Detailed Reviews [The D Project - 2018 - "Find Your Sun"]

Prolusion. Canadian band THE D PROJECT have been around since 2006, and was formed by Stephane Desbiens just prior to his former band Sense appeared to call it quits. Five studio albums have appeared since then, and the most recent of these appeared in 2018. The album is called "Find Your Sun" and was released via Ozeta Productions.

Analysis. I see that The D Project by and large is considered to be a neo progressive band, and while that is a component that can be found here, my impression is that at least as far as this 2018 album is concerned that the band have ventured into rather more eclectic territories. That being said, coming to grips with the music and material presented to us is somewhat challenging. To begin with, the songs are mainly structured in an ebb and flow kind of way, mainly opening careful and delicate, and then twisting and turning through multiple maneuvers and styles at that, erupting in intense or majestic explosions and then subsiding again. Themes and arrangements are commonly revisited, thankfully, as the average listener probably would be a tad lost otherwise. In addition, the multiple styles and approaches is a case for themselves. From delicate and almost pastoral passages to harder edged, metal oriented ventures combining solid guitar riffs with both saxophone and violin, and on to a song where the running red thread is a booming, funky bass-line. Careful Mellotron layers live side by side with orchestration details of a more dramatic nature, while a blues-laden guitar solo may suddenly erupt into a neo-classical oriented escapade for a bit. A lot is going on within each and every song, and while fans of neo progressive rock will get their gentler passages, floating keyboards and crying guitar solo details, these don't make out all that much of the greater totality. In fact, one of the challenges with this album is that nothing really is in the driver seat. Kind of schizophrenic, but in a good way. Despite the descriptions given, this is a compelling experience. A good mix and production highlights the qualities of the band quite nicely, and while a lot is going on most listeners won't fall of the track when giving this album a spin. The greater majority of the movements are compelling in their own right, and are tied together in an elegant and logical manner that makes the numerous alterations mainly a problem for someone trying to describe the music for others. A compelling listen, but also a demanding and challenging one, but also an album that balance on the right side of the knife edge as far as the latter is concerned.

Conclusion. The D Project as of 2018 comes across as a creative and innovative band. The music on "Find Your Sun" contains enough details, changes and alterations to feel fresh and new for an extended period of listening time. The core audience for such an album would most likely be those with a special interest in bands that have an eclectic approach to progressive rock, and who don't mind that subgenres as neo progressive rock and progressive metal are among the elements used in a rather well flavored stew.

Progmessor: June 28th 2019
The Rating Room