On their fourth studio album, “The Magician Chronicles – Part I,” Brighteye Brison still orient themselves on classic ’70s progressive rock – especially early Genesis and Yes, and maybe ELP and, to a lesser extent, Gentle Giant. In contemporary bands, Brighteye Brison’s keyboard-driven sound comes closest to The Tangent. The album includes only three tracks, but the first of these, “The Rise of Brighteye Brison,” is a 23-minute, multiple- movement suite, launching into its musical meanderings with a classic prog overture. The keyboards take the front row on this long piece. The spirit of grandeur fills the whole of “The Magician Chronicles,” making it sizzle with energy. This is clearly retro prog, but done with verve. The second piece, “The Magician’s Cave,” is much more broken down into soundscapes, improvisation and narration of the epic story that serves as the album’s unifying theme. Here, the Yes influence is most obvious. Brighteye Brison play solid retro-prog. Nothing new, as “retro” already signifies, but well done and particularly suited for those who could never get enough albums by their seventies' heroes.

by artistxite