They’ve done it again and what’s more : this time the album sounds even better than their previous offering "Reason". The same influences I mentioned the first time can once again be traced here with names such as Baby Grand, Styx, Ambrosia coming to the fore yet also with a dash of Saga and Chandelier added to make the band’s AOR sound even fuller. Once again they can’t shed off their Boston influence either with ‘Inner space’ sounding just like our multi platinum selling friends. And what about ‘The willow song’ which only needs producer Roy Thomas Baker to turn this into yet another blockbuster !

What strikes me is the fact that Scapeland Wish is only a trio yet they are able to turn their music into such a complete experience whilst still making sure that the vocals get the best treatment. A lot of bands should take lessons from these guys because I know plenty of bands with five people in the line-up who can’t come up with such a sound ! Sometimes though their songs do tend to become rather commercial too. Take ‘The highway’ as prime example as to how they get close to becoming a copy of the band America. Then again during ‘Reflection’ singer Joshua Ramirez tries his hand to become the new Steve Hogarth delivering a song which could also be a Marillion classic from around their ‘Beautiful’ era. With ‘Ostrich alternative’ and ‘Nemo’ the band delivers two superb instrumentals which perfectly illustrate the craftsmanship of each of the individual players.

Great songs, great singing, cool guitars, maybe a little tame in the drumming department and maybe not enough keyboards but "The ghost of autumn" certainly has become the kind of ghost that can visit me every night ... preferably when I’m all by myself ! John 'Bobo' Bollenberg

    The first album of the American band ScapeLand Wish, Reason, surprised me because of their fresh look on progressive rock. They produce music with influences of all the big names but with also a lot of own ideas. On The Ghost Of Autumn the band moves further again. In my opinion, the trio which consists of Josh Ramirez (drums, lead- en backgroundvocals), Mike Stiskal (bass, keyboards, acoustic guitar, percussion and backgroundvocals) and Kevin Forsberg (lead, rhythmic- and classical guitars), deserves a breakthrough. The 11 songs on The Ghost Of Autumn are all beautifully constructed and have much variation in sung and instrumental parts. Take Misty’s Cage which has a very strong rhythmic and accompanying but nicely crafted keyboardsounds (like Mellotronchoirs). At the end of the track we’ll hear the strong vocal harmonies that were on Reason. The vocals are also great in The Highway that can be compared with Kansas. Ramirez’ voice reminds me a bit of that of former Kansas singer John Elefante. Halfway this piece there are some great outbursts on synthesizer and Mellotronstrings. Also the Steve Howe-like guitar solo’s are by no means to be sneezed at. Genesis greets itself in the almost acoustic Reflection. Again we hear these lovely strings. Stowing bass- and drumwork introduces the masterful instrumental Ostrich Alternative. Here Forsberg shows his many skills as lead guitarist. I think the many possibilities of the band can best be heard in the title track which has some great symphonic passages and again strong bass playing. In Inner Space the vocal is by Sean Grant, again somebody with a pleasing and bright voice. Nemo starts with floating synthesizer sounds and is a very melodic instrumental. The best is saved for the end: Fading Light is a fantastic varying little epic of almost 10 minutes with beautiful melodies and strong vocals (with, amongst others, pieces of Yes). It will be strange if this album will not end up in my list of favourite CD’s of 2003.

A while ago, ScapeLand Wish's first album, Reason, made my "best of list for the year. I even managed to place an article on the group in an issue of Progression magazine, whose reviewers gave the album an enthusiastic review, as well. On The Ghost Of Autumn, this Connecticut group continues to turn out intensely melodic. Ambrosia-like soft prog that's as expertly produced as it is deep. That is, The Ghost Of Autumn reveals something new with each listen.
    As always, guitarist Kevin Forsberg provides layer on layer of guitar, taking the music everywhere from acoustic rock to Hendrix-like solos and harmony guitar lines. In a couple of places, he even brings to mind Bill Nelson from Be Bop Deluxe, especially when he slaps on the flanger. Forsberg's solos are always interesting, taking notes beyond plain-vanilla scale workouts. Moreover, he's equally adept at solid melodies as he is at rapid-fire improvisation.
    Singer Josh Ramirez turns in smooth, professional vocals that conjure up a hybrid of Ambrosia's Joe Puerte and David Pack, all while providing the drum tracks, too. Although Ramirez shows off no virtuoso chops ala James LaBrie or Steve Walsh, he possesses a voice that many people — myself included — would kill for. I could listen to him sing all day. Guest musician Sean Grant, sounding a lot like Saga's Michael Sadler, supplies lead vocals on one track.
    Finally, Mike Stiskal, the studio wizard behind the recordings, supplies the bass, keyboards, and background vocals. Although Stiskal's playing tends to stay in the background, he provides solid support for the guitars and vocals, which are the focus of most tracks. In any case, Stiskal's instrument is as much the studio as it is the bass guitar, as he turns in expertly woven sonic tapestries that could have been produced in any pro studio by a name-brand producer. In short, an album for all lovers of melodic prog.

    "The Ghost Of Autumn" is the second release by the US prog rock trio ScapeLand Wish whose first album "Reason" back in 2000 simply gave me shivers as I listened. Boy can these guys write, play and sing! "The Ghost Of Autumn" is a magical album full of dynamic musicianship, positive energy and creative song writing, ScapeLand Wish are Josh Ramirez (Vocals and drums), Mike Stiskal (Bass, Keyboards, and backing vocals) and Kevin Forsberg (Guitars), Musically hard to exactly peg down but with their balanced focus on both progressive and rock tendencies end up delivering a mesh of Rush, STYX, Echolyn, Camel, Dixie Dregs and Kansas all in one! Those who love great vocals will simply kills for this album as Ramirez's voice is clear and powerful and blends to perfection with the band. Guitar and bass work is also superb with some excellent soloing and interplay throughout. "The Willow Song" would have to be one of the best tracks I have heard in a long time by any band with its deeply emotional delivery, deep toned sounds, Gilmour'esque guitar solos, interesting timing, captivating gentle vocals/harmonies all surrounded by a fantastic themed song.

    On their Web site, the members of the Connecticut band ScapeLand Wish drop such names as Genesis, EL&P, and Yes. I don't hear too much of those bands (except as subtle influences) in this superb album. Rather, I hear artists like Queen, Kevin Gilbert, Mike Keneally, Echolyn, Boston, the proggier side of Toto, and especially Ambrosia. One thing's for sure: ScapeLand Wish knows how to take a great pop tune and turn it into something a whole lot more special. This album overflows with wonderful songs liberally decorated with all manner of sonic surprises. The vocal arrangements alone are guaranteed to tingle, and even astonish, the sensibilities.
    The vocals, in fact, get the focus on this album. Lead singer Josh Ramirez is an intense singer, whose power, control, and expression remind me a lot of Ambrosia's David Pack and Joe Puerta. On top of the great lead vocals are layers of wondrous harmonies, as well as background parts that leap in and out of the arrangements at just the right moments. Yes, once in a while things get a little too sweet, such as the sugary "Arms Around You" (my least favorite track, to put it diplomatically), but those moments are rare and easily forgiven in consideration of the rest of the album.
    Songs like the nearly eight-minute "As a Child" showcase this band's many strengths, as well as their near-prog direction. At the start, a softly phased, picked guitar provides a foundation for the drifting strings. Suddenly, an overdriven electric guitar offers an introductory melody, after which very Ambrosia-like vocals take over, washed with sumptuous harmonies. Vocal parts emerge and retreat behind the main vocal in the song's bridge. Finally, a Yes-like bass part drives the cranking rhythm section underneath a closing guitar solo, reminiscent of Rush.
    Although this band's strong point is their vocals, they aren't afraid to provide a classy instrumental or two. The track "Snow in Sante Fe" is a guitar showcase that brings the lighter side of Wishbone Ash to mind before a torrid, lightning-fast riff opens the way for a short guitar solo, under which the picked, phased guitar chords provide a heavenly bed. "The Tonight Show" takes the band on a short jazzy side excursion, while the often funky "Chinese Spare Ribs" shows off guitarist Kevin Forsberg's many moods and textures.
    As if having an album filled with great songs and inventive arrangements wasn't enough, this independent CD sounds anything but homebrewed. The production is pristine, professional in every way. All instruments and voices are recorded with a clarity and crispness that you hear only in the best commercial releases, and the production choices are nothing short of masterful. While there's no mention on the album's liner notes of where the tracks were recorded, band member Mike Stiskal gets credit for engineering and mixing. And I say bravo! People with this much talent ought to be outlawed so the rest of us get a chance.
    If you're offended by a pop sensibility in music, or if you believe that progressive rock must always feature complex, symphonic arrangements, blistering solos, or raging dissonance, then this album is not for you. But if you like near-prog groups such as Ambrosia and Queen, and can make room in your collection for a CD of great melodies and sonic wonders, put ScapeLand Wish's debut CD on the top of your wish list. I bet it won't leave your CD player for a long time.

    The nice thing about being a rock critic is the fact that you get send a lot of promo material. Sometimes this material includes totally unknown artists that, after listening to their album, makes you wonder why no one had ever heard of them before, as their music is truly awesome. Such a band certainly has to be the magnificent American threesome ScapeLand Wish. Hailed as a three-piece powerhouse trio from the state of Connecticut, I’d rather describe these guys as good solid AOR with a decent amount of prog influences. Especially the vocal harmonies tend to be in the same league as Starcastle, whilst their musical journey takes us to Styx, Yes, but also to bands like Boston and Ambrosia.
    Augmented by three extra vocalists, singer-drummer Josh Ramirez really shines throughout this disc, making sure the vocal harmonies are one of the many highlights. The superb "Utopia" kind of embodies both Starcastle and Ambrosia with Sean Grant adding a slight operatic feel. Amazing how Josh’s voice blends with the piano making "Utopia" indeed a "grand" opener. Stunning bass and guitar and yet more vocal acrobatics form the backbone of "As A Child," an FM-station classic in the same vein as Boston if ever I heard one. Having acoustic and electric guitars melt together turns the instrumental "Snow In Santa Fe" into something spectacular. The intro for the title track "Reason" is most reminiscent of Starcastle, maybe with a dash of REO Speedwagon and Styx thrown in for good measure. There’s "flanger" galore during "Absence Of A God," also including some nice CSN & Y harmonies and Rush-like bass playing. In "The Heart Of Andes" it’s as if Jon Anderson sings an unreleased Marillion song. Funky bass playing introduces "A Brave New World," a song which could easily be pulled from a Trevor Rabin-era Yes session.
    "Chinese Spare Ribs" seems like an exercise in "flageolets" before turning into a funky uptempo experience also incorporating jazz rock by means of George Benson-like guitar playing. The acoustic guitar in "Silver Sleep" reminds me of the best Anthony Philips, yet it looks like the band’s box of tricks is reserved 'til last because "Take The Lead" indeed shows Scapeland Wish at its very best. It doesn’t happen very often that I’m extremely enthusiastic about a certain release, but this time I have to admit that this is a release which has grabbed me by the balls! Great musicianship, great compositions full of diversity and skill, balancing between prog and FM-rock so as to please a really large audience. I know critics often end their criticism with the wise words "go out and order your copy today," or "no house should be without one," but this time it’s the truth and nothing but the truth, as the only reason is "Reason"!

    ScapeLand Wish was formed in 1997, they are a three-piece powerhouse trio from the state of Connecticut, USA. Comprised of Joshua Ramirez, he has been performing in various bands, covering many styles of music for most of his life, Mike Stiskal that was pushed somewhat unwillingly into piano lessons at an early age, and Kevin Forsberg, he has been involved with music from his early years, starting with the formal study of drums and percussion, this clever band has created some of the most inventive rock music since bands such as Yes, Rush, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, to name a few, were in their prime. ScapeLand Wish have successfully combined the Progressive Rock eloquence with the Adult-Oriented Rock format to create music that has been hailed as "Brilliant" and "Superb" by their musical peers. The music from these three-piece is incredibly inspired into influences from the old english bands like "Yes" and "Ambrosia", adding some influences from the modern Neo Progressive "Marillion" and also with some South America rhithms, you can listen a variety of melodical arrangements, not very technical but very soft, superb and diverse in the guitar sounds. "Reason" is a Independent release from 2000, with fourteen tracks and 57:41min of nice songs. I have my special and particular attention to: "As A Child" (One of the Best), "Snow In Santa Fe", "The Heart of the Andes", "A Brave New World" and "Take the Lead". ScapeLand Wish are: Josh Ramirez - Vocals, Drums, Percussion, Mike Stiskal - Bass, Keyboards, Acoustic Guitar, Background Vocals and Kevin Forsberg - Electric and Acoustic Guitars. Excellent and indispensable work, highly recommendable...