Enigmatic Sound Machines released their latest album, Imperfect Silence, at the beginning of August of this year, on Prog Rock Essentials. The Montreal, Canadian band has released two other albums before Imperfect Silence: The Hierarchies of Angels in 2024, and Telepathic Waves in 2023.
Enigmatic Sound Machines is a two-man band made up of members: Thomas Szirmay, on sound machines, and backing vocals; and Jeremie Arrobas, on keyboards, synths, Hammond-B3, piano, guitars, synth bass, lead vocals, and sound machines.
Guest musicians on Imperfect Silence include: Hansford Rowe on bass; Rob Harrison on flute and saxophone; and Alain Bellaiche and Alain Roig on guitars.
The band has a retro-futuristic sound and is the brainchild of two childhood friends with a common love for music, philosophy, and the arts. Jeremie Arrobas is a founding member of Men Without Hats, (with a voice that reminds me of a younger Phil Collins), a pioneer of electronic music, a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, writer, composer, arranger, and producer. Creator of hundreds of audio, video, and visual arts projects. Thomas Szirmay is a prog musicologist, researcher, producer, actor, vocalist, and writer. Specializing in progressive rock, jazz fusion and electronic, Thomas has written over 1600 reviews on internet platforms like, “Prog Archives”, “House of Prog”, the French language “Profil Prog,” as well as his FB page called “Prog Rogue. “
“Imperfect Silence,” is an 8-piece concept opus, that interfaces with one another, both musically and lyrically as well. Let’s see how well that works;
“In Perfect Silence,” opens slow, like your favorite Pink Floyd albums always did. Spacey keys, from all galaxies float, effortlessly into the soundscape. A wall of synths that would make Larry Fast blush. A beautiful beginning. Then, they add flute and strings, just to almost make you cry with joy. The David Gilmour-like electric guitars make their entrance, with drum sounds setting the pace. An instrumental to welcome you back if you bought their last albums. And a warm introduction to those, like me, who are loving the sound of this stellar cinematic symphony for the first time. Over five minutes of beautiful music that sets the stage well for all will follow… “Welcome back my friends…”
“The Distance Between Here and Now,” also opens with those spacey keyboards, but this time set to deeper tones. Then, a Gilmour-like stand-alone solo, with flute following. When, Jeremie Arrobas sings his first lyrics, the Pink Floyd comparison becomes crystal clear. He sings, “Hello, hello, hello, I know you’re feeling down.” Go ahead and take me back to “Comfortably Numb” and its hellos. But that is where the similarities end. Jeremie continues to sing, “Hello, hello, hello! Voices calling your name. They found you. Standing on the edge. Looking at the falling stars. When God created you. He cried a thousand tears. And oceans were created. No one knows it was hidden. In the distance between here and now.” The flute playing brings me right back to some of Traffic’s best. Then, some of the best lyrics that I’ve heard in a while to describe the current state of the world, “Man is a wolf to man. Hunting in the cold of night. No mercy, no soul. Only lovers will rescue this world.” Then, they break into an almost “Abacab”/” Invisible Touch,” beat rhythm, and a wide smile can be seen on my face.
“House of Shadows,” opens with warm keyboards full of quiet, relaxed emotion. Saxophone plays over the keys as Jeremie Arrobas sings the story, “Nothing really matters. You’re just a shadow lost within a house. All the masks are falling. Now I can see the light. I will try not to forget you. I will try not to believe. Once you were the one. I wanted. Once you were the only one. But time takes all it wants. And turns it into dust. Now you travel through walls. You’re here, but no one knows. I will try not to forget you. I will try not to believe. Once you were the one. I wanted. Once you were the only one.” Is it about a lost love one, or something even bigger? Only the band can answer that one. Enigmatic Sound Machines help bring back sax to progressive rock, just like Pink Floyd and Chris Wood did with Traffic.
“Wrapped in Black,” starts slow and full of hollow keyboards that have an eerie glow to them. A kind of a Beatles melody begins to fill the soundscape, only this time it is with flute. Jeremie Arrobas sings, “I never seen a smile on your face. You never felt the sun on your skin. Creatures like you live in the dark. Night is your home. And I sleep in your arms. In perfect silence you melted away. Far from the light, the sun is alone. You tried to love. And you felt a burn inside. Deep inside your heart.” More fallen victims, but why did they fall? That flute and saxophone soloing are excellent and greatly appreciated. That guitar solo towards the end, with the Beatles melody, starts out like John Lennon might have played it. Thank you for that.
“Hallow,” opens with deep tones, soft picked bass or guitar. Then, morning awakening lead electric guitar begins to play, as orchestration and mellow keyboards fill the soundscape. Jeremie Arrobas sings, “I saw you coming. I knew your name. You were no one. I saw before I felt your wisdom. I felt your powers. You were haunted. I could see. Hallow be thy name. So happy you came. Hallow be thy name. I’ll never be the same. I never forgot the way you laughed. When you saved my soul. I could see the sky below. You made the world disappear. And all my fears. My body was a flame. Hallow be thy name. So happy you came. Hallow be thy name. Fame is just a sham.” The sound here, has a little of that funky influence of Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits, which is a great way to change the tone and provide a variety to the sound. They layer on the sax to again remind me of some of my favorite Knopfler solo albums.
“Haunted,” opens with buzzing keyboards, percussion, and bouncy drum beats. Jeremie Arrobas sings, “You walk so tall you know it all. The fact is you lost yourself. Now you feel the void within. And you know you got betrayed. Some will laugh, some will cry. And in the end the prophet dies. Send another one. We need a sacrifice.” When, Jeremie Arrobas sings, “I am haunted. I house many lives. They see the world through my eyes. I am haunted,” he sounds so much like Phil Collins on “Moma,” from their self-titled album, or the later hits of Genesis. And yes, “Moma,” is also haunting, even without Phil standing in a solo light singing it.
“Endless Beginning,” has a very cool orchestrated sound with what sounds like choirs, before the keyboards take over. Jeremie Arrobas sings, “Living in darkness. We try to find a way. Light is a shadow. A house in the head of one.” Here is another song where you will swear that you are listening to 1980s Phil Collins sing. The sax roars, then Jeremie returns, “I would have loved to know. The reason we all lie. Tell me something. Tell me something. I don’t know.” Bring on that sax, guitar, along with those electronic keyboards and piano! Jeremie is back, “In your arms. I lost myself. And you know it. In your arms all started to end so fast. In the house of shadows, I found you. Wrapped in black. Endless beginning. Please let it start again.” Sax, keyboards, and guitar…all the way to the end, like your favorite Pink Floyd songs.
“Red Forest,” is full of guitar, keyboards, bass, sax, and piano. I heard that Pink Floyd “Breathe” melody refrain and I knew this closer is gonna be epic! The sax joins in as the beat goes on, slowly, just like “Breathe.” A close to ten-minute instrumental song to give all these musicians one last chance to shine. They add a little Alan Parsons’ keyboard inspiration, just to remind you who engineered it all. I hear so many Pink Floyd songs at once, filling the soundscape. Then, the Hammond joins in with birdsong. The sounds of maybe the pigs on the wing, or the dogs howling, from “Animals.” Sax arrives late as the dirge moves slowly along. Just spectacular! Thomas Szirmay performs the final narration, “All as I walk, wrapped in black. In perfect silence towards the endless beginning. The distance between here and now becomes haunted. From the house of shadows to the red forest. I sing thy praise, hallowed be thy name.” Almost ten minutes of bliss.
We will see if Thomas Szirmay agrees with me on the insights on this one. Enigmatic Sound Machines’ sound, is an out of this world mix of Pink Floyd, Traffic, and David Bowie, with Phil Collins singing lead vocals. They throw in a couple other reminder sounds, like Dire Straits and the Beatles, to make it sound, just right. One of the best progressive rock albums of 2025. Yes, it is an epic album, as I guessed. Enigmatic Sound Machines’ “Imperfect Silence,” will give Atomic Time, Echolyn, and Edensong, a good run for the money this year. Another great keyboard album, full of sax and vinegar. Friends, don’t miss hearing this album, this year. One of the best. As Chris Cornell sang famously, “You Know My Name.” Remember: Enigmatic Sound Machines’ “Imperfect Silence.”
Album Track List:
- In Perfect Silence S (5:39)
- The Distance Between Here and Now (8:33)
- House of Shadows (6:14)
- Wrapped in Black (6:43)
- Hallow (5:33)
- Haunted (5:40)
- Endless Beginning (6:15)
- Red Forest (9:58)
All song composed, arranged, recorded, mixed, and produced by Enigmatic Sound Machines. Lyrics by Enigmatic Sound machines. Artwork by Enigmatic Sound Machines.
Band Website and Social Media Links:
https://www.facebook.com/EnigmaticSoundMachines
https://enigmaticsoundmachines.bandcamp.com
https://enigmaticsoundmachines.com
https://www.instagram.com/enigmaticsoundmachines
YouTube and Music Video Links:
https://www.youtube.com/@enigmaticsoundmachines