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Suspyre – Suspyre (2012) – Review
by Logan Lee
As I
have predicted on my last time reviewing a Suspyre album, this guys from New
Jersey (USA) really have an immense growth potential and this new self-titled
album is the proof of it.
This
is their first album since co-founder and guitarist Rich Skibinsky left the
band to start a new career path (personally I think a great guitar player such
as Rich will be missed on the prog scenario, but…good luck for him). However,
the new guitar due formed by Andrew Distabile and Gregg Rossetti (is it me or
isn’t NJ populated by Italians surnames?) really managed to keep the level high.
On
this album I could so easily find some cool similarities with some great bands,
mostly with Symphony X (if you like Russell Allen’s voice, there’s no way you
won’t enjoy Clay Barton’s way of singing), and yet it was also clear that
Suspyre is able to experience new musical borders. An example for me is track
5, Fire Dancer, which is also among my favorites alongside tracks 4, 9 and 10, Still
bending the Violet, The whispers never written (overall, the best for me) and
The man made of stone respectively.
Even
though the above mentioned songs are great, the rest of the album is for no
reason to be left aside. Suspyre is a complete and complex album filled with
amazing (and well inserted) musical arrangements that won’t let you down. All
transitions are well though to their minimum details and the result is an album
that you can easily listen many times during the week without getting bored at
all.
This
is their fourth album and Suspyre is already, at least in my humble opinion,
one of the best bands in the U.S. and with that level of improvement from one
album to another.
In
the past I had the honor to interview their drummer Gabe Marshall for
perfectprog.com and back then I asked him if Suspyre were considering a tour
around Europe and he said they would love it. I am hoping that they will pay
the Old Continent a visit this time.
You
might already know by now that my vote is very high 9,5/10… but if you listen
to the album I think you will all agree with me on this one!
Tracklist:
01. Chaser (4:50)
02. Tranquility and Stress (9:58)
03. The Divided Son (4:57)
04. Still Bending the Violet (6:14)
05. The Fire Dancer (5:12)
06. Cancún (3:56)
07. Shades... (0:48)
08. The Cycle (5:13)
09. The Whispers Never Written (9:16)
10. The Man Made of Stone (12:25)
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