The Dark Third - Perfect for Music Lovers & Collectors

I sincerely hope this band is embraced by the prog and ambient rock communities. PRR embues everything I like about atmospheric rock. Some have called it a mellow affair and perhaps compared to death metal it is mellow, but the style here is very dramatic, reminiscent of early Pink Floyd. Like early Pink Floyd, the emphasis is on soundscaping, with lush, etherial, Beach Boy like harmonizing, repleat with keyboard flourishes, yet maintaining a connection to modern goth rock. Its like Polyphonic Spree meets Porcupine Tree meets Riverside.Of course, those of you who are familiar with early Pink Floyd will recognize the Floydian references in at least two song titles, Bullets Dominae and Bright Ambassadors of Morning (from the song Echoes). This is not to say that these guys are merely aping Pink Floyd, because they're not at all. The use of male and female vocals gives it distinction from direct comparison. However, don't make the mistake of thinking its another goth band, which also feature male and female lead vocals. No one singer takes center stage here, both male and female are intertwined, and blend perfectly with each other; both are competant vocalists (no acclimation period required).Also used throughout is mass choir vocal sections, whether its actually a mass choir or multi-tracking vocals, its a stunning effect. Couple this with a band that very adept at delicate, etherial sounscaping as well as dramatic, symphonic rock, and you have a spectacular prog album. Amazingly enough, as bombastic as the some musical passages are, it doesn't come across as over-the-top theatrical, like with some similar music (Nightwish comes to mind), rather it remains quite organic sounding.This album is a throwback to a time when an album was an artistic statement, when album flow and feel was as important as the musical contents. Fans of Porcupine Tree or any other Steve Wilson project might find this their cup of tea. Any fan of early Pink Floyd should like this as well. This isn't a band in search of a 'sound', they come across as a band who are playing music they feel. The only question now is how on earth will they follow this stunning debut. Highly recommended.