Sieges Even
The Art of Navigating by the Stars

Some time ago, there was literally a deluge of tears from the unfortunately few fans who loved Sieges Even and will continue to love them after hearing the news of the band's breakup. Yes, because they were one of those bands capable of having an original and creative sound, which is unfortunately not easy to achieve in today's music, given that even in the most avant-garde and experimental genres like prog, everything seems to have already been done. It's a significant loss that many simply can't understand. Because when it comes to prog-metal, people think only of Dream Theater, Symphony X, Shadow Gallery, and Fates Warning (excellent bands), but lesser-known groups are almost never considered. And they certainly deserved more attention, and who knows... if they had been given more consideration, perhaps they wouldn't have broken up!

"The Art Of Navigating By The Stars," released in 2005 after a long 8-year gap since "Uneven," is probably the band's masterpiece. Sieges Even moved away from the more metal sound that characterized them in previous years in favor of a more openly progressive sound that alternates touching melodies, complex arrangements excellently driven by guitar and bass, without excluding technicalities (that however do not verge into the virtuosity of their origins), jazz touches and typically fusion melodies without forgetting distorted guitar parts typically metal. They returned to the scene with a new singer, Arno Menses, who had a voice definitely more catchy and commercial compared to previous singers and capable of delivering emotions that his predecessors probably couldn't; and they decided to return to a sound without keyboards (unlike what happened with "Sophisticated" and "Uneven" where keyboards had a secondary role) which distinguishes them from other groups of the genre... Playing prog without using keyboards is certainly no easy feat (I too believe that keyboards are indispensable for a prog album) but they have demonstrated that you can be innovative and original even with only guitar, bass, and drums.

Honestly, in these 9 tracks, an intro and eight sequences, I sincerely can't find a weak moment: every song is a small masterpiece on its own, forming a masterpiece when united in one album. Each song, in fact, doesn't have a precise feature: the changes in melody and approach don't occur from one song to another but within the same song; a darker moment can suddenly transform into a more melodic moment and vice versa; each song therefore must be listened to with extreme attention and judged only after the media player has moved to the next track; and it is exactly this feature that makes the album more interesting compared to many prog albums of recent years! In the intro "Navigating By The Stars", the laughter of a newborn child is just the gateway to an adventure that will keep you glued to the player until the last note. "The Weight" has a sound that is sometimes dark, skillfully guided by bass lines and some brief metal dives but it flows into a chorus with decidedly lively tones where Arno Menses takes center stage. "The Lonely View Of Condors" is also a very bright track guided by the melodic line of the guitar while "Unbreakable" has a sadder and more melancholic melody made of delicate arpeggios that lead into decidedly more metal parts and complex guitar lines. "Stigmata", also with a very melodic approach, shows more of the technical side using complex guitar lines and not giving up on irregular tempos and structures. The reprise of "The Weight" at the end is interesting. The acoustic ballad "Blue Wide Open" speaks for itself: just over 5 minutes can suffice to move even the most delicate listeners. "The Ones To Have Failed" is perhaps one of the most successful moments of the disc: another track capable of delivering strong emotions thanks to its pleasant acoustic chorus but also gives us a tremendous metal part after the middle of the track, undoubtedly the hardest part of the whole disc; the phrase contained in the chorus, which claims "the sky is starless for those who have failed" is one of my favorite quotes. "Lighthouse" is another very melancholic and dreamy track that contains, among other things, a beautiful part played with the flute. "Styx" is perhaps the slightly weaker moment of the disc, probably overshadowed by the grandeur of the other songs (another reprise of "The Weight" at the end) but still a good track to close, I repeat, a masterpiece!

We will really miss these Sieges Even... Prog loses one of its potentially biggest players but at least let's fully enjoy this masterpiece...

Who knows if one day they'll return!