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Eternity is John Lyell's second solo release and his
fourth release total counting the two releases he did with Brent Reiland from
1998 and 2002. Eternity is pretty much a
one man show for John who composed, performed, engineered and produced this new
album at Light Year Studios in Minneapolis, MN. Heck he even did the graphic
design, the layout and the art concept of the project as well. The only thing
that was outsourced so to speak was the digital mastering which was done by
another well-known talent in the ambient music field in the person of Robert
Rich in his Soundscape Studios in Mountain View, CA. John has included 10 wonderful tracks on this
release with only two of them falling below the 6 minute threshold so listeners
are in for some excellent long form pieces that will allow them to really enter
into each composition and into the album as a whole. The album runs a little
over an hour at 63:17.
First off let me say that I love this album as a whole.
The compositions are well suited to each other and even as the tempo
occasionally changes it does not disrupt the flow of where the music wants to
take you. John has created some fantastic otherwordly moods on this album which
envelopes you in densely atmospheric soundscapes that massage the mind allowing
you to open to the journey before you. The song titles tell me that the journey
is one that could be an extra planetary voyage beyond this world or perhaps a
journey within yourself as you contemplate the meaning of eternity or exactly
what forever might mean to you. Either way the music is well suited to
providing a soundtrack to that journey because whether you journey within or
without the compositions stir just the right kinds of emotions as you listen.
The album starts with a deep spacey kind of song called
Eternity. It is a contemplative and peaceful song that allows the listener to
untether themselves from their day to day worries and enter in fully to the
world that John has created with this album. It is fitting that this is also
the title song of the album as well since it does indeed set the pace for what
is to come. I have always enjoyed pieces that engage me as a listener and
invite me to "hear" the music actively instead of lurking passively
in the background while I am busy doing something else. Don't get me wrong I
also enjoy purely ambient music that requires nothing of me other than to load
the disc in my player and go about my business letting the music break into my
consciousness whenever I have a break in what I am doing. It's just that I have
always liked to pay attention to what I am listening to whether that is the
lyrics in a new rock song or a layered piece of ambient/space music by John
Lyell. By the way Eternity is one of my favorite songs on this album. Of course
I could probably say that about most of the songs on here but this one does
stand out to me. The song has a mysterious haunting quality to it that evokes
images of unfamiliar waters or uncharted space all the while creating a sense
of adventure in the back of your mind about where the music will ultimately
lead you.
Some of my other favorite tracks from this release are
Dreams of Orion, Pulse of Destiny and the closing song called The Breath of
Time. Pulse of Destiny is the first song that you might say has a beat or some
sort of rhythm. The repeating rhythm that flows through this whole song is an
apt way of looking at destiny in that it illustrates perfectly the inevitable
movement of things and events towards a predetermined conclusion. While this
pulse is moving the song forward you will also hear water sounds along the way
and other synths that punctuate the journey adding some sonic variations to the
landscape. Another interesting song that actually caused me to write to John on
first listen was Vector Atmospheres which is track three on this CD. After
repeated listening’s I understand it now but I thought that there was some
unintentional static on this track at first. John explained that it was meant
to be there and that he used a Synth Patch to create it. So for the first time
through just be aware that the static is meant to be where John placed it.
John has created in Eternity an album that is intimate
and inviting and that is instantly engaging to the listener. John has expertly
woven a musical tapestry with the songs on this CD that creates a relaxing
atmosphere that caresses those listeners who delve deeply into the
compositions. John's musical sensibilities have been honed to a sharp point
over the last decade and now he is comfortable crafting cohesive artistic
visions like you will find on his latest release. The lush landscapes that John
has created on this release are very revealing of his heart and underscores his
impressive skills as a musician and producer. This album is very accessible and
quite an enjoyable way to spend a few hours. That presupposes that you will
want to listen to it several times the way that I did hence the few hours
instead of just one. This album is due out on March 20, 2012 and you would do
well to get your own copy to set out on your own journey. And of course this
release is highly recommended by Ambient Visions.
Reviewed by Ambient Visions
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