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STRIDE Imagine The Laser's Edge (2006)
When I first took a look at Stride’s Imagine, I realised two things: firstly that it was progressive metal and secondly that it was
American. Neither of these things are in themselves bad of course, but I
knew that there was a chance that I may not be very impressed because
some American bands are too “flowery” or over-the-top for my English
taste and I find some progressive music too much for me. There are, as
Emperor Joseph II of Austria would have it of Mozart’s music, “too many
notes”. I can listen for hours to Jerry Garcia’s guitar solos but I
find some prog pushes my patience too far and I cannot abide what seems
to me like constant scales. It’s a matter of taste.
I didn’t exactly begin listening to Imagine with an open mind, but
wasvery pleasantly surprised by the opening title track. It is
magnificent, aperfect song and I cannot fault it. If this is prog
metal, then I want to hear more!
Having said that, Stride’s appeal for me is more in their soft rock
influence. It reminds me of Boston’s More Than A Feeling – which indeed
Stride mention in the lyrics “Alive”! The overall impression of the
album is a bit hit and miss for me personally, but if you like bands
such as Shadow Gallery, Symphony X or maybe Anathema, it will more than
likely appeal.
The mood
of the album is optimistic and I cannot help smiling as I hear it. When
Stride focus on soft rock, their music has a lovely complexity, but
sometimes the keys go too overboard for my taste. I am not keen on some
of the music of bands such as Pink Floyd or Yes for the same reason.
The fourth track, How Far, is again similar to the first – a fabulous
soft rock song.
As a whole, some people may find Imagine too “flowery” – I speak from
experience since, being English myself, I have known a lot of English
people put off by this quality. I do not know if this is particular to
a “typical” English audience (if such a thing exists). If you are
unsure about prog metal, Stride would be a good place to start,
particularly if you like soft rock. It is relaxing to listen to.
Imagine is Stride’s second album from the Texas-based prog metallers,
their instrumental debut album was released in 2001.
***½
Review by Amanda Hyne
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