ALBUM REVIEW: Delta-v – Kepler Ten
KEPLER TEN‘s first album Delta-V demonstrates a love of their favourite bands, with the confidence to make their own artistic choices and meld them in new and innovative ways. The overall effect, for any Hard Rock or Classic Prog band fan might just have a new band to add to their favourites.
Ultroviolet starts with a swell of organs, and an unsettling sound that feels like the ocean around your head. Then the beautiful guitar echoes across the scape and gives life to the ambience. It’s like coming to life when you’ve been almost sucked away. The keys here are at the perfect, understated kind of playing. They add rhyme and warmth while the vocals take you on a journey, through a story. It’s got good pacing, and has a universal sort of sound- not too niche in any way. For those looking for some ace riffing, this song also brings in a great one that should peak your interest. Time and Tide has definite vibes of MUSE in there, you’d be forgiven for mistaking certain elements for the Prog giants. Truly, it’s as if MUSE and RUSH were to combine and make some crazy Progressive/Heavy Rock baby. Once again, the vocals are just right, the weight of the track keeps it interesting and fun.
If you wanted something a little more DREAM THEATRE, with slightly less of the mind-boggling key and tempo changes, then The Stone is for you. KEPLER TEN know they genre and they know their influences. Swallowtail takes on an equally narrative style- each song is a little chronicle, a chapter of a tale that can be enjoyed singularly or as a collective. This more subdued piece comes at the perfect moment, acoustic guitars and keys just balance out the rest of the album and show some range in terms of feeling.
The Shallows have a nice electronic undertone running through them, creating a bit of a throwback theme. The story here is getting a little more ambiguous here, and while it’s not the strongest lyrically, it does have some catchy lines and great riffs. In fact, it’s the most diverse in the range of instruments and has a strong, steadily pace, with some great little moments. Next, In The Sere And Yellow goes back to the core of the bands more entertaining feel, while bring in some really poetic lyrics. This is a very good rock song, taking classic elements of the feel-good way RUSH or PINK FLOYD might pull a song together. The replay factor is with this song, for sure.
Finally, Red Skies Rise lifts the theme from its intro, which was very much in the deeps, to the high energy of flight and even beyond the skies above is. It’s a great path for the band to follow on this album, a clear journey up and away, with all the big moments and confidence as the album grows. The melodies and riffs here are top class, and the collective play together like a well oiled machine, you’d be a fool not to notice some of the huge potential of KEPLER TEN from this final track alone.
Overall, KEPLER TEN have taken their influences and made them their own. With great, strong songs like this on the album, their future work looks set to hopefully become a wonderful combination of feel good tracks and narrative highs just as joyous as this collection of tracks.
Rating: 8/10
Delta-V is set for release on February 10th via White Star Records.
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