Nine Skies – 5.20 Review

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There is a constant dialogue between Metal Music and Prog Rock or Art Rock, if you wish. Both genres were mutually benefited by this dialogue. From Metal side we got all Progressives in all Metal styles which means a band with a more accuarte and careful and eloquent and resourceful intrumentals and lyrics. From Prog Rock bands as Yes, Marillion and Pink Floyd adopted a more aggressive and heavier sonancy. Therefore we all are satisfied with the alliance.

As I told before in one of my reviews, music is in an eternal wave fo go back and forth. Here we’ve got Nine Skies, a band founded in 2017 that has the same sonancy of their peers of the 1970s. In this third release, Nine Skies were able to perfectly capture the essence of the Art Rock of the 1970s. Better yet, they got the essence of the music of that time. Prog Rock also tries to picture life in music as Metal does. However, Prog Rock view is more poetic and melodic. Each Prog Rock album tells a story and manu of them – not all – are inspired in Classical Music and emule the movements of operas. Well, kind of. That’s what is possible to see here with “5.20” an album with so many guests that if I were to write their names here I would use all the space I have. As in their 1970s peers, “5.20” is a myriad of influences throughout music. Beyond the obvious influences of Classical Music there are lots influences of Jazz and Blues.

The best part of “5.20” are the well-built melodies as in “Golden Drops” where the acoustic guitar gives the tone or “Abve the tide“ where the piano gives the tone but both have wondrous vocal melodies. More importantly, the way they built and fit to the songs. Other highlight are the instrumental constructions fit to tell stories as if an opera. That’s what is possible to see in “Dear Mind” and its crescendo.

Every time I hear a Prog Rock band I can’t help it comparing or reminding The Beatles. My fan that knows The Fab Four must agree with me. There is a lot of The Beatles in tracks as “The Old Man in the Snow” and it’s possible to imagine John Lennon or Paul Mccartney on vocals. Or in the progressions of “Godless Land.” I don’t have to tell my fan that it’s where all started.

By the way, what an interesting cover.

Nine Skies “5.20” was released on June 04th via Anesthetize Productions.

Track Listing:

  1. Colourblind
  2. Wilderness (Feat. Steve Hackett)
  3. Beauty of Decay
  4. Golden Drops
  5. Above the Tide
  6. Dear Mind
  7. The Old Man in the Snow (Feat. John Hackett)
  8. Godless Land
  9. Porcelain Hill (Feat. Damian Wilson)
  10. Achristas
  11. Smiling Stars

Watch “Wilderness” official video here: