SCOTT MOSHER
"Deep
Horizon"
(The Ambient Mind/Allaroundniceguy; 2006)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
Scott Mosher's "Deep Horizon" is a truly amazing listening experience. Imagine the progressive sounds of Dream Theater and , with vocals performed by a Bruce Dickinson / Ronnie James Dio / Geoff Tate hybrid and lyrics and song melodies that bring to mind the work of Andrew Lloyd Webber (in tandem with the previously mentioned Geoff Tate).
Yeah. Wow.
"Deep Horizon" is all that and more. Each and every track has its own emotion, its own existence, and yet they all tie together as one. Some tracks are heavy, some not so much, yet all of them are haunting, sometimes even eerie, slabs of deliberate, well-designed and -played guitar backed by a futuristic synth bed that gives each track real weight. The result is that each track plays like a little movie soundtrack, telling a story full of action and emotion in the space of just a few minutes.
Vocalist Scott Oliva is just as impressive. His vocals, which hold hints of the above-mentioned masters, are equal parts epic and soulful. Oliva knows when to gallop along a la Dickinson and when to hold a forlorn note for just the right length to communicate a certain emotion.
Weighty, rock hard and mind-expanding, "Deep Horizon" is also well-produced and beautifully recorded.
Deep Horizon: All music composed, arranged and performed by Scott Mosher; All vocals and vocal harmonies performed by Scott Oliva.
For more information, check out http://www.theambientmind.com or www.myspace.com/scottmosher.
"Deep
Horizon"
(The Ambient Mind/Allaroundniceguy; 2006)
Reviewed by Snidermann
Each tune on Scott Mosher's "Deep Horizon" paints a strange but wonderful picture of epic proportions and it is simply amazing just how many emotions Mosher can put into each song.
Scott Mosher uses a sonic foundation with all the usual accompaniments to make a recording that sometimes reminds me a bit of Kraftwerk. The musical presentation here sounds like it should be a score of a movie or performed in front of 10,000 people with a full orchestra.
On one hand the music here is powerful and deep and yet it also has the exact opposite effect on me. I totally got what Mosher was trying to communicate here and that was totally cool.
For more information, check out www.myspace.com/scottmosher.
"Inferno"
(The Ambient Mind/Allaroundniceguy; 2004)
Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter
Once I see the word 'ambient,' I start to get a little freaked out. Generally speaking, I don't care for ambient music although I'm sure I've thrown the word around in a positive sense in a few CD reviews. As such, I proceeded cautiously with Scott Mosher's "Inferno."
Anyway, "Inferno" is Scott Mosher's third album. I have not heard his first two CDs but I can only guess they sound a lot like "Inferno." "Inferno" features heavy melodic rock songs and instrumentals. As I was casually listening to "Inferno" unfold before my ears, I could hear little snippets of the sound and style that made bands like Styx (many of the keyboard parts) and Rush ("Left Behind") so big in the '80s. Additionally, I hear something that makes me wonder what prog-rockers Shadow Gallery might sound like if they mined the '80s hard rock sound. The constant underpinning of ambient electronica gives the music a modern edge that could hardly be dreamed of in the '80s. The swath of ambient electronica is never overbearing which is a good thing in my book. The solos are aggressive and daring and seem to be propelled by the driving rhythms.
The lyrics generally offer socio-political commentary on the state of affairs of a world driven by the military-industrial complex, corporate greed, loss of consumers' choices and decision-making power, as well as a broad underlying sense that all the external forces in the world are too oppressive for one to survive in. There are a few interpersonal songs to keep things from being too overly political – but these songs, too, show a sense of being overwhelmed by those things out of the protagonist's control.
The re-mix song at the end of "Inferno" is unnecessary; on the good side, it's nowhere as bad as the techno re-mix that pollutes the end of the … And Ocean's album "A.M.G.O.D."
I was initially going to award "Inferno" with only a two-and-a-half chainsaw rating; however, I decided to go with a three chainsaw rating because in the end "Inferno" plays out like a fully realized concept and that's often hard to find/see/hear these days.
"Inferno" was produced by Scott Mosher and Mickey James.
Scott Mosher is joined by Todd Corsa on vocals and occasional guitar.
For more information visit http://www.theambientmind.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2007 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 11 Nov 2024 12:14:35 -0500.
