Band: Little Atlas

CD Title: “Hollow”

Label: 10T Records

Release Date: 2007

Around our house there are some highly anticipated progressive rock releases; Little Atlas falls into that category. Their new release Hollow is a collection of songs that feature first-person studies into human character traits. If you still haven’t heard of Little Atlas here’s what you need to know. This four-piece formed back in 1997 in Miami, Florida. Group members include Steve Katsikas (vocals, keyboards, sax), Rik Bigai (bass), Diego Pocovi (drums) and Roy Strattman (guitars). Sound wise Little Atlas incorporates elements of traditional symphonic rock mixed into a modern stylistic approach.

Hollow is the band’s fourth release and picks up where their last Wanderlust left off. Little Atlas is a band with polished symphonic prog chops. Where this really shows up is in their complex arrangements. Musically the sound here is symphonic prog that is in the same style as bands such as IQ, Spock’s Beard or perhaps Echolyn but the sound is distinctly their own. This is partly due to Steve Katisikas’s unique vocal sound and singing style and of course the band’s particular compositional approach. Their songs each contain elements of angularity but this is easily balanced out with some wonderfully lush harmonies. As you would expect with a progressive rock band, their compositions whether short (4-5 minutes) or long (7-10 minutes) all feature changing time and tempo. Dynamics as well form an important part of their sound-style. Songs will start off at one one-level with a solo performance before everyone else joins in just in time to change the song’s direction. These intricately played parts flow seamlessly in and out of the music creating an ever changing pallet of melodies. Throughout the CD’s 10 tracks each of the songs rocks along in some tricky time signatures only to have some wonderfully lush keyboard crescendos inserted for dramatic effect. This is perhaps best exemplified with track 3 “Paranoiac” (5:47). I love it.

I’d have to say thatLittle Atlas is a band that’s going from strength to strength. This new release, Hollow doesn’t have a weak track on it. Each of the songs contains something different in terms of their compositional style and delivers something new to the listener. Easily their best yet. Fans of symphonic progressive rock take note, the sound produced here is bold, new and yet pleasingly familiar. Fans ofLittle Atlas will of course like everything about this release, but if you’ve been holding out, wait no more.