Band: Project Creation

CD Title: “Dawn on Pyther”

Label: ProgRock Records

Label Website: www.progrockrecords.com

Release Date: 2007

One of the neat things about the progressive rock genre is that there are no idea’s too big to tackle. In many respects just like opera’s were the big stage production of their day, so concept prog albums are the big productions of our day. And just like with operas, the bigger the better in some cases. At least that’s the approach taken by Project Creation and the new release entitled Dawn on Pyther.

Similar in style to their 2005 release The Floating World, Dawn on Pyther picks up the story where the first left off. It’s quite a complex story but suffice to say it involves the repopulation of new worlds with humans and dragonflies with ancient Egyptian influences. There’s more to it than that, but you’ll have to read the lyrics. Again musically I would classify this as EPIC-HEAVY-Symphonic, with plenty of double kick-drum and heavy guitars. What keeps this from simply sounding like prog-metal is that the core of the songs are very symphonic with many outside influences such as classical and Celtic. When the guitar and drums settle down the music is very symphonic and takes a much softer, more intricate tone. But let me be clear, there are 10 tracks here, and half of them are around 10-minutes long so the intensity of this disc is high. On a scale of 1-to-10 there are many times where this is an 11. It should be pointed out that there are many softer, mellower moments that connect elements of the story but one comes away from this disc remembering more of the aggression than the pastoral.

Just as on the previous disc, mastermind and project driver Hugo Flores has surrounded himself with many of the same individuals, a cast of nine players and vocalists that each performs their instrumental or vocal magic to propel the story along. Project Creation features the work of Flores on everything from vocals to guitars to keyboards to sitars and he is ably assisted by Paulo Chagas (sax, flute), Davis Raborn (drums), Vasco Patricio (guitar solos) and Linx, Zara Quiroga and Alda Reis (vocals). The musical influences drift all over the map but are dominated by bits of folk, classical, Celtic and space-rock, although the predominant feel always comes back to a dramatic, intensely lush orchestration with huge swells of music.

Dawn on Pyther is certainly a worthy follow-up to The Floating World. Project Creation has developed a sound and style under the guidance of Hugo Flores that will appeal to fans of symphonic prog as well as fans of symphonic metal. That’s a wide swath. Seems to me there’s a built in audience for the music of Project Creation. Now go get it.