Band:	Phenomena
Album:	Psycho Fantasy
Style:	Melodic hard rock
Release date:	2006
A review by:	Jeff

01. Sunrise
02. Keep On Running
03. Killing For The Thrill
04. So Near So Far
05. Chemical High
06. Higher
07. 60 Seconds
08. Crazy Grooves
09. How Do You Feel
10. All That I Need
11. God Gives

Phenomena is a bit like the British Ayreon. The only difference between those two projects is that Tom Galley, main compositor of the songs, doesn't even play on the album and that his music is a lot more oriented toward Hard Rock than Progressive music. Though above all, it's probably a bit less ambitious. But anyway

Like with Ayreon, there are a lot different singers like Glenn Hughes or Tony Martin so as you can see, this is not a line up of beginners. But well Phenomena even if you'll be able to find some progressive music touches on the different songs of the record, Phenomena is above all, an album of Hard Rock. But this is not a classic catchy Hard Rock that we had the luck to listen to during the 80's and 90's, here the music is dark and melancholic. Don't understand however that it's lacking of punch, at the opposite the songs are heavy but there is a nice dark ambiance and the Keyboards arrangements give something special to the music. This sound produced by the Keyboards is, for me at least, the Progressive part of the album and it's extremely interesting since the music isn't really basic at the end.

"Psycho Fantasy" is the fourth Phenoman's album, and it's a really nice surprise for me. I must confess that it wasn't so easy for me to fall in love with the album first but after some spins it seem that I like it more and more. So ok, some songs like "Higher"aren't really outstanding and maybe a bit boring but some others like the really Progressive "Keep On Running" or the emotive "60 Seconds" are pure hits. So maybe that you'll like it at the end.

"Psycho Fantasy" is an original album. Not so easy of access but extremely interesting with time. Tom Galley wrote again a bunch of great songs and his project, I hope, will find this time a well deserved success. Fans of classy projects in the vein of Ayreon, don't miss this album.