Leap Day - Timelapse (2018)

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Leap Day - Timelapse (2018)

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A 2018 album by Dutch band Leap Day, celebrating their 10th Anniversary. 3 new recordings, 3 new versions and one previously unreleased live track.
Leap Day was founded on the 29th of February 2008. This Dutch sympho outfit has members of wellknown bands from the world of progressive rock, such as Flamborough Head, King Eider, Nice Beaver, Trion and Pink Floyd Project. In 2008 they released their demo cd containing three songs, including Awaking The Muse which is the title of their first full-length studio album released through Oskar music in 2009. In terms of musical style we're treated to neo-prog of the vintage variety here, with nods in the directions of Camel and Genesis as far as possible influences go. Lush sonic tapestries with multiple keyboard layers and melodic, gentle guitar soloing will be found aplenty on this album, and the lead vocals calm and soothing with a few subtle dramatic flairs on select occasions. Melody and harmony are keywords for this production though, and if that sounds enticing you'll most probably enjoy this effort.

The second studio album (Leap Day - Skylge's Lair) was released in 2011. The melodic guitar parts played by Eddie Mulder combined with the outstanding keyboard sounds of Gert van Engelenburg and Derk Evert Waalkens still indicate the influences of a band like Camel, just like the duets between the guitar and the synthesizers. Especially on tracks as Home At Last and Skylge's Lair this can be heard. It strongly reminded of the duets of Camel's Andy Latimer (guitars) and Pete Bardens (keyboards). However, on a number of tracks the spirit of Pink Floyd is never far away. Listen for instance to Time Passing By and Walls of which the latter even contains some Yes- influences.

The Dutch band have taken their inspiration for their 2013 concept album (From the Days of Deucalion - Chapter 1) from the 1950 novel `Worlds in Collision' by Immanuel Velikovsky. Taking little cues from the classic era of Genesis and the epic sound of Pink Floyd, but with a vocal personality all their own and little traces of humour, this atmospheric work is not only Leap Day's crowning achievement to date, but one of the finest Neo Prog albums in a long while.

Leap Day are not a progressive band that can be instantly grasped and enjoyed, instead many repeated listens are essential to grasp how good they are at what they do. Their musical intelligence, varied instrumental qualities, cleverly and subtle melodic song-writing and thoughtful vocals reveal themselves over time, and while there are many flashier and more obvious, instantly satisfying prog bands currently active, Leap Day are a sheer joy for lovers of symphonic prog rock.