For those of you who have not heard the keyboard mastery from Richard Andersson, here is the compilation that is perfect for beginners. But nevertheless, his prowess on the ivories is far beyond the realm of keyboard cult hero, he stands firmly in line with Sherinian, Moore, and Johansson. His style is a more soulful take on the neo-classical style, amazingly in an interview I did with him he states that he has no formal musical training, and that has made him develop his own style of playing that embarks upon an intriguing notion for the listener.
But whether he is playing music with his Space Odyssey project, Time Requiem, or Majestic, he really puts a melodic force behind the music, being just as much as the driving force as the guitarists would, and that is saying a lot, considering his guitarists are also high on their musical endurance. This retrospective serves as a collection of some of his strongest material. Included are his symphonic compositions such as "
Time Requiem," "
Attar of Roses," and "
Voodoo Treasure" where the all the soloing plays out in quick paced arpeggio scales to ultra fast tempos. One could imagine what this would sound like if translated to guitar, but then again, there is no need to.
Besides the symphonic tinged ditties presented here, there are tracks that relate more towards the sound of Rising Force or Mattsson, going for a more song oriented approach. This passionate edge for technical arranging is endowed within "
Visions of a New Dawn," "
Black Moon Rising," and "
Emposium," where of course, catchy melodies and the occasional dark vibe are provided in full force.
If there is one Andersson album you want to own, this is it, all the opuses involved are strong with no filler intact.
Written by
Hashman Thursday, October 27, 2005
Show all reviews by HashmanRatingsHashman: 8/10Members: No members have rated this album yet.
This article has been shown 2544 times. Go to the
complete list.
