Italian heavy proggers Althea formed in Milan and released their debut EP Eleven in 2014. IN 2017 came their first full length album Memories Have No Name and now, in 2019, we have the band’s sophomore effort The Art Of Trees.
The Art Of Trees has turned into a very nice surprise as this is a most impressive album. The band combine fairly heavy riffs and staccato rhythms with moody keyboard layers, lighter melodic guitar parts and absolutely superb lead vocals and arrangements, one of the best things about this disc. It is such a pleasure listening to an excellent singer and he is an integral part of the band’s sound. Backing vocals are also used to great effect.
The opening track “For Now” is a good indication of the band’s sound. Beginning effects with a liberal use of keyboards both in the background and up front forming a beautiful melody. The heavy riffs enter showcasing the band’s tightness and creativity before the vocals add just the right ingredient. Cool riff progressions and textural keyboard layers make the heavy prog of “Deformed to Frame” another great track. The band mix up heavy and light and the vocals are again a highlight. Odd metered riffs and melodic guitar strumming in “One More Time” again showcase the band’s blending of heavy and softer melodic prog. The nine minute “Evelyn” allows the band to explore differing textures and tempos ranging from beautifully constructed melodies to more complex moments. The vocal arrangement is truly stunning. There are also more ethereal moments where the guitar playing gets quite spacey. Just an excellent track that should satisfy a wide range of proggers. The title track is another long player at over nine minutes and is another melodic gem with superb lead guitar and vocals. This has to be one of the disc’s tastiest songs.
These Italians have made an excellent melodic progressive rock album with The Art Of Trees. Very impressive indeed.
Released on Sliptrick Records.
Track Listing:
1. For Now
I. Denial
II. Anger
III. Bargaining
IV. Depression
V. Acceptance
2. Deformed to Frame
3. One More Time
4. Today
5. Evelyn
6. Not Me
7. The Shade
8. The Art of Trees
9. Away From Me
10. Burnout
For information regarding where to send CD promos and advertising, please see our FAQ page.
If you have questions or comments, please Contact Us.
Please see our Policies Page for Site Usage, Privacy, and Copyright Policies.
All logos and trademarks in this site are property of their respective owner. The comments are property of their posters, all other content Sea of Tranquility
Italian heavy proggers Althea formed in Milan and released their debut EP Eleven in 2014. IN 2017 came their first full length album Memories Have No Name and now, in 2019, we have the band’s sophomore effort The Art Of Trees.
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
