SYNTHOLOGY

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Quebec, Canada

Available CDs

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"Synthology has a big, melodic prog sound, heavy on long-toned guitar and translucent keyboards. Evocative of a softer, dreamier version of Asia, their music is thoughtfully conceived, and makes for rewarding listening.

John and James Alarcon on piano, synths, and guitars, have fashioned what they call “ …in some ways a concept album…born in the dreams and the nightmares of the human condition.” Nevertheless, a celestial-bright keyboard sheen (similar to that used by Iasos on his great Angelic Music) predominates, surrounding the yearning voice of Marysa Mardini, Churchill Downes on bass, and “The Winkler” – methinks a machine – on drums.  

John has impressive keyboard chops which nod, occasionally, in a direction of Keith Emerson. Special mention goes to the great riff he’s fashioned for the title track, which boasts some beautiful harmonies.  

They also get kudos for excellent cover graphics: the trippy aura, set against a background of stark white, perfectly compliments the music’s heady atmosphere." - Larry Nai, Progression Magazine

"The oft-forgotten Canada has another musician worthy of attention here. John Alarcon (keyboards), together with family member James (guitar), have completed their 6-month labour of love and released a CD drenched in lush synths and piano, over which the excellent Hernandez (Cast) style guitar soars. If I was to try to provide comparators, I would suggest a prog-lite Cast, or maybe a more ethereal Tantalus. Overall, the comparison I am most drawn to is the underrated Tony Banks solo album ‘A Curious Feeling’, as much for the keyboard-led sounds as well as the atmospherics of the album as a whole. Whilst the production occasionally lacks the clarity that I always seem to require in my own personal listening habits, the listening experience is most pleasant, and the enjoyment seems to increase with every listen as more nuances are drawn out. Singer Marysa Mardini has a good voice, and the drums are such that they undermine the thought that they be machine generated. In short, a solid album of rich keyboard-led music, with much stirring guitar and haunting melody to please the ear." - Wondrous Stories, magazine of the Classic Rock Society

"This album from Canadian band Synthology is a debut. Mastermind is John Alarcon at keyboards in cooperation with his brother James on guitar. The other people are "only" musicians and the winkler is only a synonym for drumcomputer. The album shows influences from neo prog. Bands like Arena or the early IQ are shining through the songs..." - Thorsten Guerntke, DURP.com

"There are records which appear from nowhere, but from the very first sound you feel your heart beating faster. Unknown to anybody brothers John and James Alarcon supported by Marysa Mardini and bassist Churchill Downes have released a cd which fans of reflective and intelligent music will love immediately. If you remember the first solo record of Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks – Synthology has the same atmosphere and moody sound like his 1979 release “A Curious Feeling”. We have here very similar synthesizer sounds, the same melancholic atmosphere and slowly building climate. It’s splendid to listen to this music as it flows to our ears inconspicuously, but in the final effect it breaks into our brain so deeply that it stays in the brain for long hours. We have beautiful songs like “Abracadabra” or “Nosferatu”, we have ravishing instrumental compositions like “The Voyage of Dexius”. It’s a pity the record is so short and I wish that the magic of this magnificent record would continue much longer. This is not a problem since my hand automatically goes back to the play button. One more good piece of information for the end of this year: Synthology will release their next cd and I can’t stand waiting for it!” - Artur Chachlowski, Metal Hammer Magazine (May 2001)

"'Between day and night' is a high quality release and a total must for fans of Neo-prog. The CD contains 10 songs, of which about 6 songs feature the good female lead vocals of Marysa Mardini. Opener "Comes the night" is an excellent instrumental uptempo melodic Neo-prog rocker. Next track "Abracadabra" features the female lead vocals and is great Neoprog, with some lovely keyboard work of John Alarcon, who together with his brother James (guitarist) are the leaders of SYNTHOLOGY. The CD continues in this Neo-prog style, with both instrumental and vocal tracks. The best songs are "Between day and night" (great female fronted Neoprog, a la TRACY HITCHINGS), "Curtain call" (polished ballad) and the instrumental slow melodic rocker "Living in dreamland". SYNTHOLOGY is a very good band, a must for fans of Neoprog. Rating: 8/10" - Gabor Kleinbloesem, Strutter 'Zine

"I’m here to say that progressive rock is alive and well in Canada. It is perhaps a small contingent of dedicated musicians who tread those waters, but they are committed to the cause. One of the shining lights of symphonic prog in Canada would have to be a Band from Montreal calling themselves Synthology. Some time back I reviewed their second release. They had indicated they were working on a re-mastering of their first CD entitled Between Day and Night originally released in 2000 and that has now been released. I’m happy to say this is more than just a re-release, it is in fact a re-recording of their first CD, and what treat it is. 

Just for the record, Synthology is primarily John Alarcon who handles all the keyboards and composes and arranges everything. On Between Night and Day he enlists the help of James Alarcon (guitar), Tony Duncan (drums), Antoine Yu (12-string guitar), Marysa Mardini (vocals), and Benoit Lacroix (flute, oboe). The sound here is of a real band. Now I’ve not heard the original, but I’m told there has been considerable reworking of some of the pieces. Of note is the extensive use of Mellotron samples you’ll hear throughout. 

The music Synthology create falls squarely in the symphonic prog realm. It is flowing, lush, pastoral, all those things that we’ve come to expect from the genre. The guitar work here has a distinct Steve Hackett feel and fits the overall sound perfectly. The keyboard sounds range from the typical churchy organ, piano, synth and Mellotron choir and strings. The rhythm section of bass and drums are solid performing the roll of momentum and in that regard all the compositions are more or less mid-tempo, although many of the compositions do reflect subtle shifts in atmosphere. Subtle is the key here as we may go from a section where voice and piano dominate, only to change to a flute musical bridge. Of the nine compositions, six of them are in the three or four minute range leaving room for two around seven minutes and one running out to thirteen minutes, but even in the shorter compositions one has the feeling of depth, texture and fluidity as each piece seems to reflect a fullness one moment and then softer ambience the next. Most of the songs have vocals handled by the warm and expressive voice of Marysa. Her vocal style seems to fit perfectly into Alarcon’s composing style. The feeling evoked by much of the music on Between Night and Day is one of hope or even joy.

For those of you needing a musical reference point, and I know how helpful that can be at times, imagine if you will the symphonic side of Harmonium crossed with early Steve Hackett and you’ll get a pretty clear audio sample of what to expect here. Synthology’s Between Night and Day was such a pleasant surprise to my ears. It turned out to be one of those CD’s I kept going back to over and over again. There’s a lot of great music here and you’ll hear more each time it plays. Top marks to Synthology. Fans of softer, melodic symphonic prog will definitely want to pick up a copy." - Jerry Lucky, Progressiveland

"I said it once before, history hasn’t been kind to second releases for many bands. Yet here I am again with a sophomore release that I believe is a real winner. From the opening Hammond-like organ runs Synthology’s “The Fairest of Moments” you know what territory you’re in. It’s that mid period Genesis around the Wind and Wuthering time with that particular keyboard sound and style of pitch bending. That being said there is plenty going on here to distance Synthology form its early influences. For example the neat little instrumental sections separating the longer pieces. Cut #2 entitled “The Bridge” has a particularly captivating melody crafted with simple keyboard piano/string/flute/Arp sounds layered on top of one another. I wish it was longer than the allotted two-minutes.

In summary Synthology’s “The Fairest of Moments” is a splendid second release, with lots of interesting keyboard sounds and performances and a supporting cast who admirably give the record depth and confidence. A dramatic symphonic tour ‘d force." - Jerry Lucky, Ghostland.com

"The Fairest Of Moments is the second album from Synthology, a studio based band from Montreal, Canada. Their first album, Between Day And Night, was based on compositions by the Alarcon brothers, John and James together with a number of studio musicians. This time round only John Alarcon and Marysa Mardini (vocals) contributed to the album from the original contributors on the debut album. Further help came from Peter Warren (bass), Jon Graham (guitar) and Luc Hebert (drums). Thankfully one should also note that the band have done without The Winkler, which was the original drum machine use on the debut album, and employed the services of a proper drummer.

Stylistically the music remains stepped in the seventies with many of the classical influences of the debut album resurfacing once again. The presence of Marysa Mardini, and her sensual strong voice once again draws comparison to Renaissance, especially due to the fact that there is much piano accompaniment on various tracks such as the opening The Falling Sky as well as on Through The Doors. One of the main promises made prior to the recording of this album was the fact that most of the tracks would be of a longer duration and thus allow more musical exploration to take place, one which the band have fulfilled to the maximum.

A strong influence seems to have been Steve Hackett as well as Genesis, with both keyboards and guitars played out in true style on more than one occasion. Seven Wonders, with its introductory The Bridge, is somewhat overdrawn in its use of atmospheric keyboards and admittedly, Mardini's voice does come across as slightly strained. Somewhere it seems that he voice does not seem to suit the slower moments. This is more than made up for by tracks like Edge Of The World with its Incommunicadoesque keyboard licks

The instrumental Lost In The Cathedral reaffirms the influence Tony Banks has on John Alarcon while the title track The Fairest Of Moments is the culmination of what Alarcon has tried to achieve with this album. Running in at close to twenty minutes, this track manages to incorporate every style and influence that permeates throughout the rest of the album, from Genesis to Renaissance.

With The Fairest of Moments, John Alarcon has managed to confirm what had been promised with the debut Between Day And Night. The album is replete with references to the glorious seventies and should be most enjoyable to all those who like the traditionally styled progressive rock of that era. On the other hand, Alarcon has not yet seemingly achieved a distinctive sound of his own with Synthology that would allow the band to be readily identifiable as an individual entity." - Nigel Camilleri, Dutch Progressive Rock Pages

"This second release by Synthology is a very tasty neo-prog album, with longer pieces and a little more adventure than the band's debut release "Between Day and Night". Virtually a one-man band, Canadian based keyboard player John Alarcon has surrounded himself with some very able friends to help out. However, it is Alarcon himself who stands out, with some excellent keyboard work. His schizoid piano style is not dissimilar to Patrick Moraz, which shows particularly in the opening track "The Falling Sky". 

Elsewhere though his keyboards are much more restrained, especially in the use of strings and choral effects which tastefully add to the music. His writing abilities are good too, and he cleverly uses the dynamics to give momentum to the music. One small criticism might be that the vocals of Marysa Mardini are a little too low in the mix, and that the vocals sometimes don't quite gel. Mardini isn't a bad singer at all, but the result here is just a little over earnest.

An imaginative album then, including a three part eighteen-minute epic "The Fairest of Moments" which has some interesting ideas." - Bernard Law, Wondrous Stories (magazine of the Classic Rock Society, UK) March 2002

"This is already the second album by this Canadian group led by pianist and composer John Alarcon.  Similar to the one finished a year ago “Between Day and Night” it reminds one musically of Tony Banks’ s unforgettable album “A Curious Feeling”. Behind the microphone is Marysa Mardini which I think is probably the weakest link in the band. A solid rhythmic section is provided by Luc Hebert who is quite impressive on this record.

The sublime and majestic keyboard work is another detail highlighting the development of the band when compared to the debut cd. The individual compositions here are considerably longer and at times deliciously pompous; the best being the three-part title suite, the eight-minute long “Seven Wonders” and “Through the Doors of time”.

So while Synthology cannot be considered to be among the elite bands in the world of progressive rock, this album proves that they are indeed very close" - Artur Chachlowski, Radio Alfa, Krakow, Poland

"

John Alarcon's classical training is evident in the opening sequence of the epic length track "The Falling Sky" through the effective blending of piano and synthesizer keyboard parts. James' guitar riffs add texture as the pace of the symphonic piece picks up and Marysa's vocals join the mix. Likened by some to Tracy Hitchings on the group's former album, Marysa's voice is textured differently with a purity similar to Annie Haslam's but in a lower range; her vocals are also somewhat less theatrical. Backing vocals from the men adds substance in the more powerful moments.

The album's instrumentals ("The Bridge" and "Lost In The Cathedral") blend lush symphonic arrangements, including woodwind and string sounds, swirling keyboard passages and guitar. One will be reminded of the classic 70s progressive rock textures of of Yes, ELP, Renaissance and other bands like Rebekka and Esthetic Pale. Listeners will certainly be reminded of Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson in John's keyboard work, especially during the introduction to the progressive masterwork "Through The Doors Of Time."

Marysa's vocals are mixed way up in "Seven Wonders," a ballad-style track with classically progressive overtones especially in the keyboard- and guitar-centered bridge. The upbeat track "Edge Of The World" perfectly balances layers of keyboards and guitars with Marysa's voice. A choral style keyboard in the bridge perfectly compliments a dynamic guitar solo.

The title track is a three part epic that runs more than eighteen minutes with big themes that recur as the piece develops. Sweetly sung vocals are mixed way up in several of the passages, way above the swirling keyboard and guitar arrangements. Instrumental and stylistic similarities to Magenta (Musical Discoveries Best New Album 2001) are evident during several of the passages. The final portion of the track begins with a tremendous guitar solo supported by lush keyboard and percussion arrangements as vocals join the mix and the number brings the album to a tremendous conclusion.

Synthology's latest album will appeal to a broad range of progressive rock audiences. Soundbites and further reviews are available at the band's website and mp3.com webspace. Click on the album cover to pay them a visit now. With the perfect blend of classical allusions, lovely female vocals and enduring instrumental arrangements, The Fairest Of Moments like their debut album is naturally a must listen!" - Musical Discoveries