HERMETIC SCIENCE�PROPHESIES

 

Music for a new millennium . . .

 

The title piece is an altogether satisfying six-movement, 41-minute suite, wherein Ed Macan moves through his entire arsenal of instruments . . . Hammond organ, acoustic piano, Micromoog, ARP string ensemble, recorder, and mallet instruments are used to create a long-form, unified piece that is redolent of 1970s prog in all its glory . . . Prophesies is one of the most unique progressive releases of this year.  Listeners who like to take chances on different approaches and new sounds are strongly encouraged to check this remarkable disc out.  Larry Nai, PROGRESSION (U.S.)

 

Macan demonstrates a writing ability that ranks above nine-tenths of the progressive community.  Worth Keith Emerson�s best efforts, Prophesies is the classic prog epic you�ve been waiting for . . . Macan�s music is complex and �hermetic� indeed.  But after two or three listens, the complexity makes way for the beauty and the prog fan is in heaven . . . fans of classically-inclined prog, even fans of so called �serious� music, will find in Hermetic Science a band to cherish for years to come.  Francois Couture, DELIRE MUSICAL (Quebec, CANADA)

 

The CD also includes a cover of Rush�s �Jacob�s Ladder� and, most importantly for ELP fans, a killer 19 minute piano version of the entire Tarkus suite, performed live at the Shannon Center for the Performing Arts in California in 1992.  Stunning! Liv Whetmore, IMPRESSIONS (U.K.)

 

Overall this is an outstanding disc with thoughtful compositions, strong ensemble playing, and a crisp sound quality.  It will easily make my top ten list for the year and is enthusiastically recommended for fans of instrumental progressive music.  David Ashcraft, EXPOSE (U.S.)

 

Highly recommended and bound to be one of the most memorable of the year�s releases, Hermetic Science are a talented and inventive band whose leader, Ed Macan, has produced some noteworthy original pieces invoking the spirit of Egg and ELP.  Phil Jackson, ACID DRAGON (France)

 

Originality, creativity, extremely precise technique:  adjectives which are entirely pertinent to North American Ed Macan and his Hermetic Science . . . the band creates a chamber-like progressive rock which sounds erudite in its conception and progressive in its execution.  Review unsigned, METAMUSICA (Brazil)

 

The fantastic suite of 41:10 that is the beating heart of this album is a marvel of concision and precision.  Bruno Vermisse, HARMONIE (France)

 

A rich music, full of variety and polyrhythmic work, curious and original, which doesn�t leave one indifferent, even if the approach is, at first listen, not very easy.  Review unsigned, PROG-RESISTE (Belgium)

 

Well, Mr. Macan has done it again�fashioned another great release of instrumental progressive music.  Stephanie Sollow, PROGRESSIVE WORLD (U.S.)

 

Prophesies is the culmination of Hermetic Science�s two year quest.  Then I said that their first release �borders on the historic.�  Fine, this now is history.  J. J. Iglesias, ATROPOS (Spain)

 

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Acid Dragon (France)

Arlequins (Italy)

Atropos (Spain)

Background (Netherlands)

Big Bang (France)

DURP (Germany)

DME Web Site (added October 2001)

Dutch Progressive Rock Page (Netherlands)

Expose (U.SA.)

Glasbena Mladina (Slovenia)

Harmonie (France)

Io Pages (Netherlands)

Impressions (Great Britain)

Lumberjack (U.S.)

Lunar Waves (Spain)

Margen (Spain)

Mellotron (Argentina)

Metamusica (Brazil)

Percussive Notes (U.S.A.)

Prog-Resiste (Belgium)

Progression (U.S.A.)

Progressive Newsletter (Germany)

Progressive World (U.S.A.)

Progressive World (U.S.A.) second review-originally appeared in April 15, 2000 edition of Stage (Netherlands)

Progressor (Uzbekistan)

Ragazzi (Germany)

Tarkus (Norway)

Wind and Wire (U.S.A.)

Wondrous Stories (Great Britain)

Wonderous Stories (Italy)