Cosmos & Chaos: 20th Anniversary Compendium (Fhl Records 827770112333, 2015)
This anthology introduces some of the finest symphonic progressive rock pieces by American band Syzygy. Most of the material selected is instrumentals, showcasing the best known side of the band, as a fine purveyor of prog rock.
The first six tracks on Cosmos & Chaos: 20th Anniversary Compendium are delightful acoustic pieces focusing on the guitar, piano and bass divided into two sets: Miniatures and Duets. This is where you find the deeply rooted classical influences of Syzygy.
The third batch of tracks presents the full blown electric side of Syzygy, where the listener gets to experience the wide range of influences, from classic symphonic progressive rock to blues progressions and fusion.
Syzygy’s four musicians are all virtuoso instrumentalists who deliver engaging musical pieces that sound perfectly fine without a vocalist.
The album has a final section called Bonus Tracks that includes previously unreleased material from 1984 by a pre- Syzygy band called Witsend and two unreleased live Syzygy tracks from 2010, the best of which by far is “Mount Ethereal” that features memorable electric guitar work. As I pointed out in an earlier review, I’m not too thrilled about the vocals. If you need to invite guest vocalists, there is no shortage of fabulous prog rock vocalists out there.
The lineup on Cosmos & Chaos: 20th Anniversary Compendium includes composer Carl E. Baldassarre on guitars and vocals; composer Sam Giunta on keyboards; Paul Mihacevich on drums and percussion; and Al Rolik on bass and vocals. Additional musicians include Mark Boals on vocals; Gary Priebe on bass; and Roman Zmudzinski on drums.
Cosmos & Chaos: 20th Anniversary Compendium is a notable introduction to a very fine third generation progressive rock band.
The CD album is available from http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/syzygy5
Digital download: Cosmos & Chaos: 20th Anniversary Compendium