divorced land reviews

thanks to all the kind reviewers who took their time to listen to and appreciate our music!

With the wealth of progressive rock releases available these days it’s exciting to hear the wide variety of music being created and more to the point the maturity of many of the new bands, who’ve honed their sound and chops by playing live. Such is the case with the band Scythe.

Originally formed in 1994 under the name Powds Con Fusion they gigged for three years developing their own progressive rock style. The band eventually came to be Udo Gerhards (keyboards), Ingo Roden (bass), Thomas Thielen (vocals, guitars), and Martin Walter (drums). Scythe’s first demo recording was released in 1999 and this was followed by further live performances and eventually in 2000 they recorded their first official CD containing re-workings of a few songs off the original demo and plenty of new material.

The first track "Outro" begins with a soft piano and then evolves into a rolling minor key affair that builds in momentum with the addition of the rumbling bass. Throughout the CD Scythe demonstrate they’re not afraid to take the time to develop musical themes. Nor is their symphonic prog style overly aggressive. The guitar crunches once in a while but is more likely to be used in conjunction with the other instruments building on repetitive themes throughout the compositions. The keyboards, guitars and bass are all blended together in a musical tapestry with each getting a share of the spotlight. All is in balance.

Track #2 entitled "Am I Really Here" displays an interesting vocal interplay, with the vocal lines being traded back and forth in a composition that features a tentative melody on the verses, which then break into the major chord chorus. Talk about nice expectation and resolution.

Track #4, "One Step Further" the longest at just over 14 minutes features an intoxicating melody and chorus. It features a lilting, light style that is found only too rarely in today’s overly aggressive prog scene. The track then transforms and builds in intensity. It’s a welcome sound.

Scythe even display their jazz musicianship in the next track "The Weight of the Wind" where the members get involved in a busy jamming jazz combo fashion, which then over the nine minutes evolves into classic symphonic prog with a larger than life ending!

Overall Divorced Land is a great record. Solid compositions, musicianship and a vocal style that is soft, almost plaintive and very captivating. Yet another quality progressive rock release from the Galileo label.

(Jerry Lucky: Ghostland)

top

Scythe is a band hailing from Germany, and a most interesting at that! Divorced Land is a virtual trip through moody landscapes that almost defies comparison. I hear shades of many progressive bands on this recording, fom ealry Genesis, Yes, King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, through modern rock bands like Nine Inch Nail s and maybe even a bit of Beck. There also is no doubt that he music on this album is heavily influenced by jazz. Check out "Run" as a prime example. Excellent stuff!

One thing that should be mentioned here is the packaging. The CD booklet contains an interesting array of commentary from the band itself on the songs and their origins. An overall excellent album. I hear that Scythe has another album or two out there somewhere on another label. I'm going to track them down.

(Rowen Poole: Progression Magazine, Issue 39)

top

Scythe are a progressive rock band from Germany. The personnel include Udo Gerhards on keyboards, Ingo Roden on bass, Thomas Thielen on guitars/vocals and Martin Walter on drums. After previously releasing a demo followed by an official bootleg in 1999, Scythe released Divorced Land their first full length album. The term full length is not used lightly here. At 73:57 long, there is plenty of ground to explore on this excellent release.

The cover art is quite interesting. It consists of many snapshots of the interiors of various rooms in an empty house. It seems they were taken late in the day given the way the sunshine is coming through the windows. Dead plants, an empty fridge, piles of household debris here and there. It seems as if this may have been the site of a recent relationship split? Maybe a divorce? The CD insert contains all the song lyrics and the liner notes are extensive (something I appreciate very much). Members of the band have also included comments written about each song on the album. Getting that little bit of insight about the tracks and band members makes it that much more interesting. They've also included a humorous (or is it serious?) suggestion in the way you listen to this particular release.

What is found on this album is not background music by any means. It demands your attention and maybe even more than two or three listenings. The return you get for your attention and time spent though, is very rewarding. On each successive listen, I've heard something new and amazing that slipped by me on the previous listen. On the other hand, this may be a drawback for the music too. Because while I think prog fans will love this album, I don't think it will fare well in drawing new fans into the prog genre. Scythe's music is very atmospheric and complex, yet accessible to those who lend it their ears. When I listen to this album, the musical influences are underlyingly obvious yet these subtle hints of influence vary with each song. This integrated with Scythe's individual style gives them a very unconventional, yet uniquely different sound.

Divorced Land is a great album. It is sonically inventive, imaginative and one of the most interesting new progressive releases I've heard in a while. It is overflowing with great musicianship, great writing and poignant, insightful lyrics that are delivered to you with great power and heart. Check it out.

Stand out tracks for me include: "Outro..." (which starts the album, oddly enough. Sort of like the tremors before an earthquake), "One Step Further", "The Weight of the Wind" (fantastic vocals on this one), "Run" & "Denied"

Happy listening.

(!rKu$: Progressive Ears)

top

Divorced Land is Scythe's first full length album release following a demo recording and an "official bootleg" recorded in 1999. This relatively new German band is a four-piece g/k/b/d-outfit that plays a complex meter brand of neo-prog. There are about six measures of 4/4 time on the whole CD! It seems like these guys play in about every time signature besides that though. The CD closes with a 16-minute tune that doesn't have a single measure of 4/4! Vocalist Thomas Thielen sounds like he's trying to emulte Steve Hogarth, such as on the vocal intro to the albums closer "Denied". He pushes the upper limits of his range a lot and it's really obvious when he exceeds it; like the loud parts of "Am I Really Here?" When he's in his comfort zone though, he doesn't sound too bad. The alternating loud an soft passages are reminiscent of early Marillion; at times heavy and fast and then later serene and slow. There are some cool instrumental parts on the album the guitar/keyboard-led section early in "One Step Further", much of "Denied" and the short track "Naivety" are memorable standouts. The booklet that accompanies the CD is a novel. In addition to the standard typical line-up info, band thanks and contact info,there's every band members opinions of each of the songs on the album. At the risk of repeating myself, think Marillion with lots of changing time signatures and you're in the neighborhood of Scythe.

(Mike Grimes: Expose Magazine, No.22, Juli 2001)

top

A band that starts its debut album with an outro certainly deserves a close inspection. From the opening chords of "Outro - A Striving After Wind" it becomes clear that melody will play a very important role in this dramatic music. The dark atmosphere of "Am I Really Here?" contains more Happy The Man references than the obvious Genesis comparison. With vocals backed by piano and guitar outbursts emphasizing the lyrical content, of course the name Genesis will be an obvious choice, especially as most of the keyboard parts will clearly wear the Tony Banks trademark. Foremost it’s a track that contains loads of unpredictable mood changes which, to me, is one of the main attractions within the genre.

Instead of going for the logical Genesis clone treatment, the band tries to sound as contemporary as can be. Hence the inclusion of "Faded," a song based on interaction between bass and drums, almost resulting in alternative reggae. The modern-prog approach continues throughout "One Step Further" which contains some indie influences and plenty of time signature changes, even incorporating polka drenched in Wakeman-like layers of synth. The only bit of criticism here might be the uncertain sounding vocals towards the 10-minute mark. Imagine Trespass-era Genesis treated the new millennium way and you get close to what’s on offer during "The Weight Of The Wind." Especially the organ sound is very reminiscent of Banks, whilst the guitar is very much Hackett all over. But then some jazzy piano starts confusing us all, taking the song into a different direction altogether.

The bass is played in true Tony Levin fashion (thus with wooden sticks on the fingers), during the menacingly creepy atmosphere of "Discussed," a song which follows a very repetitive pattern whilst the vocals are almost church-like in the beginning. With a train sample used as rhythm, "Naivety" is a rather solemn sounding instrumental followed in its footsteps by the speedy "Run." Here the bass plays a very important role, almost becoming like a heartbeat, whilst the rest of the instruments kind of improvise in order to deliver the lava from their musical volcano. The electronic piano then introduces some jazzy material to the song before ending in "Riders On The Storm" fashion, whilst another explosion of sound makes way for yet another change. The album closes with "Denied," one of the most recent Scythe compositions and one which holds new elements such as acoustic guitar and full orchestration. Again, lots of nice melodies keep this lengthy track together, such as the fragile singing in the beginning of the song. Plenty of subtle piano fills also underline the classical influences, but once the organ is introduced, Belgian band Isopoda comes to the fore. It is one of the strongest pieces on the album and certainly marks a direction Scythe should continue following as it contains enough options to make new material sound very interesting.

Instead of falling into the trap of either neo-prog or becoming a clone, Scythe has opted for a younger approach using well known themes but abandoning them in time before it starts sounding too cliché. The result is a fresh album showing the great skills of this quartet including a great talent for composition. No doubt we’ll hear more of these guys, but may I suggest they look for another sleeve designer as this one really sucks and in no way illustrates the musical content. Or was this the idea all along, gentlemen?

(John "Bo Bo" Bollenberg: Progressive World)

top

i applaud, too, and join in to saying "especially good". you absolutely have to buy this. very good compositions that are variable and never boring. the main point here is that all weird times are played and there is rarely a 4/4 on the whole record.

the tracks are very atmospheric, e.g. the beginnig of OSF. wonderful shades, tender string work from bass and guitar, deep drum beats, and these are the divine about the part. the piece then enters a rocking middle part, then a brand x-like part. and as i am already referring to other bands, i have to think of IQ time and time again, it s not only the compositions, you can also compare the voices. not always really correct intonation-wise, very fragile, very expressive and matching the music. i always like Peter Nicholls, and, on the contrary, i do find t's vocals very interestig, even though i am not always sure where the border between fragile genius and voice-ends is - but as always genius and craziness are two sides of the same story. from 5.35 on there s a short polka-interlude, then a keyboard-solo at the end of this track there are IQ-reminiscences again, at the end there s a polyphone vocal arrangement which was the best idea of the album.

a short comment to the first three tracks: O:ASaW is very atmospheric, AIRH has a surreal touch [thanx! the first to notice - t], not least the title and how it is sung, F is a nice drum/bass-duo.

i like the middle section of TWotW most, a wonderfully relaxed keyboard, the climax of the different parts, expressive vocals again. A is a IQesque mellotron-piano instrumental. D is as atmospheric as OSF, although this track is a good example of how the vocals move on the border. here they are too much front row and too high. N is superfluous [ARGH! - t]

the second piece of genius is R. cool groove, the voice is very good in the high notes, too, and is very nice in the narrative, deeper parts. very much tension to be found in the spartanical instrumental part (2.40) with its hypnotical bass line. wonderful longing from the guitar, which then bursts like a volcano, then a keyboard solo, then the organised, powerful chaos. but the best to be said about this track is the flute. very emotional and in a slightly different key, it adds a second, sad and beautiful melody to the song. please more of this in the future [promise! -t]

the third great part is the master piece of the album (D). a great composition, rhythmically speaking always full of tension, changing the time all the time, an epic, in its quiet moments it gives you goose pimples, then it hits you right in the face in a rock feel, then it is symphonic, then screamy and weird.

even though you are reminded of IQ, yes, genesis and gentle giant here and there, DL has its own, absolutely original character. the album is very well produced and sounds as clear as glass.

(Jörg Schumann: Babyblaue Prog Reviews)

DL is prog in two senses: it is entangled in the tradition of the genre, but it also goes beyond that in an original way. one can trace influences, but they are not exploited. neither is it fun-prog like Spocks Beard, but rather a darker approach with a lot of jazz: very differentiating, wellnigh difficult.

the booklet: the artwork burst with mirthless emptiness. ghastly bed, dead flowers, empty refrigerator - hopefully these are not pictures of t's flat... the pictures are very well done. it is also something special that each band member comments each song; and it is a nice idea to place the lyrics on scattered pages, but the bad side of this is that you cannot really read them, they are too small - thus i have not read the lyrics, yet.

the music: i confine myself to the main parts, i.e., without outro and intermezzi. AIRH: dark song, like most of the stuff, here and there a little like Van der Graaf Generator. the empathic vocals seem a little thin at first sight, but then you realize that they match the music well. OSF is said to be liked by non-proggers, too, but it is undoubtedly prog with polka-inlet (anyone knows willem breuker?). it starts slowly, but then really rocks after 2.35. beautiful, sparkling keyboards in the middle. very different parts in it. the last 1.5 minutes are a little too much bombast and too long. TWotW: total prog with genesis-like keyboards. pulsating, easily digestable. in the middle really jazzy, then there's a part that reminds me of Godley and Creme, don't ask me why. my favourite song. D: t's empathic vocals with percussive rhythm. from 3.25 on again VdGG-feeling. no, it is very original. incredibly good work on the piano, same thing goes for the guitar. for a second i thought i was in "hotel california" (?). 6.50, dark bombast, very weird at the end. R: gentle-giant-influenced? good flute, incredible rhythm, and there were no drugs involved for bass player and drummer? good jazzy keyboard. is jazz udo's secret love? D: reminds me of OSF, really hymnical, from 5.22 on dark in a very cool way, but too long in the end.

(Christian Solle: Babyblaue Prog Reviews)

top

Divorced Land is essentially by-the-book progressive rock redux, except 25-odd years after the genre had its heyday. Everything you would expect from the music is here, from the alien keyboard squiggles and trouser-crease sharp guitar runs to the extended suite-like compositions, which is pleasant enough. The songs, though, seem to go on forever with complex progression after complex progression without really leading anywhere in particular, as the best prog and neo-prog do. In that regard, it probably doesn't help that the lyrics are in German-inflected English.

There are some really nice, unconventional moments (with more than an hour of music, there are actually numerous), like the far too short "Faded," two minutes of symphonic dub bass and tribal percussion that gives a different spin to drum'n'bass. The two minutes of train-track rhythms and keyboard ambience that make up "Naivety" are also intriguing breaks from the formula, and the electro-jazz jam and flute flourishes on "Run" are superb. More divergences of this sort - or better yet, an album based on such divergences - would have made the lackluster conventional qualities of some of the songs more palatable. While prog fans will no doubt find moments of pleasure to be had from Divorced Land, it largely lacks the edge and invention to garner fans from outside the genre, who should probably just stick with their Genesis and Return to Forever LPs.

(Stanton Swihart: All Music Guide)

top

I don't know what it is about Divorced Land. It should have everything I like in it. Good musicianship, blazing solos, strange time signatures, quality recording, and original material. Parts of their music will occasionally remind me of such diverse influences as Van Der Graaf Generator, Daevid Allen, Pink Floyd and even Jane while not really sounding like any of them.

Still, even though I've now put Divorced Land on at least half a dozen times, I never seem to be able to listen to it. When I first put it on, I think, "Hey, this is really pretty good. Why didn't I like this before?" Then, I'll suddenly realize the CD is over and I've been off thinking about a bunch of other stuff and not paying attention to the music. Not that it's ambient music or anything ... far from it. Still, there's something repetitive and hypnotizing about it that makes me just tune it out. When I force myself to listen, there's actually a lot of good stuff going on, but the moment I stop concentrating on listening to it, I'll find myself thinking about my latest project at work, what's going on in my latest D&D scenario, or what a jerk that guy who just passed me on the freeway is ... and once again ignoring the CD.

I guess I'll have to say Divorced Land is pretty good, but doesn't really grab my attention. Give a listen to some of the samples at the Galileo Records site and see what you think. You may believe, like others, that they're the best band to come out of Germany in years. For myself, I'd have to say that the other Galileo releases are much more interesting.

(Fred Trafton: gibraltar encyclopedia of progressive rock)

top

Scythe arrive from Trier (Germany) and play a strong prog rock with symphonic hints, revealing influences like King Crimson, Echolyn (listen to the complex instrumentale parts of "Am I really here?"), Marillion and even something of long lost Anglagard.
Keyboardist Udo Gerhards is maybe the most important musician of Scythe and he marks all the songs with his talent and class, while singer Thomas Thielen is for sure the most hard to approach figure, because of his tortured vocals. In the IQ infected "One step further" bassist Ingo Roden shows his skills and he forms a solid rythm section with explosive drummer Martin Walter, the necessary background for Gerhard and the versatile guitar of Thielen.
"The weight of the wind" is filled with Genesis, King Crimson and Sinkadus traces all over, while "Discussed" wears dark and ill sounds and "Run" reveals far influences of jazz prog. Dulcis in fundo, "Denied" is the best song of Scythe that, in its 16 minutes each worth of listening to, offers pomp rock of the ‘70s, beautiful prog passages that pay tribute to King Crimson, Marillion and Echolyn, but words are not enough to describe the excellent standard of this track that mixes hard to performe and melodic passages.

(Andrea Bertamino: AORwebsite & Flash-Magazine)

top

weird, not easy listening... and rewarding! scythe do not take the easy way out: long and complex songs, that might even seem dissonant at first sight, can only be understood after listening quite a few times, but then the listener will realize that his "work" has paid off! new melodies, new sounds, new rhythms now have the power to take me to scythe-land again and again, and thus i can only recommend this cd to you as much as possible!
(Mario Schaller from Germany, 06/06/01)

finally there's a good german band! DL is a perfect example of what is possible in germany for progressive rock: highly professional compositions, a tasteful production; only the voice may offend people, although it does hit the nerve for me very much. to get into the album listen to OSF and denied, which can seriously be called a successor of Close To The Edge and Supper's Ready
(Peter Scheidt from Germany, 05/08/01)

(customer comments at amazon.de)

top

We have to give the people at Galileo Records a big compliment. Why? All the acts they have on their label are of a high quality. I allready reviewed Metaphor's "Starfooted" and Forgotten Suns' "Fiction Edge (Ascent)". Both reviews received the highest rating possible and reviewed here, is another winner.
Scythe is a german fourpiece, consisting of Udo Gerhards on keys, Ingo Roden on bass, drummer Martin Walter and Thomas Thielen on guitars and vocals. The only thing I don't like about "Divorced Land" is the design of the album with its horrible cover - very dark and sober. This probably has to do with the album's title. Luckily it's the music that's count and that's simply marvelous. Right from the beginning with the instrumental intro called "Outro - a striving after wind". Those guys can really play! It's difficult to place it into a certain genre. This is neoprog, but they have given it an identity of their own. Sometimes they sound like Twelth Night, Peter Hammill or IQ, but they have eastern influences as well. For example on "Faded", we hear tablas and other kinds of percussion. "The weight of the wind" has some jazzy influences. This only makes the music more interesting. One thing is for sure: you won't get bored listening to "Divorced land".
As said: another highlight on the Galileo label. I'm looking forward to reviewing future releases from this label.

(Henri Strik, background magazine 74, june 2001)

top

German prog-rock that makes a difference. In the good tradition of prog-rock you have some long tracks, and also some tracks that function as small interludes. Thomas Thielen has a very charismatic voice that you really learn to praise in a track like "Discussed". The music is shifting and sometimes building itself up to a chaotic inferno and then all of a sudden they music goes over to a quiet and more relaxed mood. The diversity, instrumental madness, sharp and truely beautiful synth sounds and Thielen's voice makes this album a skilled masterpiece. It rises above much of the other prog-rock I have heard because they dare to reach out and integrate other elements into their music.

(nephilius e-zine)

top

Once more a progressive rock release from GALILEO, and this time the label presents a band from the eifel that have signed to the genre. it was probably that they live so close to the border that made them name their debut "divorced land". however, prog fans will most certainly get what they paid for: there are those typical prog drums, while keyboards weave the sound carpets of the songs and the voice of t (typical of the genre) transports the lyrics to the listener. you also should not be astonished by the fact that the album goes on for more than an hour - that's progressive! scythe's songs are dashing without a pause, and they do have an epic density. and of course, things have to become bombastic. inside you sometimes admire their ability to keep the time for almost fifteen minutes before (as in OSF) the song ends with a multi-layer refrain. this is also something that s genuinely progressive.

these are the good sides to the cd. certainly scythe are absolutely typical prog, but on the other hand i miss a certain connectedness to the music within me, that i did feel with other GALILEO releases. this is because scythe experiment a lot with their sound and thus are disharmonical here and there. so there is always something new to the record whenever you listen to it.

so i can recommend what the label has to say about how to listen to the record:

play this music loud or, even better, while sitting in an 18th century rocking chair with your face to a brownish orange wall with thin green stripes on it (no dots!), having just arrived back from a 12 ½ day- holiday in south-eastern bulgaria (romania does the job, too), chewing a gum (any fruit flavour except banana) backwards whilst thinking about may, 28th, 1827 (about dinner time). for best results, earplugs should be removed first.

sh**. so now i can paint my room, re-furniture it, then follow the instructions and then write the review again. but what if i do not like chewing gum at all? (this is not meant to be ambiguous here!)

(milan: plaudertasche e-zine)

top

I've noticed this band already on compilation "Progressive DisDURPance" where they were one of the most interesting bands. Now we have the debut album of this German band, which can prove once again that the first impression was right - Scythe present interesting and technically played symphonic prog rock. They balance on the edge where prog metal and prog rock meet, and have influences both from Dream Theater and King Crimson or Marillion, and such songs as "The Weight of the Wind" have a clear influence of Genesis. Not all the songs are of the same high quality, but I would mention out very technically played closing "Denied" with good keyboards parts, twisted and rhythmically strange "Run," and emotional "Discussed." Instrumental part of the band is outstanding, and if not this album, the next will surely be noticed by fans of technical prog rock. Anyway, I think that Scythe's singer Thomas Thielen should work a lot, as his singing still doesn't reach the standards of the grands.

(Audrius Ozalas: edge of time)

let me start by saying: SCYTHE have produced onoe of the most interesting debut albums of the nearer past. what the four musicians have created demands respect. they do not go for the safe side by treading on known and typical paths, but courageously they enter foreign territory. thus it is not easy to categorize the record in any way. on the one hand, there is emotional, demanding neoprog, which is mostly caused by t, the guitarist and singer. his versatile and always team-working guitar playing is totally convincing. Yet, there are enough passages that refer you back to classical 70-ies prog.

One strong point of the album is that it "floats". this is certainly caused by the structure of the album: the alternation between longer, intense pieces and short instrumentals puts forward a very special atmosphere that you cannot get rid of easily. in spite of all the complexity involved, the tracks do not sound as if they were "constructed", and all of the 4 members display their musical backgrounds in the songs. the rhythm section (martin and ingo), that plays together very well, delivers a lively basis for the songs. the more weird, jazzy composition feature the highlights of udo gerhards: he does not lose himself in superficial virtuosity, but sets his stresses and accents in so subtle a manner that there are quite a few tracks that can only be appreciated fully after listening a few times. that applies to "weight" and "run", which is full of surprises.

the neuralgic point of many progbands is the singer... t manages to express the lyrics with expression and emotion, which is best done in the more epic pieces, most impressingly in "denied", the most extraordinary track on the album. yet, there are some moments when his limits show. anyway, this does not make the record any worse, especially because the production and the cover artwork are very good.

resume: an album which can be recommended to all open-minded progrock fans: it is original, courageous and there is a lot to be discovered.

(Marcus Wicker: Eclipsed Magazin)

top

Swiss label Galileo Records new discovery are a German band named Scythe. Previously they have released albums with Forgotten Suns, Metaphor and Xang. As these releases have been very good the expectations for this album was quite big.

"Divorced Land" are the follow up to Scythe's debut demo CD "Each Other" (1999), but their first album on Galileo Records. Their music is complex symphonic progressive rock with some reminiscences to Genesis, King Crimson, Marillion and Yes. You'll probably have to hear this album for some time before you get into it. Everything is very good, but I can't get used to the vocals (but that is just my personal taste), which I find quite boring.

All in all this is a promising CD with solid musicianship and complex compositions. When you finally get used to the vocals you'll find a diamond in the rough. Although it is a very good album, it is my least favourite on the Galileo Records label so far. It's however one of the better releases from Germany in a long time.

(Greger Rönnqvist: PROG-REVIEWS eZine/Mailinglist at YahooGroups)

top

Summary

This band from Germany already has a disc reviewed on this site, the demo cd Each Other. Now they have a full blown release on the Swiss label Galileo Records. I always like to be mentioned in booklets, but I am afraid I will have to get used to people misspelling it [ouch. sorry, Jurriaan].

The music

Repetitive piano opens the album and the music is quite moody at first. Slowly the music builds up, to break down again when the piano comes back to the lead. Free drum sounds, give rise to dark tense meanderings until we finally come to some great tense keyboard runs and the music becomes hairraising.

The music on Am I Really Here? has quite some similarities to Discipline on their superb Unfolded Like Staircase, mostly in spirit, but also in the wat dramatic and quiet parts are alternated. Also the emotionality of both bands is about the same. The vocals are very different. The vocals of Thielen are hard to describe, they are can sound tortured, aggressive, but also somewhat tinny. The vocals on this track are more of the latter kind, but in the harder parts of the song, he shows more emotion in the singing. I think this is a voice to get used to, but I have to say that the vocals fit well with the music. In the middle we have an atmospheric intermezzo with echoey guitar and fluting keyboards. The final few minutes are dominated by the guitar with the piano playing repetitively in the back.

Faded is a short track with thoughtful bassplaying and percussion. One Step Further is like the two previous ones also present on Each Other, the demo cd the band made before signing to Galileo. The song opens with a quick but subdued rhythm section. Thielen sings his dreamy, somewhat whispered, melodic vocal lines. Soon the music takes a turn for the darker with meandering guitar and the drums going against the grain. The band has that typical prog tendency to often repeat a few dissonant bars, building up tension in this way. The keyboards also join in. The music becomes much harder edged here with the grating voice of Thielen, the fast paced drumming growing in intensity, and the guitar becoming rowdier. A jazz rock interlude then, followed by some wildy merry circus music. The music then becomes more normal again, and the chorus is repeated a few times, a bit louder everytime. Reading along with the lyrics, it seems that Thielen could do with a little better pronounciation. After another jazzy interlude, the music becomes more uplifting, and the music winds down to make itself ready for the anthemic finale, ending in a smorgasbord of intertwined a-capella vocals.

[this paragraph is about 'the weight of the wind'] Like often happens, the guitar playing is somewhat in percussive, strumming way. The music sounds "older" here with a large role for a repetitive organ run. Very Genesis. This is where the similarities end. Afterwards, the music takes on a more dissonant character, moving more in the direction of King Crimson. Jazz piano time then and in fact the instrumental interlude features quite a few different fragments strung together, but to my ears in a sensible way. The vocal part that comes afterwards is a whispered one. The music at times also shows similarities with Swedish bands such as Sinkadus, especially during the parts where mellotrons and tense guitar work is present, as is the case during the final parts of this track.

Access is a quiet prelude for what is to come next. Melodic piano and mellotronic sounds with sparse percussion depict a dark landscape. Dicussed features quite a bit of pumping organ playing (reminiscent of Genesis), but also Hammillian vocals. Dark washes of guitar screams, percussion and dissonating piano accompany the melodic vocals.

Naivety is a short piece with the train running underneath the sound of a echoey guitar. Before we go to the closing opus we still have Run. A hasty sounding track, which reminds me of Supersister. There is also some flute on this track, giving the music a bit of a Sinkadus feel again. The band freaks out for a while in the middle returning with some Fender Rhodes jazzy stuff. After another vocal part we come to some rather melodic guitar playing which sound somewhat familiar.

Denied is the conclusion to the album. It all starts out somewhat willowy and waltzy. Again plenty of rhythmic variation in this track (actually I only know the details, because there is quite some information about the various signatures in the songs in the booklets). Wonderful vocal lines make for a first sad and longing vocal part. After the music falls away during the uplifting final passage, they of course return with more, making this song a could one to end the album with.

Conclusion

This is varied and complex typical progressive rock with quite a bit of repetition, often dark and dramatic, but also with the occasional uplifting passages, and ranging from grating aggresiveness to soft whisperings. The band can rock hard and go down subtly as well. Certainly not the most easiest of bands to get into, the band does it have in itself to captivate a large (prog) audience. Maybe it'll take a little to get used to the somewhat thin vocals of Thielen, who does not really have a beautiful voice. It is not disturbing however. The most complete and mature release on Galileo so far. And with Xang and Metaphor on that label, this has to say something.

(Jurriaan Hage: The Axiom Of Choice)

top

Scythe continue Swiss label Galileo Records' ability to discover progressive rock in the unlikeliest of places. Following the success of Portugese proggers Xang, they have now found Scythe in the Eifel region of Germany. The band is a four-piece consisting of, Thomas Thielen (vocals and guitars), Martin Walter (drums), Udo Gerhards (keyboards) and Ingo Roden (bass). The band releasing their debut demo CD Each Other in 1999 to critical acclaim. Encouraged, they went back into the studio and came out with Divorced Land. The first few tracks reached the ears of Galileo who immediately snapped them up and brought in the award-winning engineer Bob Katz to add the final polish.

Scythe describe their music as "symphonic progressive rock with an edge" - and right from the start you can see what they mean. The opening instrumental Outro - A Striving After Wind is pure prog, moody and elemental - only with outrageous discordance of Brechtian standards in the middle. Is it a bum note? Surely not! Of course it isn't - but it got your attention! And this continues all the way thought the album. Thomas' vocals, which are pure, clear and powerful, suddenly scream through the speakers; driving powerful rock beats suddenly stop abruptly, jerking your out of your reverie, before powering back and onwards. This makes for an uneasiness through the album, a tension which makes this a difficult album to listen to. Difficult, but somehow exhilarating too. You never know what is going to happen next - and when you have heard the tracks a few times, there is still a sense of anticipation as you wait for these elements to occur. I would liken it to watching the film Jaws. You know the corpse' head is going to fall out of the wrecked boat, but it is still unbearably tense before it happens and a huge shock when it does. Scythe's music is that decapitated head!

This is an excellent album. The guys have produced ten tracks of the highest quality. Musically first rate, it is the innovative and inventive compositions which make this a sure-fire winner. I have listened to this album a goodly number of times - and yet I am still finding new things in the music. And I suspect if I keep listening, more and more of the band's subtle nuances will emerge. Never again will you be able to say that progressive rock is predictable - not with Scythe on the scene!

(Frank Blades: Alternate View)

top

this is a most impressive first proper album from german symph prog band Scythe.

released on the swiss progressive label Galileo, the style is in its quieter moments similar to the polish band Collage, with exceptionally well-played rock. the difference here though is that Scythe adds a harder edge to their material with beefier sections that give the band its distinctiveness.

the group cite a number of other artists as influences, from the obvious Beatles, Yes and Crimson to the often over-looked Eno, Hammill and Chick Corea, amongst a seemingly endless list of others. the cd itself features both long and short tracks, from the shorter keyboard-laden opener Outro - A Striving After Wind to pieces around the fifteen-minute mark, such as the closer Denied.

the musicians are good, with Udo Gerhards' keyboard work perhaps being the most outstanding. the other band members - Ingo Roden on bass, Thomas Thielen on vocals and guitars, Martin Walter on drums with guest Verena Buchholz on flute on Run - are excellent, but it's Gerhards' work that holds the pieces together. the vocals themselves are ok without being outstanding.

(Bernard Law: The Journal of the Classic Rock Society, Wondrous Stories, Issue 10 March 2001, England)

top

SCYTHE is another newbie from germany. the music could be described as close to the old genesis records, but this is only a very imprecise description: SCYTHE do have their own style that includes a lot of different kinds of music. all of the musicians are masters of their respective instruments and know how to use them in an emotionally very intense way. the songs are all wellnigh complex, and you will find, apart from references to genesis and yes, quite a few jazzy elements in them, too. however, the combination of these influences is not anyhow experimental, but SCYTHE do manage to add hummable melodies and remain as unobstrusive as likeable. this is another way in which they are comparable to genesis or marillion.

you can gather from the track list that the songs are all rather long whereas the shorter pieces are somewhat transitions. the outro is the intro - whatever, the ending or the beginning, it is a short instrumental hit to which the proverbial "nomen est omen" applies. then the first "big" track starts. "am i really here?" is indeed a musical questions the endeavouring part of which is expressed in the vocals (which i like here very much): filigree, endeavouring, trembling. "one step furhter" starts with a faster, rocking part which unfortunately features distorted vocals - this makes it less likeable. but after 7 min approx. the track becomes more quiet and balladesque and includes a beautiful chorus without losing its musical quality - simply beautiful.

the highlight of the album is the last track. "denied" is the longest track on the cd, but it pays off to listen to every single minute! the song is difficult to describe, it is simply a great compostition, diversified, with lots of tension, intense and with a wonderful closing section; you are drawn into and carried away by the dreamy world of sounds. and then the whole thing ends with a closing section to sing along with. if it was only for this song, the cd would be worth listening to.

(Thorsten Kuthe: SoftNews)

top

this record has been in my cdplayer for weeks now, and still it keeps me enthralled. however, I have been thinking a lot about what to write about DL. i love the music, and still i do have a little ambiguous feelings. let's just start with the facts:

the band from trier has managed to move ahead considerably in comparison to their demo each other (which was recorded under unprofessional circumstances, but was still very interesting) as far as production and design is concerned. the bleak, but at the same time lovingly designed, melancholy booklet and cover is very nice. The production of the cd is beyond criticism anyway.

the lads from scythe are all excellent musicians, i would not want to emphasis anyone's playing here above the others; in addition to that, they know very well how to play emotionally. they have improved the best tracks of their demo, re-recorded them and added several new songs; the absolute highlight in this mixture is the 16min-track "denied", the genius ending of the cd. the band has certainly been influenced by genesis, king crimson, magma or marillion, but they find their own, incomparable style. the most stunning thing about the music is that scythe manage to combine complex structures with melody-ridden elements in such an elegant way that several melodies don't leave you for days. i pay my respects, this is something that very few prog bands are capable of.

without exaggeration we can maintain that DL is certainly one of the best german prog productions of the last years. as hinted on above, however, there is a little flaw to it: the fragile, thin voice of singer and guitar player t is something you have to get used to, and i am not sure whether everybody will like it. anyway, on the band's homepage, if you are still not convinced, you can listen to snippets of the songs.

this is then the only drawback, in any other respect, there is no need for scythe to hide from the vip's of our music sector. DL contains about 74 minutes of extremely good progressive rock - i recommend it!

(Martin Dambeck: Empire Magazin)

top

when scythe presented their demo "each other" two years ago, i was wellnigh impressed by the potential to be found in this young band. they merged interesting and very uncommon elements with the sound of classic prog. a very original mixture, that was rightly rewarded with the galileo records deal. and exactly this label has just released their debut album "divorced land".

among others, there are 4 tracks of the demo on it, of course in re-recorded versions. with regards to the sound, the album is a master piece. the guys have managed to get a perfect mixing, and that suits them fine. with regards to the content (i.e.: the arrangements), too, they have powerful arguments. and thus you find quite extraordinary parts on the album (i would especially like to underline that one step further is all but average prog), a lot of breaks, uneven times, weird elements and a lot of wit.

scythe prove that they can rightly be regarded as one of the hopeful cases among german newcomers. while listening, you get the impression that there are hardly any weaknesses to listen through over and over again. a large array of different reactions has always been triggered by the vocals; technically speaking, they are certainly phantastic, but the register and the special kind of singing will surely polarize again. and thus you might certainly be able to find weaknesses on the CD that, however, will not affect your overall impression at all. whoever wants do this, there you are, but i won't. get involved into divorced land. the content earns your commitment. and very important is the following: take LOTS of time, and put on your headphones during the quiet parts - you will find loads of subtleties.

there are a few tracks i would like to recommend for you to get into the album: first of all, there is the wonderful intro "outro..." which includes wonderful rises and falls of tension and suspense and thus makes you look forward to the other 9 tracks. then there is "one step further" which demands a lot of listening because of its manifold tempo and time changes. my favourite song, however, is definitely "the weight of the wind", which has a very jazzy feel to it and wholly convinces me (the vocals, too!). furthermore, i like "run" with it's very the-doors-y melody lines. the inclusion of the flute supports the song a lot, and the blow-your- skull middle part seems virtually revolutionary. "denied" is a goldmine for longtrack afficionadoes. it is quite the opposite of straight rock. weird times, a lot of breaks, and packed with emotion; i can tell you: you will need some time until you fully understand it.

scythe set the standards for everything that follows very high. you will find wit, power and energy in this opus. it remains to hope that because of the complexity of the material not only prog fans will talk about this album.

a strong debut album with high demands

(Thorsten Gürntke: Progressive Pages)

top

Most of you know german progrockers SCYTHE from our second compilation "Progressive DisDURPance Vol.3". "Divorced land" is the title of their latest release.

This is prog ... pure prog. Complex arrangements, sensitive guitar playing, comfortable atmosphere, efficient keyboards and of course some strange eruptions. Some of these strange eruptions do annoy me, but somehow SCYTHE are always able to drag me back into the songs by soft and evolving neoprog-parts.

SCYTHE have made a big step towards couraged complexity with "Divorced land". This is an album for die-hard proggers. For me the album is a bit too dry and misses some melodic highlights (especially concerning the vocals) ... but I have never been a die-hard progger.

(Markus Weis: DURP)

top

Galileo Records fourth release contemplates a German band whose debut we're about to unveil. Scythe preach that they play progressive rock with an edge, but closer inspection leads the listener to conclude that this edge is very elaborate and intricate at times.

The album starts with an instrumental named OUTRO - a striving after wind-. Two pianos set a discordance and unreels path for the other instruments. All this nicely done, but since it's an intro it doesn't really gel when with the segueing track which starts awkwardly but is actually an ugly duckling that transforms into a swan: AM I REALLY HERE? is very intense and epical. Sometimes it reminds me of Marillion in the time signatures and vintage keyboards. Thomas Thielin literally steals the show either by his dramatic singing or by his guitar work that reminisces Steve Rothery's in the solo spots. FADED is an instrumental with only soft percussion and a striving bass, and connects another epic called ONE STEP FURTHER. These lads surely spent some time listening to iQ's SUBTERRANEA since both the vocals and song structures evidence this. It's very diverse amongst its +14 minutes with loads of tempo changes and styles ranging from prog to polka and back. THE WEIGHT OF THE WIND is a sad attempt to recreate something that Genesis did long ago (and well) and hence offers nothing new. On the other hand DISCUSSED is very dark and full of goodies: baritone guitar from Thomas, piano and mellotron courtesy of Udo Gerhards, polyrhythmic drumming from Martin Walter and stick bass from Ingo Roden. Therefore, all the musical ingredients to take one from the oven and have a banquet. The albums tour-de-force is the last track DENIED. Played in 11/8 and lasting nearly 17 minutes this opus emanates the prowess within the band to write such complex structures and retain at the same time the sense of melody. Beautiful.

This is a strong debut from this German band being my only complaint in the excessive duration of the album that can lead the listener astray from the beauty within

(Carlos Tavares: ProgSpace)

top

"play this music loud or, even better, while sitting in an 18th century rocking chair with your face to a brownish orange wall with thin green stripes on it (no dots!), having just arrived back from a 12 1/2 day-holiday in south-eastern bulgaria (romania does the job, too), chewing a gum (any fruit flavour except banana) backwards whilst thinking about may, 28th, 1827 (about dinner time). for best results, earplugs should be removed first."

you do not need anything else if you want to devote your time to listening to DIVORCED LAND by the art rock band SCYTHE. really: you don't. well, additionally you should maybe have the ear for weird parts, plus an inclination towards arrangements that are difficult to survey. and lots of time. DL is certainly among the most complex stuff that could be heard from german progbands in the nearer past. a part of the songs still comes from the band's demo cd, but was completely re-recorded. the new tracks do differ fundamentally from the older material, and the details can be traced after a lot of practice [sic, t.]. unfortunately, i do not have enough time that such an opus demands from you - and that it certainly deserves. that s why i stick to 7 points [out of 10] that cannot be understood as a real ranking this time. for friends of extremely complex music, DL could become the new evangelium - for the rest of the world, it might as well stay an inscrutable djungle of sounds, notes and melodies.

(Florian Sprenger: Moshpit-eZine)

top

Creditable debut with genuine progrock, reflecting historical 70's; fine performance of great compositions with recurring themes, surprising turns and rhythm changes, shifts from laid-back to aggressive; Divorced Land sometimes feels a little uncomfortable with weird vocal melodies (harmonies) getting out of tune; nevertheless, with a.o. it's breathtaking epic Denied, this is 1 of the better German releases of recent years. References: Genesis, King Crimson

(Henri Bos: DPRP CDelight 105)

top

This is a sad tale. The tale of a truly delightful album, progressive rock in the purest sense, that I will nevertheless not play very often in the future, but will often have set aside on a shelf gathering dust. The music is great and the instrumental performances intense and full of skill, compositions are top-notch. But in the end it largely comes down to a make-or-break deal concerning a single, yet crucial factor. Fact is, I can't appreciate the vocals (which is a mild understatement). An important factor anyway, with a texty album like Divorced Land, vocals are that much more important.

There are four members in this young German band: Thomas Thielen (guitars and vocals), Udo Gerhards (keys), Ingo Roden (bass) and Martin Walter (drums). Scythe plays in the tradition of seventies progressive rock, whilst incorporating many elements from the latterday neo-progressive style. Genesis and King Crimson seem to provide the foundation, the second of which is recognizable in the more challenging instrumental parts, but comparisons to Marillion and IQ lie often more readily at hand. The well structured whole of Divorced Land certainly calls to mind some other great (concept) albums, notably Arena's The Visitor. At respective times, you'll find quite a bit of Steve Rothery in Thielen's guitar performance (am I really here, one step further, denied).

The very antithesis between overall quality and quality of vocals made this album hard to review, so I've taken some time to let it sink in properly. I managed to get my hands on Scythe's demo release Each Others. It turns out Thielen has improved as vocalist since the demo release, but I wonder why they didn't get someone else to fill this position since, vocally, he already proved the weakest link. Repeated listening of Divorced Land mellow the senses, but an unease remains. Having made this point, let's not linger on it, but focus on the strong elements of this release.

It's off to a promising start with outro - a striving after wind. A melodic piano-bass intro leads to expanding musical landscape as the other bandmembers join in and an approaching storm bursts into the room. Though an original composition, this has the feel of an overture. Thielen's earliest vocal performance in am i really here is his best, bursting with emotion from the sullen to the intensely aggressive, but quality is still below par with the music. There's a long, early-Marillion-esque instrumental section. On to faded, a convincing bass-drums duet in jazz-tradition, but with a clear and entwining melodic structure. one step further is an engrossing musical tapestry with guitar sort of in countermelody to the rhythm section. Shades of IQ abound throughout, but the various melody, time and style changes also reflects the band's originality, including a sort of carnavelesque middle section in one of the instrumental sections. Vigorous action from drummer Martin Walter and varied keyboard use both contribute to its strength. The multi-layered end vocals are extremely gripping, turning a-capella; but again Thielen's drawbacks as a singer devalue the concept in execution. The strength of the rhythm section is again shown in the weight of the wind, a symphonic Genesis-like track, whether in the jazzy interlude or the rumbling finale, while Udo Gerhards provides strong melodic top layers.

After the short instrumental interlude access, which is described as a variation on the denied themes, it's on to discussed which has its share of organ themes and some vocal tricks, both seemingly out of Genesis. Worth checking out for the impressive use of bariton guitar. naivety is your typical neo-progressive short instrumental with the sounds of a running train beneath the echoing wail of guitar, which itself is at the centre gently nudged back by a short erupting synth solo. In run familiar themes return interwoven in new melodies. Some frantic instrumental interplay, which the bandmembers correctly describe as creating a feeling of paranoia. Even the more mellow, jazzy sections retain this feeling of unease, mostly through Ingo Roden's crafty bass play. Guest performer Verena Buchholz provides some additional atmosphere on flute. Finally, settle down for the seventeen minute long closing epic denied. It features most of the elements that proved strongest in the earlier tracks. A noteworthy set of keyboard variations, strong rhythm on bass and drums, exquisite guitar handling. No free-wheeling here but hypnotic interaction in the best neo-progressive tradition.

A word about the package. Not only does it contain all the lyrics, but it has the bandmembers describing in detail the conception and subsequent structering of each track, which adds a nice and personal touch. Production has improved a lot since the recording of the demo, undoubtedly due to the contract at Galileon Records, while the basic outlines of the songs that featured on both releases has remained to recording of Divorced Land.

Considering my reservations about Thielen's vocals, I've decided to give the album a decent rating nonetheless, since I feel the vocals are really the only thing wrong with this production. If Scythe should rerecord Divorced Land and change only the vocals, this album would get a solid recommendation. I must grant Thomas Thielen that a lot of the vocal parts are quite demanding. My advice to you all is to give this one a try (see above link to Samples) and see if you disagree with me on this crucial point. I hope you prove me wrong, because these promising musicians deserve respect and a growing audience.

(Mark Sander: Dutch Progressive Rock Page)

top

The first real album by Scythe deserves all the praise you can handle. We have here an extraordinary development of all the qualities already present at "Each Other": wonderful melodies in unheard harmonies and rhythms, thoughtful arrangements, wonderful playing, shifts in the atmosphere from melancholy to aggressive, laid-back to energetic, originality and much more. "Denied", the longtrack (16.42min), is one of the best pieces ever written in the genre. Definitely go and buy it.

(Dominik Hütterman: ProgNet)

Scythe present progressive rock of the british way - synth and keyboards dominate the sound of the band. you can find traces of genesis, iq or marillion as well as influences of frank zappa and fusion-stuff. the songs on DL are extremely competently played and produced and render the band from the eifel as throughout able musicians and composers, who present their music with heart and brains. only the bad vocals from t diminish the pleasure of listening so that the band would be well advised to search for a new, better singer. then scythe could become something very big. in their present state, however, the band cannot reach the quality of iq or threshold.

(Daniel Böhm: Metal Hammer)

top

when i heard last year that galileo records had signed the german band scythe, i had my doubts whether there had not been better bands than scythe for them. patrick becker from galileo did not seem to think this way, and thus scythe is the fourth prog band after xang, metaphor and forgotten suns to be released by the swiss label.

the demo cd from 1999 could not really make me happy, there may have been some potential, but the material was rather raw and unpolished, after all, and especially the vocals could have been better. well, this is past, for DL is different; even though several songs of the demo were kept, they come across in a very good sound quality.

astonishing is the opener outro: a striving after wind, that starts very emotionally and then increases power gradually. The next 3 tracks then all come from the demo, but, as stated above, the sound quality has increased a lot, and thielen has improved in his vocals quite a lot. the weight of the wind is the 2nd new song on divorced land, a rather crazy track with lots of rhythm changes and a slightly jazzy touch. the short piano track access introduces discussed, and the moody song, also first recorded on the demo, has become a lot better.

really good is the instrumental "naivety" with its floating keyboards. after that, run is a complex song with great keyboards and a good bass. especially after the middle of the song it gets really interesting with weird as well as melodic moments. the last track is the longest and brandnew. like run, denied is a very complex song with the small difference that wonderful melodies can be found throughout the whole track.

resume: i have expected a lot, but not such an album! there are as good as no drawbacks, and instrumentally scythe can totally convince me. be it udo gerhards on keyboards, ingo roden on bass, thomas thielen on guitar or the drummer martin walter, the performance of those involved is considerable. thielen has improved a lot in comparison with the demo, nevertheless the non-professional might take some time to get into the vocals. for all those possessing the demo of 1999, forget it: DL is light years ahead of it!

(Werner Wachtarczyk: Progressive Corner)

top

This album is special in many respects: Most important for the reader of these lines, however, should be the fact that DL is a special album because it is incomparable in its maturity, its virtuosity, its integrity and its originality. It is the most exquisit, exciting and best debut album that I have ever heard in Germany. I would take the matter even further: DL is one of the best albums of German bands at all, to the best albums of the last few years anyway, and I do not know which superlative I should apply to it here in order to make it clear that this album is extraordinary, excellent?

There are moments when the music really creeps into you just like it did back then when you discovered the few real treasures of this genre. Convincingly powerful the intro, sorry the "Outro: A Striving After Wind", and still this is only the beginning of a massive tour de force in music. How can I underline each and every highlight of the album? Most enchanting is Thielen’s voice in "Am I Really Here?", who, by the way, should quieten here all reviewers critical of his voice, for he is one of the few really exquisit and passionate singers in Germany. His voice haunts you, it wails, it cries, it screams, it narrates... it is his voice, an expression of his very personal way of feeling.

Incredibly intense is One Step Further, an absolute highlight and especially at the end of moving beauty. Music, vocals, composition, production - all this is not only alright in its own right, it blends into a massive event of sound.

Breathtakingly playful: The rhythm section Roden/Walter. Walter’s drumming, especially in "Weight of the Wind" and "Faded" is far above the usual folio of would-be-creativity of the progressive rock-dummys. By and large do Scythe avoid clichees, the expected, the trivial.

Versatile, edgy, sometimes provocatively struggling to be in the foreground, sometimes shyly lingering in the background: Thielen’s guitar. I have not heard a more convincing guitar on any album for a long time. And then, floating above everything else, there’s Gerhards on keyboards, whose musical contribution to this album cannot be overestimated. Gerhards produces sounds, atmospheres, stresses, nuances, surprises, plausibility, virtuosity.

"Denied", the big finale, what could I say about this track that I have not said before already? "Denied" is without doubt the greatest composition on the album, a piece of music that I can as early as today declare a classic piece (and time will tell I’m right). It is far away from all these inflated pseudo-longtracks that you can find so often in the genre today. Every second of this track is real, lively, authentic, superb.

I could tell you a lot more (Did I mention the vocal arrangements? Did I mention the complex structure of the album?), but just go on and listen for yourself: et us praise a very special band with the extraordinary debut - ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Scythe with "Divorced Land".

(Sal Pichireddu: Babyblaue Prog Reviews)

top