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Reviews

Imanissimo — Z's Diary
(PRS Records 51943323, 2004, CD)

by Mac Beaulieu, Published 2006-05-01

Z's Diary Cover art

Imanissimo clearly relishes in the progressive rock zeitgeist, with their website’s numerous references to “prog” and their prideful boast of their 2005 AMI award (don’t ask: I don’t know either) in the Best Progressive Rock Production category. The life of “Captain Z” is the subject of this largely instrumental disc, which takes the listener on a lengthy dynamic journey in four movements. Their field of operation is in the symphonic realm, using extended, well meditated arrangements and occasionally applying some metallic maneuvers to help create power and tension. Long periods of ever-changing musical explorations, some of it seemingly aimless and some with a clear purpose, lead to satisfying, melodic reprieves and crescendos where the guitarist takes a particularly lyrical voice. The keyboardist uses a Roland XP80 to pad out the sonic palette with gobs of modern sounds and a few basic ones like piano and organ as well. The music runs the gamut from the delicate to the bombastic, and it isn’t left wanting at all in the production department, which is headed by Andy Julias from the Indonesian Progressive Society, who also produced fellow countrymen Discus’ last album. However, the band would have been better served if its engineer had used a bit of restraint on the gain. Very few vocal and instrumental cultural cues are to be found, which was a slight disappointment, but modern symph enthusiasts should find plenty to sink their teeth into.

Filed under: New releases, Issue 33, 2004 releases

Related artist(s): Imanissimo

 

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