Progressive Rock is a really misunderstood term by many people in our music. To many of you this term brings instantly in mind extremely lengthy compositions, boring like the first couple of hours in school, lack of electricity and bands with monstrous egos trying to prove to the world that playing 25 minute long solos is something that makes any sense. I have to agree with you, partly. Indeed there are such acts (though very few compared to the numbers of the past) and I personally find them really boring.
Still, there are many bands using this term but not all of its ingredients. Let's examine the case of Hamadryad. Sure they play Progressive Rock, their compositions are technical but in a sane level. They lack of electricity other bands offer but what they do doesn't cause gaps. Driven by a magnificent vocalist (Jean-Francois Desilets) the band builds a colorful album and with a warm and deep sound Safe In Conformity sounds like a familiar piece of work. It contains ingredients we all loved in the past in some of the giant bands of the genre.
Yes, I wanted this to be a bit heavier at times but then again the extensive use of acoustic and electric guitars with no distortion had a calming effect on my nerve system. I would have also liked them to be more innovative since they seem to simply recycle a successful recipe of the past. I can't say that this band or this release will change your mind regarding Progressive Rock. However I am sure that Safe In Conformity will be a nice addition to your collection (if you are a fan of the genre of course).