Since last album ‘Delusions’ it has not all been plain sailing for To Mera, bassist Lee Barrett left and the band found themselves no longer on Candlelight records. However self-released status or not these new tracks see them very much regrouped and back in action. Joining them on bass is Mark Harrington of Demagogue and Lost Legion both very different but solid UK acts. Also joining is Richard Henshall on keyboards from progressive metal band Haken.
Progressive is very much the word to use with both the last album and the new material. This is not instantly evident however on the first of these four numbers ‘Mesmerised.’ Rich in melody the track furrows a path as the instrumentation ploughs in only to mellow out as Julie Kiss comes in and soulfully sings away. There are nuances within the guitar department that suggest a progressive air but for the most part the song plays it pretty straight and flows along with a demeanour that is quite easy to get into and follow. The next 3 do anything but, and twist and turn at every conceivable point making me scratch my head at times in downright bewilderment. There is a lot of clever and technical musicianship on display here and this is what I can only describe as ‘deep prog’ in style. The title track shudders in bass and drum heavy with the keyboards weaving away. As the vocals come in and everything drops out letting them breathe one is reminded almost of jazz rather than anything else, perhaps jazz mixed with Cynic when the instrumentation booms back in. Tinkling 70s lounge keyboards and smoky hazy music plays around with the vocals accentuating the heady flow, to be honest it makes me feel quite stoned just listening to it.
The songs are long too, with the four numbers weighing in just short of the half hour mark, there is plenty going on here and it’s easy to lose yourself in it. Around the half way point of ‘Arcane Solace’ things get seriously heavy with lurching and juddering bass work, a piano canter of the sort that one would normally associate Tom chasing Jerry in a cartoon and then some delirious guitar noodling. This is beard stroking overload and it really illustrates the skills of the musicians, again faultlessly backed up by the singer.
This is stylistically a lot heavier than the normal proggy stuff I listen to but that has not stopped me enjoying it at all. The band always suggested they were going to explore further into more eclectic realms and simple female fronted pop rock style pigeonholing is not in the slightest bit valid here. Not sure where that leaves them in their search for a record label as this is not exactly easily accessible and it would probably take someone like Inside Out or another label deeply committed to this style to pick them up, whatever happens in the future though I am sure it will be interesting.
http://www.myspace.com/tomeraband
