Short Reviews [Force Of Progress - 2020 - "A Secret Place"]

Here we have the second album from Force of Progress, formed by members of The Healing Road, Sweety Chicky Jam, Cynity and Marquette. One thing which is fascinating about the album is that all four members play keyboards, three provide programming, three guitars and two bass (just one drummer though). They all bring in four additional guitarists who bring additional elements to one track each, so it is safe to say there is a great deal of music here. There are no vocals as there simply is not any room for them, and there is so much complexity and twists in the music they are never missed. Take for example “The Perfect Element”, a glockenspiel sound (so close to the real thing I was somewhat surprised to see it listed) tracks against the melody providing the absolute perfect counterpoint. Then the next song, “New Reality” is filthy and dirty with more than a hint of Rammstein, and at times has far more in common with straightforward metal than anything else! That is the real joy of this album, the way it moves and bends through many different styles, fusion in its very truest sense. Heavy distorted guitars may have a complex synth line played over the top, or it could drop into piano, while there may be some jazz funk here, prog metal there. It is innovative and playful, always bringing forth a smile as opposed to a frown, and the listener soon finds they are lost in the world of a band who are happy playing complex progressive rock or moving far more into Threshold territory. For those who enjoy their prog on the heavier side this is well worth investigating further.