Search - Phenomena :: Psycho Fantasy

Almost as good as the first

Ryan Seek | Maricopa, AZ United States | 03/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After a decade and a half of silence, composer Tom Galley magically returns with the fourth installment of his Phenomena project. Phenomena was the first "supergroup" I can think of, debuting in 1985 with Tom's brother Mel (Whitesnake/Trapeze) on guitars, the legendary Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple/ HTP/ Trapeze) on vocals, Don Airy on keyboards and the stellar rhythm section duo of Neil Murray (bass) and the late Cozy Powell (drums). That first album is perched upon a gold pedastal in my Hallowed Hall of Fame and I still listen to it regularly 20 years later.



Tom, Mel, and Glenn all return for Psycho Fantasy in 2006, with Hughes sharing vocal duties with 80s Black Sabbath singer Tony Martin and Keith Murrell, formerly of Mama's Boys, and JJ Marsh (HTP/ Glenn Hughes solo albums) also on guitar. Personally, I thought I had heard the last of Phenomena a decade ago, so this release was a nice surpise.



Psycho Fantasy is a nice mix of progressive AOR, hard rock and heavy metal, with a wide sampling of other influences thrown in. There is a symphony backing in parts, and sometimes the strings are oddly mixed with strange genre shifts. Tony Martin slays like he did on the 80s Sabbath albums, he is feature vocalist on the heavy songs of this album along with Keith Murrell. Glenn Hughes proves once again that he is the voice of rock, blending aggressive and demure emotions at the drop of a hat. He handles most of the softer duty.



I'd like to offer comparisons for this review, but Phenomena pretty much stands on it's own. It has a wide range of influences but the end product can't be said to "sound like band x". If you're familiar with Phenomena, I highly recommend this album as a follow-up to the debut album. The second and third Phenomena ablums were okay, but failed to come anywhere near the brilliance of the original. This album comes close, but still plays second fiddle to my sentimental value for the 1985 album and all the memories that come with it.



I'm not sure if or where this album is going to end up on my top-10 of 2006, but ten or so listens in it has already logged an 8.5 of 10 stars just for songwriting creativity and variety (only thing left is longevity). You certainly can't accuse the songs on Psycho Fantasy of sounding the same. The downside to that is you can't please everyone completely; some songs just aren't going to get it done for every ear listening. To me, that's part of the appeal. But I expect it to get some negative reviews based on a few songs, according to the opinion of the ear hearing it.



Highly recommended for fans of Gary Hughes - Once and Future King, Missa Mercuria, Nikolo Kotzev - Nostradamus, and similar concept albums with many guest musicians."

Solid comeback album with a stellar lineup

Murat Batmaz | Istanbul, Turkey | 07/20/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The history of Phenomena, the brainchild of Tom Galley, dates back to 1983, when Tom Galley hooked up with his brother Mel Galley of Trapeze and later Whitesnake fame, bringing in some of rock's most respected for his three-piece concept trilogy. Artists such as Glenn Hughes, Cozy Powell, Neil Murray, Don Airey, Ray Gillen, Brian May, and John Wetton were only some of the musicians that contributed to the albums.



Now, fifteen years after the last Phenomena album, Phenomena III - Inner Visions, Tom Galley returns with his fourth album. He is the main songwriter and producer of the disc, but chose not to perform on the CD. Rather, he invited his old friends, Glenn Hughes, Tony Marin, Keith Murrell, Lee Small, Matt Moreton, Joy Strachan as the vocalists; Mel Galley, Andy Shortland, and J.J. Marsh (Glenn Hughes Band, Tomas Bodin) on guitars; Richard Lynn on bass; Orlin Radinsky on drums; and last but not least Ian Rowlands and Tom Brown on keyboards. Sort of a like British version of Arjen Lucassen's Ayreon, Phenomena's new output proves to be a darker and more experimental work than its earlier hard rock-based versions. Galley has incorporated lots of electronic keyboard patches, folk elements, and vocalists with varied singing styles. The result is both a heavy, rocking album with numbers like "Sunrise" and "Higher"; as well as more textured cuts that have aggressive vocals duelling with multiple vocal harmonies on "Killing for the Thrill". Songs like "So Near So Far" and "60 Seconds", on the other hand, project a more progressive sound, combining subtle keys with slow melodies on the former; and electronic beats and acoustic guitars supplementing beautiful female vocals on the latter. "Crazy Grooves" will no doubt be a shock to the typical rock fan in that it is infinitely layered, featuring many vocals, and a thick groove beneath it.



With that said, some of the songs do fall short in the instrumental department. While JJ Marsh and Mel Galley are without doubt amazing players, I feel Tom Galley's writing is more focused on emphasizing Hughes and Martins' vocal melodies with the other singers backing them up. The addition of keyboards has surely broadened the songs, but a bit more guitar work would have pushed the envelope further. The guitarists mostly lay down their trademark blues licks in most places, but how well it merges with the more modern-sounding, rhythm-driven cuts such as "How Do You Feel" and "Keep On Running" is uncertain. These songs boast great keyboard passages and excellent vocal melodies, but the guitars are so far in the mix that they are almost nonexistent.



Still, Psycho Fantasy is recommended to fans of hard rock. This is worth checking out for the singers' performance alone, and the production is amazing too.

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Tracklisting- Sunrise . Keep On Running . Killing for the Thrill . So Near So Far . Chemical High . Higher . 60 Seconds . Crazy Grooves . How Do You Feel . All That I Need . God Gives"