French Progressive Metal band Spheric Universe Experience have been around since 1999. Before this album, I’d not heard of them, but on this showing, I wish I had. I can understand why they went down so well at ProgPower USA last year.
Right from the outset of “Unreal”, there’s freshness and excitement of a kind I haven’t heard in a long time. There’s no let up over the course of the whole album. Comparison can be drawn with Symphony X and Dream Theater but Spheric Universe Experience just don’t wait around to be compared. This is flamboyant, fast moving, grooving Prog Metal. It’s heavy, deeply infused with keyboards but not in a trivial way. The guitar work is technical, intricate and meandering. The vocals are clear and sensitive, while matching the power and the urgency of the instrumental output. Each track has its own identity. “Down Memory Lane” starts in an Eastern style and is more carefully woven than the intense opening track “White Willow”, but just as fast and fluent. “3rd Type” takes on an other-worldly aspect, both musically and lyrically. Sometimes a track hits you in the heart, and this one does it to me. It’s an incredibly powerful and evocative track. The keyboard work is phenomenal and sound effects are used to make the vocals sound majestic and authoritative without being false. Seven minutes of subtle intensity are interspersed with mood changes. The chorus is a bit pop-orientated but “3rd Type” underlines the amazing sense of belief and enthusiasm in this album. “Lost Ghost” has the customary melody and for a short while I thought I was listening to a modern rendition of Genesis’s “I Know What I Like”. The gear steps up and we continue to be treated to that highly charged richness of sound. The keyboard creates a great feel, while the rhythm and bass guitar sound is pulsating. “Dragged” starts intriguingly as if communication has been set up with the outer universe. This is not entirely surprising as the album’s theme is paranormal experiences. It’s a carefully built-up epic, featuring dark sensations and delicate moments. The craftsmanship is once again amazing. “O.B.E” is another heavy and intense Progfeast. The drummer sets a rare pace. The bass is prominent on this funky and atmospheric track. The music even takes us momentarily into the exotic territory of a Florida night bar. The last track “Tomorrow” is again uplifting and catchy, with thumping instrumentals matched by a singer using every ounce of power in his voice. The feelgood factor is here. The album finishes climactically.
When I saw the name Spheric Universe Experience, I imagined something pretentious. I couldn’t have been more wrong. “Unreal” is a well-thought out album, very modern in its style and benefits from great sound quality. Every time I’ve listened to it, I’ve lived and breathed every note and movement of this catchy and frenetic work. It simply never stops moving. There wasn’t a single second where I wasn’t totally engaged. The album has a clear purpose and both the music and vocals are powerful. In “Unreal”, Spheric Universe Experience have created a masterpiece of heavy Progressive Metal.
http://www.sphericuniversexp.com
http://www.myspace.com/sphericuniverseexperience
http://www.laserserdgegroup.com
