Album review: SALVA – Off The Deep End
White Knight Records [Release date 26.10.18]
Not another band pillaging the vaults of pioneer classic rock acts such as Genesis Yes, Genesis, Tull, Floyd, Sabbath, Purple and the like?
Yes, Swedish proggers Salva, are back with their ‘own’ brand of symphonic/crossover prog. It’s their fifth album and, to be fair, it’s a decent enough delivered. But it just doesn’t add a jot to the history of rock that hasn’t been played out many times before.
The opener ‘King Of Nothing’ is Within Temptation (admittedly without female vocals) with shades of early Genesis – tick. ‘Clarity I’ heads back to Cream/Sabbath territory (admittedly with some nice Hammond) – tick. ‘Skyclad’ harks back to early Genesis (albeit with some evocative lead guitar work). And ‘The Ghost Of Fives’ opens with a typically Floydian soundscape before seguing into a Tull pastiche with more Nursery Cryme-era Genesis thrown in for good measure.
But perhaps their biggest crime is that most tracks overstay their welcome. This could have been a much sharper album if each track wasn’t extended way beyond its purposeful lifespan with endlessly repeated riffs and refrains. Just because it’s ‘prog’ doesn’t mean you have to fill the whole 80 minutes CD capacity.
And as if to prove the point – the most bizarre of things – an AOR country, gospel infused ballad ‘Clarity IV’ is thrown in for good measure?!
So by the time the final 11 minute Genesis inspired symphonic ‘epic’ ‘Brickshort’ – a number almost too predictable to be true – arrived, I’d just about lost the will to live.
This week I reviewed (and listened to for perhaps the first time in my 60+ years) The Moody Blues In Search Of The Lost Chord (1968). And do you know what? It still sounded a) fresh and b) like no one other than The Moody Blues.
But as the twenty teens grind towards a slow close, it seems that ‘innovation’ is a word perhaps forever lost to rock. It’s enough to make you want to throw yourself ‘off the deep end’. **1/2
Review by Pete Whalley
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.
Next session: Sunday 1 December
Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio
David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 20 October 2024.
UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 22 October 2024.
How to Listen Live?
Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)
Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”
Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.
More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com
Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024
ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
RIOGHAN Hands (Inverse Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)
Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)
PDF - you can delete unwanted sections