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SYLVAN: Presets

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I was meaning to check out all albums I missed from the top 10 of our very own Prog-nose poll of 2006. I hadn’t come around to listening to the number 2: SYLVAN’s Posthumous Silence and, lo and behold, here’s the band’s next album already on the shelves. Well, it turns out that Presets was recorded at the same time as its predecessor, and that the original intention was to release it even earlier than now. The success of the latter delayed this a bit. The idea was to have an album that distinguished itself from the progressive concept of Posthumous Silence - more song-oriented material, with a more commercial approach.

Well, commercial it is - I am constantly reminded of both COLDPLAY and the ‘lighter’ material of latter-day MARILLION. Very atmospheric pieces, with nice melodies and melancholic singing. On the whole, it is a bit on the mellow side, with the band just occasionally venturing in some heavier, more progressive sounds. I do like this, but there’s just a bit too little variation to keep me interested all the way. The best songs are also the most proggy and the longest ones – perhaps the band should really stick their most progressive side.

Based on this album, I’m not totally convinced by SYLVAN, and even a little bit disappointed after having read the many raving reviews of Posthumous Silence. I do still intend to check out the latter though. The band might still steal my heart.
 

Musicians

Marco Glühmann: vocals
Matthias Harder: drums
Sebastian Harnack: bass
Kay Söhl: guitars
Volker Söhl: keyboards

Guest musicians:
Stefanie Richter: cello
Guido Bungenstock: additional guitar
Miriam Schell: backing vocals
Lena Euler: additional guitars

Side a
One Step Beyond
Signed Away
For One Day
Former Life
On The Verge Of Tears
When The Leaves Fall Down
Words From Another day
Side b
Cold Suns
Hypnotized
Heal
Transitory Times
Presets

Deliverance (1999)
Encounters (2000)
Artificial Paradise (2002)
X-rayed (2004)
Posthumous Silence (2006)
Presets (2007)

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Last updated: 20 mei 2007 .
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