As soon as opening track Ultraviolet spins into earshot, you can tell this band have cut their teeth in Rush tribute band R2. The way in which the British trio meld the consonants and vowels of their progressive approach has the erudition of people immersed in the vocabulary of the celebrated Canadians.
This is obvious throughout what is an articulate musical statement. Time And Tide displays elements of Dream Theater circa Images And Words, while James Durand’s vocals harbour Steve Hogarth’s imprint. This mix of styles continues on the wide screen vision of The Stone, where Richie Cahill’s guitar work disseminates discipline and imagination. Swallowtail allows the keyboard duality of Steve Hales and Durand to bring harmony to a complex mingling of rhythms, and The Shallows sets Hales free to guide us through a maze of electronically enhanced percussive effects, on a song merging funk rock overlays with some beautifully observed intricacies. This path is confidently trodden once again on In The Sere And Yellow, while the closing Red Skies provides an epic summary of Kepler Ten’s prog divination, swooping through a range of emotions with expertise. An auspicious debut.
