If you grew up with bands the likes of King Crimson, Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Genesis and Gentle Giant- then Far Cry will make you feel immediately at home. Younger listeners who love Dream Theater and bands that use their work as a vessel to tell massive stories will find something unique that teases the ears throughout.
The album stars off with two tracks that combine for 26 minutes, but man, they do a wonderful job of setting everything later up. This is a musical adventure- one that doesn’t get told at all anymore.
For that reason, you need to eliminate everything else around you when you put this one for the first time. The music deserves your complete and undivided attention.
Consisting of Robert Hutchinson (drums, percussion, bells spoken word), Jeff Brewer (lead and backing vocals, bass, bass synth, bass pedals, guitar), Chris Dabbo (piano, keyboards, vocals) and Brendan Kinchla (lead guitar, acoustic and electric guitars) The Far Cry is an all-star team of seasoned musicians playing the type of music they love and obviously want to preserve.
If you love music, music that makes you feel, music that makes your heart and mind wander, The Far Cry have it for you.
One notion that can’t be escaped here as well is the commercial potential of these tracks. If you’re a fan of early PlayStation role-playing games the likes of Alundra and Final Fantasy VII, The Far Cry’s tracks, especially Dimension of Darkness and Gathering of Shadows, feel like they can be put right into those games’ soundtracks. Beautiful isn’t its even the word for these two. Compelling and powerful, the musicianship and storytelling here is wild.
Ultimately, while there’s a lot of music here- and you may not be able to get through it all in one sitting, The Far Cry delivers a beefy release that you’ll appreciate the more you listen.
It’s rare you get a band this polished putting out a massive amount of content like this. If nothing else, it’s a testament to just how good this band is.
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