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Progressive Rock CD Reviews

Seconds Before Landing

Seconds Before Landing II

Review by Gary Hill

I reviewed the previous set from Seconds Before Landing and thought it was good. This one is worlds better. It’s more mature. It also has a wider range. It’s just a far better release. If you liked the previous set, pick this up. You will love it. If you haven’t heard this act before, I suggest starting here. It’s the best from Seconds Before Landing to date.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2015  Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
Big Train

The rhythmic groove and saxophone soloing on this tune really make it. It’s kind of a jazzy, mellow modern prog tune. It’s also very strong. There are some great keyboard moments on this song, too.

Hey Dad
A melodic prog piece, this has some jazz and more built into it, too. In a lot of ways, this sounds like a proggier version of Chicago to me. That section is counterbalanced with a hard rocking movement that’s quite hard edged. The lyrics on this are a little difficult to take, but not from something overtly offensive. It’s about physical abuse between a father and child. It’s definitely uncomfortable.
Al Shaitan
A very topical piece, this addresses Islamic extremism in a rather unique way. It’s a melodic prog rocker with electronic elements really driving it.    
My Perfect Girl
The arrangement at the start here is rather stripped back and a little weird. Somehow, I’m reminded of Alice Cooper just a bit. It works out to more proggy territory that makes me think of early Pink Floyd from there. The cut alternates between those two things. It gets into some great hard rocking territory later. At times this has some hints of Jethro Tull in the mix. The lyrics on this are very twisted, too.
Etiene
Electronic sounds are the basis of the early sections here. It works to more melodic prog from there. This is another that has some hints of Pink Floyd in the mix. It alternates between those two sounds as it continues. There are definitely weird sections later, too.
The Great Deceiver
This has chanting at the stop, like monks would do. From there it powers out into a hard rocking jam. It drops down a bit for the vocals. The comparisons to Pink Floyd are again valid at times. I really love the screaming hot guitar sections on this beast. There are drop backs and shifts and changes all over this.
Don't Want to Feel This Way
Electronic weirdness drives this song. There is a “vocal” on this that’s a monologue from a woman who sounds quite disturbed. There are more melodic electronic sections at times. Another movement has a sound much like a phone modem “handshaking” to connect. Still, this is an odd, but cool song. It gets a parental advisory, though.
Just Breathe
Moody, trippy progressive rock is the concept here. This has a real dreamy kind of vibe to it. There are some great keyboard elements, too. It has some cool guitar soloing later, too.
Silent Bird
This reminds me a lot of RPWL, and by extension, Pink Floyd. It’s mellow, but does have some screaming guitar. The combination of male and female vocals works pretty well.
Enoch
Weird space rock sounds open this. There is a spoken, processed vocal that comes over the top. The rhythm section joins from there, and the cut works out like something from the 80s or 90s. Then the crunch joins and it begins to really rock. It drops to some weird, processed spoken stuff later. Then, it powers back upward from there with a fierce, driving movement. It gets quite cinematic as it works forward toward the end.
What Chu Do
Weird effects driven stuff gets some vocals over the top. Then a driving beat is heard as this becomes an electronic prog rocker. It has more rocking sounds as it moves forward, too. There is definitely a bit of an 80s vibe going on here. The rhythm section gets seriously funky at times.
 
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