I must admit that I, for some reason, thought that this type of rock music died out along with cold war themed F15 fighter jet war flicks, tracksuits, aviator sunglasses, midnight saxophones, the moustache-hairy-chest-and-mullet look, and all other things 80s. However, bands like Work of Art and many of their labelmates on Frontiers Records are the the living proof that AOR is alive and kicking.
And I am glad that it is.
There is just something life-affirming about the synth bursts, catchy vocal melodies, pumping bass-lines and rocking guitar riffs. Now, a lot of different types of rock fall under the AOR umbrella. Work of Art are probably best classified as melodic hard rock. Thus you will hear hard rocking guitar riffs and blazing guitar solos on In Progress, but the emphasis is on melody, and thus, unlike other really great AOR-friendly bands, like XorigiN, Ten and Saga, Work of Art do not take their music into metal territory, and nor is In Progress a progressive affair – contrary to what the title might imply (of course, the expression 'in progress' is intended to be seen in juxtaposition with 'work of art'... get it?). And, Work of Art take a somewhat poppy approach to their rock music.
And in this day and age of crappy miserably mind-numbing pop music, I really appreciate that there are artists around like Work of Art, who can craft melodic rock music and include elements from the, now mythical times, when pop music was actually good – you know back when both the rock song and the pop song were viewed as, well, works of art. I do not want you to think that this is pop music. We are dealing with rock music, which just has some pop elements in it. From beginning to end, In Progress treats the listener to one catchy melody after another, and virtually all tracks on the album are engaging in one way or another – some through melodies, others through guitar riffs, and others again through the sheer drive, while all have massively catchy choruses.
The production is clean, pristine and crisp – just like it should be, and the musicianship is top notch on all accounts. The vocals are characterized by clarity, and Lars Säfsund has a really authentic and classic in the context of the type of music the band plays. The guitar riffages is solid and the solos technically advanced and truly impressive, while the base and drums provide a rock solid rhythmic foundation (there are nice wee details in the drumming though).
If you like AOR-style melodic rock along the lines of Toto, Journey, and Giant or even 1980s Yes, you definitely should check out In Progress. Some might think it sounds outdated and belongs to the 1980s – I say, if I want melodic and uplifting music, I'd happily listen to Work of Art all day rather than listening to that crap they call pop music nowadays.
Track Listing:
1. The Rain
2. Nature Of The Game
3. Once Again
4. Never Love Again
5. Eye Of The Storm
6. Until You Believe
7. The Great Fall
8. Call On Me
9. Emelie
10.Fall Down
11. Castaway
12. One Step Away
Bonus videoclip: The Great Fall
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