This is my first experience of Pravda, although this is their fourth full-length album and was released in 2012. At the time they were just a trio, and all three of them supply vocals with harmonies being an important part of their style. In fact, there are times when they remind me of classic Gentle Giant, although the music itself is not nearly as complex as that of the classic Seventies act. The more I worked my way through the album I felt that they have possibly been inspired more by Spock’s Beard, who of course were inspired by GG, as there is quite a lot within their music that could sit within the more melodic, and less overtly progressive, of that band’s music. As I started listening to this I was trying to decide in my mind of that was a five star album or a four star, so I was somewhat surprised to discover that the more I played it the less I actually liked it. There are loads of great sections on this album, and the vocals are really good, while musically they are all on the top of their game, but there is something about this that just really doesn’t do it for me and for the life of me I can’t work out why. Each time I play it I find myself doubting my own views as I really enjoy it but the more I get through the more I feel that I really want to be playing something else. That’s just not the normal reaction for me on any album.
Melodic, symphonic, very American but with some British influences, this is a prog band that sometimes veers into the prog metal territory without fully being a prog metal act. They have some wonderful songs, some great vocals, but to my ears they might have been better off using an external producer as some songs such as “Second Hand” could have done with some judicious editing. They are worth hearing, but this album just doesn’t really do it for me, although I feel that it should.
