A trio from Whitestone, N.Y., Myriad is one of those bands whose members give the impression they are just trying too hard. Not that there's anything wrong with that …
Clearly, singer/guitarist Ed Moehring, drummer/percussionist Tom Spagna and bassist Brian Cohen boast abundant musical talent. The sounds they coax from their instruments often come off like the work of twice as many players.
Natural Elements starts off promisingly enough with "Prayer For Peace," a three-and-a-half-minute ode to Rush and Kansas, and the next track, "Circus, Circus," is a pleasant piece of neo-prog. But then comes the 32-and-a-half-minute, five-part "Natural Elements Suite," which reveals Myriad's penchant for epic arrangements that go nowhere. Consisting of "Prelude," "Air," "Earth," "Fire" and "Water," the suite indulges in all sorts of tired prog clichés without really generating much excitement. Moehring's dusty voice isn't engaging enough to captivate listeners throughout the entire length of the suite, and the band tends to musically repeat itself. Following the suite, the long instrumental "Gladiator" gets all doomy and orchestral, and the short instrumental "InterMOEzzo (for Moe)" sounds pretty. But by the time the upbeat yet rambling 15-minute finale "Priority One" plays out, you may be ready to move on to priority two: finding something else to spin.
Track Listing:
1) Prayer for Peace (3:34)
2) Circus, Circus (5:15)
Natural Elements Suite:
3) Prelude (5:32)
4) Air (7:14)
5) Earth (5:57)
6) Fire (5:13)
7) Water (8:38)
8) Gladiator (8:28)
9) InterMOEzzo (for Moe) (1:58)
10) Priority One (14:52)
Total Time: 66:40
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
