Intelligent Music Project - 2021 - The Creation

(49:17; Intelligent Music Project)

Track list:
1. A Sense of Progress 3:25
2. The Story 6:18
3. A Shelter 3:38
4. Listen 2:54
5. Your Thoughts 3:53
6. Sometimes 4:06
7. Back to the Truth 3:27
8. Let it Go 4:14
9. A Sight 4:32
10. That Something 4:21
11. I Know 3:00
12. Serve 5:29

Line-up:
Bisser Ivanov - guitars
Ivo Stefanov - piano, keyboards
Ivaylo Zvezdomirov - bass
with:
Ronnie Romero - vocals
John Payne - vocals
Carl Sentance - vocals
Richard Grisman - vocals
Bobi Kosatka - backing vocals
Slavin Slachev - backing vocals
Lina Nicole - backing vocals
Milen Vrabenski - guitars
Todd Sucherman - drums
Bobby Rondinelli - drums
Vassil Vutev - drums


Bulgarian project band Intelligent Music Project has been an active presence in the Bulgarian and international music scene for just about a decade by now, instigated and led by composer Milen Vrabevski and making use of local as well as international musicians to give life to his songs. Eight studio albums have been released under this moniker as of 2024. "The Creation" dates back to 2021, and is the sixth of those albums. As with all the other productions made by Intelligent Music Project, this is a self released album.

This project has cooperated with artists that in some manner or other have connections to the progressive rock universe over the years, and at least initially the albums released also contained material that had a bit of an orientation towards that musical tradition. As far as I can hear, that isn't the case on this sixth album by this venture.

Easygoing songs that fall in under the radio friendly hard rock department is the ongoing feature here, with arrangements that are a tad easier in general and with plenty of space and room for the high quality vocalists employed to shine. Some of the songs do have a more complex structure though, alternating between a small handful of different orientations, but for me at least this structural component comes across as a little bit flawed. First and foremost due to the different aspects and parts coming across as less than seamlessly combined and without a logical or proper shift between them as well as lacking in details that tie these sections together while retaining the identity of the song. Not in a dramatic manner mind you, but more as a subtle perception of bits and pieces not quite fitting together, and the experience of the sum of the individual parts combined being lesser than the sum of these parts added up. Or in other words: Many of these different passages are both intriguing and interesting individually, but combined I find the total song experience to be a bit less engaging.

We do have some rather compelling and very well made songs here too of course. The opening 'A Sense of Progress' is a bit of a treat for instance, and the more vibrant and borderline melodic heavy metal tune 'I Know' represent this album at it's very best as far as I'm concerned, and while I do find quite a few songs to be subtly flawed the craftsmanship is still present to the point that the end result is always pleasing and pleasant at some level or other. A good album if you like, with some compelling and solid numbers, but also a bit of an uneven experience for someone that listen to music in the manner I do.

Those who tend to enjoy hard rock made with a radio friendly spirit, and that appreciate music of that kind that takes some detours into the gentler AOR landscape as well as playing around with a more expressive attitude as far as song structures are concerned should find this album to be a rather enjoyable experience I surmise.

Olav M. Björnsen, October 2024

Links:
https://intelligent-music.com/