Notes
About the album: Advent's long-awaited second release finds the band once again pushing the limit of it's members' collective talent. Boasting eight new dynamic and inventive original compositions--including what is arguably the group's crowning achievement to date, 'Ramblin' Sailor'--the album features wonderfully elaborate arrangements, beautiful guitar work (including a substantial amount of classical and acoustic guitars), and tight vocal interplay. Also includes two previously unreleased 24-track recordings of songs from the band's debut CD as bonus tracks. Excerpts from reviews/commentary on the album: - '... this is what prog rock is all about: wonderful compositions, great musicianship, a mixed bag of sounds and atmospheres--and not just noodling about just for the hell of it!' - 'The 18-minute 'Ramblin' Sailor' is a real masterpiece by any standards.' - 'This CD is--to me at least--a desert-island disc.' - '***** (five stars)' C.S. - 'This is an important landmark that hopefully will be remembered for a long time as one of the great masterpieces of symphonic prog.' - 'Fantastic work!' E.D. - 'It's been quite a long while (decades, actually) since I last heard a collection of music of such amazing high quality, making me eager to immediately listen to it again! You're in a division of your own.' Ö.S. - 'As I listen to this music, I'm reminded of looking at a fine piece of sculpture, where every chiseled detail stands out in stark relief against the whole. Advent make no concessions to neo, metal or any current commercial idiom, yet the music is quite melodic and approachable in the traditional sense. The familiar is there, largely because the instrumentation consists of the familiar synths, guitars and drums, along with terrific touches of acoustic guitar and mandolin. But everything is filtered through swirling, morphing progressions that move from light to dark and back again; shifting curtains of sound color that can instantly transform from brass flourishes into a wall of crescendoing guitars.' - 'Such harmony! The arrangement details, choice of notes and transitions are are carefully considered and fully inspired at the same time ... a combination that is difficult to achieve. During the journey I experience the gothic and the majectic, sadness and soaring, undercurrents of hope.' K.W. - 'The band's strive for perfection--or as close to that state as is humanly possible--has really paid off. It would only be fitting if all of you were to receive the praise and recognition that you so deserve for this work of art. A big, big thumbs up!' A.B.R. ---------- Bio: For the musicians and composers who comprise Advent, tradition is important. Whether drawing upon the accumulated experience of one's predecessors or simply separating the timeless from the transient, traditions are, in fact, indispensable. In order to draw upon them, however, one must first respect them. The eclectic tastes which fire the imaginations of Advent have led it's members to seek inspiration in sources which range from music of the English and Italian Renaissance to church motets, from sea chanteys to film scores and such progressive bands as Gentle Giant and Procol Harum. The band attempts to combine a contemporary sound with an extensive variety of influences solidly rooted in western musical sources, whether they be folk, classical-romantic, or popular. The group's material features lyrics ranging from the reflective to the mysterious, complemented by a descriptive 'cinematic' musical style which, while not always danceable, recalls the drama and fire of music which has always called the listener to listen. In short, Advent views it's musical heritage as a legacy left to us by our forebears in love, for our appreciation and education--an essential ingredient for progress. It should thus be gratefully received and built upon in that same spirit.
