NOSTALGIA (E)

Drummer Wojtek Szadkowski is the mastermind of the Polish band Satellite. He also used to play an important role in his former band Collage. Nostalgia is the fourth album by Satellite. It is the successor of the recommended album Into The NIght (2007). So far all albums by this band were recommended and I’m not keeping it a secret: this one will be too!The line-up of Satellite is Wojtek Szadowski (keyboards, acoustic guitar, drums), Robert Amirian (vocals, ex-Collage), Sarhan Kubeisi (guitar) and the new band member Jarek Michalski (bass). This means that Amirian can focus on the vocals during the live shows for the full. Szadkowski wrote all the music, the lyrics, he did most of the recordings and he produced the album. The limited digipack edition of Nostalgia comes with two bonus tracks. These were not available on my copy, so they're not reviewed here. The artwork is comparable to the previous albums. As in the previous albums the songs are all melodic, full of richly filled orchestrations and all characteristics making progressive music such a joy to listen to. At first we can appreciate the spirit of Genesis in the first tracks. In Afraid Of What We Say I also here touches of Pink Floyd and even Santana because of the sounds and style of guitar and drums. Multiple changes in atmosphere and sounds make this track particularly interesting. I Want You To Know features tasteful, but not too hard to play accompaniment by both organ and synths and very nice solos on synthesizer and guitar. Of course there are lustrous, bombastic symphonic passages next to some almost Beatlesque pieces. In Over Horizon Amirian sings at his best: low, soulful and warm, however, in the choruses he has to reach for the higher notes as on this whole album, giving me the impression it’s a tour de force for him, maybe just a tiny bit over the top to my taste. Am I Losing Touch? starts off as a slow track and for the first time one can hear the bass really well, because in the other tracks it felt to be slightly too far in the background. Again Amirian sings very melancholically, but he has to reach very high again in the choruses. The up-tempo interlude reminds me of Genesis, Arena or IQ: whichever you prefer, but it sounds good and familiar and the guitar and organ are similar to the sounds Camel used to have in the early seventies. Then suddenly a folkloristic acoustic piece follows, before majestic symphonic sounds come through the speakers once more. The song ends the way it started. Sounds of the moog with effects as if it was Jean Michel Jarre landmarks the slower and sad song Is It Over? and special guest Amarok plays like David Gilmour (Pink Floyd). In contrast to most other tracks Szadkowski takes it easy on this one. I’m not entirely enthusiastic about the mix. I would have liked other guitar sounds in some instances, a little more bass and more powerful drums. Of course this a very subjective statement.

Their debut album A Street Between Sunrise And Sunset (2003) is still my personal favourite but surely Nostalgia is a worthy successor to Into The Night and a must-have for every fan of Satellite, including yours truly. My guess is that people interested in buying this album should opt for the digipack: usually the bonus tracks are more than worthwhile. It's an album with a great atmosphere and many superb moments. Anyone who likes melodic prog in the vein of the aforementioned bands should check it out!