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Sky Architect: A Billion Years of Solitude
Sky Architect A Billion Years of Solitude CD Album Review

Sky Architect: A Billion Years of Solitude

Progressive Rock/Metal
5.0/5.0

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Galileo Records / Gonzo Multimedia
by Craig Hartranft,  01.02.2014

Turning their eyes to the sky or, better, beyond the sky to outer space, Netherlands' Sky Architect returns with their third project, A Billion Years of Solitude. As with past achievements, the album is another grand and expansive adventure into progressive rock, with the band packing more ideas and musical twists into each song than you can fit teenagers into a VW beetle.

Sky Architect A Billion Years of Solitude Band Photo

Sky Architect: jammin' live.

Space and old sci-fi movies create the context for Architect's musical vision. You get this in the first minutes of the album's opus The Curious One, with the synths, and possibly other devices, offering the wispy ethereal sounds accompanying a Fifties sci-fi B-movie. Few bands, prog or not, can begin an album with an 18 minute tour-de-force captivating and entertaining music. Transatlantic comes to mind, as does Sky Architect. While the obvious space rock opening movement might remind of a modern Hawkwind, the song quickly develops into classic melodic prog rock, from past and presence, from King Crimson to Porcupine Tree.

You get more of the space rock vibe later with Elegy of a Solitary Giant, but it's much downplayed for the Architects' merger of prog with jazz fusion (also evident in The Curious One). Alternatively, Tides and the instrumental Jim's Ride to Hell arrive with a heavier theme fortifying the prog. In the latter song, apparently the ride to Hell is both quick and bumpy, as the texture of the song moves from speedy to a rumbly bounce. Perhaps Jim is digging in his heels hoping to stop the caravan to Hades. Finally, Traveller's Last Candle finds Sky Architect leaving the space/sci-fi theme to the lyrics and pursuing lighter melodic prog rock at the start, then more prog metal at the end, with one of the sharpest guitar leads on the entire album.

As with past Sky Architect albums, progressive music fans will not be disappointed. A Billion Years of Solitude gives you all the creativity, intrigue, and twists that you would expect from this talented band.


Sky Architect - Tides [Official Music Video]





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In Short

As with past Sky Architect albums, progressive music fans will not be disappointed. A Billion Years of Solitude gives you all the creativity, intrigue, and twists that you would expect from this talented band.

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