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Sylvan: Home
Sylvan - Home CD Album Review

Sylvan: Home

Melodic Progressive Rock
4.5/5.0

Coming to a new Sylvan album can often be a challenging and daunting task. The German band takes seriously their brand of melodic progressive rock, putting much thought, creativity, and complexity into their music. They continue to do so with their eighth studio album, Home. So necessarily, sit back and take some time to sink your teeth into this one.

Sylvan Photo

Sylvan

Home finds the band revisiting the concept album, much akin to their earlier Posthumous Silence. The idea hovers about man's distinct quest for respite and refuge that only "home" can provide. It's told through a female protagonist wandering and navigating this world to find her own home. Much like 2009's Force Of Gravity Sylvan uses twists of their creative muscle to create of a web of sound and emotions. There's moments of enormous melancholy, nearly grave and soul bleeding as with With The Eyes of a Child or Not Far From The Sky. Much of this feeling comes from somber orchestration, gentle piano, and Marco Glühmann emotional voice.

It's interesting then that this album largely continues this musical theme. Yet there are heavier moments, and moments they are, not necessarily sweeping up an entire song. The Sound of Her World has sharp riffs at the start and a crescendo after the mid-point. But these are surrounded once more by those larger more sober parts. Shine is another study in contrasts. The first gentle, the latter half more lively, lightly intense. And so it goes for In Between, Point of No Return, and All These Years. It seems Sylvan has more moods and moodiness than regular Valium user. But like a well written novel, their plot promises are ultimately fulfilled in last song, the title cut, where symphony and warmth, epic and soaring guitar brings our hero finally home. Basically, Home is Sylvan at their creative and intriguing best, another special and entertaining accomplishment. Easily recommended.

Sylvan - Shine


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In Short

Basically, Home is Sylvan at their creative and intriguing best, another special and entertaining accomplishment. Easily recommended.

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