The debut recording from progressive rock powerhouse AudioJoe, comprised of former Alaska band mates Bill Ashbaugh (drums), Jeff Gibble (synthesizer, guitar), Eric Snyder (keyboards, vocals) and Jeff Widdall (bass).
In 2002, the four were members of the rock band Alaska, and after gigging in nearly every dive and dump on the east coast, they changed the band moniker to AudioJoe and began a new recording project. The results are these eight tracks, from the intense odd-time of “Memory Bank 1”, to the dreamy “Time” (composed by their former bassist, Dan Keeney). Of the several instrumentals, “Phantasmagoria” is firmly planted in Jean-Luc Ponty style fusion, while “Ralph’s Other Ball” (dedicated to the late Ralph Weyant Jr.) is prog-rock incarnate. Comparisons to You-era Gong, Lamb-era Genesis, and Moon-era Pink Floyd textures abound, and with a myriad of multi-synths and glissando guitar tones, AudioJoe falls directly into the ear-candy camp.
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