It's been four long years since Sweden's Galleon released the excellent 2CD concept album From Land to Ocean, but the wait is over and the prog rock band is back with the equally impressive Engines of Creation. This release sees the band with a new member, drummer Goran Johnsson, who also happens to be a member of popular prog band Cross (ironically, he is the keyboard player for that band!). If you have gotten used to Galleon's brand of muscular prog rock mixed with vintage sounds, then you can expect no deviation from that formula here. Shades of Rush, Yes, Arena, Deep Purple, early Marillion, and Genesis abound on Engines of Creation, as the band provide plenty of guitar and rhythmic firepower to go along with 70's styled keyboard sounds. While the album is more song based this time around, it's all still epic in style and scope.
There's a reason that Galleon has been one of Progress Records main acts over the years, and that's because they know how to deliver the goods time and time again. Dramatic songs like "Lightworks", with its bombastic guitar & keyboard riffs, the majestic, complex arrangements of "The Assemblers", the symphonic "Signals", and the crunchy, almost prog-metal sounds of the title track, are fine examples of modern progressive rock with an aggressive edge. Ulf Pettersson's wide range of keyboard sounds lead the charge, whether he is throwing down some raging Hammond riffs or blazing synth passages, he adds the heavy duty prog element while guitarist Sven Larsson provides more than a fair share of hard rock firepower. Goran Fors' melodic vocals and groove laden bass lines inject a certain amount of charm and character into each track, and his bass skills are especially heard on the punchy "State Insane" and the atmospheric, 70's inspired "Men and Monsters".
One might say that Galleon stick to a formula and rarely stray from it, but you have to admit that formula is quite good and works time after time after time. Engines of Creation is another solid and enjoyable slice of modern symphonic prog from these veteran Swedes.
Track Listing
1. A.I. (1:38)
2. The Assemblers (5:45)
3. Signals (4:21)
4. Engines of creation (7:04)
5. State Insane (6:09)
6. Fog City (5:10)
7. The Cinnamon hideaway (2:04)
8. Men and monsters (9:44)
9. Machine mother (6:21)
10. Lightworks (9:12)
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