Artist description A fusion of ideas from multiple genres: including Metal, Jazz, Classical, and other Ethnic blends. This band is not one man's playground, but rather a combination of all the artists involved.

Music Style Progressive/Metal

Musical Influences Dream Theater, Iron Maiden, Savatage, Kansas, Rush, Yes, Pink Floyd

Similar Artists Iron Maiden, Fates Warning, Kansas, Savatage, Rush

Artist History The band was formed in 1996 after several other combinations of these same members in other bands. The founding members are Chris Benner, Jim Harker, Jim McAnally/Bass, and Jeff Olson/Guitar. We spent about a year and a half writing original material and displaying our talents at local open mic nites. We decided to record the music on Jeff's computer. This didn't work out as planned, but Mike Hall(the mastermind behind Angelkill) offered to let us record at his home studio. We spent 6 months recording the album and then Jeff Olson started to lose interest in the band and left before we started mastering and editing the CD. At this point we brought in Darin Sutton, the current guitar player. We redid the vocals, and redid some of the guitar parts that were not up to par, as well as the editing, mixing, and mastering. The entire process took over another year to complete. We have played out as the current line-up from August of 99 to the present promoting this CD and newer material written with Darin Sutton.

Group Members Chris Benner- '96 to the presentJim Harker- '96 to the presentDarin Sutton- '98 to the presentDave Bielunski - '99 - Present

Instruments Chris Benner- Keyboards/Vocals, Jim Harker- Drums/Vocals, Darin Sutton- Guitar/Vocals

Albums Close Your Eyes and You're There- and soon to come out- Renovations of the Soul(working title)!!

Press Reviews Progression Magazine (issue #33)- Midwest-based Listen challenges us from the outset with some oddly phrased vocals and vocal choruses amidst torrential metallic mayhem that initially sounds chaotic and disjointed. But as the name suggests, stick with 'em a while -- some truly neat ideas are coming 'round the bend: a Spanish guitar interlude here, some inspired piano there, symphonic embellishments galore. And that's just the first cut! [Methuselah's Children-album version] Much of Close Your Eyes and You're There follows a similar tack. The compositions have a sort of ragged, willy-nilly quality that suddenly falls into place with startling power and clarity, then crumbles again only to coalesce and kick your ass. A lot this has me imagining vintage Uriah Heep mixed with Fates Warning -- all with more overt progressive intentions. There's an almost schizophrenic, "savant"-like quality to this album that intrigues me: five guys doing the indie prog thing with unbridled enthusiasm, great ability ... and meandering focus. Some of this is truly shabby; much of it is truly brilliant. Listen seems to shine best when dropping the vocals and plunging headlong into the instrumantal chase. I really liked the 22-minute "lifecycles -- Symphony # 1," which gallops through myriad symphonic changeups with bona fide melodies emerging here and there. Overall a strangely satisfying, rough-hewn album -- one I quite enjoyed despite the myriad flaws. An imperfect diamond worth polishing in your CD player. --- John Collinge Editor

Additional Info new music and new cd coming soon!

Location Rock Island, Illinois - USA

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