Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Retrospective Spectrum Of The Green Morning Company: Indy Release: 2007 Reviewer: Grim Gaijin

Rating 4

Highly recommend Polish progressive for fans of Riverside, Porcupine Tree, and Rush

Over the past 15 years or so, Poland has proven to be one of the most dominant countries when it comes to death metal. With bands such as Hate, Vader, and Decapitated (RIP Viteck) leading the pack, many other death metal bands have followed in their footsteps to put Poland on the death metal map. However, recently, Poland has spawned a new genre of growth in that of Progressive Metal/Rock. With bands such as the mighty Riverside producing 3 very consistent albums, it is no wonder why Poland’s Retrospective are trying to leave their mark on the Progressive Metal/Rock scene. Hailing from Leszno, Poland, Retrospective have recently self-released the excellent Spectrum Of The Green Morning.

Upon initial listen of this 6 song mini-CD, I was very impressed with the creativity and originality of Retrospective, and I also spotted several distinctive features of this young band that sets them apart from the rest. First of all, the sound and production is very dark - reminding me of Queensryche's 1984 release, The Warning. That is a good thing because it easily fits in with the dynamics of each song, in turn, allowing the listener to concentrate on the creativeness of the music vice how it sounds in the mix. Another distinctive attraction of the band is vocalist Jakub Roszak. Although he is no Ray Alder, he has a very unique singing style that mixes a little of both Mikael Akerfeldt and David Bowie. The album opener, Enemy World Vision is a very progressive piece that blends both lush melodies and awesome metal riffs. This songs has a heavy Porcupine Tree and Riverside influence, as both heavy and clean guitars are accented beautifully throughout the song. The second song, Some Kind Of Hope, is a melodic rock number that has a catchy chorus and a well-crafted guitar solo. The third song, Pink Elephant Missed, shows elements of early Fates Warning and Rush. The fourth song, Waking Up In The Zoo, is progressive rock/metal masterpiece. There are no holds barred here as the members take us through a progressive journey for the duration of this 8 minute instrumental. With heavy and acoustic parts, raging guitar solos and perfect keyboard symmetry, this is definitely one of the standout tracks on the album. The fifth song, Regret And Frightened Child, is another progressive ride through the uncanny. With lush keyboards, eerie acoustic riffs, and another masterful solo this song stands out as another amazing example of Retrospective's talent and abilities. The final track, Have In Mind, is a piano ballad, that adds yet another layer to this unique and versatile album.

If Retrospective hooks up with the right record label and are able to properly showcase their talents and ability to create memorable progressive rock/metal tunes, they will prove to be a force to reckon with in the progressive metal community. I highly recommend Retrospective for fans of Riverside, Porcupine Tree, and Rush.