TheRecordLabel.net
TheRecordLabel: Pop & Rock

The Third Ending > The Third Ending > Reviews

The Third Ending - The Third Ending

French review
www.progressive-area.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=473&Itemid=2

...However the one track that instantly sold the album to me is the stunning Can You Hear Me?. A beautiful ballad that features intelligent lyrics beautifully sung and set within an impressive arrangement. A lament on poor communication which starts with a voice on the telephone who can't tell if the woman on the other end can actually hear what he is saying, the opening couplet instantly pulls one into the song: "Spent the last two years dividing, seems she wants to multiply". The acoustic guitar solo is perfectly pitched transitioning into a great electric guitar solo. The final verse, recorded as if it was a message left on an answering machine, has the achingly poignant with the final line, "I hope that when you hear this... Never mind", the last words sung with such pathos and resignation that it is almost heartbreaking. Ever so often, seemingly out of nowhere, an album crops up that simply hits the spot, pushes all the buttons and keeps one's finger stabbing at the repeat button. Perfectly played and arranged with sterling performances by all four musicians, intelligently written, original and diverse, The Third Ending have created a masterpiece that deserves to be heard all around the world. Go out and buy a copy so they can release a follow-up soon!
www.dprp.net/reviews/200728.php#third

...The first two tracks “Eleven” and “Back Home” feature more acoustic instrumentation and the quieter vocal approach from keyboardist/guitarist Nick Storr which contrasts with the more impeccable instrumental “Tungsten Blues” that showcases their heavy rock fusion aspect. “Can You Hear Me?” features a soothing sing along chorus while the words paint an opposing tale of a relationship gone wrong along with a spirited David Gilmour inspired solo that really won me over from the get go. The Third Ending’s strength relies more on simplicity in their musical playing and arrangements- the chords while being forward thinking are never self-indulgent or meandering without purpose. Even when they decide to crank up the distortion on “Digital Sunrise”, the pacing isn’t so dizzying that you can’t follow what they are expressing in terms of their musical thoughts and the vocal melodies recall the better King’s X albums...
www.imhotep.fi/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3013&Itemid=75&lang=en

...Here we get a more fully fleshed out version of the earlier track. This one is far longer and more like a completely realized musical vision. Packed with varying themes and moods this is a very strong piece of music. Again there are times when you might be reminded of Dream Theater, but it also encompasses the territory of more melodic neo-prog. This is a powerhouse piece (one of the best on the disc) and incredibly strong way to end this thing. There is an extended period of silence during this track and then they fade up to one final incarnation of these musical themes. Some of the vocals (non-lyrical) here resemble The Beatles a bit. This crescendos and then gives way to a chaotic melange of instruments and voices in a weird – but rather cool – finale.
www.musicstreetjournal.com/thirdending.htm

...From the moment the CD starts playing, the listener becomes enthralled with the sense of melody and becomes intimate with the music, accompanying the changes in heaviness with the easiness of someone that is living the emotional depth and its natural representation in musical swifts. The music is clearly thoughtful and mainly translates an emotional status that is both represented in melodic harmonies, so much in the vein of a good part of the so-called third wave of progressive rock and in more heavy parts where the technicality of the band is niftily represented. If some connections of The Third Ending’s musicality can be established with mid-term Porcupine Tree, mainly in the acoustic and/or more laid-back parts (also reminding me of Root or Abydos), the more hard/heavy ones are typified by a technical approach that draws very near to Dream Theater. But the way the band connects those dots, and the way it inputs a deep and successful personal signature, makes this album a genuine pleasure to those that, like me, enjoy emotional driven progressive rock with an extraordinary equilibrium between melody, emotion, technicality, heaviness and depth...
www.proggnosis.com/MUSIC_DBCDInfo.asp?txtCDID=21842

Having passed classic Art-Rock and Prog-Metal through the prism of mainstream Rock, The Third Ending achieve a logical, kind of seamless derivative of all the three styles, besides which these young musical alchemists have managed to impart a pronounced peculiarity to their sound - something we not too often meet nowadays. It's just because I wanted to give you, readers, at least some general idea of what you can expect from this recording I've burned with the desire:-) to find at least any indirect influences in this music and, well, have attained some success in that field. Some echoes of Porcupine Tree and Radiohead can be heard within the softer, ballad-like arrangements. When the band goes heavy, the music resembles a cross between Tool and Queensryche, whilst the names of Spock's Beard and Sieges Even (think "A Sense of Change") come to mind when the guys take so to say the most thoughtful approach. When listening to the concluding track, Fingerprints Reprise, I was also reminded of Marillion. However, really obvious signs of outside factors I've only found in the electric guitar solos, as some of these are clearly in the style of David Gilmour, the corresponding moves being reminiscent of Pink Floyd for sure. All four musicians are quite accomplished players, but it is singer / keyboardist / 'acoustic' guitarist Nick Storr and 'electric' guitarist Andrew Curtis who are the primary soloing forces here...
www.progressor.net/review/tte_2007.html

...And all songs are like that. This album is very strong from start to finish. A very impressive debut album and I can imagine this was sold out very quickly. There is not a weak song on the album. The band members are all very talented musicians and I think it will be a real treat to see them live. The self-titled debut album of The Third Ending is simply stated a must-have for all fans of melodic and progressive music. It is guaranteed to satisfy the needs of the ears and the brain and will definitely end up in many top ten lists over 2007. It will definitely be in mine and from now on I will make sure I give this fantastic album more than enough time in my CD player :-)
www.progressiveworld.net/html/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=2989

...The Third Ending is a fresh take on the progressive rock style. They’ve managed to incorporate a good many of the classic elements and repackage them with a very youthful slant. In fact it caught the attention of my daughter’s friend while listening to it in the car. The band’s style has the ability to cross a wide range of age barriers. For a first release this is a really great effort. It’s stayed on my player a long time. I really love it. Fans of the bands mentioned will I think really get into this, but don’t be afraid to play it for your non-prog friends. The Third Ending gets a strong recommendation.
www.dvdivas.net/ProgVoices/T/thirdending-st.html

Spanish review
manticornio.com/rock-progresivo/T/THIRD-ENDING/T3E.html

Italian review
www.kronic.it/artGet.aspx?aID=2&sID=14787

French review
www.progressivewaves.com/frmChronique.aspx?ALB_ID=2207

German review
www.rocktimes.de/gesamt/t/third_ending/same.html

...Besides the technical musicianship, the Mellotrons and the overall production atmosphere is what makes this album pertain to the ‘progressive’ scheme of things; however, The Third Ending is a band that has potential to move beyond that (prog-rock) audience; with the infectious melodies and hooks brought to the table, this is music that means something, hence a different breed of album oriented rock.
www.ytsejam.com/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=1172

French review
www.musicinbelgium.net/pl/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=1947

...The Third Ending is an Australian quartet recently signed by Prog Rock Records, and if there's any justice in the music industry, they ought to achieve significant success in the criminally-small third wave prog-rock and prog-metal worlds. The Third Ending is melodic and approachable, and definitely progressive - albeit with a small 'p'. There are metallic sections, but several acoustic, and piano / keyboard lines lend it an almost folksy tone in parts. Yet "Cold Light of Day" is spacey ... so there's a good mix of styles, yet with its intelligent songwriting it hangs together rather well. Several tracks fade into one another enhancing its cohesive qualities, and tracks 6 through 11 form a 6-part piece that runs through a constantly developing series of melodies and tempos, yielding a solid 30-minute epic ...
www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=5035

Interview with keyboardist/vocalist Nick Storr
www.metalperspective.com/interviews/t3e.php