Reviews

...What you will find here, is a complex, dynamic, dreamy and powerful progressive rock sound, music that will take you to another world (if you allow it) and music that will create on you diverse images, stories and feelings. But well, there is something I would like to mention because it is important, I concur with previous reviewers who said that It takes time to appreciate this album, so please give it at least three listens if you want to receive all its messages and sounds. The album will tell you a story: "Pan: An Urban Pastoral" so by the title you can imagine a little by what is it about, and what kind of music you will listen. Well, the first moment that caught my attention and made me say wow was the third track entitled "Pan's Labyrinth" which is a seven-minute instrumental song that offers quality, complexity and beauty in all its extent. Then, in "Those Who Remember" and "Sidewalk Soliloquy" you will listen for the first time both, male and female vocals, each one playing a different role, Ashley Peer represents the voice of the Maenads; Jim Waugaman the voice of the Urban Youth; and Dale Mossburg the voice of Pan. The short instrumental tracks work together as a chain, all of them create different atmospheres that the listener can appreciate, so one can also create his own story and images in his mind. The work of the piano and keyboards is something that caught my attention since the first listens; I believe the different nuances and textures that they give help the music being more enjoyable and lovable to the people who are experiencing it. Another thing I really like, is that when you think you are listening (by example) the fifth track, you actually are on track seven, I mean as the music runs you are so involved that in moments you don't notice where a track finishes and a brand new one appears, I mean, there are moments where you just listen to the music as a whole, you don't matter if there are 19 tracks on the album, you appreciate it as one...
www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=301895

Interview with Rowen
www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=70542&FID=47

...Music wise, this is a very complex album and it require a lot of time. Fourteen days in my case and around fifteen listening sessions. Don't even dream about making up your own mind about this album with at least spending ten days and ten listening sessions on it. It is that complex. The main music is symphonic prog with some sidetracking into folk, jazz, prog metal and heavy prog too. The music on this album is harder and more contemporary than on Lambs and Snow. Persephone's Dream also use both male and female vocals when telling the story about Pan. Some of the vocals is also quite operatic. Besides of that, there is plenty of tangents and electric guitars here. Quality wise....... Persephone's Dream has managed to pull it off. Songs like Sidewalk Soliloquy and The Tears of Selene is brilliant. The rest of this album too is great. In short, this is a great concept album. Although they has made it extreme difficult for themselves. I also feel they lost their way halfway through the album. But the three closing tracks are excellent. Persephone's Dream has made it to the top of Mount Everest. Taking into account that both Spock's Beard and Genesis lost their vocalists on their respective descents from this mountain, I would be quite worried if I was Persephone's Dream. Only time will tell if everyone make it back alive. It will be very interesting to follow the development of this band during the next years...
www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=296909

...In addition -- the production is magical. It screams clarity, separation, and they have captured that Prog Rock sound without giving anything up in the process.....it has a very dry sound, intentional I'm sure, but you get fantastic clarity and precision in place of effects and add-ons. There are a few sound effects here and there, most notably the many voice-overs for the intro in various languages which is ultra-cool. Do not look for metal here -- however, do not dismiss it as light either. The producrtion alone makes this sound heavy, and the melodies are to die for. That is highly unusual for a Prog Rock disc..... those Island sounds as I call them, will have you dancing around as if you're on a tropical island singing and dancing with the locals. This is a very ambitious and well crafted disc -- I've only been through it twice, but there is so much more to it as evidenced by the CD insert BOOK that comes along with this disc...
www.pmrising.com/pm/viewtopic.php?t=8225&sid=fffc2f3906f6de1aea892826401b9a40

...The album is split into 19 songs of varying length, which tell a tale of disillusionment with modern city life and the hidden world of the gods of nature that is hidden beneath the surface of it all. Quite an ambitious concept, and although it does come with a story summary in the booklet, the lyrical and musical aspect of the album goes beyond what is written, giving the listener the ever-so-important chance to take what they hear and make something their own out of it, while at the same time giving listeners a common ground to start from. Musically, as I mentioned above, the album features many different styles, but it is built such that it flows from one song to the next very naturally; like the very best concept albums, it would be very difficult to separate any of these pieces from the whole. And although the music can be so varied, one never feels jarred or confused by the way the album flows; it seems that the band thought this out very carefully and so moves from section to section with a certain grace. To move the story forward, we are treated to the vocals of both Ashley Peer (who primarily sings as the Maenads) and Jim Waugaman (also the keyboardist). Both the singers are quite excellent, and bring the appropriate amount drama necessary for this style of album. I am particularly fond of the vocals of Ashley, who gives the music that oft-time missing in prog female aspect. The off-kilter vocals in Nectar of the Gods demonstrate that she is quite a flexible singer, and inject a little extra fun into the album...
www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=298053

...Now, the album start very slow paced and as it grows more and more styles are added and the story grows to come impossible to push the "stop" button. The keyboards are melodic and bring out a lot of retro 70's styles but keeping it fresh and nice; the bass is present all the way making very nice melodies and sometimes pushing some strange but lovely dissonances; the guitars are like a background element, strong and well measured and sometimes bringing out some cool solos and even some nice acoustic themes; The percussion and drums are quite refreshing, original and drops a lot of folk elements that is just wonderful to listen every "oddity" that came out always in an unexpected place. The summoning of all those elements builds up an impressive journey. The music is strong and fresh, and it feels like a true band ensemble and the instrumental progressions remind me a lot of symphonic rock of the 70's, but always keeping it innovative. Now, maybe the thing that takes it to a complete new level is the vocals. Ashley Peer's vocals are at the top of the game, being dramatic, melodic and with a lot of character. I loved her style and the way the melodies are twisted giving a very strange sensation but impressive and different. The album has 19 songs, a lot of them very short but all linked together to build up a flawless concept, extraordinary performed. The sound quality is quite great, nothing is missing, a well balanced sound and if that's not enough, even the booklet is great too. It has the story explained or at least presented in a way you can "get it". The art is great and is one of those albums I just can't stop listening...
www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=299403

...Fans of the band will most likely be somewhat surprised when encountering this creation the first time around. While this ensemble previously have explored a heavy, energetic variety of progressive rock, this time around they have altered positions drastically as far as stylistic expression is concerned, and have chosen to venture into the field of symphonic progressive rock. And with a full fledged concept creation as well, the 19 tracks listed are in fact all parts of one massive composition, clocking in at just under 70 minutes. And it's a varied landscape the band takes on, ranging from gentle sound collages to harder hitting material pointing back to this band's own musical past. But whether they explore gentle pastoral landscapes with angelic female vocals soaring above the instrumental motifs or they take on a more rough and energetic style with passionate lead vocals courtesy of Jim Waugaman, the symphonic textures are either hovering in the back, or just a few seconds away from appearing in the relatively few instances where the rhythm instruments and guitars are allowed to explore themes without aid. And a few brief atmospheric excursions aside, it's the parts of the composition where the keyboards are given the dominating spots that are the most intriguing ones too. Alongside clever percussional details the synth arrangements and underlying themes provided by the tangents conjure up some remarkable atmospheres, and especially the slightly exotic sounding motifs that are given extensive playtime towards the end of this production can be breathtaking at best...
www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=306158

...I found the best way to enjoy this album is to totally immerse yourself in the music via a good pair of headphones. No distractions allows one to concentrate on the music and that is exactly what you will want to do when listening to this outstanding release. It is quite a good story and like any concept album worth its salt is worthwhile following along to. The introductory notes and lyrics will shed more light on the concept than I will do here but suffice to say the band put a lot of thought into it. The story involves a young man in the middle of a bustling city scape who suddenly finds himself in more natural surroundings. While in the forest he comes face to face with Pan (the Greek God for nature). This is a world of enlightenment and beauty and our protagonist is not sure if it real or just a dream. This is in direct contrast to the pollution filled city where the young man lives. It is a fascinating storyline and worth investing some time into. This is quite a varied release as the band touches on folk, classical, ambient, eclectic and heavy prog, but it is mostly symphonic progressive rock that reminds me of those glorious days of the 70s. The music is laced with delicate pastoral passages and harder hitting riffs without venturing into progressive metal. Both guitar and keyboards are used extensively and plenty of vintage sounds can be found throughout. The album mixes both instrumental segments and vocal pieces and many songs are short segue ways into longer compositions. Sound effects are also used effectively often setting up a specific setting or mood. Both male and female vocalists do a fine job and don't overdue do it with excessive meanderings giving the instruments plenty of room to breathe. The transitions between the songs are very smooth so it is best to listen to the album as a whole as every part is important to the story and the overall experience...
www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=9697