Friday, April 17, 2015

CD review: OCEANS OF NIGHT Midnight Rising by Teresa Clayton

OCEANS OF NIGHT
Midnight Rising
Allaroundniceguy Music

Midnight Rising, Oceans Of Night's fourth album, is refreshingly timeless, retrospective of the sounds of ELP, Yes, Uriah Heep, et al. A splendid blend of rock and trippy' ambience, along with a beautiful golden thread of synthesizer tying it all together. 
The guitar rifts are magnificent and reminiscent of some of the biggest names in rock (did I hear hints of David Gilmour?). Scott Mosher gives a perfectly executed performance throughout the album, leaving no doubt to his incredible talent. Mosher does a fine job of coming to the front with a wall of sound that never overpowers the pitch-perfect surreal vocals of Scott Olivia. To maximize the adventure of this rock/electronic/ambient/ethereal journey is the driving rhythms of Alan Smithee on drums and percussion.
As a writer/lyricist, I listen to the words and the way they are expressed within the melody and emphasized within the harmonies. As the author of their own stories, these musician/lyricists let go of conventional school-book rhymes and paint the canvas of the cerebral cortex with colorful metaphors and subliminal textures.
I am excited about this band. I look forward to hearing more from them and highly recommend sitting down and losing yourself in midnight’s rising. -Teresa Clayton