Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Ajalon
Label: Progrock Records
Release: 2009
Running time: 59:32
Rating: 3.5/5
The Americans in Ajalon represent a genre that doesn’t get mentioned all that often, usually going by the name Christian progressive rock. This relatively obscure term first came into use in the mid-eighties, when prog legends Kansas went through their “preachy” phase and rubbed off on plenty of musically gifted countrymen. And Kansas are also, both lyrically and especially musically, the band you can easily call the main influence on this trio of religious zealots from Seattle, even though they don’t use violin in their music and pomp is relatively foreign to them.
Plenty of the arrangements on “This Good Place”, their third album so far, recall not just certain Kansas creations, but also modern Kansas offshoots like Native Window, some of the solo work by former Kansas guitarist Kerry Livgren, and even some of the output of his band Proto-Kaw. Among the other influences you can pick out Yes, Genesis and Marillion, the most common idols of all prog rock revivalists anyway. Over the course of their career, Ajalon have already worked a few times with established Christian prog rockers like Rick Wakeman, Neal Morse and Phil Keaggy. This time the guest is the excellent guitarist Paul Bielatowicz, whom most music gourmets remember best as a member of the Carl Palmer Band.
The first piece on the album, “Love Is a Dream”, is also the worst, since the band immediately dumps a needless gallon of stereotypical American schmaltz on the listener, the kind Neal Morse would probably approve of too, though he’d likely come up with somewhat better musical backing. More than the clichéd preachy lyrics, what bugs me is that it’s basically a sentimental ballad with more in common with pop than prog, built on a pretty saccharine, acoustically driven melody, while the only whiff of “intellect” comes from colorful symphonic prog rock keyboard arrangements, especially on Moog synth, straight out of the classic Genesis school. Another problem is that Will Henderson’s voice is generally pretty pathetic in tone, the sort you apparently need for delivering biblical messages, though luckily he’s often propped up by quality harmonies.
“Nickels and Dimes, Marbles and Stones” is a somewhat more interesting composition, although plenty of Spock’s Beard fans will notice way too many similarities to some pieces from that band’s legacy. All three members of Ajalon are excellent musicians, as proven by both the great solos and their knack for weaving beautiful, complex arrangements, but their compositions are packed with far too many prog revivalist elements we’ve heard a million times, which usually take up space that could have gone to more innovative ideas. The plus side of the album is mainly that it gets a little more interesting with every following track, but anyone expecting individual songs to lodge in their memory for long, despite the pleasant melodies and choruses, is in for a bitter disappointment.
“Not Man” sounds like something Genesis might have made in their closing era with Ray Wilson, in other words a neo prog rock cookie with commercial potential. The instrumental merry-go-round “Abstract Malady” showcases the solo chops of all three members as well as Bielatowicz, whose guitar antics prove over and over why Carl Palmer invited him into his crew. On “Lullaby of Bedlam” the band surprisingly dresses itself in darker sonic shades than the usual “ever-blooming flowers and sunshine under God’s sky”, serving up some obscure sounds on synths and guitar, while Henderson confirms that his vocals don’t always have to sound pathetic. A short bit of female vocals adds an interesting spice, and later on they even show off a few prog metal elements, mostly through a run of punchy guitar phrases.
Of course, like most modern neo prog rock projects, this one doesn’t get by without a long epic, which is only slightly shorter than the “standard” twenty minutes. I’m talking about the three-part suite “Redemption”, which is the best piece on the album thanks to its seriously varied arrangements, unexpected time-signature twists and complex solo spots, even though the vocals of guest singer Robyn Dawn, who shows up in the first part of the epic, are undoubtedly not for every taste. Naturally, this is also where you can spot the most Genesis, Yes and Marillion influences, though thankfully you can’t accuse them of copying specific arrangements, something far too many neo prog rock bands shamelessly do these days. The title track will probably appeal to most fans of Genesis with Phil Collins on lead vocals. Swap Henderson out for Collins and it could easily land on the Genesis album “And Then There Were Three”. Of course, the production would have to change too. In Ajalon’s case it’s generally very soft, almost silky, so that the listener doesn’t accidentally pick up any negative, possibly too rough atmospheric forces that might traumatically distance them from God’s presence.
“This Good Place” proves that Ajalon didn’t earn the attention of cult musicians like Rick Wakeman and Neal Morse for nothing, and that it wasn’t just the devout lyrics that did the trick, even though that element undoubtedly played a key role in helping them get noticed in a sea of stylistically similar bands. The album shows they’re fine musicians who clearly grew up on progressive rock and nurture a genuine love for it, though it’s still subordinate to their love for the “Lord”. Anyone who isn’t bothered by the pious lyrics and the classic doses of American schmaltz, meaning all fans of Neal Morse’s solo career, will more or less easily fall for this album. Otherwise, this release also proves that their music basically offers nothing particularly original or overly experimental, since it’s fully rooted in the tradition of melodic, symphonic prog rock, the kind that numerous American and Scandinavian (neo) prog rock outfits have tried to revive over the last twenty years.
Lineup
Wil Henderson – vocals
Randy George – guitar, bass guitar, keyboards
Dan Lile – drums and percussion
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Paul Bielatowicz – guitar
Robyn Dawn – vocals and backing vocals
Jonathan Sindleman – organ and synthesizer
Production
Randy George
Tracklist
1. Love Is A Dream (7:17)
2. Nickels and Dimes, Marbles and Stones (4:52)
3. Not Man (6:43)
4. Abstract Malady (6:44)
5. Lullaby of Bedlam (8:40)
6. Redemption (19:06)
7. This Good Place (6:10)
