Search - Presto Ballet :: Peace Among the Ruins

Metal Church guitarist goes progressive rock

Murat Batmaz | Istanbul, Turkey | 07/22/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Presto Ballet's Peace Among the Ruins strangely reminds me of one of my favourite bands Savatage. The name is similar to their Gutter Ballet album, whilst the title takes me back to Savatage's "Ghost in the Ruins" song on their Streets masterpiece. However, these similarities aside, Presto Ballet is a completely different entity. Put together by Metal Church guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, this record is his venture into 70's progressive rock with tons of analog keyboards, huge mellotron and Hammond organ sounds, 70's style drumming that focuses more on hands than feet and a great singer that will take you back to the glory days of Deep Purple mixed with Kansas, Yes, and Genesis.



The lineup on the album may not be the most well-known musicians, but they're no newcomers. Vocalist Scott Albright whose voice brings Dennis DeYoung from Styx to mind previously sang on Kurdt Vanderhoof's solo record while drummer Jeff Wade and bassist Brian Lake also have a touring history with Metal Church. On keyboards we have Brian Cokeley formerly of Earth, Quiet Riot and Vanilla Fudge fame. It's Cokeley who makes this disc so amazing actually. His retro sounds produced through his vast use of analog keys surround Vanderhoof's flowing guitar lines effectively providing the backbone of the music to a great extent. Most of the songs start off with slow, analog synths that are developed into energetic hard rock driven music thanks to a great singer and a powerful drum-bass combo. "Find the Time" has an amazing keyboard intro supported by an arpeggiated acoustic guitar melody and is eerily evocative of Yes' Close to the Edge era to these ears. Albright's vocals are at their emotional best as they soar over huge mellotron soundscapes.



Similarly, "Slave" continues to build on atmospheric mellotrons with a great guitar theme from Vanderhoof and possibly the most pounding bass section on the entire album. Brian Lake lays down a very impressive groove to this song. "Speed of Time" and the closing track "Bringin' It On" both have soft acoustic intros with great piano and synth passages again followed by some really heavy bass figures. "Speed of Time" is particularly to my liking as the song reminds me of Kansas in terms of its neat arrangement. Also note the magnificent drum solo that closes the track.



With all that said, the two most interesting cuts are the title song which is easily their most straightforward track - it's got a nice 70's vibe all over it and it's easy to notice that this is the band's nod to their 70's idols. On the other hand, the longest song "The Fringes" is also the most progressive and mindblowing piece on this disc. It's got everything you'd expect from a 70's-inspired prog rock band - analog keys with a very warm tone, super prog odd time signatures, a killer guitar solo from Vanderhoof that duels fiercely with Cokeley's keyboard run, and in closing, a nifty acoustic guitar that is so seamlessly hidden under a huge organ sound. Vanderhoof produced this record on his own and this song is proof that he's done a very good job. He also meant to revisit his past and pay tribute to his musical heroes, which he, without doubt, has achieved. Needless to say, a second Presto Ballet release would be more than welcome in the prog community."

A Masterpiece That Defies Genre!!

Kevin Hancock | Deer Park, TX. United States | 11/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Let's just put it this way: if you love good music, you have to get this cd!! There is not a weak cut on the entire cd. From the Deep Purple Burn-Era opener "Peace Among The Ruins" through the Zeppelinesque "Find The Time"(sounds eerily like 'No Quarter'), this album is without doubt one of the best releases of 2005! Kurdt Vanderhoof has really outdone himself this time. Here's hoping that this is not just a 'one off' project."

Hard rock prog that should be better known

Thomas K. Dye | Richmond, CA | 09/04/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Excellent album. Someone else described it as "Styx meets Deep Purple", with some psychedelia thrown in for good measure. It has powerful guitars, wailing Hammonds, nice artful arrangement touches, great vocals, and a wonderfully big production. I definitely recommend this to anyone who misses the art-acid rock sound of the seventies."