Although Nad has had quite a storied career, he is probably best known as the lead singer for Steve Hackett on his Genesis Revisited II album and subsequent tour. Nad has a remarkable resume that includes time with Agents of Mercy, Unifaun, and some impressive solo work. However; being asked by Steve Hackett to perform with Genesis Revisited brought Nad and his talents to the forefront, bringing much deserved credit and attention. "The Bride Said No" is a concept album that picks up where 2015's "Courting the Widow" left off. So off to the business of reviewing we go...
The album is very ornate and gothic; the heavy keyboards and penetrating guitar work are reminiscent of (ironically) early Genesis. Nad painted a rather dark piece in 2015 with "Courting the Widow"...a tale that delves into the ominous world of the vampiric and otherworldly. With "The Bride Said No" Nad takes the story further, goes deeper, and gets more extravagant.
My first cut for review, "The White Crown," leaps immediately into a more medieval time; almost as if a music box is opened and a sinister ballerina dressed in black pirouettes her way through your head. The keyboards are entwined with guitars throughout as they flow eerily through your auditory canals, ultimately rolling down your spine. You can smell the burning wax from the candelabra and sense an aura of uncertainty as the vocals echo on...a very graphic piece indeed...
Next up on this gaudy buffet is "A French Kiss in an Italian Cafe." The darkness here is rather mysterious...nothing to worry about but the intrigue is palpable. Nad's vocals are haunting as the canvas is filled slowly and deliberately with a dark portrait of emotions that erupt as quickly as they flame out. The saxophone cuts right through your senses as the song winds down...you are standing in a jazz filled nightclub wondering what just happened--and how long before it rolls back around...
Liner Notes...Nad has built a storied career and continues to stretch his abilities and grow. While spending much of his time in the classic, standard-bearing section of the prog garden, Nad has reached across many sections, touching down and laying roots in the eclectic, ornate, classic, and jazz-fused acreage as well.
This new album has quite an ensemble; in addition to Nad on lead vocals, guitars, piano, keyboards, and acoustic guitar, the star-studded line-up includes Steve Hackett, Roine Stolt, and Guthrie Govan on guitar, Tony Levin on Chapman stick, electric and upright bass, Jonas Reingold on bass, Doane Perry on drums, and Nick D'Virgilio on drums and percussion. The studio gets more crowded with Jade Ell, Tania Doko, and Sheona Urquhart on vocals. Sheona lays down that incredible sax solo on "French Kiss" for those keeping score. Alfons Karabuda is on water phone, Anders Wollbeck plays additional keys and with Nad is credited for programming, orchestration sound design.
Suffice to say a lot of planning, producing, and orchestrating went into this album , and a lot of
A-Listers in the prog world left their mark on it. This is an album you will want to have in your prog collection...just be careful with that candelabra...
The album is scheduled for release May 26th at the Inside Out Music website Insideout Music.
Pre-orders are also available now at iTunes and Amazon. Nad can be found on Facebook at
Nad Sylvan FB and you can keep up with him on tour and in the studio on Twitter @SylvanOfficial.
The final course for this extravaganza is the title cut; quite a standout in its own right. More sanguine than the previous cuts, "The Bride Said No" smacks you like a jilted lover. Nad's vocal duet with Tania is absolutely perfect; the emotions rise up like an over zealous souffle. Guitars and keyboards once again keep the tempo leaping across the mood meter like a house cat toying with a cornered mouse...calculating, stalking, and finally leaping through the headphones victorious and satisfied. As the song reaches its climax, you sense that perhaps the bride has too...
Posted below is an early release of the first single from the album, "The Quartermaster." Almost a dreamscape as the music draws back the curtain...and the madness begins. Nad isn't a breath of fresh air--he is a gust of wind. His approach is counter to most; what would come off as trite or "plastic" by some leaps from the canvas as bold and refreshing as a frozen margarita in July in Nad's world. The prog garden bursts with energy as piano and drums walk in lock step across the inner lining of your skull, goaded on by guitars that penetrate deep...of course the song ends as abruptly as a dirty joke in Sunday School, but that's part of the wizardry as the master spins his web of illusion...
So fellow progheads, I urge you to purchase this latest release from Inside Out Music. Nad Sylvan has leapt forth from the dark shadows of the prog garden with an ominous concept album that simmers with a deliberate tension just below the surface...and bursts through the headphones like a levee letting loose the flood.
Nad Sylvan bring a force to the prog garden with a voice that rises to the challenge presented by a strong supporting cast of guitars, keyboards, and drums. The ensemble behind the curtain is impressive in and of itself; the raw energy everyone brought to the studio when laying these tracks down is evident throughout. This is an album you won't play just once; it will stay in the CD carousel as you assemble other discs worthy to accompany it and set the tone for your listening pleasure--and your imagination.
Of course, now is the time the search for all things prog pulls up stakes and continues on. Inside Out Music has an impressive line-up of artists and bands and the prog garden is the perfect place for them to mature. The Concert Closet continues the journey so you can sit back and enjoy...until next time...
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