Strattman "The Lie of the Beholder"

Country: USA
Sub Genre: Progressive Rock
Label: 10T Records
Release date: May 8, 2014 (digital), May 20, 2014 (CD, retail street date - June 17, 2014)
Tracklist: 

1. A Better World  - 6:00
2. Caught Inside The Rain - 6:09
3. A Candle In The Sun - 7:40
4. Jaded - 2:32
5. The Scene of the Crime - 3:35
6. Detonation - 5:10
7. Solace - 5:35
8. The Lie Of The Beholder - 6:03
9. Connection Lost - 3:49
10. No Way Home - 5:48
11. The Fire Dies - 3:51

Line-up: 
Roy Strattman (Little Atlas) - guitar, keyboards, and vocals
   With:
Nick D'Virgilio (Genesis, Kevin Gilbert, Spocks Beard, Mike Keneally, BBT) - drums
Ricardo Bigai (Little Atlas) - bass
Steve Katsikas (Little Atlas) - piano, cajon

Description/Reviews: 

You'd almost think you were listening to some long lost track from a Dream Theater or Pain of Salvation session with kick off song "A Better World"; this is a heavy piece, dark and foreboding, with crushing, metallic riffing, furious drum work from D'Virgilio, and ominous Mellotron samples. Things settle down a bit for the lush, almost pastoral "Caught Inside the Rain", as cascading keyboard & guitar textures support Strattman's yearning vocal, but things once again take a turn for the heavy and dark, as menacing riffs, acrobatic bass, and more of those creepy Mellotron sounds permeate "A Candle in the Sun". Roy's muscular wah-wah drenched lead lines snake in and out of the mix on this groove laden yet heavy track, complete with some very fascinating lyrics to boot. With all the well crafted instrumental bits included on the first three tracks, it's almost fitting that Strattman goes full bore on the brief "Jaded", as prog-fusion styled guitar, bass, and keyboard melodies weave around each other and D'Virgilio rumbling underneath. This segues right into "The Scene of the Crime", another dark, muscular heavy rocker, Strattman's yearning vocal floating over thick riffs and atmospheric keys.

 Read the full review by Pete Pardo at seaoftranquility.org

Media/Samples 
Entire album online

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