ATMOSFEAR - review added 2nd February 2010
Album Review: Zenith (2009)
For fans of: Progressive Rock... and 6 songs for more than an hour
AtmOsfear, a progressive rock outfit from Hamburg in Germany, was founded in 1996. The band released their first, self-titled album in 1997, and followed that up in 2003 with Inside the Atmosphere. These guys really don't like to rush their albums. Zenith is only their 3rd in almost 15 years.
The band - these days consisting of Oliver Wulff on vocals, Boris Stepanow on guitars, Burkhart Heberle on bass, Stephan Kruse on keyboards, and Tim Schnabel on drums - play a very progressive music that varies in oomph between lighter pop musings and, more commonly, rock and raucous heavy metal.
I have to say it's not really my thing. The whole album is very self-indulgent and doesn't make a lot of allowances for catchiness. However, it's well performed and impeccably put together. I love the skill behind the musicianship, and have a great deal of respect for anyone who can compose a 29min+ track. Although the album's contents don't tickle my own taste buds, there are plenty of people out there who will lap this up.
If you are really into the proggier end of the progressive genre, and like to mix that up with the heavier side of speaker-melting-music, Zenith is worth checking out. It isn't even vaguely perfect, but it has plenty of charm and kicks the work of a lot of supposedly bigger bands into a cocked hat.
Check out... That final epic track.
Track List:
01. Beginning
02. Loss Of Hope
03. Generations
04. Reawakening
05. Scum Of Society
06. Spiral Of Pain
> i. Fall
> ii. Joseph's Theme
> iii. Elisa's Theme
> iv. Fatal Reunion
Label: Prog Rock Records
Artist's website(s): AtmOsfear , MySpace
