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Classic Rock magazine (September 2007) Blacklight, the epic 20-minute opening track, is full of chunky, chiming Alex Lifeson guitar and high-falutin' Neil Peart-style lyrics... Yet it's on the title tune where this Carmarthen combo really show their metal... It's a powerful, complex piece of work that's right up with the best of Brave-era Marillion. *******/10 Geoff Barton
Classic Rock Society (June/July 2007) ...there is a nice variance of pace throughout especially on the lengthy opener Blacklight and the epic title track that clocks in at almost twenty minutes...The vocals (and guitar) of Nick James bring much to the table as Matt Clarke (bass) and Donal Owen (drums) unite to make 25 Yard Screamer a certain one to watch...Martin Hudson
The instrumental passages remind me of Rush, while the vocal tracks are more reminiscent of Marillion... Not bad at all...
When the four-track is not a
technology but a way to the highest wisdom... With only four pieces lasting almost an hour, the album might feel a hard stick to swallow, and the music is heavy indeed, but with a silver lining to Nick James' guitar and out-there extravaganza of radio transmissions, Donal Owen's imaginative drumming and Matt Clarke's meaty bass the most tranquil instrument in the opener "Blacklight", there's hardly a boring moment. Not the same with "Cassandra" which would occupy the whole side of the record had it been out on vinyl: there's much going on in this epic that's highly enjoyable even with too saccharine a voice amidst the edgy riffing and smooth gliding over the strings. A bit more of their own identity, and the band's fate will be brighter than the titular lady used to predict. For now, the IQ fans should apply.(3½/5)
The 3rd release of 25 Yard Screamer (not counting the demo EP) is a mature work of the highest quality. The band openly acknowledge their influences and have the chops to deliver on them - a vocal direction similar to post-Fish Marillion and an instrumental style influenced by Rush. Mixed in with this and not to be overlooked is the band's ability to generate an underlying rock power as do bands like Tool and Pain of Salvation. In fact, fans of all 4 of the mentioned bands would find much to like here. Nick James is a powerful and effective vocalist and the trio are more than
skilled on their individual instruments. The songwriting both musically and
lyrically is very strong. Cassandra does not sound as though it comes from a
guitar/bass/drum trio who made and produced this recording from their home.
Sandwiched between are Insomnia, at under 5 minutes is a dreamy track that
totally suggests the later directions of Marillion. The third track, Boy In
The Window which clocks in under 4 minutes a more straight forward modern
rock song. There are some suggestions of The Who as well as U2 in this track
and plenty of melodic-rock hooks.. I do not think Cassandra is going to be the best CD 25 Yard Screamer ever release but with this CD, the water is fine and it is the perfect time for the wider prog audience to jump on in. This album has a definite slot on my 'Best of 2007' list. Doug Silver
25 Yard Screamer is a band from Southern Wales that certainly knows what they want. They've been playing together since 2002 and have evolved into a tightly meshed band. They make progressive music comparable to Rush and a present day Marillion. This third album, 'Cassandra', contains only 4 songs. However, the CD lasts almost one hour, with the title track lasting just under 30 minutes. The opening track, 'Blacklight', (my favourite song) is a 20 minute long song that takes you on a parade full of musical adventures. The song contains so many compositional elements that every progressive rock lover will be dying to see them live at work. The three band members are very musically and technically gifted and Nick Jones is an extremely strong singer. The instrumental parts resemble Rush and the sublime singing parts are most comparable to modern day Marillion. Of the two shorter songs, 'Boy in the Window' is the most interesting because it also shows some U2 influences. 'Insommia' is an honest song that's similar to the average Marillion song. The title track, 'Cassandra', is derived from a Greek
myth about someone who has the gift to predict the future but no one
believed him. This myth is used as an undertone to tell the disaster story
of 9-11. The music changes between rock and mellower passages but, on a
whole, it answers to the description of what progressive rock is all about.
It's only after several listening sessions that 'Cassandra' divulges her
secrets. |