“The Rise” has all the hallmarks of a classic Progressive album. Whilst the mark of Dream Theater and Pain of Salvation is there, it doesn’t sound like them. The tracks are flamboyant and at times theatrical, along the lines of Queen maybe. The Progressive element is enhanced by the prominence of the keyboards, which on some works of this kind whistle away irritatingly in the background, but not here. This is a full-blooded affair. The downside of that is that it is quite hard to digest.
There’s so much in this album that a blow-by-blow account would be futile. “Where I Am” and “Sophie’s World” set the tone nicely. They are both melodious and chunky, with good chorus lines and certainly atmospheric. These Belgians know how to develop their sound nicely into heaviness, and mix that with soft acoustics, a steady drum beat and an air of majesty. In the earlier tracks I thought the singer’s voice, reminiscent of Robert Smith of The Cure, was a bit flat. By contrast, the childlike, winter wonderland effect of the keyboards, which run through “Sophie’s World”, are magical. There’s a nice mixture of feelings without it becoming wimpy.
Sandwiched in “The Rise” is a four part section entitled “Heartless”. For me, the album took off on the second part, “Stop Haunting Me”. This track’s strength is the colourful heaviness. It’s like Trail of Tears with keyboards and belies the fact that this is Corpus’s first album release. “Stop Haunting Me” is so smooth, there’s always a sense of progression, it’s mystical and occasionally heads into the world of danger and the dramatic. It can be harsh but is catchy and above all flows well. “Heartless, Part 3. The Corridor of Wolves” is an explosive and powerful track. The vocalist is into it now. He bursts into turbo charge. It’s as if he is telling a story. Then, over the course of 17 minutes, come two dark numbers, “”Heatless, Part 4: My Gift” and “The Reason Why”. The build-up has an air of mystery. The vocalist is now on his game and invites us into his world of “the effigy of vivid dreams, broken frames and kaleidoscope beams”. The music is heavy and addictive, the perfect accompaniment to such dark fare. At one point it becomes quite aggressive and almost goes into Black Metal territory. The keyboards wander off and provide a steady and magical hinterland. We feel the vocalist’s torture and epic struggle. The track ebbs and flows but it’s all controlled. “The Reason Why” continues bleakly. “A mute scream echoes through the valley of denial”, we’re told. The beat is punchy and imperious. The acoustic rhythm mixes with the sounds of the electric guitar and keyboards. This track, with its steady, funereal beat comes together well and has an amazing psychedelic and dark ambiance.
The trouble with the mid-section of this album is that it makes what follows something of an anti-climax. The final track “Losing the Shackles” captures the main qualities: the punchy beat, changes of mood and pace, keyboards taking us to another stratosphere and power from the guitar, and the mix of melancholic and occasional death vocals.
Although “The Rise” lasts 74 minutes, it seems more like a 5 hour film. It’s essentially progressive with mood swings but it flows like a steady river. Corpus deserve commendation for putting together their ideas to create such a massive album. There’s no holding back. I guess that this work is going to be for the more serious-minded, which is a pity because there’s a lot of beauty, power and melody to be appreciated. I enjoyed it.
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http://www.corpusweb.eu
