Detailed Review [Clepsydra - 2014 - "3654 Days"]

Prolusion. The Swiss band CLEPSYDRA (not to be confused with the British or the Italian band of the same name, both of which appeared in 2000s) was formed in 1989, and with the release of their debut album "Hologram" they quickly rose to prominence in the early ‘90s becoming quite the popular feature in the European prog scene, often described as the Swiss version of Marillion. The band folded in 2003, but following a decade long hiatus they returned in 2013. One year later they marked their return as an active band by releasing the limited run box set "3654 Days", featuring remastered versions of all their four studio albums from their initial phase of activity, with bonus tracks, and a booklet, chronicling the history of the band. The set was released through the Swiss label Galileo Records. From what I understand, the CDs in this box set have also been made available as individual releases. For the record, I will have to add that I had a minor role in the production of that box set, and while my role as a reviewer is to be as unbiased as possible, a personal involvement in such a production merits mentioning, due to the possibility of bias.

Disc I: “Hologram” (75:40)

TRACK LIST: 

1.  Sunrise 1:20
2.  New Day 1 5:16
3.  4107 5:16
4.  Fleeting Moment 3:18
5.  Fading Clouds of Time 3:54
6.  Poem for a Rainy Day 2:15
7.  New Day 2 6:16
8.  Sandflow 3:22
9.  For Her Eyes 5:11
10. Steve and Jane 5:24
11. New Day 3 2:05
12. Hologram 7:47
13. Sunset 1:21
14. No Place for Flowers Raw Mix 7:04 (b/t)
15. Into My Cartoon Demo 3:22 (b/t)
16. For Her Eyes Edit 3:47 (b/t)
17. The Nineteenth Hole Live 8:42 (b/t)

LINEUP:

Aluisio Maggini – vocals 
Philip Hubert – keyboards 
Gabriele Hofmann – guitars 
Andy Thommen – bass 
Pietro Duca – drums 
With:
Marco Cerulli – guitars; saxophone
Marco Zappa – guitars

Analysis. It's easy to understand why Clepsydra was compared to Marillion when this album was released back in 1991. They have a style more comparable than similar, as I experience the band, with a similar foundation of gentle guitar details combined with atmospheric use of keyboards, both in delicate sequences and in more majestic movements. In terms of specific style I'd say that Clepsydra probably lies somewhere in between the Fish-era Marillion and early Pendragon, two bands-staples of the so called neo progressive sound, but with some subtle differences between them. I find Clepsydra to come across as a band that shares traits with both of them. The songs here range from delicate, soft, ballad-oriented affairs of the kind that those with a deep interest in challenging progressive rock will always shy away from to more vibrant and harder edged affairs that often will be found appealing among most progressive rock fans, and either extreme are well within the confines of being melodic, compelling material that will have a broad general appeal, most likely outside of progressive rock circles too. The keyboard talent of Hubert is a strong selling point, equally adept at providing tender stand alone piano motifs, as he is on crafting rich, layered keyboard arrangements of the kind that makes it obvious that neo progressive rock has a strong and distinct affliction to classic symphonic art-rock (or classic symphonic prog, if you wish). Personally I found that all the key elements are combined best on third track 4107, where a vibrant, edgy bass line added a nice tension and depth to the proceedings, and when the band hits an occasional hard-edged stride of the kind that gave me associations to a more developed variety of early ‘80s AOR-meets-hard rock, like in some key sequences on Fading Clouds of Time. I also generally found the end result to be just a touch more interesting overall. Not due to these sections alone, but because they added a distinct contrast to the more atmospheric, keyboards dominated sequences that in sum gave the composition as a whole a bit more bite and tension. Mix and production don't quite manage to emphasize the strengths of the band at this point, in my opinion, and this is an element that, first and foremost, affects the lead vocals of Aluisio Maggini. He has a very fine, but somewhat untrained voice at this time, and his delivery is an accented one and with (as I have seen described elsewhere too) a rather distinct and personal manner in which the words of the English language are phrased and pronounced. The mix and production tend to highlight his voice to such an extent that these relatively minor aspects are highlighted, presumably, the thought was that his vocals should carry many of the songs due to the – at times – extensive vocals based sequences. This aspect of this production will limit the potential crowd somewhat, perhaps first and foremost amongst those who, like me, are very particular about vocal performances. This is a well made debut album though, and one that should hit right home with many of the people that are thrilled about bands like Marillion and Pendragon, and perhaps those who will claim their allegiance to the Fish-era Marillion first and foremost. The bonus tracks are a bit so and, so for me, the raw mix of No Place for Flowers the most interesting of the lot, as far as I'm concerned, while Into the Cartoon comes across as a promising song not quite fully developed yet. Still all four of them appear to be creations that will please long time fans to a much greater extent than casual fans or those not already familiar with them.

Disc II: ”More Grains of Sand” (75:25)

TRACK LIST: 

1.  The First Grain 0:45
2.  Moonshine on Heights 7:12
3.  Birthday Party 7:16
4.  Eagles 5:54
5.  Hold Me Tight 3:17
6.  No Place For Flowers 8:04
7.  The Outermost Bounds 2:53
8.  Fly Man 4:09
9.  The River In Your Eyes 8:45
10. Grain Dance 2:04
11. The Prisoner's Victory 7:15
12. Vienna 4:39
13. The Last Grain 3:28
14. The Missing Spark Live 9:44 (b/t)

LINEUP:

Aluisio Maggini – vocals 
Philip Hubert – keyboards 
Gabriele Hofmann – guitars 
Andy Thommen – bass 
Pietro Duca – drums 
With:
Marco Cerulli – guitars 
Nick Barret (of Pendragon) – vocals

Analysis. Three years had gone by from Clepsydra's debut album "Hologram" had been released until the follow-up "More Grains of Sand" appeared. The unexpected, almost runaway success of their first album obviously had resulted in some changes for the recording of this follow-up, and perhaps the most noticeable one is that the mix and production have improved. The arrangements are smoother, the sounds generally softer, and a lot of work has gone into creating a more appealing sound in general. Not to the point of packing the songs into cotton candy, this isn't an overproduced album, but the somewhat harsh edges present first time around don't show up on this occasion, and the instrumentation has been given slightly more of an emphasis. Most listeners will notice the change in the way the voice of Aluisio Maggini comes across. It's crystal clear that he has better voice control when this album was recorded, where his vocals appeared somewhat untrained on their debut album he controls his voice better here, and appears to either have improved his range or found the courage to expand his vocal repertoire, and what others have described as his idiosyncratic vocal style isn't quite as particular either, which may partially be an end user experience due to his marked accent from three years back, now appearing to have subsided somewhat. But the manner in which his vocals have been placed in the mix also favors his vocal capabilities to a much greater extent than on the band's debut album, and due to that alone this is a production that will have a broader general appeal. As far as the music itself is concerned, Clepsydra appears to hone in on the heartland of neo-progressive rock as explored by Marillion this time around. There aren't any drastic differences between their debut album and this one, perhaps apart from the few AOR-tinged hard rock details, occasionally featuring on their debut album, now gone completely, but other than that this album plays out in a fairly similar manner. Most songs alternate between sparse, frail sequences and richer, layered arrangements with plenty of space for sophisticated keyboard motifs, supported by gentler guitar motifs, toned down darker riffs or atmospheric, melancholic guitar soloing comparable to Steve Rothery's exploits, the latter of these a dominant feature throughout in instrumental as well as vocal passages. Some of the songs might have been placed on Marillion's classic "Misplaced Childhood" without feeling out of place as far as structure, overall sound and atmosphere is concerned, and many others are if not just that similar at least comparable with Marillion's material from that era. Personally I found Birthday Party to be the most intriguing song on this CD, closely followed by Eagles. I understand that Moonshine on Heights and Fly Man are some of the fan favorites on this CD, but I'm afraid that both of these songs were among the ones I found to be least inspiring on this production for some reason. Which only proves, I guess, that tastes differ. There was only room for one bonus track on this CD, a close to 10 minute long live rendition of the song The Missing Spark, a competent, good quality live recording, perhaps not material that will be found all that inspiring by those who aren't already fans of this band, but a very nice and good quality addition in the fan service department it most certainly is. All in all, this is an accomplished, well made and well produced album of neo-progressive rock, in a mood, spirit and sound that make it unavoidable to compare to Fish-era Marillion in general and the album "Misplaced Childhood" in particular. Again, an album more comparable than strictly similar, a few exceptions aside, at least for those with a long time fascination for this subset of progressive rock. Those less accustomed to this particular expression might well find them to be much more similar than I experience them to be, of course.

Disc III: ”Fears” (75:06)

TRACK LIST: 

1.  Soaked 9:02
2.  The Missing Spark 9:03
3.  Into My Cartoon 4:08
4.  The Age of Glass 5:53
5.  Fearless 3:59
6.  Daisies in the Sunshine 2:31
7.  The Cloister 5:46
8.  The Nineteenth Hole 8:45
9.  Sweet Smelling Wood 2:46
10. Fear 10:55
11. New Day-1 Demo 6:11 (b/t)
12. Sandflow Live 3:13 (b/t)
13. The Outermost Bounds Raw Mix 2:54 (b/t)

LINEUP:

Aluisio Maggini – vocals 
Philip Hubert – keyboards 
Marco Cerulli – guitars; sax
Andy Thommen – bass 
Pietro Duca – drums 
With:
Gabriele Hofmann – guitars

Analysis. Three years after Clepsydra's second album comes their third studio outing "Fears" in 1997. This time with a line-up alteration too, as original guitarist Hofmann had left the band, replaced by young guitarist Marco Cerulli. A change that also affected the sound of the band. It's not that Clepsydra left behind their brand of Marillion-tinged neo progressive rock at this point though. Their compositions still revolve around the same elements and with a similar general sound, this is a band that appears to be rather consistent in the landscapes they explore. Gentle passages with frail guitars or keyboards, supporting the lead vocals. with edgier, majestic excursions featuring dark toned guitars, and elegant keyboards are still a staple, atmospheric sequence where keyboardist Hubert can use gentle layered keyboard textures to produce rich yet smooth and careful tapestries still as common, and the melodic, haunting guitar soloing following fairly close to the Steve Rothery kind are still to be found aplenty. But the band sounds tighter and more vibrant, perhaps with more of a Pendragon-tinged sound this time around, and occasionally also dipping into an organ and guitars combination that might orient itself a bit closer to Pink Floydian landscapes. The alterations are subtle, however, and you will probably have to have an in depth knowledge about the band's music to be able to notice them to any greater extent. To go into details a bit, my impression is that new guitarist Cerulli is a more versatile performer, and that his delivery is more elegant as well. The gentler passages are warmer, the guitar notes softer, and also a bit more playful, staying a bit more under the radar, less audible, but also providing some subtle details even when having a supporting role in the proceedings. Much the same can be said about the guitar solos: greater versatility, a less dominant overall style, and generally a smoother, softer touch that compliments the keyboard textures better, removing a bit of bite perhaps, but, in return, strengthening the harmonies and crafting a richer, more in-depth sound. The darker toned guitar riffs provided also appear to be beefier, adding more punch than on previous albums. Again I'll stress that these are fairly subtle alterations, the differences aren't in any way dramatic in nature. A subtle improvement. The lead vocals of Aluisio Maggini keep improving too, even less accented and less idiosyncratic than on the previous album, the strengths of his voice are more and more coming to their right without having notable peculiarities, drawing attention away from what a strong vocalist he truly is. At this point I'd say he's in just about full bloom as a lead vocalist, the few remaining aspects of accent and pronunciation not quite up to the standards of RP more of a charming details than anything else. I also note that mix and production appear to have been given a subtle upgrade in quality as well, in sum making this the so far most impressive of Clepsydra's studio productions. As with the other CDs in this box set, the bonus tracks appear mainly to be a fan service addition. None of them really bring anything new to the table, the most interesting this time around the alternative raw mix of The Outermost Bounds, as softly elegant here as on the band's second album "More Grains of Sand".

Disc IV: ”Alone” (74:40)

TRACK LIST: 

1. Tuesday Night 13:13
2. Travel of Dream 10:52
3. The Return 7:10
4. The Father 7:30
5. Alone 6:00
6. The Nest 6:58
7. God or Beggar 5:44
8. End of Tuesday 4:58
9. Old Dream 1993 6:30 (b/t)
10. Eagles Raw Mix 5:45 (b/t)

LINEUP:

Aluisio Maggini – vocals 
Philip Hubert – keyboards 
Marco Cerulli – guitars; keyboards
Nicola De Vita – bass 
Pietro Duca – drums 
With:
Andy Thommen – bass 
Gabriele Hofmann – guitars

Analysis. "Alone" is the fourth and last studio album Clepsydra released before they went into an elongated phase of hiatus. Bassist Thommen had left the band prior to the recording of this album, replaced by Nicola De Vita, and following the release of this CD there was a brief moment of another line-up alteration that was actually announced, but as the band basically vanished out of sight shortly after, I don't think that this next line-up ever was active. Just why the band more or less just silently vanished is a story that remains relatively undescribed, but whatever reasons that may have caused this to happen, the quality of their swansong album certainly isn't to blame. Clepsydra comes across as a highly consistent band on all fronts throughout the band's history, as well as on this album. Neo progressive rock of a kind comparable with more than actual similar to bands like Marillion and Pendragon is the name of the game again, and the band has developed an effective approach in songwriting where they alternate between gentler keyboards or guitar-driven sequences, more vibrant riff and keyboard arrangements, flowing – and often richly layered – guitar solo and keyboard arrangements, as well as occasional intermissions of a more down-key, atmospheric nature. Their songs flow between these different modes, sometimes using all of them and at other times mainly alternating between some, elegantly transitioning from one to the other and back, maintaining tension quite nicely throughout, adding tension mainly by creating haunting, emotionally-laden instrument arrangements. All four Clepsydra albums have some subtle changes in sound from one album to the next, and "Alone" follows that pattern as well. On this occasion, it appears that the vocals have been lifted slightly higher in the mix, providing more room for the voice of Aluisio Maggini to soar, while the keyboards have, perhaps, a slightly more subservient role, at least in the vocal sequences. I further got the impression that this album is somewhat darker in general mood, with many keyboard arrangements less jubilant and more melancholic in general, as well as more frequent use of darker textures by both keyboards and guitar. Again not a dramatic alteration, but a subtle change in sound and mood that gives this production a bit more of a singular identity, even if exploring rather similar territories to the three that came before it. Other than that I note that this is arguably the most consistent of the Clepsydra albums, all compositions coming across as fairly even in quality for me as an end user. The bonus tracks include a non-album song, Old Dream, and an alternate take on the track Eagles from "More Grains of Sand". Both of them are competent, the latter one the most intriguing of the pair, but both comes across as typical fan-service additions rather than material that will interest newcomers to the band or casual listeners.

Conclusion. Clepsydra's first phase of existence has been covered in full with the release of the box set "3654 Days". Just about all known history of the band has been collected in a booklet, and all four studio albums are a part of the package, remastered, and with bonus tracks, filling up just about what remains of free space on these CDs. The box set as such comes across as a product made for fans of the band, old and new alike, a product that gives them everything they want to know and hear about the band's first period of existence, presented in a stylish, well made package. With some splendid artwork as a part of what you pay extra for, if you go for the box set rather than the individual albums. For those not familiar with this band, I'd recommend fans of bands like Marillion and Pendragon to try out Clepsydra for size, and then to start with the albums "Fears" and "Alone".

OMB=Olav M Bjornsen: July 1, 2, 3 & 4, 2014
The Rating Room

Related Links:

Galileo Records
Clepsydra