BRIGHTEYE BRISON - BELIEVERS & DECEIVERS
Written by Geoff Feakes at DPRP

Although Brighteye Brison are part of the wave of progressive rock talent that continues to emanate from Sweden they could easily be mistaken for an American band. Their third album overflows with a rich variety of textures graced with polished harmonies so typical of many US acts. Their lineage can be traced back to 2000 when keyboardist, saxophonist and vocalist Linus Kåse joined forces with bassist, vocalist and fellow Stockholm Royal College of Music student Kristofer Eng. Linus’ elder brother Daniel brought his drum talents from the Stockholm Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and six months later guitarist Johan Öijen completed the original line-up. Following the release of their 2003 self titled debut album sound engineer, keyboardist and vocalist Per Hallman came onboard. The recording of their second album Stories was spread over three years before it finally saw the light of day in 2006. In the meantime the band made an unlikely appearance on a Swedish tribute album to the glam rock outfit Sweet in 2004. Drummer Daniel left the band after the release of the second album to be replaced by Erik Hammarström. More recently they contributed to Inferno the latest project from the Finnish Progressive Rock Association Colossus.

The potential of two keyboardists is exploited to the full utilising an array of analogue instruments including Mellotron, Hammond organ, pipe organ, synths and grand piano. In addition Kåse and Hallman incorporate a variety of electric pianos including Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Clavinet and the Yamaha CP70 electric grand. The way in which their complimentary styles mesh is a throwback to earlier dual keyboard acts like Rare Bird and Greenslade. It’s not all keys driven however as guitarist Öijen is given ample space to shine with a succession of solos, riffs and melody lines. Eng and Hammarström are not backwards in coming forward either although bass fairs better in the mix than do the drums. Case in point is Pointless Living which opens with a heavyweight solo bass riff introducing a rousing and compelling guitar theme bringing Rush instantly to mind. All manner of keyboard parts follow, each jostling for pole position before a wave of Earth, Wind & Fire style soulful voices accentuate the infectious chorus. It’s a near perfect opener that meters along under a head of steam pausing only occasionally for breath.

After The Storm includes several jazz flavoured excursions best of which is the excellent piano playing and smooth Level 42 style lead vocals. Other plus points are the shimmering organ backdrop, nimble bass work and busy drumming which underpin the track. A number of solo diversions however including a piercing synth break and a sprawling guitar workout means that for me it doesn’t flow as well as the rest of the album although the playing is top notch. The Harvest which is the first of two epic length pieces is probably the albums most accomplished piece and works on every level. It has hooks aplenty including a celestial organ intro; a psychedelic Beatles influenced vocal section and mellow electric piano meditations with overtones of Tony Banks. It builds in tempo with a driving rhythm pattern lifted from Genesis’ Watcher Of The Skies heralding a stunning vocal melody with layered harmonies. A busy instrumental segment echoes ELP with rousing synth and sax exchanges underpinned by rhythmic organ punctuations. Hallman trades his keys for gentle acoustic guitar leading the band into a gorgeous unplugged rendition of the songs principle chorus. The atmospheric Vangelis style synth and Mellotron string backdrop is a real joy. The majestic finale comes courtesy of a catchy ringing guitar and vocal theme with shades of Yes and The Flower Kings.

The Grand Event is almost as good as its predecessor although at 35 minute it’s probably just a tad overlong. Breezy mandolin and a haunting sax refrain introduce a lush acoustic guitar and synth strings overture that has all the hallmarks of Pink Floyd’s Welcome To The Machine. A complex counterpoint a cappella vocal interlude is pure Gentle Giant by way of Spock’s Beard. The intricate guitar and keyboard interplay that follows keeps it in GG territory with a nod in the direction Van der Graaf Generator thanks to an edgy sax break. The eerie sound of the Thermin courtesy of bass man Eng is an unexpected inclusion whilst the stirring sound of the pipe organ ensures the track lives up to its title. When this is joined by a prominent and compelling Hammond melody it certainly pushes all the right buttons and suddenly it has vintage Kansas written all over it. Ex drummer Daniel Kåse makes a guest appearance at this point this time adding trumpet to the mix. Several crescendos and false endings contribute to the tracks extended length before eventually military drums and soaring guitar provide a grandiose coda.

With their latest release Sweden’s Brighteye Brison have produced the quintessential prog album that neatly sums up everything that is good about the genre. With one foot firmly in the 70’s and one in the present day this is classic progressive rock with a contemporary edge. As a regular contributor to the DPRP pages my listening time is usually devoted to the latest releases and rarely do I find the opportunity to revisit albums. Believers & Deceivers however is a disc that is destined to become a regular resident in my CD player over the coming months. In fact it will be a benchmark for every other release still to come my way in 2008 and is certain to be a tough act to follow.

Rating: 8,5+/10
DPRP Recommended!