Citizen Cain - Skies Darken (2012)

Artista: Citizen Cain
Álbum: Skies Darken
Año: 2012
Género: Rock sinfónico
Duración: 73:24
Nacionalidad: Escocia

Lista de Temas:
1. The Charnal House
2. The Long Sleep
3. Darkest Sleep / Manifestations
4. Spiders In Undergrowth
5. The Hunting Of Johnny Eue / Trapped By Candlelight
6. Coming Down / The Fountains Of Sand / Delivered Up For Tea / Death And Rebirth
7. Do We Walk In The World?
8. Lost In Lonely Ghosts

Alineación:
- Cyrus / voz, bajo
- Phil Allen / guitarra, coros
- Stewart Bell / teclados, batería

En este show de resubidas de buenos (en realidad MUY buenos) discos internacionales que presentamos este último tiempo, no podía faltar estos cielos oscurecidos. Banda de mucha trayectoria y mucho talento, que utiliza la mitología griega como inspiración para sus letras, con un matiz muy genesiano y complejo en todos sus discos, aquí volvieron a la carga con un disco que es dinamita en tu cabeza, es moderno Genesis enloquecido y Peter Gabriel desencadenando los sonidos más sombríos y oscuros, con complicadas estructuras que obligan a escuchar las canciones una y otra vez antes de entender todo el panorama musical completo que ofrece el disco. Discazo increíble que hay que escuchar a más de una vez para ver a través de la belleza escondida en su oscuridad.

Y ya que hoy estamos con los cielos oscuros, al menos en Buenos Aires, debe ser un buen momento para presentar un disco que para mí es asombroso de principio a fin.
No me importan opiniones, subjetivamente, para mí, este es el mejor álbum que salió en el 2012, y eso que el año pasado salieron discos completamente geniales. Al menos de todo lo que escuché. Me revienta la cabeza cada vez que lo escucho. Impresionante, es un oscuro delirio místico salido de las melodías de Genesis, es verlo a Peter Gabriel volverse completamente loco y en su último rapto de demencia, hace este disco crudo, áspero, complicadísimo, oscuro, potente y hermoso.
Habían pasado diez años desde esta magnífica (e injutamente menospreciada) banda lanzó su último trabajo de estudio, siempre fiel su estilo Genesis pero con muchas más complejidades. Y luego de 10 años aparecen con un álbum que pareciera reformular el arquetipo del metal. O sea, no tiene nada de metal pero es tan poderoso que roza dicho género.
¿Cómo carajo tocarán este disco en vivo? El disco es técnicamente impecable, solamente con una base poderosísima y extremadamente disfrutable dan lugar a que el teclado se luzca en sus incursiones pirotécnicas y sólo de vez en cuando aparece alguna guitarrita.
Pero antes que nada debo aclarar, los músicos tienen toda la buena onda, me he comunicado directamente con ellos y les mandan saludos a todo el blog, pero lamentablemente no podemos publicar los links de descarga porque tendremos problemas con la compañía discográfica, ya saben como son estas cosas, mejor portarse bien a veces.

El disco, como les decía, me parece genial: potente, oscuro, densísimo, complejo, pomposo, impactante... y de muchísima calidad musical. Un álbum conceptual donde la letra y la música se dedican a denostar "la estupidez y la ceguera del hombre en su estado perpetuo de olvido". No es que se refiera específicamene que Menem ganó las elecciones por tercera vez en el año 2003 con el 24.45%. No, aunque podría ser. El disco, y la banda en general, mecha mucho sobre el tema que usamos la tecnología para las mismas pelotudeces de siempre. Uf, estoy argentinizando mucho. Perdón a nuestros visitantes no-argentinos, no sé como Google Translator el término "pelotudo".
¿Quieren escuchar una muestra de lo que para mí es una obra maestra? Ojo que digo "para mí" porque entiendo que esta música no es para todo el mundo y a muchos no les gustará, Aquí les dejo el "Darkest Sleep Manifestations":

Parece que hay varias referencias a canciones infantiles en este disco. Compositivamente el disco es muy interesante, compuesto en base a... no recuerdo bien, pero creo que todo el disco está basado en variaciones 5 o 6 melodías base, no tengo el disco acá como para chequearlo. El álbum empieza con una oscura canción de cuna que se irá repitiendo a lo largo del disco en diferentes versiones, mientras se van apareciendo nuevas intenciones y se agregan capas.

El trabajo de los instrumentos es impresionante, por ejemplo el trabajo de la batería es demoledor, el bajo es potente, creativo, inquieto, (así como me gusta que suene el bajo) y lleva las riendas de todo, más la cantidad de arreglos sinfónicos del teclado hacen, ellos tres más la ayuda de alguna ocasional guitarra, un sinfín de capas melódicas, una sobre la otra, dispuestas de manera formidable. Los invito a escuchar esto en el "The Charnal House", que es el nombre de la canción del próximo video.
No pueden escuchar el disco sin prestarle mucha, mucha atención a los instrumentos. Las melodías están muy bien pero es solo una parte, el trabajo compositivo, la instrumentación y el dramatismo de la obra son las otras patas de la mesa. ello hace de álbum una propuesta muy potente que linda estilísticamente con el prog metal, pero sin ninguno de los clichés del prog metal. Veamos que nos dicen en Manticornio sobre este trabajo:

Sé de alguna gente que mi comentario de que CITIZEN CAIN suena al GENESIS de los 1970 les parecerá de lo menos apropiado. Me vale. Y no le aunque que me quieran marear diciendo que “la música de CITIZEN CAIN es más oscura, de capas más gruesas, densa y complicada” porque eso sólo reafirma el hecho de que una buena banda evoluciona y se adapta a las tendencias (casi siempre) que dominen al momento de crear su música. Sí, CITIZEN CAIN es una buena banda (para nada de rock neo progresivo a según mi oído en esta realización), y con este disco lo demuestra. Por supuesto, dado su sonido matizado en referentes conocidos y su música de origen calidoso y bien tocada, este CD seguirá fomentando la controversia y opiniones encontradas, cosa que a mi parecer lo hace más valioso aún.

Alfredo Tapia Carreto

Y para muchos, este es un disco medio. Para algunos otros, es una maravilla. No hay mucho término medio, como pasa con muchas obras originales. Para mí es una completa maravilla que me ha quitado todos los pelos que me quedaban, claro que no eran tantos, dicho sea de paso. Pero empecemos por el principio, muchos por aquí no deben conocer a estos magníficos músicos...

Vamos con algunos comentarios, obviamente empezamos con el de nuestro inseparable César Inca:

Una nueva alba para Citizen Cain y sus cielos oscurecidos
Toca referirnos a una banda muy especial para el desarrollo del rock progresivo sinfónico moderno desde los 90s en adelante: CITIZEN CAIN. Definir a CITIZEN CAIN invita a la siguiente paradoja: es uno de los veteranos indiscutibles (aunque de los menos difundidos) de la vertiente neo-progresiva surgida a inicios de los 80s, siendo así que cuando recién pudieron registrar oficialmente un disco de estudio a inicios de los 90s, se notaba que se estaba plasmando un discurso genuino en él; por otra parte, este grupo se mantiene claramente apartado de muchos de los estándares habitualmente asociados a la vertiente en cuestión, pues presenta composiciones y arquitecturas rítmicas peculiarmente complejas, ambientes más densos y una especial preferencia por ambientes sombríos. Esto último se destacó como un factor importante desde el tercer disco, titulado “Raising The Stones”, solo para ser reforzado unos años después en “Playing Dead”… y, ahora en 2012, en “Skies Darken”, disco donde el grupo sigue explorando estas sendas con soltura, vigor e ingenio. El trío de Cyrus (bajo, voz y letras), Stewart Bell (teclados, batería y programaciones) y Phil Allen (guitarras y coros) ha vuelto a gestar en “Skies Darken” un disco impresionante y sumamente efectivo para el perpetuo sueño de seguir haciendo música progresiva sinfónica con una actitud renovadora y valiente. El hecho de que la mitad del repertorio consista de temas que superan los 11 minutos de duración es evidencia de que el grupo se sigue sintiendo bastante cómodo con este tipo de empresas sónicas. Dicho sea de paso, es la primera vez que una alineación de CITIZEN CAIN graba dos discos seguidos, y en este caso hay mérito más grande porque hay una distancia de 10 años entre ambos. Las letras de Cyrus siguen estando enmarcadas dentro de la imaginería apocalíptica de un Milton y la espiritualidad holística de un Coleridge, más algunos guiños a los afanes delirantes de la poética surrealista y una actitud de permanente crítica al mundo moderno. Bueno, vayamos ahora a los detalles musicales del repertorio de “Skies Darken”.
Durando poco menos de 5 minutos, ‘The Charnal House’ abre el álbum comenzando con un electrizante motivo introductorio donde la muscularidad rockera frontalmente desplegada fluye cual lava a través de los recovecos temáticos: a partir de allí, se da una alternancia entre secciones lentas cantadas, marcadas ellas por una espiritualidad ceremoniosa, y reconstrucciones expansivas del pasaje introductorio. Los coqueteos con los estándares del prog-metal en estos pasajes extrovertidos se hacen a plena luz del día, pero el grupo mantiene un esquema sonoro propio, y por tanto, ajeno a clichés endurecidos que otros han venido empleando en los últimos años. ‘The Long Sleep’ se engarza con el tema de apertura comenzando con un replanteamiento del factor ceremonioso del mismo a través de una vibración claroscura, algo muy acomodado al estilo vocal de Cyrus. Durando más de 12 minutos, ‘The Long Sleep’ cuenta con espacio de sobra para incorporar inagotables ilaciones de contrastantes variantes temáticas, rítmicas y ambientales… ¡y lo hace sin empacho! Contamos con una sección lenta donde el bloque instrumental se basa en los desarrollos armónicos del piano para elaborar un clima lírico ligeramente robusto; también contamos con interludios instrumentales donde los desarrollos melódicos se tornan filudos o épicos con un toque barroco; finalmente, el epílogo consiste en una serie de recitación y arreglo coral sustentada sobre un esquema gótico, el mismo que crea eficazmente el aura de sortilegio que se pretende para este específico momento. Siendo la pieza más breve del álbum, ‘Spiders In Undergrowth’ sirve, bajo la guía del piano, como un puente entre la ensoñadora bruma con que culminó la canción precedente y la implacable magnificencia que se nos tiene reservada en el siguiente tema – ‘The Hunting Of Johnny Eue / Trapped By Candlelight’. A través de un espacio de 12 minutos, dicha canción nos brinda un ejercicio de bien sostenida solidez rockera que sirve de magnífico soporte para las ambiciosas ilaciones temáticas y los complejos esquemas rítmicos que van y vienen con una magnificencia tan imponente como absorbente. Este tema en particular hereda bastante de la majestuosidad grisácea de piezas como ‘Wandering In Darkness’ y ‘Children Of Fire’, ítems cruciales de “Playing Dead”.
Tan épico como el anterior, ‘Coming Down / The Fountains Of Sand / Delivered Up For Tea / Death And Rebirth’ da más preeminencia a la construcción de climas lánguidos, como dejando que la faceta reflexiva de la cosmovisión de Cyrus se haga notar más en su canto de tal manera que éste no quede envuelto en una instrumentación más explícitamente robusta. Esta ocasión sirve para que Citizen Cain revise algunos estándares sónicos ya utilizados en “Somewhere But Yesterday”, el disco en el que el grupo decidió cerrar con broche de oro su faceta Genesiana. Pero a pesar de estas revisiones ocasionales, la pieza sigue portando esa agilidad sombría propia de “Playing Dead”: de hecho, cuando se dan derivaciones hacia pasajes frenéticos, el asunto se pone al nivel del motivo introductorio del primer tema y las exaltaciones climáticas de ‘The Hunting Of Johnny Eue / Trapped By Candlelight’. El motivo final suena a una especie de cruza entre PULSAR y WHITE WILLOW: etéreo pero con un extraño punche, místico pero no desde una trascendencia luminosa sino desde un misterio opresivamente nebuloso, algo que se realza debidamente en el soliloquio y un nuevo arreglo coral. Este proceso de sinergia con ‘The Long Sleep’ no termina aquí, pues el siguiente tema, ‘Do We Walk In The World?’ también se desarrolla sobre una base de piano, recreando así una suerte de paralelo con ‘Spiders In Undergrowth’, aunque cabe matizar que ‘Do We Walk In The World?’ llega a mayores niveles de complejidad merced a la inserción de un reprise de un motivo de ‘The Long Sleep’ en su pasaje final. Hilado con este tema, ‘Lost In Lonely Ghosts’ emerge para cerrar el disco con un vibrante esplendor que aporta una inmensa coherencia al círculo a punto de ser cerrado. La pieza se mueve grácilmente a través de la alternancia entre pasajes filudos e introvertidos, incluyendo algunos riffs y melodías que había hecho acto de presencia en algunas de las suites previas. El final épico es impactante en su explosividad emocional, incluyendo como factor sorpresa un susurro de despedida de Cyrus mientras las últimas escalas de piano terminan de desvanecerse en el aire.
Han pasado 10 años desde su último trabajo y ya van 20 desde la edición de su primer álbum oficial, “Serpents In Camouflage”… y tanto la espera de parte de los conocedores de CITIZEN CAIN como la trayectoria de creatividad progresiva desarrollada por la banda en sí han dado nuevos frutos magníficos en “Skies Darken”, un disco capaz de seguir sosteniendo el posicionamiento de este grupo como una de las fuerzas más peculiares de la historia del rock progresivo de los últimos dos decenios.

César Inca

Let’s cut right to the chase. This album would be my runaway choice for Best Album of 2012 if Änglagård hadn’t decided to go and reunite after 20 years, and even then it’s a close call for me. If any of you are like me, you keep mental awards tagged to albums like “my all-time favorite drums” or “my all-time favorite keyboard solos.” Well, Skies Darken might have just claimed my title belts for “favorite album lyrics” and “most consistent melodies,” putting it squarely in my top 25 albums of all time with room to climb.
And yet, I’ve never been so conflicted about an album review in my whole life. You see, our past two album reviews on Progulator have had perfect scores. And well deserved, I might add. Änglagård had a lot to live up to and STILL managed to exceed expectations, while Hermann Szobel’s nearly three decade-old album is quite possibly the finest example of the Progressive Rock/Jazz fusion genre. Both feature immaculate musicianship, sterling production for their respective eras, and flawless composition. So naturally, if I’m going to award a third perfect score in a row and possibly catapult our reputation in the process, it better live up to those standards.
Well.
It doesn’t.
Citizen Cain is a U.K. Prog group that has been around for exactly 30 years, and Skies Darken represents their sixth release, and first in ten years. I have never heard of the group before reviewing this album and have only started scratching the surface of their catalogue, but their comeback offering seems to do exactly what we just saw the Swedes do in our last review: exceed their previous offerings.
I’ll get the bad stuff out of the way. It’s not the greatest production, and this site has reviewed a handful of albums this year alone that sound much better. The vocals are cool, with a definite Fish (from Marillion) sound to them, but they’re certainly not compelling. The drums are most likely programmed (Matt noticed it first, so I’ll give him the credit). There are also a few awkward timing sections written into the album that are quite noticeable.
Doesn’t sound like a perfect score, huh? Stay with me, because this album is mostly great because of what an incredible experience it is. There’s a ton of emotion behind this album, as songwriter Stewart explains:
The main influence for me in writing this particular album was the path my life has taken over the past 10 years. I was forced to come face to face with myself… to realize that everything up to that point had been the result of a lifetime of conditioning. I wasn’t who or what I wanted to be…
Damn. Believe me, that spirit is alive and well in this album. Skies Darken is HEAVY, and not in a “dark and moody” sort of way. This album manages to be incredibly brutal and mentally taxing without the use of death growls, excessive minor key tonality or dark ambiance. It draws all of its emotion from well-written melodies and well-written lyrics, and anybody who has attempted to write music realized just how hard that is.
The music is extremely compelling, utilizing a wide range of chord types and inversions, keys, modes and every other musical technique under the sun. I’m tempted to claim that there are more unique and interesting musical themes and riffs in this album than in any album I’ve ever heard, across any genre. They are beautiful, and will keep any listener worth their salt engaged in the album, and if they don’t, you probably don’t understand music. They even manage to repeat themes towards the end of the album to bring the concept full circle without it feeling like they copied.
And the music around those melodies is fantastic. I heard a lot of Genesis mixed with a little Jethro Tull, some Crimson, and even a little Oingo Boingo (Danny Elfman’s old band). There are myriad keyboard patches that are played throughout the record, and the riffs and solos are well structured. You want odd time signatures? You’ve got them. You want creative solos? They’re in there. How about great transitions and dynamic range? Check and check. It’s the right equation for any good prog album.
And let’s talk a little about the lyrics, maybe the most intriguing part of the album for me. These lyrics are extremely deep and well-written. The author, Cyrus, manages to succeed at both meter and rhyme while avoiding all of the corny words that seem to crop up in 99% or the stuff out there. The album is a concept, and an incredibly deep one at that, with talk of heaven and hell, Johnny (a recurring character in Citizen Cain albums, it seems), mythology, and fairy tales.
Skies Darken is made up of more than 3,200 words. You ready that correctly. That’s halfway to a novella, people. This band managed to craft a large and gorgeous musical story, and I got caught up in it. I asked vocalist and lyricist Cyrus if he could explain the concept behind the album. Here’s what he had to say:
Why? You like being led by the hand to the water hole to drink, how would you know whether the water is good to drink? Someone you hope will tell you! Better to find the water hole yourself and make up your own mind as to its meaning. Make up your own minds. Switch the lights off, and listen. The war between two minds.
Imagine if an infant started shooting and developing black and white photographs of old buildings in nearby towns, sipping overpriced wines and saying how they fail to “fully stimulate the palate,” and critiquing nineteenth century philosophers, then it goes and eats baby food made of duck with fondant potato and fennel. Several hours later, the infant makes an ungodly mess in its cloth diaper made of 100% Egyptian silk. What would you have? A dirty diaper filled with the most pretentious pile of shit ever made, which is the only comparison I could come up with to match the quote you just read.
I had to come to terms with something over the course of this review. This blog was built on a bedrock of acceptance, welcoming any and all obscure, artistic and pseudo-sophisticated overtones in the music we have heard. Along the way we’ve had plenty of laughs as we’ve joyfully skewered what has become the culture of “progressive music.” Believe us, it comes from a place of love; we genuinely enjoy the spirit of everything that has been published on this site.
But in Skies Darken, and possibly in any Citizen Cain release, I may have found a piece of art rock that insists upon itself so much that it’s beyond the point of even being a parody of the genre, like Jethro Tull’s Thick as a Brick was. And guess what? I LOVE IT!!! I don’t remember connecting to an album more than this one in at least two years, probably longer. The combination of lyrics, music and overall theme struck me in all the right ways, and I’m starting to think that this would have happened even if this album were released years ago, or even ten years in the future.
Since it’s no longer on Progstreaming and they seem to have limited distribution, it’s not extremely easy to find. But I really encourage everyone to find a copy of Skies Darken and just give in to the experience. Find a good sound system or a nice set of headphones, brew a cup of tea, press “Play” and soak in the majesty of one of the most ingenious and pretentious progressive music albums ever crafted.

Markus Cueva

The music of Citizen Cain has always been strongly influenced by early Genesis. Sometimes their compositions sounded more like this prog icon than the band itself. Especially the voice of singer Cyrus strongly resembles the voice and timbre of Peter Gabriel's voice. Besides the dominant keyboard parts of Stewart Bell sometimes recall the marvellous playing of Tony Banks. However, it isn't fair to call them a Genesis clone. The music of this Scottish band is much darker and in a way more layered. If I mention Genesis as a strong reference I also have to mention the early line-up of Marillion with Fish, who was also greatly influenced by Genesis. The music of Marillion can be noticed as well on the many Citizen Cain albums which is also the case on the new album. Another subject that has remained on Skies Darken is the Greek mythology that Cyrus uses as an inspiration for his lyrics.
The complicated song structures are still present as well which means that you have to listen to the songs again and again before understanding the whole musical picture. Due to the more aggressive guitar parts of bands like Dream Theater I noticed a new influence in their music. That doesn't mean that I would call Citizen Cain a prog metal band. Certainly not, but the fact remains that the use of aggressive guitar parts increased compared to previous albums. I guess this has something to do with Phil Allen, the new guitarist. His way of playing provides the band a more modern sound which is a big step forward for Citizen Cain, although the Genesis and early Marillion influences can still be heard. In spite of that it took me a while to get through the album since seventy minutes of music is a lot to digest. However, Skies Darken is an album that you have to listen to more than once to see through the beauty of its contents, but if you've reached this stage you really have something special.
I won't mention any song in particular because all the compositions contain high-levelled music. You may wonder whether I have any negative remarks about this album. Well, there are some issues that could have been done better. Firstly the vocals of Cyrus; after a while his voice tends to sound similar on all compositions, and secondly the drum parts created by Stewart Bell. Although it wasn't mentioned in the CD booklet I got the impression that the drums have been programmed on his keyboards or on a drum machine. This implies that mostly the same kind of rhythm patterns can be heard throughout. At first this wasn't a problem but, just like the vocals, I was longing for something different after seventy minutes. Therefore I would like to hear a real drummer and some more variation in the vocals on their next album.
Skies Darken shows a band in full evolution despite the gap of ten years between this album and their previous one. The artistic progression that Citizen Cain have made is evident, so the future brightly smiles. They recorded a great new album and besides their entire back catalogue had been re-released. Who could ask for more? Skies Darken is highly recommended to people who fancy the early albums of Genesis and Marillion.

Henri Strik

When Citizen Cain’s Skies Darken begins with “The Charnal House,” I get the impression they have gone Metal as the aggressive attack of guitars recalls more Dream Theater or Tool than their previous Genesis inclinations. Then Cyrus comes in with his beautiful Gabriel-esque vocals and Stewart Bell with his lilting piano and keyboard work and all is right with the world. There is much of this newfound aggression on Skies Darken that at times even bring to mind Red-era King Crimson. The lyrics reveal a darker side to fairytales and fables, and that inspiration moves the music to this harder edge. Melodic Progressive Metal is an interesting combo in the hands of Citizen Cain (or is that Xitizen Xain?). Newest member guitarist Phil Allen fits in really well and takes songs like “The Charnel House” and “Lost In Lonely Ghosts” to another level. He has seamlessly adapted himself to the hallmark of the Citizen Cain sound, the rolling in unison instrumental sections with sudden stops and starts and slightly different modal shifts that sets Citizen Cain apart from their contemporaries. Also, Skies Darken often moves and feels like a harder edged early Genesis, and the whole fairy tales gone bad and mythological aspect of the stories they are telling just sets this release over the top for me. Recommended for sure.

Terry Jackson

Finally a new album from Citizen Cain, after a long wait as the former album was released some 10 years ago. So this sixth release, whats it like?? At places these 3 musicians (Bell,Cyrus & Allen) reminds me of early Genesis and the excellent vocal performances of Cyrus is very close to that of Gabriel (Peter)..same period. Mind you there are (lots) more to this band and this album, the overall tone and feel is much darker and dramatic than Genesis ever were. What you get here, is brilliantly composed music, with top notch delivery and some very complex music, time signatures a plenty (displaying the talent of these fine musicians) blended with soft ballad-like themes and some orchestrated very beautifully with brief hints to the great Enid. I also hear some ELP/Gentle Giant inspiration here and there but bottom line this is, despite the hints and allegations, well and truly Citizen Cain´s own proud work !! So who cares about the inspiration source, since most of mentioned band are...ahem..deleted, gone, I don't !! I am so pleased with this release, it has been sitting in my cd player for days now and for every spin, I get more and more delighted. Citizen Cain manages to combine the sound and feel of the 70´s prog with the new prog scene and then some!! Did you nod happily while reading the above sentences ?! Then this is surely for you, as the true prog fan you are. Me? Im putting this album on my list of top prog album´s 2012 !! My fave tracks: "The Hunting of Johnny Eue" / "The Charnal House" / "Death And Rebirth"/ "Lost In Lonely Ghost´s".
So, what are you waiting for? Go out and buy this brilliant album, you wont regret it, promise!!

Tonny Larsen

I first came across Citizen Cain in 1993 when their debut CD was released by Dutch label SI Music, but in truth they had already been active for some time before that, appearing on the famous compilation 'Fire In Harmony' back in 1985. I was immediately taken by the Gabriel- esque vocals of Cyrus, and the way that the band managed to evoke the spirit and feeling of early 70's Genesis but had brought them into the 90's. I was hooked. Over the years there were some line-up changes, and gradually the output slowed with the last release being 'Playing Dead' in 2002. Like many I never really thought that there would be another album, although I kept in touch with keyboard player Stewart Bell and often asked the question. So, it was both delight and trepidation last year when I heard that the band were recording again. I mean, after all this time was it going to be any good?
When the disc arrived I opened the booklet to see who was involved, and could see just three names ? Cyrus, Stewart and Phil Allen. Annoyingly for me there are no details about who played what, and who (if any) were the additional musicians involved. The Citizen Cain website is still under construction, and the Festival Music site just lists releases so neither are helpful in this regard. I did find a few details on one site where it states that Stewart provided drums as well as keys, Cyrus provided bass (as he did in the early days of the band) and vocals and Phil provided guitars. There is a very simple reason as to why this bothers me, as we need to give credit where credit is due as this is an absolutely stunning piece of work. To put it bluntly, this is one of the finest prog albums you are ever likely to hear.
Put it in the player and immediately the listener is taken aback by the complexity and interplay of the introduction to "The Charnal House". The maelstrom of notes and complicated inter-rhythms gives way to delicate piano and vocals, and one of the most Genesis-like passages of the whole album. Already the listener is deep inside the world of Citizen Cain, and with less than three minutes on the clock there has been musically a lot to digest. The interplay between the musicians, and particularly the way that the melodies and counterpoints are chased and are at times heavily structured and dense, contrast greatly with the simplicity of other phases of the music. And all of this within one song! Stewart's keyboards are a revelation, bringing together a multitude of sounds and styles, often layered, and he would need to be an octopus to be able to replicate this in a live environment.
By the time I got to the end of this album I felt that I had been taken on an incredible musical journey, one with a richness and passion to match anything I have heard in recent years. The only sane thing to do after listening to this is put it back on. The more I have played it th

Kev Rowland

It's been a while since we heard from these guys but with Skies Darken it was well worth the wait! Once again we are treated to Cyrus' brand of quirky storytelling, complete with nursery rhyme references and occasional maniacal outbursts, as in the very strong track "The Hunting Of Johnny Eue" with it's "FEE FI FO FUM" vocals or the evil snickering that appears at the end of the otherwise pretty track "Spiders In Undergrowth".
The album's centrepiece track is surely the lengthy "Coming Down / The Fountains Of Sand / Delivered Up For Tea / Death And Rebirth". This is one of those 'journey' songs where the listener is treated to different moods, tempos and approaches, all the while featuring memorable melodies that will please any prog lover - and this is the important ingredient so often missing from other releases of this genre. Although the previously mentioned "Johnny Eue" is a terrific and strong track, this one is certainly another that will give core CC fans what they really desire (they won't be let down by *any* of the tracks, actually).
Terrific writing and playing, a good sense of storytelling, instantly likeable melodies and delicious lyrics add up to a nice long album that you can really sink your teeth into - but it does not seem as long as it is. And that's a very, very good sign. It's refreshing to have an album of this epic scope where there are no 'skipper' tracks.
Only time will tell if Skies Darken will unseat Somewhere But Yesterday as the best Citizen Cain album, but at this early stage, to my ears, this is the best thing they've ever done. I've spun the disc about a dozen times in a very short space because it is just so good, and that's really saying something considering I constantly have a huge stack of cds to go through... the ones that simply aren't as good get shelved rather quickly. This is not one of those. This album is a winner. Well done, lads. Recommended!

Lorne

Citizen Cain are one of the most underated neo-prog groups. They are often dismissed as "another early Genesis aping band". This is totally unfair. Apart from Cyrus's singing voice which is highly similar to early Peter Gabriel singing style (and how is that a bad thing?) their music, lyrics and general atmosphere are completely different than early Genesis. Citizen Cain's music is much darker, thick layered, dense and complicated. It is hard to sink your teeth in their music as it takes a while to get used to it but once this happens the reward is so much more fulfilling than with the current neo- prog bands. This is not for the faint-hearted but for music lovers who take their time in exploring the music with patience, and each time you listen to a song you hear new things. However the music is dark and unconforting so if you like your prog light-hearted and easy this is not for you

Naji Chmayssani

Se necesita tiempo para consumir un buen álbum de rock progresivo y que es sin duda el caso de este "Cielo Oscuro" también llevará su tiempo de asimilación, pero bien vale la pena. Señalar alguna pista es inútil, todas son muy parejas y todo el álbum está pensado para ser escuchado de principio a fin, y en lo posible con las letras de su alcance.
Quizás lo único que le falta al álbum sea alguna voz que acompañe a Cyrus, alguien que pueda imprimirle un registro más trágico (aunque la voz del bajista está muy bien), me imagino este álbum con los coros ocasionales de Christina Booth (Magenta) o Daniel Gildenlöw‎ (Pain of Salvation), como para imprimir un mayor poder dramático, y sería la última cereza de una torta tormentosa pero increíblemente deliciosa.
Y repito, es una lástima no poder compartir el disco con ustedes...

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