PRAG 83 - 'Fragments Of Silence' Album Review

Tracklist:

1. Animae 2. Passers-By 3. The Silent Earth 4. Animae II 5. A Dream 6. Roads 7. The Silent Earth II 8. Animae III

A refreshing change for me this week as I jump into PRAG 83’s new album, 'Fragments Of Silence'. This record will take you on a journey through the dark forests of your imagination, with;

‘Animae’- This instrumental will welcome you with some ambient, soft guitar playing; perfect way to start off this album. Despite no introduction to any vocal, I feel as if this is a great teaser as to what you have ahead of you.

Looking further ahead, I notice a theme. We have ‘Animae I,II and III’, and ‘The Silent Earth I and II’. I wanted to find out whether they would flow in and out of each other, but to my disappointment there was no such creativity.

This 8 tracked album needed to be listened to on a still evening, driving into the night. ‘Passers-By’ a fitting soundtrack to such a relaxing activity.

There are some aspects of these songs that remind me of the band ‘Opeth’; not the heavier parts of their music, but the more subdued acoustic area of their writing. ‘The Silent Earth’ is a haunting piece, with fantastic arrangement and captivating vocals.

Keeping track as to when a song starts and finishes is challenging, with each one flowing into the next rather nicely; zoning out is what I found myself doing a lot whilst listening to it - Day dreaming.

And ‘A Dream’ is where I found my favourite song of the album. Intricate yet effective music once again, with an interesting middle to perk already invested interest. This 6:06 track, a somewhat upbeat song compared to the others seems to have everything; Capturing harmonies, interesting arrangements and beautiful playing.

Final thoughts: A haunting soundtrack for any soul who appreciates the art of guitar playing. Seems they have found the right balance of quirky and ambient.

Best song(s): Passers-by, A Dream.