire prog garden listening for sounds he can cultivate into something new and unique. Working with such an array of talent has allowed John to not only push the envelope--he was able to tear it wide open.
The final selection for this week's review is "Big Train." A song with a John Coltrane jazz feel as it opens, you feel as though you are in Penn Station...the vibrations of the locomotives as they pull in and out, squealing on the rails...an extremely vibrant picture painted on the underside of your eyelids. Not only do the horns take you to a smoky jazz cafe, the percussion work floats right under the entire piece, like a child's favorite blanket, providing the comfort needed for everyone to ease up, relax, and let the music flow...
Find out more about Seconds Before Landing, their "soon-to-be-released" third album, their first two releases, and the band in general at S.B.L.Band. You can purchase both of their current albums--and I would suspect their third release when it hits the airwaves-- at SBL Bandcamp. The band also has a Facebook page at SBLFacebook and of course a Twitter account @SBLOfficial.
Seconds Before Landing is a project I am enormously pleased to have stumbled across in the prog garden. John has a vision for each album he constructs, and proceeds to assemble the perfect performers to bring it to life. Unlike many bands that paint with a dark brush, Seconds Before Landing blends an array of hope, encouragement, and acceptance with grit and determination--the desire to take back control. Each song builds on the previous as life leaps through the headphones. I invite all my faithful followers to support Seconds Before Landing as well as every prog artist/band reviewed on these pages...the garden will be so much better for it...
The song I selected as an introduction to the band is another from the "The Great Deception" LP, "Welcome To The Future." I chose this for several reasons, not the least of which is Seconds Before Landing is itself a bit of a glimpse into the prog future... The lyrics are a bit "Orwellian" as they project at you from all sides. The music isn't so much ominous as commanding and foreboding; this is your future--be careful what you wish for....
There you have it fellow progheads, another piece of prog gold unearthed in the garden. Seconds Before Landing takes you behind the curtain for a glimpse of...your darkest fears, your innermost secrets, your future..? What really grabbed me while listening to this album was the strength of its authenticity...don't believe something just because you are told you should.
The search for all things prog continues on it current trajectory; searching out bands that bring a new perspective and shed new light on a garden filled with prog wonder. The journey (hopefully) never ends...until next week...
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