ALBUM REVIEW: Beyond Shadowland – SiX By SiX
Writing classic prog rock in 2024 is a noble duty. While rock has its prolific offenders of ‘doing it for the dollar’, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone championing the sounds of classic prog in the modern day for anything besides the artistry. As a result, the subgenre fosters an expectedly close-knit following, with no sign of a commercial revival (despite GRETA VAN FLEET‘s tireless and tiresome efforts) on the horizon despite a gene pool healthy enough to make it happen. Newcomers, and the term is used lightly, SIX BY SIX are one such collective.
Or at least, they could be. Not unlike their peers, SIX BY SIX is a band propelled by the heritage of its members, a trio desperately trying to flee the lazily placed ‘supergroup’ labels and create something truly novel. Forged in the hallowed grounds of Bay Area, San Francisco, SIX BY SIX is the formation of Ian Crichton, Nigel Glockler and Robert Berry – or the head-on collision of SAGA, SAXON, and GTR, if one could imagine such a thing. Despite a deep-rooted history, the name SIX BY SIX is a new one. The trio debuted with a self-titled LP to fair acclaim in 2022 and are already hot on their own heels with Beyond Shadowland, a return that strives to see a bolder, more realised vision of what these legends seek to accomplish under this fresh moniker.
SIX BY SIX avoid the dreaded sophomore pitfall by some margin but, equally, fail to traverse much further forward from where they put down the pen two years ago. Beyond Shadowland is, like its predecessor, very serviceable, perfectly enjoyable prog rock with the spirit of the 70s and the tissues and fibres of the 21st century. Somehow, this is also its downfall. While the core principles of songwriting, performances and production are all solidly comprised, there is little here that will leave ears burning for that second round.
The band’s debut set the scene well for their arena of lively, groove-driven prog, encapsulating all the nuances of sci-fi blips and dramatic guitar solos we’ve now come to expect from this slice of the past. It was clear that neither member had let time catch their stride, each of them wound to a point and brimming with the same artistry that found them their respective fame in years gone by. Yet there was something more to give, or at least it felt that way. Beyond Shadowland could have been the chance to carve out that niche, that spark, but in most cases feels at home treading water.
That said, the waters they tread are still healthy and biodiverse. The album finds its strengths in its most delicate moments with Obiliex and Outside Looking In providing some of the most sensual material the band have penned to date. Meanwhile, necks will find their grooves in the robust riff-raff of Wren, The Arms Of A Word, Can’t Live Like This and Titans – the first three of which represent the LP’s opening trio and each provide unique moments of power chord heaven. Besides it remains a welcome novelty to be dunked into the past. Sounds, like frenetic keyboards and cheesy vocal effects, that would be expectedly worn and tired fee; refreshing and nostalgic. There are better purveyors of said sounds in both past and present, sure, but who could deny the slow-winding melodrama of One Step or the batshit insanity of The Mission’s acapella karaoke melody. It’s easy to digest, it’s fun, and there’s a good deal of conceptual and musical depth for those who care to look beneath the tongue-in-cheek attitudes and ridiculous album art; which unfortunately looks 90% A.I generated.
All of this is to say that Beyond Shadowland is a simple bit of fun, a serviceable 50 minutes of modern nostalgia, but rarely much more. Considering the genre is unlikely to breakout further than its dedicated followings, this is no reason to decry the band’s efforts, nor the state of modern classic prog rock as a whole – although a catchier name would do wonders – but just another solid effort to add to an ever-expanding library. Whether we see a true breakout from SIX BY SIX in coming albums remains to be seen. Who knows? Who even cares? It’s hard to tell how long classic prog will stand to time’s inevitable march forward so, for now, why not just enjoy the view?
Rating: 6/10
Beyond Shadowland is set for release on April 26th via InsideOut Music.
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