TRACK LIST:
1. Time 0:49
2. Still There 6:07
3. Loneliness 5:13
4. The Seed Has Been Sown 7:52
5. Stop for a While 5:54
6. In the Middle of the Forest 6:50
7. Programmed Fear 5:24
8. What Will Be Next 10:41
LINE UP :
Beata Lagoda - keyboards, vocals
Jakub Roszak - vocals
Maciej Klimek - guitars
Lukasz Marszalek - bass
Robert Kusik - drums
Prolusion.
Polish band Retrospective have a history that goes all the way back to 2005, and from 2008 and onwards the band have been releasing material at a fairly steady pace. At the point of writing they have five full length studio productions to their name, with the most recent entry dating back to 2022. The album "Latent Avidity" is their fourth studio production, and was released through the label Progressive Promotion Records in 2019.
Analysis.
The 2019 incarnation of this band is one that explores a more approachable variety of progressive rock. Just where to place them in a specific progressive rock context will probably be a subject of personal opinion, for my sake I think that this album defies a more regular convention but exists inside the spectrum of broadly appealing progressive rock with a firm inclusion of more mainstream rock music elements.
That the band have opted to open the album with an atmospheric piece called 'Time' that also features the sound of clocks comes across as a nod in the direction of Pink Floyd. Which may or may not be accidental, but as one of the common denominators throughout are passages and sequences that to my ears also feature noticeable elements that can be traced back to Gilmour-era Pink Floyd my perception is that this is very much a planned feature. A tiny, little homage if you like.
A bit more indicative of the contents of this production are a liberal amount of parts with a more delicate and melodic mood and mode however, and combined with the careful and emotional lead vocals those elements bring a band like Sylvan to mind. That majestic surges and tighter, harder and more vibrant parts with dominant guitar riffs present and a borderline progressive metal touch to them is another regular feature that strengthens that association. In this case the similarity may be a more accidental one, as Sylvan isn't a band that have had that much of a major impact in the world of progressive rock, but for those that are aware of that band I'd say that Retrospective pulls in similar elements from that band's initial as well as their later stages. Or in more plain words: We get neo-progressive rock with nods towards progressive metal as well as a style closer aligned to melodic rock but with solid neo-progressive rock tendencies. I also note that we get some arrangements that one might argue have a bit more of an Eloy feel to them, which in my book at least is a positive feature.
The mix and production of this album is one that to my ears sounds quite a bit above average. The overall sound, mood and atmosphere is one that is generally appealing and compelling, and the mix and production contribute to and emphasize those aspects.
Conclusion.
Looking at my rating history, I can see that I have generally enjoyed the previous album sof Retrospective that have come my way, just as I found this album to be an enjoyable one too. The majority of the material here is compelling in nature and with a solid appeal. Those with a taste for the more broadly appealing varieties of progressive rock should feel well at home with the material presented to us here, with melodic rock, neo-progressive rock and progressive metal representing the corners of the triangle this album exists inside of.
Progmessor: January 2023
The Rating Room
