LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

1 - Autumn Moonsoon (5'00)2 - Crimson (I. Overture - Prelude/II. Overture - Allegro/III. Overture - Chorale/IV. The Deep Blue) (7'32)3 - Dark Room (4'15)4 - Ride It Easy (3'27)5 - The White Shaman (2'41)6 - The Fall Of Rome (5'58)7 - Altar Of The Dragon (4'30)8 - The Hobo, The Dog, And The Moon (5'26)9 - Cry For You (3'47)10 - Fanfare For One World (4'14)11 - The Nightmare (6'15)

Coming from Houston (Texas), PANGAEA could well be the new revelation of American neo Progressive rock. This quartet clearly means it. The proofs are their true personality (Comparisons with other bands don't come to mind easily), their technical level and a remarkable instrumental cohesion, as well as the hiring of famous Robert BERRY (Former member of THREE and indispensable member of label Magna Carta for many years: a name synonym of quality !) for their first self-produced album ("The Rite Of Passage") in 1996. This gives then a powerful sound and a flawless production, something constant in this band's complete discography. Issued two years later on the Angular label, "Welcome To The Theatre" reaffirms their style and prepares for the apotheosis "A Time And A Place" (2003). Again created by the brothers Corey and Andy SCHENCK (Accompanied by the ever-present Robert BERRY), this gem of precision fills the listener of enthusiasm for their themes, both immediately catchy and complex in their developments. Their music goes without problems from typically neo Progressive sequences to pure moments of ambient bliss (Something the great PINK FLOYD probably wouldn't have objected to), a touch of heavy-metal here, some blazing percussions there: the listener won't have the possibility to be bored more than half a second. A bonus: the object itself includes a cover with very elaborate graphics. The pleasure of the eyes associated to the pleasure of the ears !