01	Dark Water Part Three: Neptune's Son						01:46
	02	Aqua Vitae						06:28
	03	Oblivion Days						07:06
	04	Archimedes						05:38
	05	Banquo's Ghost						05:59
	06	Space: 1999						04:37
	07	Escape						10:02
	08	Compass Variation			Japanese Bonus Track			03:58
	09	Break The Silence						06:00
	10	Dark Water Part Four: Heavy Water						04:44
	11	Wake Me Up - Live In Tokyo			Bonus Track			06:22
	12	Stardust MM96 Mix			bonus track			04:54

Rocket Scientists - Oblivion Days

Country of Origin: USA
Format: CD
Record Label: Transmission Records
Catalogue #: TM-018
Year of Release: 2000
Time: 73:26
Info: Rocket Scientists
Tracklist: Dark Water Part Three: Neptune's Sun (1:46), Aqua Vitae (6:26), Oblivion Days (7:06), Archimedes (5:35), Banquo's Ghost (5:57), Space: 1999 (4:35), Escape (10:00), Break The Silence (5:55), Dark Water Part Four: Heavy Water (4:38), Wake Me Up - Live In Tokyo (bonus) (6:20), Stardust - MM96 Mix (bonus) (4:54)

Rocket Scientists music is loaded with bombast and very macho keyboard work by Erik Norlander. Apart from Eric, who has earned his place in prog history, it's Mark McCrite on vocals and guitars.

To supplement the band, they use several guest musicians, most notably Ayreon's Arjan Lucassen on heavy rhythm guitars on most tracks and even solo on Escape and Lana Lane for harmony vocals. Their previous album Brutal Architecture dates way back from 1995 and, needless to say, this album sounds a bit different (as I am told, since I am not familiar with the previous album). As Norlander puts in in the sleeve notes: " [...] if we are not to push the envelope a bit, how can we then in good conscience call ourselves progressive rock artists? ". True words.

Now to the music. Immediately from second one the feel of the album is established. Dark Water Part Three: Neptune's Sun is an opening like Pink Floyd uses on the last couple of albums (a short instrumental, setting the scene), only since Rocket Scientists are much more bombastic, this opening too is like a really bombastic version of a Floydian opening. It seemlessly flows into Aqua Vitae, which in terms of keyboard work and guitar work reminds me a bit of Threshold, since most of the companion instruments play in the lower regions of their domain, with a wailing keyboard/guitar/vocal melody over it. Indeed, I think in general the bombast of early Threshold is present on the whole album. In this track the bass melody (or better: Chapman stick melody) is also quite varying and interesting. Somewhere in the middle, a quieter piece starts, lifting the momentum a bit and leaving the listener some time to breathe before diving back into the heavy work. One really needs these moments now and then, since otherwise one drowns in the bombast. A good example is the title track Oblivion Days. Played very slowly, dark and dragging, it pounds on for seven minutes. Don't misunderstand me: I think it's one of the best tracks on the album, melody wise, but I can't get around the impression that it is played too slow: it should be speeded up to fit in five minutes (tip for a live performance?). This is the type of track that could have been found on an Ayreon album as well.

Archimedes is a complex instrumental, which I can't put a label on. More open, less bombastic than the previous tracks, bit more jazzy feel. Finally, the album chills down a bit on Banquo's Ghost, a ballad-like track, until the middle section break that features some frantic keyboard work and a fretless bass guitar "solo". Lots of (Mini-)Moog and Hammond here! Judging from the enormous amount of different keyboards that are used on the tracks Norlander must look like Wakeman the Second when on stage (i.e. you sometimes see a hand lifted over a rack of keyboards that surrounds him 360 degrees).

The album continues with an interpretation of the tune of the science fiction series Space:1999 (at least I think it is, since I remember from childhood that such a series exists and since an unfamiliar name is credited as composer of the track). Bombast squared with keyboards performing an entire orchestra.

If you don't have a headache by now, the 10 minute piece Escape starts. The advantage of longer pieces is that, most of the time, they start calmly, and so does this track, just vocals and a semi-acoustic guitar. Then the somewhat distorted (Bowie-like) vocals sing the first part. The chorus is catchy and not hard to memorize: (lots of oh-oh-oh's) Escape (oh-oh-oh). But with really nice and complex breaks between the oohh's. This track is charaterised by change: change of mood, tempo, melody and use of instruments, but most of the time recurring. A true piece of progressive rock, in other words. After this again somewhat massive piece Break The Silence is a welcome change, with clear focus on melody and not so much on bombast or complexety. A melancholic piece, it reminded me vaguely of the ballads of Frankie Goes To Hollywood (in my opinion the Masters of ballads), but others may think I am crazy (well, I'm sure they do). Dark Water Part Four: Heavy Water is what the title promises: keyboard oriented heavy metal, and closes the album with a bang.

Unless you have a CD with bonus tracks: two of their 1995 tracks, one live and one "remix". Somehow there is something weird going on with title numbering and length of tracks on the CD but I managed to play them, hmmmm, strange. Wake Me Up, recorded live in Tokyo in 1999, could have been on this album as a studio recording in style and feel, although the vocal section is more "poppy" and sing-along. Stardust - MM96 Mix is a happy song, with acoustic guitar and vocal, followed by classical-instruments-keyboard. There is only one single reference possible on this track, with Lana Lane on vocals in the chorus: the Electic Light Orchestra (ELO). I have heard few songs that so clearly are based on their style.

A very impressive album, due to the bombast. I personally like some bombast (I for instance adore Threshold's Wounded Land and Ayreon's Into The Electric Castle). But this album was almost too much, even for me! Fortunately at the right times, it quietens down a little. So if you like pompous, bombastic sympho: go get this masterpiece. If you're into subtle delicate tunes: nope, not for you, this one. From experience however, I know that a lot of people like the more bombastic style, and I think this album can be a great asset to your record collection, also because it is well produced, with a really nice and informative booklet (quite thick actually!). The CD is not intented for release in the USA. Maybe try ordering through the website mentioned above?

This CD has been featured in our CDelight Section as well !

Conclusion: 8.5 out of 10.

Remco Schoenmakers