Machines Dream "Revisionist History"

Good evening fellow progheads! So far The Closet Concert Arena 2019 Edition has brought to light a superb cross section of new and under-the-radar progressive rock bands, artists, and music.  Keeping this trend going I travel this week to the Canadian tundra hoping to avoid the "Philippines-Canada Trash War" as I visit with friends making a return visit.

Machines Dream is another member of the Progressive Gears Records prog rock stable (told you there were a lot of talented bands over there).  They recently released "Revisionist History," a remixed/remastered collection of their first two albums.  This is a band that caught my attention when they first appeared in the prog garden so this stroll back to their beginnings should be interesting...

 My first morsel is "Trading Stars for Solitude."  The song opens softly, much like a morning sunrise coming into full view over a hillside.  The guitar leads you down the path and keyboards begin to pick up the pace.  Machines Dream comes into full bloom as the music fills the canvas with a cool, bright, pleasing  array of color.  The beginning of a soothing roller coaster ride...

The second song to emit from the headphones, "Mad for All Seasons," moves the tempo meter a bit.  I like a song that builds momentum like this...top notes of Rush in that regard.  Starcastle seems to splash across this cut; there is a carefree vibe that resonates like wading along the beach mid low tide.

Machines Dream travels across the prog garden deliberately and purposefully, leaving their mark in the metal and cinematic sections while traipsing through the more ominous and brooding sections as well.  This is a band firmly in control of their own destiny taking their sound to the masses.

Liner Notes...Machines Dream resides in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario, Canada.  Having been featured here a few times in the past, Machines Dream should be known to the Concert Closet faithful.

This being their first two albums remixed/remastered to "sound as they deserve to be with original missing tracks included"  it seems only logical to mention Will Geraldo for the mastering and Craig West for the producing.  The music was of course played by Keith Conway, Craig West, Marco Pierucci, Ken Coulter, Brian Holmes, and Shayne Wigglesworth.

One more cut for review; "Toronto Skyline."  One of the things Machines Dream does so well is make you think; the opening lyrics go straight to your thought processors, firing up the cerebellum.  The resulting imagery is quite striking as the canvas fills with dark hues that are highlighted with bright streaks of starlight piercing the veil of night.  There are top notes of Pink Floyd flowing through this cut and emotions drip from the music like raindrops running down the kitchen window...

You can purchase this album and the entire Machines Dream library at these websites; progressive gears records,
big cartel and bandcamp.  Tune in to Facebook and Twitter @MachinesDream to keep up with all the latest on the band.

The musical interlude this week is "The Session."  The opening voice over is hauntingly Big Brotherish as the tempo begins to build...and then the proverbial smack in the head.  Machines Dream looks at everything the world can throw at you through a different lens, reflecting on how chance can make life almost temperamental; here today gone tomorrow with no rhyme or reason as to why.  I like it when the music makes you think and entertains all at once...

                     

Once again my fellow progheads the sand has slipped through the hourglass quicker than the sun dropping below the horizon on a clear night...and as we reflect on the music we feel sated.

Machines Dream has done justice to their early recordings; consider "Revisionist History" the cleaned up version of what actually was a pretty darn good first draft.  With time, experience, and some talented friends behind the curtain this is an excellent collection.  The band no doubt feels some satisfaction in saying, "This is the way we meant these songs to be heard" without coming off pretentious.  Knowledge is a mighty sword, and Machines Dream wields it like few other up and coming bands do...I appreciate that.

Now of course the search for all things prog carries on...until next time...