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Alta Forma — Spatium & Tempus
(Burning Shed TM20221A, 2022, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2024-07-04

Spatium & Tempus Cover art

Over the years, we’ve become acquainted with the music of Canadian bassist Antoine Fafard, first with Spaced Out, then on solo albums and collaborations with Gavin Harrison. One thing they’ve all had in common is that they are instrumental music, combinations of rock and electric jazz packed full of instrumental fireworks. Alta Forma, on the other hand, is a progressive rock band with vocals. Fafard covers basses and guitars, and he’s joined by Todd Sucherman (drums, percussion) and JK Harrison (vocals, keyboards). Sucherman is an experienced studio musician who’s been playing with Styx since the late 90s; his other credits include work with John Wetton, Michael Bolton, Peter Cetera, Brian Wilson, and many more. Harrison has worked with Sucherman for a long time, though his recorded credits are fewer. Taking cues from classic progressive bands like Yes, UK, and Rush along with sophisticated groups like The Police and Steely Dan which are outside the genre but created sophisticated music, Fafard and company have produced a debut album that bristles with skill and energy. Harrison’s voice is expressive and pleasant, and he nails the melodies quite effectively. The arrangements mostly use keyboards as supporting rather than leading players. Sucherman’s drumming is outstanding, balancing power and subtlety, and the tricky rhythms on tracks like “Invisible Time” are quite impressive. And while flashy bass playing isn’t the primary focus of the album, there are certainly moments when Fafard rips off a solo or fill that will leave your jaw hanging slack. His guitar work — both electric and acoustic — is quite good as well. Spatium & Tempus is a superb album that has much to offer for fans of melodic progressive rock that has guts without leaning into metal. The Pineapple Thief is an excellent reference point.

Filed under: New releases, 2022 releases

Related artist(s): Antoine Fafard / Alta Forma

More info
http://antoinefafard.bandcamp.com/album/spatium-tempus

 

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