Artension – “Future World”

Future World is a powerhouse of a release delivering Artensions heaviest and most cohesive effort to date. The Artension signature virtuosity is still intact showcasing once again the brilliant musicianship of John West (Vocals), Vitalij Kuprij (Keyboards), Mike Terana (Drums), Steve DiGiorgio (Bass) and guitar shredder extraordinaire Roger Staffelbach. 

On this their 7th release, Artension create a masterwork of musical communication that strives to tame each members individual virtuosity into a more accessible package. Song craft is at the forefront of this release with a real strong emphasis on melody and interconnectivity. Staffelbach, Kuprij, DiGiorgio and Terrana feed off of each other with a real predilection for creating beauty and tension within the frame work of emotionally delivered compositions. West is the icing on the cake providing powerful heart felt lyrical content. Future World delivers an eclectic mix of diversity that draws influence from a variety of musical styles that range from progressive, metal, AOR, fusion, shred and neo-classical.

Staffelbach really let’s loose on this release delivering a supercharged set of guitar brilliance that really sets him apart from the pack. He is a true technical monster who fully comprehends melody, nuance and dynamics. His tone is smoldering but in control allowing for a precise articulated delivery that is crystal clear, even when in full shred mode you can hear and feel every note. He has a flare for interweaving intricate musical passages with melodic backgrounds that are full of passion.

Future World is an adventurous release from one of the world’s truly underrated creative musical forces.  This is extremely technical music played flawlessly with excitement and conviction.

All tracks found on this fine release are worthy of ones attention – my favorites include:

“Federation” – a real progressive storm bringer that combines an aggressive guitar/drum/bass foundation. Great keyboard interaction and some mind boggling over the top soloing round out this track.

“Tree of Knowledge” – a melodic prog rocker with classical overtones that starts off with a heady atmosphere delivered via Kuprij. Heavy melodic riffing follows and drives the track until it segues into some great acoustic work that delivers a nice flowing neo-classical progression that builds in intensity until it is full shred ahead.

“Prelude” – a solo keyboard interpretation of a JS Bach composition. A brilliant showcase for Kuprij that is classical in presentation and rife with melody.

Artension are quite simply at the top of their game. Collectively they deliver a tour-de-force of virtuosity that is unprecedented anywhere in the musical universe. All five musicians bring a complete package to the table incorporating the request palette of chops combined with epic song craft and melodic sensibilities. All band members seem to be blessed with god given talents that allow them to deliver a very diverse, emotionally charged offering that combines a wide and eclectic mix of musical styles. Anyone who enjoys progressive melodic song craft combined with over the top guitar/keyboard textures will really like Future World. A must have for the serious prog connoisseur.