Band : Siena Root

Album Title : Far From The Sun

Label : Transubstans /Record Heaven

Distributor : Clearspot

Release Date : April 2008

Review : CD  

Our Swedish friends, after last year's appearance (10 year anniversary of Orange Factory) in my favorite venue JC Sojo in Leuven , and their last very good album Kaleidoscope, return with a third full length and finds the band using a different vocalist than Susan , who sung on the previous album. Sartez , who is responsible for the vocals, has a clean, soulful voice that seems to be made to fit with the music on this album. Although I'm addicted to shy, lovely and swirling Susan, I must say that Sartez ' voice really suits the music on this album more that any other vocalist I can imagine. They have typical 70's hard and blues rock influences and they deliver it all with a certain joie de vivre-edge that makes it all worthwhile.

Sometimes, the band is slightly moving away from their Hendrix-Purple-Captain Beyond orientated sound into the mesmerizing valleys of progressive rock, without becoming a progressive group. Especially the songs with additional flute emphasizes this impression, and I like this variety a lot. It's very difficult to pick out this or that track, because there's no real filler on it, though tracks as ”Waiting for the sun” with sitar or hardrocker “Time will tell” are sticking like glue in my head, since I've received the CD. Far From The Sun contains a pure and honest organic sound that is almost instantly addictive. ”Almost there” and “The summer is old” demonstrates the group's ability to write very strong vocal-melodies combined with lengthy and beautiful instrumental-passages. The last songs “Long way from home” and instrumental “The break of dawn” are among Siena 's finest tracks with beautiful melodies and tasty hammond - and flute-arrangements. The both have also a clear baroque fusion influence that work absolutely excellent.

The whole album reveals itself as a masterful work after repeated listens. Together with QOPH, Opeth and Anekdoten , Siena Root are my favourite band from Sweden at this moment. Far From The Sun has been released through Transubstans Records and for the last news, go to the Siena Root homepage..

95/100

Cosmicmasseur.