ECHOTIME – Side

Italian Progressive band Echotime’s second album Side is a quirky, sometimes confusing concept album that has more in common with less Metal-infused Prog acts like early Marillion or earlier Genesis than it does with bands like Fates Warning or Dream Theater. The first actual song (the album is intercut with spoken word exchanges meant to advance the story) “Mr. Valentine” hits a fairly satisfying Metal groove, as do a few of the later tracks like “Hymn Of Glory”, and “The Orphanage,” which has some King Diamond-esque touches.  Whatever punch the harder tracks provide is cushioned, though, by the spoken word material and by songs like “The Bend Of Love”, a weird Cabaret-ish performance that lurches forward with the same plodding lilt as “The Trial” from Pink Floyd’s The Wall.

But, while “The Trial” works perfectly in context, “The Bend Of Love” sounds like the start of a different album. And it is, really.  The next tunes “The River”, “Black Dunes” and “Stream of Life” are quieter numbers and quite different in tone and effect than the earlier tracks. Second to last “Freakshow” picks up the burlesque vibe of “The Bend Of Love”; closer “Out-Side” is two minutes of piano and brush drums. Side ultimately is eclectic enough to defy easy comparisons; it is its own unique thing. As such, the mix of styles and dense concept might be bewildering to some listeners.

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