Project Patchwork: Tales From A Hidden Dream

Project Patchwork is the brainchild of German musician Gerd Albers. Tales From A Hidden Dream was about eight years in the making and about forty musicians took part. Albers wrote and composed all the songs and adds acoustic and electric guitars, drums and percussion, keyboards and backing vocals and is joined by Peter Koll who adds electric guitars. Many guests are stalwarts in modern progressive rock including Kalle Wallner (RPWL), Martin Schnella (Seven Steps to the Green Door) and Marek Arnold (STTTGD, Toxic Smile, United Progressive Fraternity).

All I can say is this album is as close to perfection as any I have heard this year. It is clearly progressive in nature but many genres are touched upon like folk, hard rock, metal, funk and orchestral music. One would think that the album would sound like a hodgepodge of styles but nothing could be further from the truth. The music is cohesive and brilliantly played with beautifully soaring guitar, lush keyboards and strong lead vocals. There are no weak links here as these are first class musicians with every note meaningfully placed.

There are many highlights including the gentle "Beginning" with gorgeous piano and saxophone, the epic sounding "Oblivion" where electronic elements, Gilmour inspired lead guitar, pretty acoustic moments and heavier riffs offer an exquisite concoction of pure progressive bliss and the album ending "Incomprehensible", a progressive rock masterwork at almost eighteen minutes where earworm inducing moments are a constant threat to your senses. The rest of the tunes are excellent as well including the Deep Purple influenced "Not Yet", the lushly orchestrated "Oblivion Things (reprise)" and the Floyd-like "Land Of Hope And Honour" where soaring lead guitar is as melodic as anything on the disc.

Tales From A Hidden Dream is an impressive album that will reveal itself slowly over time if given half the chance. One can only hope it will do well because it is artists like Albers who are keeping progressive music alive and well. Clearly another winner from Progression Promotion Records.

Track Listing:
1. Beginning (3:58)
2. Oblivion (13:24)
pt. 1 – Introduction
pt. 2 – Always the Same
pt. 3 – Focus Points
pt. 4 – Oblivion Things
3. The Turning Point (6:55)
4. Elysium (0:51)
5. Land Of Hope And Honour (5:14)
6. Not Yet (5:10)
7. Every End Is A Beginning ((Bau' Dir Ein Schloss) (6:16)
8. Oblivion Things (reprise) (3:25)
9. Incomprehensible (demo) (17:51)
pt. 1 – Sunday Morning Crime
pt. 2 – Mind Confusion
pt. 3 – Cracking The Case
pt.4 – Finale

Added: August 27th 2015
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Label's Official Site
Hits: 2923
Language: english

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