Member:
JLucky
Date:
6/19/2005
If all you listened to was the beginning of the first track of Hamadryad’s Conservation of Mass you might be forgiven for thinking they were just another in a long line of prog-metal bands, but you would also be very wrong. This five-piece symphonic progressive rock outfit, hailing out of Montreal, Canada are so much more, and a full listen to their first CD release will prove to be a very satisfying music experience indeed.
According to their bio sheet, Hamadryad came together in 1995 as a tribute show for progressive music, but it wasn’t until the Spring of 2000 that their line-up was finalized, consisting of Jean-Francois Desilets (bass, vocals), Denis Jalbert (guitars, vocals), Yves Jalbert (drums, vocals), Jocelyn Beaulieu (lead vocals), Francis Doucet (keyboardist). Instrumentation consists of just what we’ve come to expect in prog, including Taurus bass pedals, Hammond, mellotron and minimoog for some terrific analog sounds.
The CD starts out with some moody, atmospheric spacey sounds before launching into the slightly heavier guitar oriented “Amora Demonis”, which quickly betrays the band’s ability to blend melody and complexity. Undoubtedly their past musical experiences as a tribute band effectively strengthened their musical chops, this is no ‘first-time-effort’ here. Each of the CD’s 11 tracks betrays an astonishing amount of variety and complexity. The compositions range in length from 49 seconds up to a couple over ten minutes. However a number of other shorter tracks are blended together and flow seamlessly into one another, particularly track #4 “Still They Laugh” into #5 “The Second Round” and then into #6 “Still they Laugh Pt.2”.
Of particular note are the vocals. Most of the Beauleu’s lead vocals are in the high tenor range lending a slight Yes influence. His operatic training ensures no “death-growl” here. Plus in a number of tracks the band’s multi-part vocal arrangements recall the style of Gentle Giant, Echolyn or Spocks Beard, particularly in “The Second Round”.
Each of the tracks benefits from the bands superior arrangements and there are plenty of surprises, like the fretless bass on “Shades of Blue” which is interspersed with a nice mellotron choral wash in the background. Heavier guitar-oriented sections pop up from time to time but quickly seem to veer into a jazzy flavor and the instruments are well balanced between acoustic and electric tones. The compositions slide from a busy, roller-coaster-ish frenzy into majestic organ dominated anthems or clean guitar tones, then back again. Every so often some early Yes style organ pops up, although Hamadryad have more than enough experience to have carved out their unique style.
All in all Hamadryad’s Conservation of Mass is one of the most satisfying symphonic prog musical experiences I’ve enjoyed this year. Great songs, lots of good playing, some nice musical surprises; a nice balance of all things prog.
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