Heights
Phantasia On The High Processions Of Sun,
Moon And Countless Stars Above

A trio of galactic explorers telling a story of the universe from its birth to everlasting eternity perhaps, it looks exciting. The band Heights was born in 2006 and works from a room in reading where strange and complex compositions come out, and that has resulted in two albums so far, this one with a very long title is their third album. It has an exciting cover artwork and all of that. It shows that this room in reading is either a Tardis or they have a stargate in it, whichever it is they are taking us on a journey from the formation of the universe and onwards.

It is instrumental progressive rock flavoured with touches of jazz, fusion, and loads more. They make full use of not having the limitation of a vocalist; their music is very varied and has a lot of depth. The music is adventurous and atmospheric, although most of it does not really take place within an atmosphere and that makes it quite exciting. We are taken on a journey through space and time, a journey told by a band of very skilled musicians. The production is very high quality; there is lots of colour, depth and emotion, as well as atmosphere and mood. It is very dramatic and the dozen of tracks feels like chapters in a story, chapters that keep you occupied and listening for the entire duration of the album – meaning 65 minutes. It is a very high quality production, but as we all know, the sound is just one part of it.

The music on this album, the other part is also very good and that of course mean that we have a great album here. The journey through time and space is an exciting one; it is thought provoking and interesting. Music that isn’t stuck in copy mode is always great to hear bands that push the envelope and make something of their own. I enjoy the drama and the adventure, I think these guys are great and I don’t miss the presence of a singer, which is something I quite often do when listening to instrumental music. I think they do it right most of the time and I have no real issues with this album, it hits the mark quite well.

A great album, the songs are to be seen as chapters in a story rather than as stand-alone hit songs, and it works very well as such. One problem can be that it requires time and attention in order for one to get to know it, and for some people in today’s stressed out world it could be a bit difficult and I also think it may be a little too complex for the standard heavy metal fan or extreme metal fan – then again I doubt this album is meant to appeal to them anyway. So, for all of you who want your music to feel fresh and exciting, this is an album for you – be sure to check it out.

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