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RPWL - The Rpwl Experience review



Reviewer:
8.5

2 users:
7
Band: RPWL
Album: The Rpwl Experience
Release date: 2008


01. Silenced
02. Breath In, Breath Out
03. Where Can I Go
04. Masters Of War
05. This Is Not A Prog Song
06. Watch Myself
07. Stranger
08. River
09. Choose What You Want To Look At
10. Turn Back The Clock
11. Scared And Alone [bonus]
12. Reach The Sun [bonus]

Fans of Riverside, Porcupine Three or even Pink Floyd, please take some minutes of your time to read this review or you'll miss something! Even if "The Rpwl Experience" is not the first album of the German combo RPWL, this is probably the album which will become a synonym to the word success. That's right on a side nowadays this kind of music is really popular (just have a look on the fanbase of Porcupine Tree and you'll understand what I mean?) but it's not an easy music and when a band like RWPL is able to write such an album, I think that you cannot have the right to miss it. "The Rpwl Experience" is one of the really good Progressive albums of the beginning of the year 2008!

Wow, what a great surprising album. Before that I've received this album, I must confess that I've never heard anything about this band (sorry guys!). But I will do my best now to find all their albums because "The Rpwl Experience" was a big slap in my face. I like Porcupine Tree, I like Anathema or Riverside and I love the acoustic parts of Opeth's music (like the violent ones btw?). RPWL is a bit like a mix of all these bands with however its own personality. The music of RPWL is a soft, calm and tender. This is dark and a bit sad in general but the ambiances on each song are excellent and the melodies (with electric like acoustic guitars) are extremely touching. We maybe don't have the craziness that we can find on Porcupine Tree's music but the album is varied sometime really sad and some other time a bit more "happy" and catchy. The songs are long and complex with a lot of variations, this is real Progressive Rock/Metal, not something like Dream Theater but, as you probably already know, like the last Porcupine Tree or even Riverside and this is really good. InsideOut is a really good label which only signs great Progressive bands and the signature of RPWL was not a mistake.

It's really hard to find some big problems on this album. Maybe that some of you will only regret that some songs ("This Is Not A Prog Song", "Watch Myself") are a bit too Pop in comparison of the other songs featured on the album. But all in all, it's more than ok and the production of the album is really good. This is definitely something for all the people who use to listen to Progressive Rock and Progressive Metal. This is calm that's right but beautiful, this is maybe not hyper technical but at least it's direct and efficient. Don't wait anymore my friends, this is for you!

"The Rpwl Experience" is a great Progressive experience! Complex without being boring or pompous, the new album of RPWL is a really good surprise. I use to listen to such kind of music and I enjoyed a lot to listen to this album, I'm quite sure that it should be the same for you. This is what I call great music, "The Rpwl Experience" is an excellent album of Progressive Rock/Metal, don't miss it!


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 8
Production: 9

Written by Jeff | 21.03.2008




Comments

Comments: 3   Visited by: 46 users
22.03.2008 - 18:31
MetalManic

This is a beautiful one. Especially 'Masters of War'. Thanks for shedding some light on these guys, Jeff. Once again you have yet to disappoint me!
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23.03.2008 - 10:21
Spyroid
Rosetta Stoned
i dont have time to read the review but i saw the names porcupine tree and pink floyd... and Ive heard track no 5 (awesome name xD) so i have to check this out!!
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26.09.2008 - 19:58
marillionfan
Account deleted
great album! I didn't know this band was on MS.

Although this band started as an almost Floydian clone (the singer sounds a lot like David Gilmour, not that he even tries to be like him ), they managed throughout their existance to come up with their own sound.

great review btw.
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