Force Of Progress: A Secret Place

A German four-piece, between them the members of Force Of Progress have spent time with the likes of The Healing Road, Sweety Chicky Jam, Cynity, Marquette and Horizontal Ascension. Now, with none of those outfits meaning anything to me, the other hint here is the band’s name - Force Of Progress. After all, this quartet are progressive and they’re damn forceful!

The press release describes a fusion sound and to be fair that’s quite an accurate starting point but we’re talking progressive metal fusion here with bulging riffs that veer from Rammstein to Threshold. Although with all of Hanspeter Hess, Dominik Wimmer (also drums and guitar), Chris Grundmann (also guitars and bass) and Markus Roth (also bass and guitar) being credited with playing either keyboards or synths, there’s not too many prizes for guessing that this instrumental fare is based round a huge amount of melodies from those musical weapons. With guest fret soloists also showing up in the shape of Achim Wierschem on the sprawling smash of “New Reality�, and Claus Flitters on the album’s centrepiece, “Circus Maximus�, it isn’t as though the guitars have been forgotten about, with both (and the band themselves, of course) providing some seriously dextrous forays that undoubtedly catch the ear.

The latter track is also the album’s longest, running to over 11 minutes and in many ways, with a journey from keyboard led meanders to pointed synth stabs, and from glorious guitar workouts to ‘string’ infused spoken word (well, laughter), this really is where Force Of Progress lay out what they can do. With added acoustic guitar courtesy of Sebastian Mikolai and a real lightness of touch in some of the keyboard work, the different emotions on display becomes quite astounding. Unfortunately what it also shines a light on is that these are aspects left somewhat missing elsewhere, with the uncompromising nature of “The Hand Sculpted Heart�, for instance, feeling just a little too breathless for its own good. Factor in that, for my tastes, the album’s overall sound is remarkably bright and in your face and it often results in this band’s ability to offer up some light and shade becoming hampered by its presentation.

The level of musical ability on display across A Secret Place (which is the second album from this outfit) is off the charts and at times there are undoubted hints of greatness. However all too often it can get lost in an eagerness to shove a barrage of notes in the way of a superbly good melody, while the slightly one dimensional sound, for me, also blunts the impact. Force Of Progress on this showing are good, but they could be so much more.

Track Listing
1. The Hand Sculpted Heart
2. The Perfect Element
3. New Reality
4. Circus Maximus
5. A Secret Place
6. The Steps To The Precipice
7. Aggressor 

Added: May 23rd 2020
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Force Of Progress online
Hits: 1946
Language: english

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