Do you like 70’s prog rock? I have to agree that its flourishing of ideas is still to this day memorable and unmatched. M-Opus is a conceptual band that aims at recreating the aural experience of a certain year in prog. 1975 Triptych is, evidently, a collection of three songs that were made to mimic the sound signature of 1975.
First of all, I have to say that their singer, Jonathan Casey, toured and recorded with the David Cross band (ex-King Crimson) so that’s something to keep in mind!
The sound of the album is pretty much indistinguishable from any other 70’s prog rock vinyl/cassette/CD (eventually the CD out later, but the sound remained quite similar). The first song on the album, Travelling Man, captures everything that makes prog rock great; an intricate structure, musical technicality, a wide array of emotions, etc. Everything in there is perfectly executed to make you believe you actually listen to a 1975 original recording. And I can appreciate that! Even though I rant about modern prog rock being too derivative and not progressive, I think that going the extra mile and making an album like they actually did in the 70’s is pretty cool. It’s like a gift from a parallel universe where this would’ve been a band in that period in time.
The four musicians on the album are as talented as the genre demands of them, and the compositions are simply great! The second song, Different Skies, makes the bulk of the album, at more than 33 minutes in length. It does seem to be dragging on at certain points, but overall it’s very enjoyable and there are multiple influences like the Canterbury scene, Genesis, Yes, and other historical English prog bands.
If you’re a fan of that era in music, 1975 Triptych is definitely for you. You’ll feel like discovering a band that existed at the same time as Pink Floyd, Van Der Graaf Generator, and Camel. If you consider this as a modern band, you won’t find anything new or that pushes the boundaries, but if you can make yourself believe that it’s a 70’s album, you’ll be quite delighted!
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