INFERNO PRESS: REVIEWS Page Two (I though P):   INSIDE CONNECTION: Rush meets Styx meets Queensryche meets the Blade Runner score by Vangelis? Be warned: This disc has teeth and it will bite you in the backside. Scott Mosher returns, serving up a hot dish of ambient rock as only he can. Fans of this visionary virtuoso will absolutely love this release, a "concept album" that is equal parts nightmarish voyage into the realm of industrial apocalypse and a faithful ode to experimental progressive rock at its finest. The guitar playing of Scott Mosher (he plays all instruments, mind you) and the lofty vocals of Todd Corsa make for a flammable combination. The synthesizers set the tone perfectly on "Exile" and listeners will love the layering that goes on in this particular track. The quality of the engineering and production work is both creative and intelligent here, and a big tip of the hat goes to Scott for his incredibly unique art designs that adorn the insert booklet. The eerie spacier moments on this disc are the most revealing in terms of what kind of potential Scott Mosher has. He ought to be writing music for the film industry. Watch out, Danny Elfman, because here comes Scott Mosher! - (Timothy Connolly)   IO PAGES MAGAZINE: In the booklet of his second CD Virtuality (reviewed in iO Pages 34) the American multi-instrumentalist Scott Mosher announced to go a step further on Inferno with his ìproto-electronic-trance-rock-rap-funk-metalî. He has succeeded in that. Again the music can be considered, as I call it, ìspacemetalî. In comparison with Virtuality on Inferno there is more room for the vocals of ìShreddy Leeî Todd Corsa. His voice gives the music a Rush-like atmosphere at some points. Dark clouds pack together as Descent opens the CD. In the titletrack the spacemetal bursts out. The mood is quite bombastic. Dark Sun starts as a piece of filmmusic of Tangerine Dream. The ghost of that band walks round on this record at more occasions, especially because of the sequencerparts and the rather tinned drumsound. Besides this, TD also uses the mix between electronics and vocals on their Inferno en Purgatorio. While I find these albums rather disappointing, I would advice the Germans to listen to this Inferno. After a number of short rocksongs, there are also some more epic tracks on the CD. Exile is strong: nice synthsounds and sequence, the high voice of Corsa, good guitarwork and a fine composition. I find The World Fades To Gray another highlight. It opens floating after which a great progressive metaltrack follows in which some well-crafted passages are worked up. Mosherís music has a lot of potential. The only thing I like less is the rather monotonous sounding electronic drums. With a drummer of flesh and blood added, Mosher could come far. - Paul Rijkens.   JEN'S METAL PAGE: Scott Mosher is a New York based musician, composer, art director and production designer who has been promoting a string of independently released CDs through his distro and creative art studio The Ambient Mind. Inferno is Mosher's third project, a collection of atmospheric power metal cuts comparative to Moving Pictures/Permanent Waves-era Rush and No Exit-era Fates Warning with some commercial license. Mosher plays every instrument here; guitars, keyboards, synthesizer, programming and drums; and writes most of the lyrics except for one song he co-wrote with Todd Corsa who contributes the vocals. The production is very clean and Mosher seems to instinctually know which instrument to emphasize at which point. The keyboard and synth sounds flow together nicely and overall the music isn't as pompous as most 70s art rock bands have been known to be. The ultra-professional packaging has the lyrics to each song and graphic artwork designed by Mosher. You can preview most of the songs on this album at The Ambient Mind's official websit.e. (Review by Dave Wolff)   JPMETAL ENTERPRISES: Mr. Mosher is back with a third solo album on his own label and I admire his dedication. I enjoyed this disc better than the last one for three key reasons. One, it's heavier. Two, it's catchier. Three he has toned down the left wing protest feel, which I feel has never had a place in metal. Leave that for the punk rock kids. Scott present a world-class package (again) with extensive notes, lyrics, photos uber- cool computer graphics, which I feel are becoming a bit of a trademark visual component. Again great production, heavily produced and crystal clear, but progressive rock/metal is supposed to be well produced and multi-layered. Primarily this CD, Inferno is a touch, darker, faster and heavier than Virtuality. Eleven songs with two long ones (eight and eleven minutes) most songs are slightly more compact. On the last album, eight songs broke the six minute mark, on Inferno only three do, one of them being a remix of 'Season of Fire' from the last disc. By this I mean not necessarily simpler but the songs seem top focus on, fewer, but somewhat stronger ideas. It's a fine line and a subtle distinction as this truly is progressive, ambient space-rock/metal of the highest order. The songs are a bit faster, have a bit more crunch, the guitar tone is ever-so-slightly dirtier. Even so at over an hour this is a horsepill and requires a good attention span and attention to detail to absorb the nuances. Great album, great artist, I really hope (if he wishes) that Scott can make the jump to the big leagues. I could see him settling in nicely on Insideout or Magna Carta in the near future. - Joshua Wood (4/5 rating)   LEFT OF THE DIAL: Before I begin, I think I should make a confession:  I really donít like Rush.  I know that this can be a musical Mason-Dixon Line sometimes, and I think I should make it clear that I am a partisan of the ìanti-Rushî faction.  This means that any singer that sounds even remotely like Geddy Lee or any song that has a hint of progginess to it will instantly turn me off.  I should also say, however, that I have many friends who take in for that type of thing, and I can respect their tastes.  My fellow Left-Off-the-Dialer, Alex Baia, has a penchant for progish rock (and analytic metaphysics notice any connections?), and I having nothing but respect for his general musical views, regardless of the fact that we both listen to music that the other canít stand.  That having been said, I will attempt to be somewhat objective about prog-studio aficionado Scott Moshers new album, Inferno. First the good things, of which there are many.  Scott is an excellent arranger, with a dramatic sense of dynamics in his compositions.  Sometimes a little too dramatic, but weíll talk about that down below.  Even though I would usually rather artificially inseminate an angry cow than listen to this type of music, I never really found myself getting that restless or bored as I listened to this album.  That is a pretty big accomplishment, and it says something about the song-writing and arranging skills of Mosher.  Also, if I disregarded the cheesiness of some of the effects on the guitars, synths, and drums, the music was pretty interesting, especially the instrumental pieces that comprise about half of the album. Now for the part that will have about an eighth of the readers (maybe even that is an overstatement) thinking I am a complete philistine, which I may very well be.  I mentioned above that Mosherís songs are very dramatic, but what I left out in my praise is that they are often so overly dramatic that they are silly to the point of hilarity.  Now, I know that everyoneís limit for drama is different, and one manís silly may be anotherís subtle and moving; but I canít see how even the second coming of God himself would warrant all the drama that Mosher has packed into this album.  Again, some people think that The Wall (movie and album) is subtle; these are the same people who refer to professional wrestling as a ìdelicate ballet.î  Needless to say, I donít agree.  Then there is the singing.  Ah, where to begin with the singing?  If you think that Mussolini was a generally understated speaker who brought charm and subtlety to the Italian political process, you might find the singing on this album to be just right.  For me, it was a little over the top, in the same way that Washington politicians talk about billions of dollars as being a ìlittleî deficit.  I tried with every fiber of my being, while reading the ìMusic Reviewerís Code of Responsibility,î to take this album seriously. But I just couldn't.  The lyrics are so bad that they donít even really warrant review.  OK, so where do we stand with Inferno?  The bottom line is that if you endlessly pine for the new Rush album or find yourself perusing through the Dream Theater back catalog before you log on to your next session of Everquest, then you will probably love this album.  If you do not fit into the above category, avoid this album like the plague.   METALERUS REVIEW: 12 tracks (72 mins) of 'ambient neo-progressive cyber-rock' music. I'm afraid that the long length of this CD and his type of music that might bore me. Well, not all but in fact, I'm surprise that I can accept this CD without much problem. From the 12 songs, some are just ambient instrumental and the rest are progressive rock with lyrics. Maybe like new Tiamat but this one has lots of good riffs. The music here is composed by Scott Mosher and performed by him with a guest handling some guitar part and a guy name Todd Corsa did some vocals. Not the kind of voice I like to hear. Scott also sings in one song but effect was used (I guess. I don't think normal human sounded like that). I am not at all disturbed by the vocals because the music have dominant role in the song. The vocals only take a small part through out the songs. It has a thick booklet with nice design. Scott is also a graphic artist and you can see his talent here. "Virtuality" is not for orthodox metal fans. Lovers of ambient and progressive (that doesn't have problem hearing both style mixed) should get this CD.   METAL OBSERVER: The name Scott Mosher does not mislead me anymore since his second album "Virtuality" in 2001, because the gentleman from New York does not have much in common with moshing. The general direction of Ambient Rock still is prevalent, even though the vocals have received a bit more room this time around, which is not a bad thing, if you ask me. Just like on the previous album Scott has recorded almost everything on his own, just the vocals have been completely done by Todd Corsa, who also played some guitar parts, a good decision as already on "Virtuality" I had preferred his vocals over Scott's, so a good start to my ears. As it apparently cannot be done without an intro anymore, we get one here, too, titled "Descent", directly turning into "Inferno", which combines Ambient-like, spheric keyboard carpets with quite heavy guitars and the quite wilful vocals of Todd Corsa, always staying very accessible (especially in the chorus, which sticks to your memory right away). This union of Ambient and Rock is, what gives Scott Mosher's creations a very own touch, which already had been very prevalent on "Virtuality". The basic foundation always are Ambient-like keyboards, which pave the way with their atmosphere, on which then the guitars, drums and vocals do their part to create this in my opinion pretty unique sound experience. The at times fragile voice of Corsa fits the basic tenor of the songs very well, as the delicate "Left Behind" shows, which shows that here the vocals do not play a dominant role, as with many bands, but rather is used like another instrument, homogenously incorporated into the overall sound. The almost nine-minute "Exile" reminds me a lot of the masterpieces ofJean-Michel Jarre before the guitar and vocals set in and let everything appear very epic, even though some might be tempted to complain about a certain lack of variety, but this is just as wanted as fitting here. On the other side "Engines Of Industry" features, no, not Industrial influences, but a certain Prog list, completely instrumental, with a greatly dreamy solo passage As already with "Virtuality" people with a keyboard allergy will have their problems with "Inferno", still Scott Mosher has created a pretty original and unique mix, which does not even remotely tries to break and speed records, but invite to drift away, while still retaining very good guitar work. The sound also absolutely fits, just like the visual aspect, which again has been taken over by Scott himself and also fully convinces. Support this unique project, if you also like more spheric sounds, because "Inferno" is an absolutely cohesive album, which you definitely have not heard too often before!   METALCORE ZINE: SCOTT MOSHER/Inferno (The Ambient Mind) This was a very weird, hauting release. Very moody and at time it sounded like Rush if they played metal. I love track #4 it is so catchy it's not funny and the vocals rule. This is the project of one guy and he has been doing this for quite awhile now. If your looking for something out of the norm and different, then I suggest you pick this up and you'll be glad you did.   METAL RULES!: Mr. Mosher is back with a third solo album on his own label and I admire his dedication. I enjoyed this disc better than the last one for three key reasons. One, it's heavier. Two, it's catchier. Three he has toned down the left wing protest feel, which I feel has never had a place in metal. Leave that for the punk rock kids. Scott present a world-class package (again) with extensive notes, lyrics, photos uber-cool computer graphics, which I feel are becoming a bit of a trademark visual component. Again great production, heavily produced and crystal clear, but progressive rock/metal is supposed to be well produced and multi-layered. Primarily this CD, Inferno is a touch, darker, faster and heavier than Virtuality. Eleven songs with two long ones (eight and eleven minutes) most songs are slightly more compact. On the last album, eight songs broke the six minute mark, on Inferno only three do, one of them being a remix of 'Season of Fire' from the last disc. By this I mean not necessarily simpler but the songs seem top focus on, fewer, but somewhat stronger ideas. It's a fine line and a subtle distinction as this truly is progressive, ambient space-rock/metal of the highest order. The songs are a bit faster, have a bit more crunch, the guitar tone is ever-so-slightly dirtier. Even so at over an hour this is a horsepill and requires a good attention span and attention to detail to absorb the nuances. Great album, great artist, I really hope (if he wishes) that Scott can make the jump to the big leagues. I could see him settling in nicely on Insideout or Magna Carta in the near future. (Rating: 4/5)   METAL UK: Well now, this is an interesting release. Mr Mosher has taken on the task of trying to fuse some dissimilar strands of music on this, his third release (following on from "Virtuality" in 2001 and "Ambient Earth" in 1996). What we have here is a meld of ambient texture, progressive metal and electronic soundscapes. All topped with with some guest vocals straight out of Queensryches "Queen Of The Reich"! I haven't heard the first two albums, but "Ambient Earth" is purely instrumental, "Virtuality" saw the arrival of vocalist Todd Corsa for a few songs, and this album is predominantly song oriented. After a brief intro, the title track kicks in and leaves you in no doubt as to where you'll be spending the next hour. A monster prog metal number set off with some apocalyptic lyrics, only the drum programming stops this becoming an epic. I'm not anti drum programming, and for most of the album they work very well, just not here. There are still a few instrumentals dotted about here and there with "Dark Sun" coming straight out of the Tim Blake (Hawkwind) school. "Mindfield" is oddly reminiscent of Rush, but Scott has gone for the "Roll The Bones" era rather than the usual seventies sound. It's one of the highlights here, taking the progressive tag literally, and updating the references for the 21st century. The Dream Theater fans amongst you will take most kindly to "Engines Of Industry", another cracking instrumental track which starts off slowly before unleashing a sonic assault at you. The best is nearly saved for last, with penultimate track "The World Fades to Gray". An 11 minute epic, grandiose in the best way, lyrically dripping with sadness and pain, while the music pulsates through an emotional journey, it is truly remarkable. An especial mention also goes to the stunning artwork, , also the work of Scott, which fits the album and concepts therein perfectly. There are many major acts releasing albums who don't meet the standards set by Mr Mosher. For those inclined to progressive metal, this comes thoroughly recommended. Nip off to his website, listen to some MP3s, then place your order. You won't be disappointed. (Stuart Hamilton)   METAL MANIACS (Dec. 2004 Issue): A hero in the progressive rock world, New York's Scott Mosher has regrouped since his last opus and reworked his battle plan a bit, Saturated with keybaords and rocked out in a fusion somewhere between a Fulci soundscape and something Rush fans would pass a kidney stone to get a copy of, INFERNO shows Mosher's stellar creativity as an artist as whole rather than just an endowed guitar player. Mosher deviates a bit from the high-speed prog/tech approach of his last endeavor while maintaining that same galactic environment. The expanded use of vocals (from guest musician, Todd Corsa, who adds some guitar support here as well) is the most noticeable difference here. As I crank this bastard up first thing in the morning on brief drunken sleep, Liz yells "this guy rules!" from the next room. We'll be jamming this one a lot. 11 tracks and not one weakling in the bunch, this is a breath of fresh air in an overpopulated scene of cosmic power metal sewage. - (Dave Brenner)   METAL GOSPEL: It would seem the album title of "Inferno" is quite popular these days. Just for the hell of it I did a search online for albums with that title and came up with at least 10 different bands. Anyway, that´s got nothing to do with the somewhat spacey, ambient music contained on the disc so I will commence with the real part of the review now. Hehe. "Inferno" follows two previous releases, "Ambient Earth" from 1996 and "Virtuality" in 2001. Upon digesting and getting lost in the weaving patterns and mesmerizing vocals of Scott Mosher I came to the conclusion that this album is what would be the result by crossing RUSH (just check out the synthesizer work in the song 'Look Into You' for a fine RUSH example) and Mike Oldfield (if he decided to do a Metal album). Seriously, I really can´t help but think of "Tubular Bells" and music similar to that when hearing "Inferno". The distinguished compositions mainly center around progressive landscapes of melody and harmony that I find extremely relaxing. Every song is thoughtfully laid out so that it all gels instantly. Features a perfect production that allows the music to be heard clearly but still hold it´s emotion and colour. Listening to this is a pleasant and almost meditative kind of experience. Recommended for those with an open mind or have high levels of stress like myself. ;) Recommended tracks: the uptempo 'Ghostland', 'Engines Of Industry' which showcases some rather heavy guitar riffing coupled with great solo work and the title track, 'Inferno'. (Cheryl)   METAL STORM ONLINE: Sometime when you write reviews, you receive luckily some original albums. This is not a habit believe me, but yes it can happen. This is the case with this cd "Inferno" of Mr Scott Mosher. I receive a lot of albums but with such originality, damn that's not common. Scott uses to play a very Progressive Metal, very electronic with a lot of excellent ambiances, hum just something perfect when you need in the evening after a long day of work to listen to good music at home "Inferno" is not really easy of access because that the music of Scott is more than complex. In fact I could recommend for you to listen to this cd when you really want to listen to carefully and in peace some music. Why? Well just because this cd needs a lot of attention, and if you don't have time it will be a shame, because you couldn't feel all the ambiances featured in this cd. This is pure Prog Metal, very progressive and the numerous electronic sounds are for sure very presents but for all the ones who don't like this kind of stuffs, don't worry, because in fact these sounds are just here to give an excellent futurist ambiance on each tracks. Really the ambiances on this album can be a bit dark sometime but all are impressive, touching, and this futurist aspect in the music is really excellent, I really like it Of course, you will find all that you need if you are a pure fan of Prog Metal, guitars, solo, great and complex melodies [all that with in general a slow tempo] and also a good singer. For some aspects maybe, I can compare it to a band like Porcupine Tree or why not a Joe Satriani on some of his albums [the more electronics like a Time Machine for example] Greta lyrics, catchy songs you have all that you need and want if you are a fan of avant-gardist music. Yeah that's great prog no more... My only regret come from the production of the cd. I don't talk about the cover and the booklet which are good, but the sound of the cd. Don't worry it's ok, but it could be better With a better sound in fact this cd could touch the perfection, that's the only problem of the cd, and I say it again, don't worry because it's not bad but could be better that's all Inferno is a must have for all the fans of Prog who want something new and totally uncommon. Scott Mosher is a great musician who shows us through his new release that he really need to be know. Honestly I like a lot this album and I can only recommend it to you, the ones who like great music. A must have no doubt on it   Follow-up comments: Iron Markus: first of all I must admit I have only heard the samples, but after that I have to agree partially on what you said (futuristic aspect of the music, good ambiences and that stuff), on other parts I have to disagree: The originality for example, the songs sound like they werec inspired from 80's amiga games songs, where also extensive ambient keyboards and synthesizers were used and some also sound like inspired from the Van Halen sound on 1984. This is generally not bad, but not original. Additionally the stuff isn't that complex, at least what I can hear from those samples (on the website), don't know about the rest of the songs. All in all you're right talking about some valuable music with not so much heaviness in it NEW ARTIST RADIO: Scott Mosher hails from Miller Place, New York, where he composes and plays what he calls "A synthesis of heavy progressive rock and ambient textured soundscapes." The project includes Scott on guitar, keyboards and synthesizer programming and he is assisted by Todd Corsa on lead vocals and "occasional" guitar soloing. The CD opens up with the dark instrumental string sounds of "Descent" and segues into the equally somber "Dark Sun", a poetic indictment against the evils of modern industry polluting our skies with toxic chemicals and other nasty ingredients. The music has a bit of a Queensryche flavor due to Corsa's excellent vocal work. However, though well done, the drum machine in place of real traps causes the track to sound a bit too linear in terms of musical dynamics. "Mindfield appears to question whether modern media has too much influence on our thought processes. This song is well arranged and features excellent synthesizer work by Mosher, again supported by Corsa's smooth singing. Highlights of the record include "Ghostland" a cool, rocking track that presents these interesting lyrics: "I'm going under after you, our world is blinding midnight. Were falling deep into madness, were living sleeping in Ghostland". Also there is "The World Fades to Gray", an 11 minute opus that would make any Yes or Genesis fan very proud. This lengthy song is nicely augmented by a fine guitar solo in the middle section. Today, anyone who plays progressive rock can be considered somewhat of an anachronism. However, in my recent travels as music Scout for unsigned bands, I have come across a growing number of bands taking a crack at this genre of ancient rock. Scott Mosher has done a hell of a good job putting this record together and though at times a bit dramatic for my tastes, the music is extremely well executed and the arrangements are first rate. And as far as singers go, Todd Corsa does a beautiful job realizing the melodic qualities of the sometimes complex songwriting. Madmonk Overall Grade: A (Mad Monk)   OPEN EARS: "Inferno" is solid Prog rock with an ambient wrapper. Sometimes Scott Mosher wears his Rush influences for all to "see," but this release goes further in establishing his work as a style in its own right. The CD opens with the downward-spiral sounds of the synth piece "Descent," but just as I am nearly subdued, it ends abruptly and slams up against the dark rocker "Inferno." Highly melodramatic, this title track would have been at home on any Ayreon release! "Inferno" is followed by the ambient but persistent tones of "Dark Sun" and a Rush-style rocker "Mindfield." Then, the program edges into a truly great set from "Left Behind" through "Exile" and "Engines of Industry." These tracks cover all Mosher's bases, including great synth washes, melodic lead guitar, driving tempo, thoughtful lyrics and Todd Corsa's powerful voice. This is the heart of "Inferno," 20 minutes of music crying to be heard. The rest of the CD is good stuff too, well worth the purchase price. Mosher reprises "Season of Fire" from his previous CD "Virtuality" as a bonus track. Here it is done as a sort of Giorgio Moroder disco-electronico. Listenable, but light in contrast to the album proper. Overall, "Inferno" is a great bit of studio wizardry, constructed and packaged with care. (Jeff Gebhardt)   PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH: Is not Mosher a cool name? Come on, a person has to admit that the last name Mosher is a pretty cool name! Scott Mosher's moniker is an excellent name that pulled me in from the start. Musical wise is well musical wise, Inferno has nothing to do with a name at all. The feel is industrial mixed with a prog rock vibe. Electronic-bred industrial music is the main forming pattern. Add some 80s type prog vibe rock-ish feel to it and it brings forward an old and new musical sound/flavor. I've heard stuff like this before, yet the industrial heavy focus is quite intriguing, especially for all of those people who are 80s rock fans at heart. Inferno is a newer CD, but it also contains an urge to relive some music of the past. Cool name, Mr. Scott Mosher, even neater idea of having that 80s vibe present. - Len Nash  12/30/04   PROGVISIONS: "Inferno" is multi-instrumentalist Scott Mosher's third release over eight years. And judging by the consistent quality of this hybrid of ambient and progressive Space Rock, one can see why it takes so long to get a work out there. First of all, Mosher does all the writing, most of the instrumentation, and all the artwork for the booklets. And the packaging with each of his releases is second to none. But let's talk more about the music. Mosher's previous work, "Virtuality", made my top five list of 2001. I described it then as a slick, immense cross between Ayreon and Rush. The same could be said of "Inferno", though there is a more radio friendly sound on "Inferno"; but it's still progressive. Like Hawkwind's "Chronicles of the Black Sword", "Inferno" begins by gravitating between vocal tracks and instrumental bridges. "Dark Sun" is a spectacular instrumental that pulls us into its nebular vortex, soon to erupt into "MindField" and "Left Behind". This is vintage Rush, late seventies material, with plenty of moog and synth sweeps adding foundation to some steady, riff-driven rock. Part time guitarist, vocalist Todd Corso ­ the only other contributor to Mosher's work - does sound like Geddy Lee but he stays clear of impersonating him. The gloomy 9 minute "Exile" pulls something of Brian Eno's contribution to the "Dune" soundtrack, accessorized with Tangerine Dream-like loops. After the obligatory vocal session, the song erupts into a rocking three minute climax. "Engines of Industry" pays homage to industrial metal without the coldness, but it does have the mechanical repetition. It's not my favorite genre nor is this my favorite track. "Look into you" is a heavy-riff ballad with pounding drum machine, a sound that recalls Eloy's "Ra" album. "Ghostland" follows with another straight up space rocker. "The World Fades to Gray" is the album's magnum opus. At 11 minutes it explores all the sounds and techniques that Mosher is able to muster without being self-indulgent or smug. Easily my favorite track on the album, it is more of a throwback to the last album. "Season of Fire" ends things with an extremely strong instrumental. It is a space-drenched saga that evokes imaginative journeys into the beyond. Fans of Tangerine Dream and electronica will love it. I have a few criticisms of this album, but they are minor. "Inferno's" drum machines are more upfront and draw more attention to their artificial flavor on this album. While that's part of the point of this type of music, their presence betrays Mosher's ability to balance his digital landscapes with an organic flavor. I also find some of the middle tracks in the album a bit too radio friendly for my progressive tastes. But while "Inferno" may not perfect like "Virtuality", it still remains one of the finest releases in the progressive space rock genre in recent years. Mr. Mosher is an excellent song crafter and his work is second to none. - 3 1/2 stars   PROGNAUT: For years I've seen Scott Mosher's posts on various Progressive Rock forums but never approached or been approached to do a review. Now in 2004, Scott approached me via email to review his latest release, Inferno. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect, so my expectations weren't very high. I think this made it all the more better for me to listen with fresh ears and boy was I blown away by the music and the perfectly executed vocal tracks by Todd Corso, who also plays some guitar parts. Todd's vocals just fit Scott's instrumentation perfectly. This duo is a perfect match and to my ears have a bright future. I'm not familiar with Scott's other solo releases so I can't make any comparisons. Musically Scott tread on the ambient, spacey side of progressive metal. I hear influences such as early 80's Rush and Tangerine Dream (Thief). Like I've read elsewhere, Todd's vocals are very similar sounding to Geddy Lee around the mid to late 80's onward. My only problem is the programmed percussion. I've never been a fan of it but Scott's programming is much better than most out there. Inferno has some melodic dare I say, mainstream moments throughout, such as "Left Behind". To counter balance, so to speak, he has some songs bordering ambient crossed with slightly complex prog metal, this can be hear on This World Fades To Gray. The last track is a remix, possibly from a previous release. It's out of place here but rather interesting sounding. In summary, take a chance, listen to the samples on Scott's page and see that this guy is very talented and well worth your hard earned cash to invest in Inferno and possibly his other two releases. This is going to be a favorite of mine for 2004 for sure! (Ron Fuchs)   PROGNOSIS: For those who were blown away by Mosher's previous release, Virtuosity, the release of Inferno was long awaited. Mosher returns with an album that features structures that are less ambient and more accessbile than his previous work and with greater emphasis on song structures in the Melodic Progressive Metal/Progressive Rock arena and with greater use of vocals. Stylistically this album brings to mind his previous work as well as that of bands like Rush, Tangerine Dream, Ayreon, and the Alan Parson's Project and Mosher's level of achievement is very good indeed. Inferno demonstrates Mosher's growth in composition, and musicianship, and brings a stronger focus in musical direction. The music is melodic and melodramtic and the melodies he brings out stick in the mind. Todd Corsa is a solid vocalist and though some tracks work better than others, his is a voice I want to hear more of. When Corsa adds his guitar solos on Descent and The World Fades to Grey he nails it; complimenting both the music and Mosher's own outstanding musicianship. Mosher shows himself to be one of the better contemporary artists at building songs over his keyboard driven compositions with powerful synth-washes and layered textures. Imagine a band like Tangerine Dream or Kraftwork mixed with Rush and you get a sense of how the synths and melodic prog-rock are blended together. Bands like The Alan Parson's Project are also suggested though Mosher rocks out with much more power. The song Minefield does an excellent job of illustrating the Rush/Tangerine Dream/Alan Parsons mix in a single package. Left Behind is another track which along with Minefield should bring in those who like their prog played with accessible vocal melodies. Left Behind has a radio-fade ending strengthing the relationship to the commerical side of Rush and the Hard side of Alan Parsons. I really think that these two artists in particular provide the waters in which Mosher music is navigating. Season's of Fire is a track that was also on Virtuosity. Here it has been remixed and actually sounds quite different. Re-mix it has a very late-70's/early-80's Tangerine Dream/Vangelis/Kraftwerk feel. It is very nicely done, but I think it does distract from the feel and direction of this album. I think Scott Mosher is going to release a great album and Inferno is an import step in extending the pathway from Virtuosity towards that eventual great release. How one feels about it may depend a bit; I suppose, on which direction you wanted Mosher to progress in his follow-up to Virtuosity. Regardless of whichever direction you may have been leaning towards, Inferno is still a better overall album - more focused, more mature, and more polished. His blend of prog rock/prog metal with Electronic music elements and ambience is producing a distinctive and unique sound and with Inferno as with Virtuosity has resulted in an album I can recommend to any who found the references in this review of interest as well as any who have heard and enjoyed Virtuosity. (DBSilver, 11 May 2004)   PROGRESSIVE ROCK & METAL E-ZINE: Scott Mosher has been a recording musician for over 12 years and a graphic artist for 4 years, and an award winning "allaroundniceguy" since birth. Scott Mosher plays an emotional instrumental Progressive Rock that you will never forget, a blend around styles as Progressive Metal, Symphonic Rock and mainly Electronic Space Rock, adding passages of Ambient Music, an intense collection of symphonic arrangements, rich themes with an amazing instrumental content around the keyboards, guitars and drums, all arrangements have a powerful dimension, with many synthesizers and electronic textures, driving an amazing instrumental atmosphere with sounds that leave from the music for an exterior space, adorned by intense guitar solos and harmonic vocals. Comparisons are hard to make, but we can say: - The Scott Mosher´s music sounds as a blend of influences among the electronic music from "Tangerine Dream", together with the Progressive Metal from "Dream Theater". "Inferno" is Mr. Mosher's third CD (following Virtuality in 2001 and Ambient Earth in 1996) and continues in his tradition of synthesizing heavy Progressive Rock and Electronic Music. The album was released in 2004, all music composed, arranged, and performed by Scott Mosher, art direction, graphic design, and photography by Scott Mosher, includind ten songs where all them are relatively long. A special and particular attention to and my favourite songs are: "Inferno", "Dark Sun", "Left Behind", "Exile" (is one of the best), "The Engines Of Industry" and "The World Fades To Gray". The main musicians on this project are: Scott Mosher - Guitars, Keyboards (Synthis/Programming/Sequencing), Vocals and Percussion and Todd Corsa plays: Guitars and Lead/Harmony Vocals. Brilliant and indispensable work, highly recommendable...   PROGRESSION MAGAZINE: Sounds: 3/4, Composition: 3/4, Musicianship: 3/4, Performance: 4/4, Overall: 13/16. Hey - I'm playing this disc on my computer and the entire track listing, titles and all, is showing on my little iTunes screen. Very cool! Also very cool is Scott Mosher's unique take on heavy symphonic music. Think a very hard-edged , neo-progressive take on Tangerine Dream, all echo-y, soaring and swooshing about as bouncily percolating synth lines share space with aggressive guitar and plaintively righteous vocals. I can't recall another concoction quite like this. Sweeping ambient vistas underpin Mosher's melodic/harmonic flights into the cosmos. Texturely, the likes of "Engines of Industry" and "Ghostland" are quite trippy, especially through headphones. There's a lot going on symphonically, backgorund and foreground, while vocals and guitar dominate attention. Much of this sounds very grand and cinematic, especially on tracks such as the 11-minute "the World Fades to Gray", which features linear, very "neo"-like vocal/guitar lines amidst rolling, pulsing soundscapes. Heck, I've always been a sucker for catchy sequencing. Heady stuff, indeed.   PROG ARCHIVES: Scott Mosher released his first CD in 1996, entitled "Ambient Earth". This CD cemented the sonic foundation of his future CD releases, as it was a pure electronic all instrumental release of new-age and rock-inspired soundscapes, something along the lines of TANGERINE DREAM and Jan Hammer. "Virtuality" followed in 2001, which was a epic evolution from his past works. With "Virtuality", Scott has a masterwork fusion CD of progressive rock, heavy metal, ambient and trance techno music, not the least of which, half the songs featured the vocal talents of Todd Corsa. The third CD, "Inferno", was issued in 2004, and took the style established on "Virtuality" to another level, meshing the crushing guitar sounds of contemporary metal, the pop sensibilities of modern rock, and the atmospheres of current electronic music, into a 60 minute opus of music over matter. With a new CD due in the latter part of 2005, Scott continues to synthesize various forms of modern music into a unique and styli...Scott Mosher released his first CD in 1996, entitled "Ambient Earth". This CD cemented the sonic foundation on his future CD releases, as it was a pure electronic all instrumental release of new-age and rock-inspired soundscapes, something along the lines of TANGERINE DREAM and Jan Hammer. "Virtuality" followed in 2001, which was a epic evolution from his past works. With "Virtuality", Scott has a masterwork fusion CD of progressive rock, heavy metal, ambient and trance techno music, not the least of which, half the songs featured the vocal talents of Todd Corsa. The third CD, "Inferno", was issued in 2004, and took the style established on "Virtuality" to another level, meshing the crushing guitar sounds of contemporary metal, the pop sensibilities of modern rock, and the atmospheres of current electronic music, into a 60 minute opus of music over matter. With a new CD due in the latter part of 2005, Scott continues to synthesize various forms of modern music into a unique and stylized conceptualized vision.   PROGRESSIVE EARS: Inferno, the latest release from Scott Mosher, follows in very much the same mold as his two previous releases Virtuality and Ambient Earth. For those not familiar with Scott's work, his music is in a style that includes ambient, neo-progressive, progressive metal influences. Scott plays all of the instruments and Todd Corsa provides vocals that will definitely appeal t fans of Geddy Lee. This CD has much heavier moments than his previous disc as well as a stronger synth and sequencer presence. Probably my favorite track on the album is the instrumental "Engines Of Industry", a crushing track with very heavy drums. Another instrumental, "Dark Sun" contains some very interesting synth pads. The tracks with vocals are decent but it's the instrumentals that stand out the most for me. He could really do an entire album without vocals and I wouldn't complain. The last track on the disc is a re-mix of "Seasons Of Fire" from the Virtuality. It has a slight dance music feel to it but done very nicely. One of the things I like most about Inferno (and Virtuality too) is the intense graphic artwork that he uses throughout the CD booklet. There are some very strong images of nuclear reactors, huge smokestacks and smoke-filled skylines that conjure up all sorts of thoughts of impending doom. Scott is a very accomplished graphic designer and the themes he uses visually are a perfect compliment to the lyrics. Although this isn't actually the type of stuff I normally go for, I do appreciate Scott's work and would sincerely recommend it to those who appreciate good prog metal with generous synthesizer moments.   PROGNOSE: 7/10: Scott Mosher is the brain behind The Ambient Mind, a melting of a digital artwork studio and a musician. As he describes himself on his website, he is a digital graphic artists, non-famous musician and all round nice guy. Inferno is his third album and currently he is working on his fourth. Monotony is a word Scott Mosher does not know. His first album, Ambient Mind, was New Age inspired and completely electronic. The follow up, Virtuality, went more in the direction of neo-progressive rock. On Inferno, he combines the two styles: dark, sometimes heavy progressive rock with a lot of electronic influences. On this album he worked again with singer Todd Corsa, creating a more song-orientated album. The atmosphere on the album is mainly dark, but not gloomy. The rock songs sound very good, even though the drums are coming from the computer! With the synthesizers, Mosher manages to create a special atmosphere. Listen to the masterful 'Exile', one of the better prog songs I have heard passing by recently. Here also the guitarwork can be called fantastic. With almost 9 minutes on the clock, this almost instrumental songs is worked out well. Musically it all sounds very good, but the vocals of Corsa deserve to be mentioned. His voice is at times sound very much like Geddy Lee of Rush, especially in the song 'Mindfield', so Rush fans should definitely listen to this album. The vocals alternate with the many instrumental parts and the album sounds as a coherent whole. Only the heavy 'Inferno' stands out a bit  with the rest of the songs, as the level of ambient keyboards is very low here. But also 'Engines of Industry' knows some pretty heavy guitars, as well as pounding drums, so you could almost call it metal. On the longest song on the album, 'The Worlds Fades to Gray', Mosher and Corsa take you on a journey through through space, where the spacey keyboards once more create a great, dreamy prog atmosphere, mixed with some nice guitars. The album closes with 'Season of Fire ­ Infernal Remix', where Mosher reaches back to his previous album, Virtuality. But this song is quite different from the original and it also deviates from the whole. More so, this song would not sound bad on a trance album! Not really prog. Why he included this song on the album, is my guess. This notwithstanding Inferno is a recommended album. Despite most of the music is electronic, the whole sounds really good. The album is absolutely worth listening to, so listen to the samples and order the album.