Flame Dream - Silent Transition - 2024
“... after 38 years ...”
intro
Have you ever heard of the Swiss band Flame Dream? The band operated between 1973 and 1986 and made 6 progressive rock albums in that period (1978: 'Calatea', 1979: 'Elements', 1981: 'Out in the Dark', 1982: 'Supervision', 1983: 'Travaganza', 1986: '8 on 6'). After many questions about a possible re-release of these old albums, the idea of bonus tracks in the form of new compositions grew into a project in the form of a whole album with new compositions. Now, after 38 years, original members Pit Furrer (drums, percussion), Roland Ruckstuhl (piano, organ, keyboards, percussion), Peter Wolf (voice, flute, saxophones) and Urs Hochuli (bass) have teamed up with Alex Hutchings (6 string nylon, 12 string, electric guitars) to record a new Flame Dream album called 'Silent Transition'. This introduction makes me wonder why I didn't know the music of this band. Especially because the new album is more than worth discovering.
line-up
Pit Furrer - drums, percussion; Urs Hochuli - bass, design; Roland Ruckstuhl - piano, organ, keyboards, percussion; Peter Wolf - voice, flute saxophones
and Alex Hutchings - 6 string nylon, 12 string, electric guitars
review
'Silent Transition' is an album with only six tracks. But four of those tracks are no less than 10 minutes long. The album opens with the song 'No Comfort Zone' (11:22). The band has used an atmospheric soundscape for the intro, which ends in heavy drum beats, a kind of wake-up call. The heavy drum part is then supported by fat synth parts. Also in the sequel, where the vocals are supported by piano and organ, it is clear to me that the keys play an important role in the music of Flame Dream. The heavy drum part and the vocal chorus evoke an atmosphere that reminds you of the first solo albums of Peter Gabriel. But otherwise you should think more of melodic symphonic rock dominated by keys. As a transition to a change of rhythm, the band uses a soundscape-like part again. 'No Comfort Zone' is a beautiful and varied opener that gives a good impression of the music you can expect on this album.
The title track 'Silent Transition' (12:24) opens with a spicy rhythm guitar part before the sound changes into a more mellow atmosphere with acoustic guitars, flute, keyboards and melodic vocals. After a good 4 minutes this image changes again and the music gets more swing with bass and percussion. The electric guitar and piano parts sometimes get a more jazzy vibe. The title track is therefore a very varied song. The ending is very beautiful with a beautiful melodic keyboard orchestration. 'Velvet Clouds' (10:25) also starts with an atmospheric soundscape before the track developes into a more ballad like song with vocal melodies. The instrumentation is delicate with beautiful, atmospheric keyboards and spacy guitar sounds. It is now really noticeable that the band uses these atmospheric soundscapes for intros, outros and transitions to rhythm changes. The next part has a nice bass and piano and acoustic guitar before the organ joins in. In this track you hear beautiful guitar solos, both acoustic and electric. The synth solos in the last part are also nice. Especially when a duel between synth and guitar seems to arise. The track closes with the calm atmosphere of the beginning.
'Out From The Sky" (6:21) is a quiet and delicate ballad with beautiful vocal melodies. 'Signal on the Shores" (6:55) is keyboard dominated. The introductory soundcloud has a somewhat secular atmosphere. This also returns later in the form of (tubular) bells. The second instrumental part is dominated by the keys and the electric guitar. This fine album ends with a real epic of almost 15 minutes. 'Winding Paths" (14:40) sometimes has a classical character due to the keyboard orchestrations. A driving rhythm section accompanies the organ and the keyboards, while the electric guitar sometimes cuts through. A varied track that not only has a (Neo) progressive rock vibe, but sometimes also has some influences from Pop and classical music. A worthy conclusion of a surprising album from Switzerland.
the vinyl version (by Ron Lammers, The Foundation)
What immediately stands out is the well-made Gatefold. The beautifully printed inner sleeves also neatly display the line-up and lyrics. When you take the LP out of the Gatefold, you immediately sense that it must be quality. Heavy, sturdy vinyl versions. Then when you put them on the turntable, you immediately notice that this pressing has plenty of depth (bass). All the details are also clearly audible. In short, for connoisseurs and enthusiasts, this is a must-have. So I prefer the vinyl version to the CD version.
conclusion
For many of us this album will be the first introduction to the music of the Swiss band Flame Dream. And for many a positive surprise. The sound of the band on this album (I don't know their previous albums) I would describe as Symphonic Rock because the music relies heavily on the keyboards. But the contributions of the electric guitar are also worth mentioning. The music is never over the top or freaky, rather something moderate and mellow. It has become a beautiful album that deserves multiple listens to reveal its true beauty.