PIXELS & SOUND are a Progressive Metal project formed in Sydney, Australia. Though Reece Denton is the main songwriter, he gets a lot of contributions from other musicians, including members of ANUBIS and HEMINA. There is also a slew of soprano, alto, tenor and bass vocalists...way too many to list. They have released a few albums prior to this one. Their latest offering, titled "Sentimentalism," contains twelve tracks.

"Take Flight" leads off the album. It's a mellow, one-and-a-half minutes of bass and clean guitars and vocals. "Fly away" the male and female vocals croon. "Break" is just a little longer. The vocal harmonies soar big here, along with some old school keyboard notes. It has a calm little melody. "Good Morning Melody" opens with soft, acoustical guitars. Think THE PINEAPPLE THIEF meets the more positive sounds of PORCUPINE TREE. It starts off sounding very positive, but descends into some more melancholy sounds. The closing guitar solo oozes with the blues.

"Kinshipwreck" begins with piano notes, in an extended passage. A guitar riff and keys soon jump aboard, and then the song takes a darker turn. Vocals come in towards the end, with an ominous message. "Five Months Later" is a seven-minute song. It begins with poignant vocals and slow, steady clean guitars. It's mostly a depressing affair. The vocal harmonies are quite emotive. "I wish that you could tell me something that made me happy" is the sentiment here. Dean Bennison lays down a guitar solo that talks to the listener in sad, gentle ways.

"The Sleeping Song" begins with soft, slow guitars and bass, with some light drumming. The vocals begin low in the register. "This is one of so many sleepless nights." Suddenly, it picks up with keyboards and more positive tones. It turns back around and finishes with more melancholy tones. "The Release" is a slower and shorter song that features just vocals and guitars, in a lonely and dark dance. "Cancer" opens with more energy from the guitar and keyboards. I love the thick bass guitar notes as well. It's obviously a personal song...someone lost a loved one to this horrible disease. Some positive tones do mix in at some point, but it's an ode to loss.

"Eye of the Storm" features Sarah Vella on vocals. It's a soft, charming song, with very pretty vocal harmonies, and subtle melodies. It's kind of funny in a way, because the song sounds nothing like the title. "Growing Symptoms" features David Eaton on keyboards. It's a 21-minute opus. It has some staccato passages along with legato passages. The trade-off is what fuels the sound. I also really like the bass guitar in this song. Anthony plays with confidence. The vocal harmonies are also very strong. As with every lengthy song, it takes several different directions.

"The Uplift" is a short, two-minutes of pleasing guitar work. Let this one ride out, as it is very pretty, especially the lead guitar notes. "Opportunity" closes the album featuring Sarah Vella on vocals once again. She has a gorgeous voice, and the melodies here really work their way into your soul. It's quite moving. The vocals here are also very expressive. If this song doesn't touch you in any way, you might want to make sure you are still breathing. The guitar solo really echoes the sentiment of the song...I could be wrong, but it sounds like Douglas Skene on the guitar here.

Overall, I found the album to be very pleasing. It's quite mellow, which any fan of Progressive Music likes. You can easily connect with the melancholy side of the album. The vocal harmonies are absolutely beautiful, and the project sure selected proper guest musicians. The old school keyboards remind of great bands of the past like TOTO and KANSAS, yet it also had a modern sound. I can also tell that members of ANUBIS contribute here, because I reviewed one of their albums a few years back. Overall, a calm listening experience on a rainy, dreary day for me.