Aphelion Is Liar’s Lantern’s First Installment of a Masterpiece

Led by the genius of the multi-talented Robert Fitzhugh, Liar’s Lantern are making quite a name for themselves in the music world. Based out of Oak Creek, Colorado this talented camp of musicians have put together an incomparable sound that music purists can appreciate. In the age of one-hit marketing gimmicks and lack luster EPs, Liar’s Lantern provides a solid wall of sound for their fans and newcomers alike.

Remarkably, the Liar’s Lantern project has released three incredible albums in less than two years, Aphelion (July 2016), Walk This Road With Me (March 2017), and the recent Petrichor (September 2017). Music fans will find each album a distinct and separate step of entrance into the Liar’s Lantern dimension. Today, I will be reviewing Liar’s Lantern’s first album, Aphelion.

One of the things that caught my attention about Liar’s Lantern is their robust originality and quest for musical innovation. The Aphelion album is a testimony to the project’s work ethic and fabulous presentation. Arranged and composed by Robert Fitzhugh and Daniel Shelton, Aphelion stands as one of the best concept albums of our modern era.

Track by Track Review

Aphelion opens with a dreamy track entitled, Metempsychosis I – This Bottle of Wine. Definitely a rocker’s favorite, this track is a warm invitation into the house of Liar’s Lantern. Its psychedelic guitar chatter is evenly mixed with a message of renewal that is sure to grab the ears of listeners. The vocals sink in well. As with the other tracks on the album, Metempsychosis I really shows off Fitzhugh skills as mixing engineer with some gifted kudos for mastering engineer Chris Graham.

Metempsychosis II – Water Into Wine is a musical gem that brandishes some excellent drumming and real poetic lyrics.I’m sure that many of the album’s listeners will keep a steady hand on the rewind key in order to study the craftsmanship of this tune. In this case, the term “water into wine” reflects the song’s theme of turning hard times into something good through a shared love.

Anamnesis I – Old Grey Moon brings a light country pop swing to the album. A slow steady rocker that keeps things interesting. The guitar solo and backing organ makes for a brilliant slow rocking melody. Anamnesis II – Prometheus Heart follows Old Grey Moon’s musical method with a different theme of let alone the worrying over heartbreak’s possibilities. This song really shines in its simplicity and backing vocal harmonies.

Fugue State I – Hypnagogia is a beautiful song that delightfully flirts with the edges of folk music with its acoustic guitar intro and amazing harmonies. This is followed by the folk-soul Fugue State II – Draumr, a tune that encompasses a lively spectrum of classic rock bravado that’s the envy of every other band. The magic of Aphelion continues to peak with some amazing instrumentation as found in Fugue State III – Hypnopompia, which proves to be one of the album’s sparklers. Fugue State III – Hypnopompia is unique in its simplicity, as it illustrates that nothing comes above raw talent. Although the whole staff of Liar’s Lantern, and specifically Fitzhugh and Shelton, really put some hard work into perfecting the group’s sound it is by no means overproduced.

Hekate I -Rational Fear of Drowning Slowly and Hekate II – Soft Green Eyes are very compelling their presentation and for those following the album’s lyrical content, it serves as a retrospective look into the fanciful mirror that Lair’s Lantern provides. In theme, these tracks provide the landscape of a love’s death (change) before rebirth.

Recrudescence I – Alameda Junction is the bridge to beginning at the album’s beginning. This trifold cycle of love’s birth, death, and rebirth finds its completion with the bright and witty Recrudescence II – Secrets of Things Let Go. The latter track is a funky to with a nice storyline of  a lyric that is really easy to follow. The song’s high energy make room for the perfect exit to a Liar’s Lantern masterpiece.

Overall, Liar’s Lantern offers a breath of fresh air with one of the best sounds in the industry for today’s generation. Aphelion is a classic album from its artwork to the studio to its engineering and mastering. It’s very rare that I come across an album with such perfected brilliance as that of Aphelion. While Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd immediately comes to mind, Aphelion by Liar’s Lantern is a work that stands outside the realms of comparison and makes way for something legendary in its own right. Perhaps Liar’s Lantern has set the tone for a new precedent in the world of artistic and musical innovation. Bravo!

Info and Purchase of Aphelion