Detailed Review [ Z-Axis - 2000 - (Music From) "Reality Check" ]

All music composed by AWG* for the multi-media performance event "Reality Check". Produced and engineered by AWG*. Recorded (exclusively on an Apple Macintosh PC) at "AG Media" studios.

Line-up: Mark Baker - guitars; Jeff Tyson - bass, percussion; Phillip Hart - acoustic and electronic percussion; Allen Welty-Green* - keyboards, percussion & programming

The Album. Z-Axis CD contains 9 pure instrumental tracks. Despite the booklet of "Reality Check" CD presents the band's music as post-progressive, ambient, etc at least stylistically this is quite a traditional blend of real Progressive Rock with those slightly amorphous structures we used to call, as a matter of fact, ambient. Not too complex, all the 9 compositions are, however, sound quite interestingly, and most of the 'common' arrangements, performed with participation of all the 4 band-members, have a distinct 'progressive' feel. As happens quite often, the longest compositions Entropy & Alchemy (suite in three parts) and In the Country of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is King are the best tracks here. Looking at such a tasty, "wise" title of the latter, I can imagine how interestingly that composition could be sounding if it would had a proper lyrics. Despite all the aforementioned details regarding the album's compositional and playing sides seems to be winning, the performance as the whole has quite a cold and dry sounding, as if detached of some live opera or something like this. This is the weakest link of the "Reality Check" album, which, on the whole, has quite an original and diverse instrumental palette.