Multi Story | Crimson Stone
Label: F2 Music/Independent
Release Year: 2016
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Progressive Rock
Band Members
Paul Ford – Vocals/Acoustic Guitars
Rob Wilsher – Keyboards & Programming
Aedan Neale – Electric & Acoustic Guitars
Kyle Jones – Bass Guitar
Jordan Neale – Drums & Percussion
Contact Links
Multi Story Official Facebook Page
Multi Story Official Youtube Channel
Nineteen73 Artist Promotion Official Facebook
In 1985 a UK based neo-symphonic prog band Multi Story released a album titled East West. This would be followed up in 1987 with a album titled Through Your Eyes. After the release of 18987’s Through Your Eyes the band either intentionally or unintentionally went their separate ways. For those of you that were not around in the 1980’s or need a refresher course, the 1980’s was very brutal on solid progressive rock.
Glam Metal/Pop Metal, New Wave and AOR had all replaced solid progressive rock. There was also a thing called MTV and many of the Prog pioneers of the late 1960’s through the 1970’s really were not image ready for the new televised musical platform. Bands like Yes & Asia had to literally go a more AOR route while Genesis and Peter Gabriel went more pop or World Music routes. Sure their were Marillion , IQ and Pallas who made attempts to carry prog in the 1980’s however to no real avail. Personal speculation here believes factors like I mentioned above could of influence towards to almost three decades long hiatus.
Whatever the case was, the band are back and sound as refreshed and rested as ever. 2016 marks the year of Multi Story’s comeback offering Crimson Stone. It is as if the band were never out of action due to how Crimson Stone was written, recorded, engineered, produced and mastered. The band have taken time and paid attention to every detail they could possible. Crimson Stone is no bombastic over the top symphonic album. It is a album that allows for the listener to breath and hear 8 individual stories/tracks.
Throughout the entire album from the first song Murmuration to the last and titled track Crimson Stone the band’s unity is definitely beyond measure as far as tightness and orchestration are concerned. Where some bands in the neo progressive symphonic rock feel the need to go over the top, Multi Story have a more minimal less is more approach. Both progressive rock or even classic rock fans can find a little something they enjoy. This is yet another album the listener must approach with a open objectivity to really get something from Multi Story’s Crimson Stone.
Whether it is Paul Ford’s signature vocals that are like Peter Gabriel meets Fish of Marillion, to Kyle Jones channeling his inner Chris Squire on bass and Aedan Neale on guitar sounding like a cross of Walter Becker of Steely Dan meets Robert Fripp of King Crimson there is soundscapes galore. These soundscapes are topped off by Rob Wilsher on keyboards and Jordan Neale on drums. Now normally I would do a break down and a track by track analysis. However this time I have chosen not to. There are two tracks from the You Tube Channel plus other links I provided in the top of this review. I want to potential fan, cynical personality and critic alike to discover the greatness as I did in my discovery.
Multi Story’s Crimson Stone gets a 4.25/5 for returning as if they never left and still had their pulse on the prog rock community in general.
Video Courtesy Of: ( Multi Story Official Youtube Channel )
Video Courtesy Of: ( Multi Story Official YouTube Channel )
