Furthermore, high level, but with a few flaws!

Their debut, "Flying Colors" ran and runs with me up and down. What I loved this album: Prog -and- Blues veterans (Steve / Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Dave LaRue) join forces and create with the rather unknown singer Casey McPherson, an interesting mix of different areas of the rock. But was waived in the debut on too rampant detour into prog climes. The songs were self-sufficient, which they indeed partly to AOR (Adult Oriented Rock) was sound, but the big picture was a superbly entertaining affair.

SECOND NATURE:

I was curious how a steak after I found out that would make the band to work for the "difficult" second album. Granted: When old-timers like Portnoy, LaRue and the two Morse guys can actually be sure that it does not detract from the quality. Even "youngest" Casey McPherson knows how to please as a singer: With its interesting voice that sometimes fragile, then sending you energetic sounds, he can score again. But I noticed at the first listening test, which is the Prog-share much more pronounced on this sequel. It's not like when I was an absolute opponent of this style. Especially Pink Floyd, Genesis and partly also the music of bands like King Crimson, the early Yes or Portnoy Ex-Dream Theater ("Images and Words") prepare thoroughly delight me. What I do so refreshingly different place on the debut of Flying Colors, was the almost complete absence of all the extravagant Gegniedel. I'm just a fan of music, which is limited mainly to the 'classic' Song. In this respect also for me a lot to offer "Second Nature" ...

"Mask Machine", "Bombs Away" and "A Place In Your World" would have Sound-wise also made good on its predecessor. Here is what distinguishes this band for me: Homogeneous music, although sometimes very playful comes, however, in favor of the songs on the essentials focused without getting lost in minute-long instrumental passages. Despite enormous length, convince me but also the opening track, "Open Up Your Eyes", as well as the outstanding finale with "Cosmic Symphony". Especially this final is a true listening pleasure, for he is despite various set pieces of different handwriting self-contained and distinct in this way, the hardest hit by the pieces, for which I give the album include "only" 3 stars.

"One Love Forever" and "Peaceful Harbor" are overkill in my ears. Here the boys lose too much in one direction, which could be described by the often quoted "Gegniedel" best. The actual song is the band in these cases is not enough. In "One Love Forever" of the Prog-share has indeed turned out pretty low to the outro, but I find him a little pathetic and sweet. In "Peaceful Harbor" on the other hand, seems much inflated like a balloon. After quite stimmigem beginning, the song will be getting bigger and bigger. Unfortunately the band but then forget in time purely clear the node. Finally you slipping the balloon and makes his escape. So I would describe most likely how the piece affects me. I do not know if it with a sentence like: is "less is more sometimes is" done - but I'll try ;-)

In addition to these songs, however, there is something else that bothers me: Overall I lack in "Second Nature" simply beautiful melodies and relaxed that loose feeling from the debut. Apart from the aforementioned exceptions, most songs are unfortunately therefore quite bombastic and overloaded. From the "lightness" of the predecessor is here only little trace because for the melodies and structures are often "difficult" to and sticky. I would refer at this point in time "Fool In My Heart" and "Love Is What I'm Waiting For" from Debut: Both songs indeed had quite a bit kitschy touch, but it is for me charming pop songs with stunning rock painting. By contrast, we find on the current disc to a song like "Peaceful Harbor", which acts just bombastic and cumbersome for the most part ...

Another rebuke gets -bzw album for production. mastering. The DR value of this disc is a 7th rock productions, especially one like this, but should have values ​​of 12-15, so that all the facets that just here come to fruition, to be heard. However, the mix sounds muddy unfortunately similar as its predecessor. What good please all the oomph of Portnoy's bass drum when overloaded together with LaRue's great bass lines the rest of the music? The mix is ​​very simple undifferentiated and can only imagine how amazing the sound could have been if he had not been totkomprimiert again. Especially with the wonderful longtracks the sound suffers from the poor mastering :-( Artisan's "Second Nature" on the other hand, of course, again top notch. Not for nothing is this supergroup made up of members belonging to absolute experts in their field for decades.

CONCLUSION:

Prog fans who probably blamed the debut a bit too tame and poppy, the successor should have less to worry about. Second Nature is much more towards Prog traveling, as it is dear to me personally. To be fair, one should remember that it can not please everyone, the band. I note however that was just, moved those PopNote, which made their debut consistently exciting and exhilarating in favor of partly sprawling pieces in the background. Fun the guys even on their new album, but the essence of why Flying Colors was founded, is to "Second Nature" is not nearly as much to the fore when as happened in the debut. However, I would call her second disc as worth listening. A 3-star rating (not bad), she has definitely earned!