EER-MUSIC.com HOME PAGE EER-MUSIC.com MEET THE STAFF HERE

 

Sphere3 Comeuppance  (Cyclops, 2002) 

Britain's Sphere3 blend light Tribal Tech-style fusion with a prog rock
feel on Comeuppance, their first full-length CD in over ten years
of writing and performing with various lineups. 

Comeuppance features ten instrumental tracks, ranging from the
concise "Eat First, Ask Questions Later" to the elongated "December
Gaze."  Synth textures and guitar solos usually keep recurring
iterations of the same sections interesting, but the melodic heads
resurface constantly and the longer songs feel repetitive in
arrangement.  A few tunes feature shifty prog rhythms, like the 7:8 riff
in "December Gaze," but the repeated identical phrasing of this rhythm
eventually tires.  "Sidewalking," "A Good Example of Arbitrary
Presumption," and "An Unusual January" all snap with a peppy fusion/rock
vibe of bright keys and guitar that emerges as Sphere3's strength. 

The sonic palette comes straight from light fusion, including clean
piano, ethereal synth patches, a liquid lead guitar tone, and slap and
pop bass.  The sound seems to straddle a line between electric jazz and
light rock without convincingly committing to either, despite jazzy
piano breaks and the few heavy guitar riffs.  The programmed synth drums
of "Eat First, Ask Questions Later" create a jarring tonal shift from
the crisp live kit featured on the rest of the CD, especially as the
heaviest song on the record.  The playing by all four instruments is
sharp, particularly the jazzy snare drum ruffs and cymbal work, and the
sound production is professional, highlighted in the acoustic piano. 

Sphere3 blends airy fusion with just enough guitar to keep the music on
the rock side of fusion while working in a few interesting rhythms. 
Fans of creative instrumental fusion should definitely check out
Sphere3's very professional offering in this very difficult and rare
musical style.  

Reviewed by Scott Andrews [scottandrews@his.com]

More Info: 

http://www.sphere3.co.uk/ 

Line-up: 

Steve Anderson:  Guitars 

William Burnett:  Bass 

Neil Durant:  Keyboards 

Jamie Fisher:  Drums 


Track Listing: 

1.  A Good Example of Arbitrary Presumption 

2.  Shrimp.SNG  

3.  Sidewalking  

4.  Natural Light  

5.  First Kiss  

6.  Eat First, Ask Questions Later 

7.  An Unusual January 

8.  December Gaze  

9.  Tapestries  

10.  Paralysis  
 

GO BACK

RETURN TO:

EER-MUSIC.com does NOT recommend:
GuitarTrader . . .

To purchase this recording and get more info, soundclips, etc.

CLICK ON ARTIST'S NAME ABOVE

OR . . .Please try my

EER-MUSIC.com and AMAZON.com QUIK-LINKs
buyer's guide to recommended music.