Review Summary: Angel Vivaldi should be considered a virtuoso in this genre where progressive bands appear by the flock. Understand he does not fit in that category, but one much better.
Let me just start by saying
Angel Vivaldi is a very talented progressive musician, with some of the most insane guitar work I've heard since
Within the Ruins released
Invade. Angel Vivaldi has no vocalist - just a bassist, rhythm guitarist, himself, and a drummer.
You must come into this review knowing Angel is NOT like every other progressive band or artist out there. With one listen of
Universal Language, you understand that he has crafted a mini-masterpiece, and that he takes his song writing very seriously.
While the EP is only four songs long (one for each season of the year, which kind of adds to the appeal), every song brings it's own to the table.
"A Venutian Spring" starts out with a synth keyboard intro, then leads to some pretty catchy riffing, then into some unmistakable solos. This is only a small showcase of his work.
"A Mercurian Summer" is by far my favorite on the album, and for good reason. It begins with a short but sweet tapping section, and proceeds to some awesome shredding, then to some staccato sections with keys in the background. It just makes for such a progressive, yet ambient sound. Some parts will remind fans of
Born of Osiris's The Discovery. This is definitely the highlight song of the EP.
"An Erisian Autumn" begins with some juxtaposition of the guitar, but it's a very aggressive and solid introduction. Throughout the entire song, he does not stop to rest on the fretboard. You will hear nothing-short-of-amazing guitar work, and some of the most memorable solos you'll hear this year. This one is definitely meant for showcasing his absolutely incredible skills.
"A Martian Winter" creates a backdrop of something epic (it's subjective, let your mind decide when you hear it). Either way, you just feel like something big is about to happen. This one seems more of a crowd pleaser song for shows, but it makes for a great finisher on the album, with a nice tapping/sweeping fade out to put it to rest.
The additional members of the band seem pretty transparent. The drums never stray too far from Angel's guitar work, but there are some great drum fills and fast double-kick throughout the EP. The bass is actually audible if you pay attention, but again everyone follows the lead of Angel's shredding.
Overall, this album has a great replay value, and should be a force to be reckoned with. I find that I'll probably be having this on repeat for the next couple days to just let it sink in. I recommend any fan of progressive music to check this very talented musician out. If his EP sounds so great, I'm actually scared to hear a full-length.
