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The D Project –
The Sagarmatha Dilemma |
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Band/artist: The D Project
Title: The Sagarmatha Dilemma
Label: Zeta Productions
Released: 2008
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Track
listing:
1. Closer To My Soul/Closer To Heaven
2. The Sagarmatha Dilemma
3. The Red Mountain
4. Thin Air
5. Even If I Was Wrong
6. Radio Sherpa
7. I’m Coming Down (I Shall Go Back)
Total Time: 49:03 |
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The Players
Stephane Desbiens (vocal, guitars, keyboards)
– Mathieu Gosselin (bass, Chapman stick, backing vocals) – Jean Gosselin
(drums) - Sandra Poulin (violins) – Alissar (backing vocals) – Francis
Delisle (cello) - Francis Foy (backing vocals) Guests: Stu Nicholson
(vocal on “The Sagarmatha Dilemma”) – Brett Kull (guitar solo on “The
Sagarmatha Dilemma”) – Derek Sherinian (keyboard on “Radio Sherpa”) –
John Green (vocal and keyboards) |
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From the opening seconds of the first song, “Closer To My Soul”, Pink
Floyd really comes to mind as some ominous synths gently flow from your
speakers. Soon after the stabbing guitar starts and you would swear
David Gilmour is making a guest appearance. Soon the emotional voice of
Stephane Desbiens begins, harkening back to Dark Side Of The Moon. If
you check the cd booklet, you will find no mention of Gilmour. What you
will find are a group of very talented musicians including some guests
that are no strangers to the world of progressive music. Although there
are many Floydian type passages this is not a rip-off by any means.
There is plenty of original music for you to sink your teeth into.
Stephane Desbiens is a veteran Canadian musician from Quebec who has
been around for a while. This is a classy progressive album and
Desbien’s guitar playing leads the way. Whether it is stabbing riffs,
fluid runs or acoustic flourishes this man is very talented. While he
can play fast (many people can) he is able to match it with emotion that
only a few can muster. But guitar is not all you get - there are a
variety of instruments including an abundance of keyboards. Violins and
cello help to flesh out the sound, providing an organic quality that is
sometimes missing in progressive music.
The title track starts with mellow guitar, keys and delicate singing.
Excellent guitar riffs abound and some spoken narrative again remind me
of Floyd - A Momentary Lapse Of Reason comes to mind. “The Red Mountain”
starts with poignant keys and melancholy vocals from Desbiens creating a
beautiful beginning. This is the longest song here so there is plenty of
room for the various instruments to shine. While the guitar takes center
stage, the harmonizing background vocals are very good and there are
plenty of keyboard effects to hold the listener’s interest. Cello and
violins also add to the atmosphere making this one of my personal
favourites and a real progressive tour de force.
“Thin Air” starts with a heavy riff strongly reminding me of Zeppelin.
This straight ahead rocker is the heaviest song on the album although
there are some tranquil moments with some nice synths which remind me of
Manfred Mann. The rest of the album is equally as good making this a
consistent effort from start to finish.
Having never heard of this band before, this find was a real surprise
and I am glad I got my hands on it. This is very highly recommended for
fans of melodic progressive rock and a must purchase for fans of Pink
Floyd.
Rating: 8.5 (out of ten)
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Visit the Artist’s
Website
Discography
The Sagarmatha Dilemma (2008)
Shimmering Lights (2006)
(Review also featured on
www.progressiveears.com) |
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