Leave it to ace keyboard wiz Erik Norlander to give some of his older instrumental songs new life on his latest release The Galactic Collective. As if these stellar prog & fusion styled tunes weren't 'stellar' enough the first time around, Erik has assembled a hot line-up for this release to help give these tracks more of an edge; bassist Mark Matthews, drummer Nick LePar, and guitarist Freddy DeMarco, plus help on some tracks by Mitch Perry, John Payne, Ron Redfield, Mark McCrite, and Norlander's wife, vocal legend Lana Lane.
Most of the tunes here will be very familiar to Norlander fans, but you'll instantly notice some extra aggression here thank to the addition of powerhouse drums, guitar, and bass, to go along with Norlander's wide array of keyboards textures and sounds. "Nurosaur" is still a prog rock monster, but here it's heavier and meaner, while "Fanfare for Absent Friends" is now more symphonic and has morphed into a grandiose progressive metal masterpiece, complete with brilliant solo trade-offs between Erik and DeMarco. This then segues into the gorgeous "Sky Full of Stars", an emotional prog lovers dream, with Norlander's yearning synth lines leading the charge. His fluttering synths lead in the crushing "Astrology Prelude", one of the best 'anthems' you'll ever hear in the instrumental rock genre, which is followed by the daring fusion of "Trantor Station". Lana Lane lends her choral vocals to the lengthy "After Revolution", an epic prog number filled with lush piano, synths, and Dave Gilmour styled guitar solos, and the ELP influenced "Garden of the Moon" is given a tremendous treatment here, chock full of bombast an energy thanks to Norlander's prowess on his instruments and some extra guitar muscle. Of course, Erik saves the monster cut for last, the 20-minute Rocket Scientists' classic "The Dark Water". If there wasn't enough Moog for you throughout the rest of this album, you'll certainly get plenty on this one to satisfy your cravings, as well as some mammoth guitar riffage.
Yes, Moog, Hammond organ, Mellotron, Steinway grand piano, Alesis, ARP, Oberheim, Fender Rhodes, you name it, and Norlander throws it into the fray here on The Gallacic Collective. Kudos to this brilliant musician for taking some classic tunes and breathing new life into them, not just for those who perhaps didn't hear them the first time around, but for all the loyal fans as well who always wanted to have them gift wrapped in one nice set.
Track Listing
1. Arrival
2. Neurosaur
3. Fanfare for Absent Friends
4. Sky Full of Stars
5. Astrology Prelude
6. Trantor Station
7. After The Revolution
8. Garden of the Moon
9. Dreamcurrents
10. The Dark Water
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