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Cozmic Box
Flame of Truth
(2009 - Self release - USA)

 

https://www.cozmicbox.com/

 

 

Here’s another MySpace success story of two musicians, one of them from Belfast, Ireland (Jed McConkey), the other (John Hohnstein) from Colorado, USA, meeting and getting together on a music project that really deserves attention. Just one of the things I like about their debut release “Flame of Truth” is how the first listen is totally unpredictable. This is truly a roller coaster ride of styles and a spread of generations in sound. Cozmic Box is Jed on guitar and vocals and John on a large variety of keyboards. There is no shortage of sound or ideas.

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The music encompasses several styles but they like the term “progressive tranceadelic”, which is noteworthy, but I’d go quite a bit further than that since the songs have a broad pallet like Alan Parsons Project, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Future Sound of London, Ten Years After, Mike Oldfield, with a heavyweight soulful classic pop genre tune or two. Although the band is progressive, I brag about their ability to write a great pop song and fuse it in to their other songs. Several of these compositions are radio friendly, which is no crime whatsoever. In fact, it’s hard to write songs of this statue that stand up to such a wide audience. Good on them.

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The subject matter varies greatly with some heavy lyrics and some instrumentals. After just one listen you realize you have a recording of hard work, great collaboration, and dedication of perfectionists. This disc brings back the word meaningful! Topics of love, war, UFO, and trip songs all placed for your listening pleasure. To top it off, you have a beautiful guest appearance by another superb vocalist named Hetty Lane, who sings on songs “Flame of Truth’ (track 2) and ‘Dreaming of You’ (track 7). It seems at first that the two artists who comprise Cozmic Box are opposites, but the chemistry works like a charm. All musicians here are deeply into their craft.

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There is nothing weak about this fine CD. You can buy this at www.cdbaby.com And a few other places so give it a listen. It’s more than worth the time.

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Reviewed by Lee Henderson on September 4th, 2012

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A  magazine focused on inventive, progressive, and creative music in any genre that stands out from the rest
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ACQUA FRAGILE
Moving Fragments
(2023 - Maracash - Italy)


https://maracashrecords.bandcamp.com/album/moving-fragments


  A group who have the uncanny talent of keeping their classic  sound along with staying up tpo date. This amazing return is from 1970's Italian progressive rock outfit, with frontier man lead vocal Bernardo Lanzetti, who made this band and some PFM albums so specifically brilliant. At this decade, to expect more beauty would be a fantasy, yet it is set before your ears, even with the first notes, this masterpiece of Italian, (and not only Italian) progressive rock that certainly grasps the notion of what the genre of "progressive" was always meant to be. ACQUA FRAGILE create another sweetly classic knockout recording, not with even a heavy breath of past to present effort.  In fact, it sounds and feels more authentic than ever.  Bernardo sounds as if he never aged a week, and all muscians present are at full force, not passing up the chance to make another massively classic album.   An album to put Acqua Fragile at the top of the few chosen progressive rock choices of all time. The first song ('Her Shadlows Torture' 05:52 - editors note:  A misspell on the 'Shadows' which is on Bandcamp at this writing - but is correct as 'Her Shadow's Torture' on physical CD)  hug you and give all relief, as to any possible doubts of a long awaited fourth album by this top notch Italian band. I claim it will leave your heart lay bleeding. Grab the spectral energy and enjoy a glimpse of beautiful cocoon birth.

  Not one song is with sacrifice, even a wink of lamb. In fact, some elements are added to further enchance and stun the audience, such as inclusive female vocals by Rossella Volta. The bulk of the outfit is Piero Canavera (drums, percussion, vocals),  Franz Dondi (bass), Bernardo Lanzetti (lead vocals, guitar, Glovox),  Stefano Pantaleoni (keyboards),  Claudio Tuma (guitars), with special aid by (aforementioned vocalist Rosella Voita) ,  Gigi Cavalli Cocchi - drums (1,6),  Sergio Ponti - drums (4,9), Stef Burns- guitar (2),  Brian Belloni - guitar (4),  Davide Piombino - 7 string guitar (5),  and David Jackson - sax & flute (6). Could you ask for more?   After one listen you cannot want more. Thank Maracash label (Italy) for standing behind so many great Italian artists who have done the blood, sweat, and tears in earlier years, and deserve the attention now.
Although the band name translates to 'Fragile Water', it might be better described as Precious Water at this point and time in our decreasingly cared for world. Perhaps even better, Rare Water. The beauty of this entire recording is apparent, true, sincere, and a step forward. Better than one would dream of, past the point of how all old fans could imagine, and  actually done in the upper atmospheres of what anyone could have dreamed of. Everyone is top notch and most of all, Lanzetti is 100% present, making it another masterpiece.  It is my deep recommendartion for all fans of both classic progressive rock and the new fields of progressive music to give this a direct and full attention (no distractions) listen. RECOMMENDED.
  ©Reviewed by Lee Henderson 1 - 19 - 2024


 

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