When I received this album, the band was billed as sounding like Rush and Coheed & Cambria. The album itself is a collection of some of 3’s earlier tracks and is their sixth since being formed in 1994. Along the way, they have toured with the likes of the Scorpions, Dream Theater, Opeth and Porcupine Tree. The front page of the band’s web site lists fulsome praise from various luminaries, including the legendary Steven Wilson. Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy enthuses about their “great musicianship, funky grooves and catchy melodies”.

On the basis of this, I was expecting something along the lines of a soft Progressive classic. This is where I go against the story so far. I was disappointed. What I heard was a series of sugary and occasionally dreamy pop songs with only the faintest edge of Progressive development. It’s pleasant but just not interesting. The technique is there without a doubt and there are some nice delicate acoustic touches. It comes to something though when I found myself making a mental comparison in vocal terms with Pilot (of “January” fame) and concluding that Pilot were harder-edged. The only people I could possibly imagine this music being cutting edge would be those whose collection consists of 13 albums (the average number per household, apparently) and decide to impress their friends at a dinner party. Its tone reminded me a lot of Simon and Garfunkel. The only track I liked was the last one “The Game”. It is a funky acoustic number, aided by the tinkling of what sounds like a mandolin. Otherwise “Revisions” was bland.

It’s true that I am not acquainted with the rest of 3’s work. Listening to “Revisions” gives me no desire to hear more. Clearly there are others out there, among them Steven Wilson, who would disagree with my judgement on this band.

http://www.theband3.com
http://www.metalblade.com

Andrew Doherty

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