VIRTUALITY PRESS: REVIEWS Page Four (P through Q):   OPEN EARS: Art - Music - Life. Thatís Scott Mosherís mantra in short form. The extended version reads: "...merging the worlds of progressive metal, ambient, new-age and cinematic rock in a contemprary fusion of techno/trance-inspired song structures. The thematic soundscapes of Virtuality forge a dramatic and atmospheric listening experience without genre-specific constraints while attaining a dynamic rarely heard in todayís corporate musical climate, running the gamut from dreamy and introspective musical interludes, through haunting and ominous sound paintings into the realm of an intense rhythmic listening experience. Iíd say heís accomplished what he set out to do. Itís true he wears his influences on his sleeve, touting an updated RUSH sound, complete with vocalist Todd Corso as an uncanny Geddy Lee soundalike and an abundance of philosophical sci-fi lyrics. Then there are the ambient passages, pulsing rhythms with shifting chord washes floating atop. Itís all very listenable, and surprisingly well-arranged and produced. There is a nice balance between the myriad styles and influences. Further, there are moments which reach out and grab the listener, demanding attention. My favorite moments are the ambient instrumental "Attillon Sunrise" (a thing of beauty), and the anthemic "Re-Define." If this album had been produced in the late 70s it would have been snatched up by a major label and hyped heavily. It probably would have sold over 100,000 copies. But in the modern day, such creative efforts are usually the result of the independent artist. With luck, they reach the ears of some who wish to hear. Do yourself a favor and snag a copy of this CD from Scott Mosherís "Ambient Mind" website.   PROGRESSIVE NEWSLETTER (2001) This is proof that it does not always have to be solely dragons and gnomes when it comes to optically pleasing (appealing) packaging for Progressive Rock. Almost single-handed, from music to the graphics, Scott Mosher takes in his album Virtuality a different, more modern approach. This very appealing, exceedingly tasteful booklet shows a fantasy-world of the future. These ideas are mirrored in the texts as well as in the music. He combines Techno-Trance, Ambient, New Age and Cinematic Rock into a contemporary fusion of neo-progressive structures. But fear not, words (text) as well as Techno or New Age here do not equate with bass-whump (boom, thrum) devoid of content, nor do they have to signify an empty void; it is more the round, space-like keyboard sounds which are aligned with these musical ranges (areas). Even though Scott Mosher is responsible for guitar, bass, keyboards, programming, percussion and voice, in no way does his album sound like a typical solo album. This is because on one hand his Neo-Progressive variant simply does not offer cliches only, but rather sounds quite modern, and on the other, he offers quite a broad palette of driving, dark exit numbers to the point of melodic bombast. Then the keyboards foremost serve as a foundation and provide with this wide screen sound for the actual sounds above which, now and then, the guitar climbs up in spirals. Also, the artist does not commit the sin of wanting to do everything on his own; Todd Corsa with his decent (respectable) voice was invited to come aboard. Nonetheless, in spite of its well thought-through concept and ensuing transposition the album is occasionally lacking in the variation of songs. On numerous occasions some ideas are simply repeated too often without contributing to the effect of raising the tension in the song development. Apart from this, Scott Mosher is on the right path and delivers a modern (progressive), pressing and rocking Neo -Progressive variant that does not shy away from topical currents.   PILGRIM WORLD/TETSU HAMAKANA: Scott Mosher's latest album, Virtuality, is one of interesting music offerings I had missed last year. But finally I grabbed this on my hands. Musically, Scott Mosher himself describes what he has created on his latest album really well, such as the phrase of "Cyber Rock, Neo-Progressive Ambient" like that. Honestly, I really agree with his description about the music on Virtuality. On the album of Virtuality, you will find spacey sounds and massive futuristic synth sounds, which might have been created by KORG and up-to-date digital synthesizers and keyboards with heavy guitar sounds and helps of his skillful guest musicians. At glance, some tunes on this album appeals to the fans of AYREON and 80s era of RUSH. However, the way Scott Mosher created on Virtuality has original touch, so that you can totally enjoy this album as a different entity. Personally, quite enjoyable neo-prog cyber rock sounds are different from other neo-prog and prog metal contemporaries. It is noticeable that sound production is pretty good, even though it seems to be independent release. I assume that Scott Mosher took many times to make polished and stellar sound as possible as he could If you are the listener who is not able to accept other synthetic and ambient atmopsheres in prog rock and prog metal syle music, you might have probably difficult time to enjoy this one. However, I really recommend this album for prog metal and neo-prog fans who are open-minded to different elements intertwined within the context of music. Nice and fresh atmopsheric sounds and heavy rocking guitars floating endlessly. More than half on this album contains spacey instrumentals, but each tune has explained with Scott Mosher's ethics, social issues, environmental topics, and philosophical themes on the booklet, so read carefully and enjoy the world of Virtuality. On the other hand, some tunes featuring lead vocalist and instrumentalists give the vibes of RUSH with his interpretation to listeners. Lastly, and not least, I am totally impressed with that he doesn't only create music by himself, but also does illustrates and creates the booklet and arts (pay attention to his nice workouts!!). From the beginning to the end on the album, there is no filler and boring moments in my opinion. Totally unexpected nice work from independent releasem by the man himself, Scott Mosher. If you do not mind the sounds of cyber-edge, synthetic atmospheres, ambient feeling, and occasional trance states in heavy rock field, then I totally recommend each of you to check out his music. You will not get disappointed with his efforts. Well done job and highly recommended. (4.5/5)   POP CULTURE PRESS: Scott Mosher is a one-man musical universe unto himself, and he's indeed ambitious. With the exception of appearances by guest vocalist Todd Corsa and bassist Mickey James, he not only provides all instrumentation and programming on Virtuality, but also optic dreamscapes (read: artwork) and a distinct moral vision of the future of humankind. Billing his sound as "ambient neo-progressive cyber rock," it is immediately apparent that Mosher has put an incredible amount of thought and energy into realizing his new-age cosmic vision of the "ambient mind." He embraces admirable political convictions as well, penning charged prog-rock anthems against "corporate idiocracy" fueled by issues like civil rights, education, campaign finance reform, and our respective roles in determining the ultimate fate of Mother Earth. Still, there are problems aplenty with Virtuality. First, although drenching everything in gobs of reverb during the production process might make things sound as huge and limitless as space itself, it should not be mistaken for ambiance--these songs are both as subtle and nuanced as a jackhammer to the skull. The progressive influences are there in blatantly derivative Rush-meets-Dream Theater fashion (hey, you don't gotta be no genius; it's right in the liner notes---vocalist Corsa's nickname is " Shreddy Gee"). And while Mosher's guitar hero histrionics might well be approaching the speed of sound (fully half the record is instrumental), he milks them to mind-numbing repetition, with the 12 tracks on Virtuality clocking in at a whopping 72+ minutes. Herein lies the biggest problem--despite Mosher's obvious talent, conviction, and penchant for intricacy, these songs fail to allude even once to issues of the human heart. Ultimately, he has succeeded in creating an ultra-science fiction utopia that looks as drearily banal as Huxley's Brave New World cross-bred with L. Ron Hubbard's Battlefield Earth.   POWER PACKER: Okey, let me first give you a run down on what happened as a place this CD into my CD player. I had the volume turned up quite a bit. First my mom who is a jazz enthusiast, asked who this was and stated that she liked it. Secondly, my brother, who is a house music enthusiast, also asked the same question and also stated that he liked this, somewhat. Then there's me, who has an open mind, b ut likes metal much more than any other type of music. I like this also. Are you getting the hidden message? This is a CD that people, who like and listen to all types of music, will enjoy. I would not call this metal - more atmospheric than rock. And since I enjoy atmospheric msuci, I can safely say that this is a great CD. At times, Scott Mosher and his music remind me of Alan Parsons Project, a band that had no musical boundaries and used synthesizers/keyboards a lot within their music. If you are into one type of music, and only like that one type of music, you may want to pass this one up, but if you have an open-mind musically, thsi should not be passed-up, especially if you are a fan of APP. (Fav. tracks: Virtuality, Re-Define). (Note: 'Virtuality' made the top 10 Spin-Tinglers list that issue, and VIRTUALITY the CD made the #13 in the top 40 list of the issue).   POWERPLAY MAGAZINE: With a surname like Mosher, you could be forgiven for jumping to the obvious conclusion. Coming at us from the beautiful city of Raleigh, North Carolina, Mosher delivers an album primarily filled with weird keyboard-driven tracks, infrequently sprinkled with the odd widdly guitar solo here or there. Mosher is also a man with very strong beleifs and opinions, which he shares within the impressive CD booklet. Whether you agree with what this guy stands for or not, you've gotta take your hat off to him for standing up and trying to make a difference. On the musical side, well, that's where it all goes wrong! make no mistake, Scott is obviously one talented guitarist, but this collection of abstract tunes, which he advises to file under 'ambient, neo-progressive cyber-rock' is exactly that - tunes. They go nowhere, have no hooks and pass you by like a stranger in the night. Ther's no doubt in my mind that Scott Mosher is not looking to set the heather on fire and climb to the forefront of MTV, but if he carries on in this vein, he only one interested in what he's producing will be himself. - Sound: 4/10, Song-writing: 1/10, Genre: 1/10   PROG4U.COM: It's uncommon in today's musical environment that you find a project, which an artist can truly call his own creation. Scott Mosher can, and delivers a CD that is very ambitious in it's scope and statement about the human condition today; also the outlook on the not so distance future. Scott wrote, played, and produced the music and graphics that make up the CD and it's accompanying booklet. The music, which is described as neo-progressive, is actually much more new age, techno-trance and some fusion all thrown in the mix. This creates music that is quite incredible at times with its atmospheric keyboards and soaring guitar. Scott wrote all the music and lyrics and plays all the instruments and performs vocals with a small assist from Todd Corsa on some of the songs. I know most prog fans will find this CD very enjoyable with its mix of songs and moods that Mr. Mosher has created. I would recommend it highly to all to check out. It's a very fine recording with great production values and just looking at the detailed artwork is worth the price of the disc. This is a thought provoking and well-done CD.   PROGNOSIS: Recording Info: Virtuality is Scott Mosher's 3rd recording. It is entirely composed by Mosher who also did the art work. It is self-produced and with the exception of vocals and a single guitar and bass solo is performed entirely by him. The 16 page booklet contains art work, lyrics, and tidbits of the artists personal ideology and philosophy. Music is one of 3 elements of Mosher's product - the others being art and his personal philosophy on life. The album cover and booklet reflect highly on Mosher's skills as a graphic artist. The CD is accompanied by a 16-page full-color insert with lyrics, art & philosophical musings. It is rare to find a self-produced/self-financed album with such first class materials. At times sounding a bit like Rush and at other times making me think of Billy Thorp (Children of the Sun era), Virtuality also occasionally calls to mind Tangerine Dream and Ozric Tentacles. Mosher is obviously a talented musician who is responsible for everything you hear except vocals (Todd Corsa handles this sounding a bit like Geddy Lee) and a guitar and bass solo. His studio work (production & mixing) is top notch - this is an excellent sounding recording. Although there are discrete songs, the best way to listen to this recording is in its' entirety and I might add that the CD sounds best loud. It also plays very nicely in headphones. Mosher calls this music 'ambient neo-progressive cyber-rock'. It is hardly an ambient recording and I would describe it more along the lines neo-prog/metal (but what's in a name anyway?). There are techno/trance elements to be sure, but the power of the rock elements ensure Virtuality is never boring or repititious. The guitar work is excellent, the vocals and melodies are good, and - unusual for this kind of work, the drums are fine (not to be mistaken for Neil Pert however). I like Virtuality. Neo-prog fans (who aren't bothered by the word 'metal') and prog-metal fans (who aren't bothered by the word 'neo') will like it too. You can order this CD through Scott Mosher's web site for the more than reasonable price of $11.00 US.   PROGPOWER ONLINE: It rarely happens that we get such ambitious projects as this CD is. I tell you, Scott Mosher, the mastermind behind this CD, is one impressive and productive man. He has made the booklet/graphics, done the programming, sequencing, produced and played every instrument on this CD, except for a couple of solos and the lead vocals. The booklet is filled with beautiful graphics and a comprehensive, insightful liner note on the present world situation and personal beliefs. All this, completed with the music takes you on a journey of atmospheric soundscapes and into another state of mind. In the booklet the music is described as "Ambient Neo-Progressive Cyber-Rock." This description makes a lot more sense after hearing the actual music but I will try to break it down for you. Roughly speaking - take one portion prog rock (or neo-prog if you want), add one touch of prog metal-light, a few ambient elements and we have the basics. On top, we have very present atmospheric keyboards with soft, clean mid-ranged vocals. If we talk band comparisons, there really aren`t any, as Virtuality has its very own distinctive sound. Although, I can hear small elements of Ayreon, Mystery (the French band), Rush and Arena. 8 of the 12 songs are instrumentals. Although I find the songs with vocals to be stronger, some of the instrumentals are equally good as well. The melodies are very melodic and the atmospheric elements make them comfortable to listen to. In the end I feel that the CD would have profited by replacing a couple of instrumentals with vocal tracks. The production is clean and each instrument is very present in the mix. I am extremely impressed just thinking of all the time, energy, thought and creativity put into this product but at the same time I am relieved that it has paid off. Virtuality has become a completely professional product and has more to offer than just the music. As for the music itself, I am sure prog fans will find plenty to enjoy here. Absolutely worth checking out! (9/12 points)   PROG PT: Do you know what "Ambient Neo-Progressive Cyber Rock" is? Well, I think it's time for you to find out. I have no intention to explain what it is but I'll do my best to give you a musical image of this work. Scott Mosher is a north-american musician and also a graphic artist. This is his second solo release and I don't think it will be the last. He is talented enough to offer us lots of good works. This CD is wrapped in a "Blade Runner" atmosphere as the artwork is very inspired on the ambient set on that film. Musically speaking, this work offers a wide range of futuristic soundscapes mixed with free progressive structures. While keyboard textures prevail, the guitar work adds lots of strength and power to the music. The reverb effect gives another dimension to the music too but I think it is over-used since it throws the guitar sound too much to the background. Let's start with the simple tracks. VIRTUALITY, RE-DEFINE and THE PROMISE OF TRUTH can be considered "normal" tracks since they obey to a normal song structure. The addition of vocals here brings these tracks down to Earth and doesn't let them fly through sidereal space. A SEASON OF FIRE, as well as SORROW IN A WORLD OF DARKNESS, are tracks that wander over an hi-tech and dark world. It's hard to talk about rhythms, time signatures or types of composition since the music here acts just like an epic flow. It surrounds us and if we close our eyes we're taken into a virtual world. But the highlight of the album comes with THE DREAMING EYE and SOMETIME AFTER MIDNIGHT. The guitar draws a magnificient melodic contour and touches the limit of the Universe! Glorious! This is, in fact, a good album and I just want to point out a single fault: the rather bad drum programming. For those of you who are also into new-age music and who like futuristic themes, well, run for it! A final word for the brilliant CD cover and booklet artwork!   PROGRESSION MAGAZINE: (6/2002) (Sound: 3/4, Composition: 2/4, Musicianship: 3/4, Performance: 3/4, Total Rating: 11/16) While Scott Mosher's programming and sequencing show obvious technical gifts, VIRTUALITY is much more interesting when he goes for the ambient division of the (self-styled) stylistic tryptych noted above, and leaves the pounding drum parts out of the mix. "Upon the Frontiers of Infinite Night" draws the listener into a spacey, yet gritty landscape, kicking into a storming barrage of looped sounds, and slightly off-kilter rhythm. It's this barrage that ultimately makes the disc more agitating, than pleasure-rpovoking. The title track further tightens the rock feel, introducing Todd Corsa's Geddy-Lee-ish vocals, while the 7-minute "Season of Fire" pushes the Rush comparison further (the lyrical references to various -ologies on 'Re-Define' are also very Rush)... "Infinity Burns" has a wonderfully delicate sequencer riff, but it's quickly enveloped by the overwelming pomp and lack of circumstance. "Atillion Sunrise" is a sweet, almost hymnal, keyboard-dominated piece; like "Shores of a Cosmic Ocean", it's a welcome relief from the surrounding bustle. There are a number of good ideas here, but the execution sometimes misfires. - Larry Nai   PROGRESSIVE EARS: Hi Scott! Your CD is totally awesome! Three thumbs up!!! Virtuality is one of the coolest albums of the year. Although this might not appeal to everyone, I think many fans of prog metal will really dig it. It's more electronic and not always heavy but it does have a good deal of crunchy guitars. Excellent work! Playing all the instruments, writing all the songs, creating those killer graphics in the booklet took a great deal of hard work and I know it will pay off. I really enjoyed reading the liner notes as much as listening to the music, too. Dude, you're just a downright positive guy doing some totally killer music. And that singer, Todd Corsa ... very cool, very Geddy Leeish. Rush fans should take note of him. The vocal effects throughout the album are very original and well planned. I especially like the ultra-deep voice on "Architects Of The Divine." I'd have to say I probably like this more than anything Rush has done in the past 20 years. My favorite on the album so far is "The Human Machine." I really like the man vs. computer concept. It's very similar to ELP's "Karn Evil 9" updated for our times. Actually the entire album is very modernly futuristic as a complete package. I'd heartily recommend it to fans of Dream Theater, newer Rush, Ayreon, Spock's Beard, Marillion and even Tangerine Dream fans would enjoy the extensive use of the synths and sequencers. I look forward to hearing more of your music. This has been one of the best and most professional CDs that I've heard all year. It's really hard to believe that you created almost all of it by yourself. Keep up the excellent work! Sincerely, Floyd - P.S. Now that I've written the review, do I get a case of Dr. Pepper?   PROGRESSIVE WORLD (10/2001): Scott Mosher's Virtuality is a much deeper work than any review can adequately express, even by me, being one is prone to lengthy, verbose, and often tangential reviews. As much as this album is about the music, it is about the message. And it is those messages and meaning of the lyrics that one, I, could get lost in. Mosher defines "virtuality" as "the convergence of sight, sound and progressive perspective on socio-political and environmental issues." Mosher shares some of his perspectives both in the liner notes and the lyrics (you'll also find a list of links to worthy organizations). From that, you can gather that we don't have here 12 songs rather lightweight topics, but rather ruminations on the world around us and within us. Mosher's view is pessimistic, but it is a future that seems all very plausible. The cover depicts a smoke-choked sky with factories only adding to the haze. I need only look out at Los Angeles on any morning as see just such a sight. On a clear day, you can see the LA high-rises...but clear days are rare, and more often then not, you see this brown blanket obscuring the horizon. Mosher is based on the other side of the US, in North Carolina, but I am certain that this toxic air exists even there. And I hear in my mind's ear a line from "Synchronicity II" by the Police...which doesn't relate otherwise except for the "belching filth into the sky" phrase. Which indicates that Mosher isn't the only introspective extroverted artist out there. This he shares with another hard rocking, thinking-person's band, namely Rush. Mosher bills his music as "ambient neo-progressive cyber-rock." Now, don't go expecting a whole lot of what is commonly referred to as neo-prog, as I hear not a wit of any known neo-prog band, even I "stop calling us neo" Q. No, Mosher is solidly in the hard rock genre - well, cyber-rock. Futuristic themes where technology has a greater hold on our lives. It's that same dystopia I've found in Brainstorm's Tales Of The Future and Reindel's Mind Probe and Mere Mortal, though these artists are by no means unique in that vision. That leaves "ambient" left to mention... well, this isn't "ambient" in the sense that Eno might use, as the music isn't as subtle as, say, Music For Airports (to namecheck a well-known Eno work). Instead, Mosher's ambient is more like synth-based space rock (is there any other kind? I ask, rhetorically)... but don't then think of classic Tangerine Dream... Kevin Braheny is the artist that immediately came to mind. Oh, and there are two tracks that fit into this "ambient" category and that is "Attillon Sunrise," which is a slowly undulating piece of music, and "Shores Of A Cosmic Ocean," which, like Steve Roach, is able to achieve that feeling of static motion. The "cyber-rock" tag is the most common aspect here, and most apparent on "The Human: Machine," but, of course, elsewhere. So I mentioned Rush as a comparison, but in the case of "The Promise Of Truth" one might think of 80s Journey, circa Frontiers, and specifically "Rubicon," and, perhaps, the title track. If you are one of those who don't care much for the lyrics, there is still plenty for you. Great guitar leads, playing and use of keyboards, etc. -- all Mosher, by the way, though Tom Corso does the singing throughout and plays a guitar solo on "Architects Of The Divine. "Mickey "Bass Dawg" James plays a bass solo on "The Promise Of Truth." Usually one points out the highlights of an album...and maybe by default I have, but any one the tracks would qualify, as each are really worth mentioning. But, as I said at the outset, encompassing this album in anything but broad terms would need a review 10 times this size. Mosher isn't shy about encouraging folks to listen to his music, as anyone who spends any time at E-prog or rec.music.progressive knows. But, unlike the hard, and often hyperbolic, sell we are inundated with from media outlets and labels that seemingly have money to burn, Mosher can back it up with a very solid release. I can tell you that even though I have put these thoughts down on...well, into bytes and set them loose in the digital world, I'm not really finished listening to this disk yet. I am fascinated by it...I find I want to spend more time with it. And I'm not saying this for any other reason than that this is what I feel. I liken this to my reaction to Pain Of Salvation. You can listen and listen to album over and over again, and get a feel for the music, but one really needs to sit in a place with no distractions and just absorb the album, as there is so much going on -- so much background to it. Preferably, one should do this for a week's time. And by the way, this is the kind of music I like... So, in case it wasn't obvious, this album comes highly recommended.   PROGRESSOR ONLINE: Prologue: VIRTUALITY is the debut album by Scott Mosher. The numbers of Solo Pilots have grown again and the fresh forces regularly arrive on a scene. The Album: On the whole, Scott Mosher's VIRTUALITY is a rather original album. He himself defines his music as Neo Progressive Ambient Trance Cyber Rock. Certainly, Scott never did hear the US band Braindance, who are the pioneers of the style of Progressive Dark Wave. For the most part however, the music that is featured on VIRTUALITY reminds me of a pared down (i.e. Neo) version of Progressive Dark Wave more than anything else. The decent tracks on the album are those that feature the parts of real instruments, apart from the programmed bass and drums, and various sequenced solos. These are: Virtuality, The Human Machine, A Season of Fire, Re-Define, The Dreaming Eye, Sometime After Midnight, The Promise of Truth, and Sorrow In a World of Darkness (tracks 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, & 12). And all of them consist of structures that, in my view, fit the style of Neo Progressive Dark Wave even despite the fact that the basis of these structures is completely 'synthetic'. The majority of solos and passages of keyboards represent cycled sequences, which often makes them too monotonous. A few of the real keyboard passages are featured only on Sometime After Midnight and Sorrow In a World of Darkness. A real bass solo is heard only in the end of The Promise of Truth. The vocals are present on Virtuality, The Human Machine, Re-Define, The Dreaming Eye, The Promise of Truth, and Sorrow In a World of Darkness. All eight of the said compositions contain heavy guitar riffs. However, most of them aren't as expressive as the guitar solos. The latter are also featured on all of these eight compositions, and the majority of them are tasteful and virtuosi. So thanks only to them, two thirds of the contents of this album are more or less listenable from a progressive standpoint. As for the four of the remaining tracks, namely Upon the Frontiers of Infinite Night, Attillon Sunrise, Shores of a Cosmic Ocean, and Infinity Burns (tracks 5 & 10), they aren't progressive at all. While two of them: Attillon Sunrise and Shores of a Cosmic Ocean, entirely consisting of the 'ambient' sequences, represent just a dead music. Summary: As I have previously said, Scott Mosher's music is on the whole original. So I can consider him a pioneer of Neo Progressive Dark Wave. However, unlike the Classic 'example' of this style, the music of VIRTUALITY has little to do with real Progressive Rock. On the other hand, it has a huge commercial potential, but that is another story.   PROG REVIEWS: "Virtuality" is multi-instrumentalist Scott Mosher's third album. The album is self-financed and Scott has even done the beautiful Blade Runner- influenced artwork himself. Scott is a very talented musician and he calls his own compositions "ambient neo-progressive cyber-rock". I don't really know about that. The music is doubtlessly ambient, but it also has reminiscences to Dream Theater, Journey, Queensryche and most of all Rush. The overall impression is very complex and positive, but unfortunately there are too many electronic drums and sequenced synthesizers, and that's the main reason why this album doesn't get a top rating. I even considered giving it an even lower rating, but the musicianship is too good for that. - Reviewer: Greger Rönnqvist (greger.ronnqvist@infodata.sema.se; 7/10)   PROG VISIONS: The best way to describe Scott Mosher's music is a cross between Ayreon and classic Rush. Mosher, the New York-based ultra musician created this second release as a veritable one man operation; playing most instruments, composing, arranging, producing the music and packaging the CD. And what a package it is ? over 72 minutes of ambient, neo-progressive cyber rock housed in a brilliant 16 page booklet of fantastic computer artwork, all done by Mosher himself. The overall production of the music (which I'll get to in a minute) is also of the highest order. It's an extremely clean, powerful recording. The mix features boldly separated tracks and layers of subtleties that keep the music blazing on warp speed one moment, then echoing to an ethereal timber the next. Mosher is aided on several tracks by Todd Corsa's vocals and lead guitar and Mickey James on Bass. Corsa is a virtual deadringer for Geddy Lee and his vocals embellish the late seventies Rush sound. However, Mosher's work is far from a carbon copy. Though his use of computers and sampling is in the spirit of the day, there's enough melody and complexity in the compositions to make the music his own. Mosher's first release, "Ambient Earth", was ? as the title suggests ? more in the ambient, space/electronic vein. "Virtuality" is much more harder edged. Its cutting guitar thunders through the swirling vortex of keyboard sounds is highly reminiscent of Ayreon's work and will certainly appeal to Lucassen's legions of fans. I'm not about to single any song out because the whole CD is good, if not great in most places. Lyrics are included and create - according to Mosher - themes of industrial development, environmental destruction, and technological progress. Mosher has strong political views and his music lets them be known. The structure of "Virtuality" loosely follows a thematic parallel to Hawkwind's concerts, minus the sloppy playing and bad sound. You'll have a sweeping instrumental bridging longer, more developed tracks which may or may not incorporate vocals. The CD does not contain any filler whatsoever. With so much superb music to listen to on one CD and the great packaging that comes along with it, this has to be the buy of the year. And to add to that personal touch, you can buy the CD directly from the artist, at his website: www.theambientmind.com PROGVisions Top 10: Here is my top ten list: 2.SCOTT MOSHER VIRTUALITY 9.5 An amazing achievement for a single individual. Dense, clinging Ayreon-style cyber-rock with the odd vocal passages that are distinctly reminiscent of classic Rush. Brilliant packaging and 74 minutes of un-relenting music make this a great buy.   PROGWERELD: "VIRTUALITY merges the worlds of trance, ambient, new-age and metal forged in the fires of atmospheric neo-progressive song structures". Well, that a mouth full. This sentence was not created by myself, it was mentioned in the promosheet of this album. Usually when I see such sentence I'm a bit sceptic to the music, but with this album the sentence could not be better! The music that Mosher creates is highly electronic. The use of keys, futuristic sounds and a heavy electronic drums are responsible for that. Together with the beautiful artwork (with lots of red in it) the album breathes science fiction. After a rather spooky intro, Mosher shows in Upon the Frontiers of Infinity Night what he capable of. Heavy drums and nice keys are duelling with the guitar. The song blows you away. I want more! Todd Corsa is responsible for the vocals on Virtuality. The man's nickname is "Shreddy Gee" and that name was not chosen by coincidence, he's voice is very much the same as Geddy Lee (Rush). Listen for instance to Re-define. This song could have been on "Hold Your Fire" or "Power Windows" from that legendary trio. It has the same power, with a strong chorus and heavy drums. Also in The Promise Of Truth you can hear where Mosher found his inspiration. Corsa is also a very good guitar player. His solo's on The Dreaming Eye and The Promise Of Truth are very good. On The Dreaming Eye, especially in the beginning of the song, it becomes clear that Mosher's flirting with techo-trance. Put a beat under it and it can be played in every discotheque. In stead of a beat there are again the heavy drums that I like so much. Attillon Sunrise is the rest point of this album. A piece of music in the new-age style. On beautiful keyboard sounds, Mosher takes you away on a cloud of warm sounds. I must admit that I had never heard of Scott Mosher, but I'm impressed! Like a experienced barkeeper he takes bits of different styles, and mixes them into a delicious progressive cocktail. I invite everyone to taste it!   QUINTESSENCE: Another discovery through Transcending The Mundane is this solo artist from North Carolina (with a couple helpers anyway) that does some sort of ambient, theatric Rock meets Metal and Atmosphere with a bunch of other stuff like Trance/Techno and Gothic influences. It's like splitting an atom with molecules of GTR/Asia/Yes with Jean Michael Jarre, Pink Floyd, Rush, Rik Wakeman (solo stuff), Chemical Brothers, Fear Factory and Braindance. It could pass as a movie soundtrack too come to think of it. The instrumental tracks are great on this also and the interludes in some of the songs which there's 12 in all and racks over 72 minutes of music. Well-written all the way around and great guitar soloing; this guy isn't afraid to go against the grain and the music reflects all this...very original and this guy would be great to make a tour with another review I did earlier for the project/band, Christopher.