The Divine Baze Orchestra: "Dead but dreaming" (2010)
The Divine Baze Orchestra is a Swedish band formed in 2003. After their debut album “Once We Were Born...” in 2007, they returned revitalized in 2011, largely due to the arrival of Oliver EeK as lead vocalist — a change that, having listened to the first record, I sincerely appreciate… to the detriment of the now-absent Alexander Frisborg. There were also changes in keyboards and bass, which makes this version of TDBO musically quite different from before. What I enjoyed most about this release is its freshness, originality, and sheer boldness in delivering progressive rock. Broadly speaking, it could be labeled as Heavy Prog, but beyond that tag, the Swedes from TDBO navigate various styles with striking ease — from ’70s Art Rock and symphonic rock in the vein of Genesis with Peter Gabriel, to the Canterbury sound of Caravan. I...