PYTHAGORAS - AFTER THE SILENCE - 1981

In the late Seventies I used to visit a record-store named "Moonlight Records" in my hometown The Hague. One day the owner drummer Bob de Jong told me that he had founded a duo with synthesizer player René de Haan and made an electronic oriented LP entitled "Journey to the vast unknown". This album was played on a national radio- programm and within a week he had received hundreds of requests for that debut-LP! This album is the second and final effort from the duo Pythagoras, it's far more progressive and symphonic.

1 - After the silence

1st Movement: This is a typical electronic atmosphere intro featuring soaring synthesizers, very spacey. 2nd Movement: First a bombastic eruption with lush Mellotron and organ, then soaring keyboards as an introduction to a very Gilmourian inspired, often howling and fiery guitar solo from ... guest guitarist ARJEN LUCASSEN (known as the brainchild behind AYREON). The final part contains a slow rhytm with a bombastic climate delviering pleasant drumming. 3rd Movement: On the Mighty M400 Mellotron René de Haan plays majestic choir- Mellotron waves, wonderful blended with spacey synthesizer flights and in the end some moving violin-Mellotron play.

2 - After the silence

4th Movement: PLACKBAND keyboardist Michel van Wassem plays the choir-Mellotron sound on a Novotron, impressive! 5th Movement: This part features soaring synthesizers and string-ensemble, then a bombastic eruption with choir-Mellotron and soft drum beats, in the end we hear the sound of waves and a great build-up , VIVALDI-inspired violin soli. 6th Movement: First a swinging rhythm with lush keyboards and fiery electric guitar riffs, then a dreamy climate with melancholical Mellotron and violin. 7th Movement: The atmosphere alternates from spacey with synthesizer sounds and choir-Mellotron to a slow rhythm featuring slow but very moving guitar runs with bass- pedals and choir-Mellotron, WONDERFUL!

This album sounds a bit simple and amateurish but if you like moving, 24-carat symphonic rock with lush MELLOTRON and you want to hear the early prog work of ARJEN LUCASSEN, this is an interesting, very warm album!
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