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RECORDING INFORMATION |
MGI Records MGR 1020
2nd release by the technical hard fusion band from Germany, consisting of ex-Sieges Even guitarist Wolfgang Zenk.
Recorded at: the Dreamscape studios by Wolfgang Zenk, Jan Vacik (member of progmetal band Dreamscape), and mixed by Wolfgang Eller .
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| COMMENTS & REVIEWS |
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MJBrady
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Published on: 14 Feb 2004
After spending countless hours listening to the first 7 for 4 cd called Contact. My first concern was if they would even immerse themselves into the challenge of doing a follow up recording to such an ambitious and refreshing cd. Thinking perhaps that Contact was merely a one shot project recording. But now, 7 for 4 has produced this, the second recording, making them officially a BAND. And this should come as great news to those that either had the pleasure of hearing the bands first effort, or are fans of technically challenging, highly developed and proficiently executed fusion music, with a unique and original sound.
On Time, 7 for 4 again continues to be a band that has no boundaries or limitations, this is music that defies the norms for progressive, fusion, and other branches of predominantly instrumental music. The band members are a diverse bunch, and each lends to the magical blending of the influential backgrounds that are the culmination of the definitive 7 for 4 sound. Some of the things that make this band so interesting are how they can take so many ideas from multiple genres of music, and sounds so fluid in the end result. If you were to pick this music apart, you would hear the traits of jazz, metal, rock, classical, pop, fusion, and more. Yet never are the musics out of context or fragmented apart from the other, they flow seamlessly in a confluence of all the components combined.
These musicians are like an electrifying chamber orchestra, playing extremely tight ensemble play, with virtuostic soloing done over difficult time signature and chord progressions that are always in constant flux. Yet never do I get the opinion that this cd is about indulgent playing, showing off, or spotlighting any certain player in the band. Both guitarist - Wolfgang Zenk, and keyman - Markus Froschmeier, share lead and rhythmic duties, and come with a huge arsenal of sounds, as both guitar and keyboards run the gamut on tones, atmospheres, and effects lending to the vast richness of sound heard in each song on this cd. I should mention that there is nothing workmanlike about Markus Grutzner - who's bass work is exemplary, complimenting the music's difficult arrangements with more than structured notation, he plays over and around the complex structures playfully, showing himself to be in perfect company with Zenk and Froshmeier. Klaus Engel - the bands drummer, like Grutzner, shows a multi-faceted approach to musical drumming, the kind fusion fans expect from the big names in the scene, both he and Grutzner are backing another German band called - Serum, After hearing their work on both the 7 for 4 cds, I really would like hearing that band based on their level of talent displayed here.
I really cannot compare 7 for 4 with any other bands fairly, they do have some resemblance to Sieges Even during Zenk's tenure with them, only not nearly as metal oriented, and with more styles blending in to the overall sound. Cyril Achard, the great upstart French guitarist, is about the closest thing I have heard to 7 for 4, except that Achards music has him as the main feature, whereas 7 for 4 is band oriented sound. This music represents a fusing of classical arrangements, fusion fashioned solo tradeoffs, technical and complex concepts, and a few other things that really need to be heard to fully appreciate, they do have some mp3's at their sight, to help you to form your own opinions, I urge to check them out if you have read this far. Strongly recommended!
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| TRACKS |
CREDITS
(click to view performer credits) |
PROGGNOSIS SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY
(click to view Release Page) |
- Zeitgeist
- Temperamento
- Where Are You Now
- 7:44 a.m.
- Time (Chapter I)
- Rock 'n' Rolex
- Perpetuum Mobile
- Time (Chapter II)
- Flux Capacitor
- Burnt Chicken Wings
- Slow eMotion
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