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Rock Company
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 11.09.2019 | Released: 18.09.2019
Have you ever tried a new food or drink, just for the sake of curiosity, only to have it leave a bad taste in your mouth? Perhaps so bad, you didn't want to return to it? Something similar came with my first experience with multi-instrumentalist and composer Peter Cox and his Forest Field project, 2015's Angels?. I practically dismissed the album on the cover art alone, basically some trashy Photoshop anime nonsense. I won't bother insulting your artistic sensibilities by directing you to the artwork. Trust me, it sucked. Otherwise, musically, Cox offered some semblance of melodic and symphonic hard rock with progressive rock nuances.
Apparently, after four years and an album in between, Lonely Desert, Cox has improved on his artwork, like a leap from the gutter to rose garden in your front yard. The art for latest album Seasons is wonderful and aesthetically pleasing.
As for the music within, expect more Coxian melodic, symphonic, sometimes progressive, hard rock, heavily spiced with synths, samples, and energetic guitar work. Cox calls his music "elaborate rock." Okay, then. When it's your music, I guess you can make up your own name for it.
Once more, as with past albums, Cox has recruited Phil Vincent (Tragik, et al), another musical prodigy and kindred spirit, for lead vocals. Vincent, as a traditional rock vocalist, fits Cox's musical style with ease. Additionally, Cox has a guest guitarist in Vince O'Reagan (Pulse, Legion, Bob Catley) who performs on the heavy rocker Into The Lions Den and Trading Places, where he has four, count 'em, four solos.
Otherwise, Seasons is a rather long album, with the aforementioned usual musical suspects well represented. Seasonal themes come with the instrumental Spring Is Coming, Rain In May, Autumn Sky, Storm In November, and the outro On The Edge Of Winter, another instrumental tune. Of all the songs within Seasons I was most pleased with Rain In May, something of a rising ballad that features acoustic guitar accompanied by cello. Love cello.
All said, with Forest Field's Seasons, Peter Cox continues his consistent production of synth and guitar heavy melodic progressive rock. If you liked his previous material, you enjoy this one as well.
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