Detailed Review [Hermetic Science - Overall View]

1997 - "Ed Macan's Hermetic Science"
(52 min, 'Magnetic Oblivion')

Tracklist:

1. Esau's Burden 5:12

2. Five Over Thule 9:26

3. The Sungazer 11:09:

a) Refractions (2:54)

b) The Cathedral of Trees (5:42)

c) Into the Light 2:33

4. Cheetah 3:51

5. Infinite Space 3:47

6. Fanfare 4:05

7. Trisagion 8:12

8. Mars - the Bringer of War 6:51



All tracks: by Ed Macan,

except 4 (by D. Way of Curved Air),

5 (by K. Emerson & C. Palmer of ELP),

and 8 (by Gustav Holst).

Arranged by Ed Macan & Hermetic Science.



Line-up:



Ed Macan - vibraphone, marimba,

           & various tuned percussion; piano

Donald Sweeney - bass guitar (on tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, & 8)

Michael Morris - drums & percussion (on 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, & 8)

Joe Nagy - drums & percussion (on 1 & 6)

Andy Durham - bass guitar (on 1 & 6)



Produced by Ed Macan.

Recorded & mixed by Xeff Scolian

at "Ozone" studio, Eureka, CA.

Mastered by Timothy Gray

at "Big Bang" studio, Loleta, CA.

Prologue. The US Progressive Rock band Hermetic Science is the brainchild of the talented musician and composer, Ed Macan. He is also known for his book "Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture", which is the most authoritative study of the Progressive Rock movement during its 'golden age' (1970 to 1975). Until now, I was not acquainted with the creation of Hermetic Science. (Which, though, doesn't mean that I am not acquainted with some regulations of the hermetic science itself. I know that the legacy of Jacques De Mole is still alive, as well as the magic numbers 6, 36, 20, & 120. However, I am more than merely surprised to know that the USA had, nevertheless, also been involved in the Knights Tamplers Scheme of Meetings, and the Hermetic Science World Headquarters is now in Loleta, California.)

The Album. Overall, "Ed Macan's Hermetic Science" is an original album. Only musically (not compositionally!) it reminds me of Gong's "Time Is the Key" (1979/2). As for the other associations that I had while listening to the album, I've also found the slight traces of ELP's influence. Most of them, however, are present in the bass guitar parts. All compositions that are featured on the album, including the interpretations of the pieces by Curved Air, ELP, and Gustav Holst (tracks 4, 5, & 8), were created within the framework of a unified stylistics. (The latter of them, though, have been used not only by the same ELP, but also by a few of the other bands as well.) In that way, the features that are typical for each of the separate tracks are also typical for the album as a whole. Here is kind of a brief structurally performing characteristic of the debut Hermetic Science album. The arrangements are filled with the tasteful and virtuosi solos of vibraphone, marimba, piano, and bass guitar, diverse and, often, contrasting interplay between these instruments, the frequent changes of tempo and mood, complex time signatures, etc. And all of this is accompanied by truly masterful drumming. However, most of the compositions on the album also contain the episodes that were performed without the rhythm section. While the joint performance of all three of the band members is mostly mid-tempo and fast, the episodes that were played only by Ed are for the most part slow and mellow (of course, there also are the overdubs of his own solos in these episodes). Also, while Ed's passages and solos in the quiet parts are almost always symphonic, in most of the joint arrangements on the album, the jazzy-like solos appear as often as the symphonic ones. (Though I think that all of the improvisations on the album were, in fact, thoroughly composed.) The parts of vibes are featured on all of tracks on the album, and four of them, namely Esau's Burden, Five Over Thule, Fanfare, and Trisagion (tracks 1, 2, 6, & 7), contain only the parts of vibraphones, bass, and drums. In my view, the first two of them were performed live in a studio. Thanks to the use of marimba and piano, along with vibraphones, on The Sungaizer, Cheetah, Infinite Space, and Mars - the Bringer of War (3, 4, 5, & 8), and overdubs on Fanfare and Trisagion, all of these tracks sound richer then Esau's Burden and Five Over Thule. Which, though, doesn't diminish the overall value of both of the first tracks on the album. It's because they, in their turn, are rich in unusual time signatures. Finally, although I immediately recognized all three of the interpretations on the album, I find them the most original cover versions I've ever heard (notice that I didn't say, "best", though). In all, "Ed Macan's Hermetic Science" is in many ways a refreshing album. Most lovers of Classic Art-Rock and Progressive Jazz-Fusion should be pleased by its contents.

1999 - "Prophecies"
(71 min, 'Magnetic Oblivion')

Tracklist:

1. Jacob's Ladder 6:46

2. Intrigue In the House of Panorama 4:19

Prophecies: (tracks 3 to 8 - 41:09)

3. Barbarians At the Gate 4:37

4. Hope Against Hope 6:56

5. Last Stand 6:31

6. Lament 4:55

7. Leviathan & Behemoth 9:52

8. State of Grace 8:17

9. Tarkus 18:48



All tracks: by Ed Macan,

except 1 (by G. Lee, A. Lifeson, & N. Peart of Rush)

& 4 (by K. Emerson & G. Lake of ELP).

Arranged by Ed Macan & Hermetic Science,

except track 4: by Ed Macan.



Line-up:

Ed Macan - vibraphone & marimba; keyboards

           & grand piano; soprano recorder 

Matt McClimon - drums & percussion

Nate Perry - bass guitar (on tracks 1 & 2)

Andy Durham - bass guitar (on 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8)



Produced by Ed Macan.

Recorded, mixed, & mastered

by Timothy Gray at "Big Bang" studios, Loleta, CA.

The Album. Despite the fact that, stylistically, the second Hermetic Science album is not as integral as its predecessor, it is, in my view, more interesting an album than the debut. Both of the interpretations (I won't have the heart to name them just covers) of the famous compositions by Rush (from their "Permanent Waves" album of 1980) and ELP (from "Tarkus", 1971/1) sound very original. The solos of vibraphone play a prominent role in the arrangements of the first of them, which was performed by the band. The second one features only Ed, who plays on the Grand piano. All seven of the remaining tracks on the album last about 45 minutes, which is quite enough for a real full-length album. While both stylistically and structurally, Intrigue In the House of Panorama (track 2) is not unlike those original pieces from the band's debut album (see the previous review), most of the tracks that form the epic piece Prophecies are real masterworks. All of these compositions are filled with a wide variety of progressive hallmarks (for examples, see the previous review). However, each of them is different than the others by various stylistic and performing parameters. Apart from Hermetic Science's typical interplay between solos of vibraphone, marimba, and bass, the arrangements of Barbarians At the Gate and Hope Against Hope (tracks 3 & 4) are also marked with the joint, powerful and heavy "attacks" of fuzzed bass guitar riffs, aggressive solos of vibraphone, and thunderous drumming. In addition, Hope Against Hope contains a short episode with beautiful symphonic passages of ARP (string ensemble) and soprano recorder. Structurally, Last Stand (tracks 5) is in many ways similar to the previous composition. The arrangements, however, consist mostly of interplay between solos of marimba and bass guitar, while the ARP synthesizer, which is rich in sounds of string instruments, was used here just once. The wonderful symphonic passages of Grand piano play a prominent role throughout Lament (track 6). Both of the remaining tracks, Leviathan & Behemoth and State of Grace (tracks 7 & 8), are the real gems of Classic Progressive and the best compositions on the album as well. These two are as rich in sound as those pieces that have been performed by a quartet or quintet. Their eclectic arrangements consist of seemingly endless interplay between solos of Hammond organ, soprano recorder, vibraphone, marimba, and bass guitar, and passages of Grand piano and ARP synthesizer. Both Leviathan & Behemoth and State of Grace are just filled with all of the following progressive hallmarks. The simultaneous passages in fourth or fifth, very contrasting solos (those that cross each other being performed in different tempos), sudden changes of tone and mood, the complex "stop-to-play" movements, unusual odd meters, etc. And all of this is raised to the power of a distinct originality. However, it must be said that this album is free from any detectable influences as a whole. I highly recommend "Prophecies" to all those into both of the Classic Symphonic Art-Rock and Progressive Jazz-Fusion genres.

2001 - "En Route"
(52 min, 'Magnetic Oblivion')

Tracklist:

1. Mars - the Bringer of War: Doomsday Version 7:15

En Route: A Suite (44:32)

2. Against the Grain-1 6:39

3. Against the Grain-2 5:31

4. Against the Grain-3 4:57

5. Against the Grain-4 3:38

6. La-Bas 7:58

7. Raga Hermeticum 9:00

8. En Route 6:45



All compositions: by Ed Macan,

except 1 (by G. Holst),

2 & 4 (by Macan & Hooper).

Arrangements: by Hermetic Science.



Line-up:



Ed Macan - keyboard percussion;

           piano, analog & digital keyboards;

           (+ recorders; lyre - on track 7) 

Jason Hooper - bass & electric guitars

               (+ sitar - on 7; piano - on 2) 

Matt McClimon - drums & percussion

                (on tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5)

Joe Nagy - drums & percussion

           (on 6, 7, & 8: the band's original drummer is back)



Produced by Ed Macan.

Recorded, mixed, & mastered by Mark Mayo

at "Big Bang" studios, Loleta, CA.

The Album. I have mixed feelings regarding the latest album by Hermetic Science. On the one hand, "En Route" is definitely their best effort. On the other hand, it features three tracks that I find the worst compositions ever created by the band. To be honest, I don't love any cover versions in general. For me, it is always better to listen to the original instead of its interpretation. I am becoming especially surprised when I see that the band include covers in every album they release. As for a seemingly ubiquitous Mars by Holst, I'm already tired of hearing it. The version of Doomsday, which is featured on this album, sounds terrible in comparison with that one which was included in the debut Hermetic Science album. There is nothing doom-y or gloomy on the album's opening track. However, most of the keyboard parts there sound, for some strange reason, very rusty: not unlike if it were played through a distortion pedal. Against the Grain-4 (track 5) is just an open paraphrase of a few of the early compositions by ELP. As well as La-Bas (track 6) is nothing else but a paraphrase of ELP's paraphrase of one of the pieces taken from the piano cycle "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Modest Mussorgsky. Well, it's time to tell you of the positive aspects of "En Route". While the first three parts of Against the Grain (tracks 2, 3, & 4) are just merely masterpieces, Raga Hermeticum and En Route are real progressive killers. I think that the first of them, which is filled with the wonderful Eastern colors, was at least partially composed by a 5-tone scale, which is typical for Chinese, Indian, etc Classical Music. The title track of the album represents a unique blend of Classic Symphonic Progressive and Classical (i.e. not Avant-garde with its 12-tone scale) Academic Music, the roots of which are in European Classical Music of the XVII Century. It seems to me that I can endlessly listen to both of these last tracks on the album. Oh, five out of eight. The presence of the five best and three worst compositions by the band on the same album makes me really crazy. It's because of this album reminds me of a crazy quilt. Taking into account that the map of (crazy) Earth reminds of a crazy quilt as well (and most of all), I'll be just excluding those bad compositions when programming my CD player. This way, I'll be listening to a 33-minute album (like those by Gentle Giant, Jade Warrior, et al.), which is a true masterpiece from the first to the last note. However, unlike both of the band's previous albums, I can recommend it only to the connoisseurs of Symphonic Progressive. There are not that many of the elements of Jazz-Fusion on "En Route".

Summary. It is clear to me that each new album by Hermetic Science is on the whole better than the previous one. However, although the band's best compositions are featured on their latest album "En Route" (and despite the fact that I rated it with all six of the stars I have), there are the signs of dangerous tendencies on it as well. As for the Hermetic Science creation as a whole, it is a rather remarkable event on a contemporary Progressive Rock scene. Ed Macan is a brilliant composer, so I hope that all of the following Hermetic Science albums will contain only original compositions.

VM. April 8, 2002

Related Links:

Hermetic Science web-site: http://www.hermeticscience.com/