Debut Disk Opens The Way For The Sheltering Sky
Twelve tracks of progressive rock with a rich full sound is what you will get with the debut disk "Opening The Way" by "The Sheltering Sky". The Sioux Falls, SD band's studio effort has the vibe of some of the great prog-rock albums without trying to copy them or falling into the trap of sounding like a 70's throwback. They manage to sound new & modern while giving the occasional nod to what has come before.
The band is comprised of Jon Sympson handling guitar, vocals & synth duties; Chuck Gerner on bass & D. Scott Haight on drums & vocals. They have a progressive sound with a foot planted firmly in rock keeping the songs accessible to mainstream rock fans. Their studio debut has a nice big sound with a terrific flow. Kicking off with Source Code, a very nice mid-tempo modern rock song, the band immediately shows that they know when to give the music room and when to add extra riffs & drum fills. This track is one of my favorites and I have to admit I have listened to it more than a few times. The disk has elements of psychedelia & more than a couple nods to hard rock hailing from the 70's through today. Keyboards are sprinkled throughout the album and they add an interesting texture to the music. The keys pay homage to the late 70's through mid '80's heyday of keyboards in rock without sounding like a cheesy leftover of a bygone era. This is a perfect balance of showing where they came from & what the influenced the trio and yet crafting their own sound.
As I listen to the disk I have been happy to hear the guys have obviously taken the time to craft each song to sound wonderful as a studio piece but have left room in the music for live improvisation. This is something a set of seasoned musicians are able to do, making a song complex and yet simple with room to jam. It will be interesting to hear what The Sheltering Sky is able to do with their sonic cadence arsenal of progressive rock. I have to believe they will have good things happen judging by the disk and the fact that the band sites their influences as the Syd Barret era of Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree.
This is a band I really want to see live. Check them out on their homepage & Facebook. You can purchase the CD Opening The Way by contacting the band here. Check out a couple samples from the album below.
The band is comprised of Jon Sympson handling guitar, vocals & synth duties; Chuck Gerner on bass & D. Scott Haight on drums & vocals. They have a progressive sound with a foot planted firmly in rock keeping the songs accessible to mainstream rock fans. Their studio debut has a nice big sound with a terrific flow. Kicking off with Source Code, a very nice mid-tempo modern rock song, the band immediately shows that they know when to give the music room and when to add extra riffs & drum fills. This track is one of my favorites and I have to admit I have listened to it more than a few times. The disk has elements of psychedelia & more than a couple nods to hard rock hailing from the 70's through today. Keyboards are sprinkled throughout the album and they add an interesting texture to the music. The keys pay homage to the late 70's through mid '80's heyday of keyboards in rock without sounding like a cheesy leftover of a bygone era. This is a perfect balance of showing where they came from & what the influenced the trio and yet crafting their own sound.
As I listen to the disk I have been happy to hear the guys have obviously taken the time to craft each song to sound wonderful as a studio piece but have left room in the music for live improvisation. This is something a set of seasoned musicians are able to do, making a song complex and yet simple with room to jam. It will be interesting to hear what The Sheltering Sky is able to do with their sonic cadence arsenal of progressive rock. I have to believe they will have good things happen judging by the disk and the fact that the band sites their influences as the Syd Barret era of Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree.
This is a band I really want to see live. Check them out on their homepage & Facebook. You can purchase the CD Opening The Way by contacting the band here. Check out a couple samples from the album below.
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