SHINING PYRAMID is a Progressive Rock/Electronica band based out of London, UK. Their debut self-titled release was in 2016, and now they return with "Children of the Stones," released Christmas Day, 2018. "Hie Thee Sungates" leads off the album, opening with light keys; almost Post-Rock in their delivery. The song begins to quickly take shape with the addition of guitars and bass. They lay on the main riff for a while, and it's breezy and trippy. I can literally start to see a mirage in the desert. The sounds shifts just a bit past the halfway mark, but the main melody line is still there. The title track is next. A slow groove is presented, almost like Post-Black Metal. They keys meld with the guitars to create a positive and endearing sound.

"Horses" is close to ten minutes in length. The opening sequence is jovial, and that flute melody shines brightly in its innocence. Guitar takes over the melody line and it's wonderful. At about the half way mark it picks up with speed and vision, the strongest sound on the album so far. The guitars strum away on the melody line while keys hold down the bottom end. "Machinery of Myth" is a steady pulse of subdued keys with background electronica, shooting straight for the stars on a path untethered, leaving a trail of bright colors in its wake. "Sun Loose in the Sky" has a steady and open fuzzy guitar groove, like something you might get from LED ZEPPELIN, with a dose of funky electronica.

"Raise the Stars" features some weird electronica...ominous, threatening, and dark. It reaches out, stumbling in the dark, trying to maintain its balance. The guitars and keys are opposing one another, making for a very interesting sound. Just after the half way mark, it pauses, with delicate bass guitar notes and trippy background music. "Meadows Starred with Flowers" closes the album. It opens with a funky keyboard line mimicking the bass guitar. The guitars maintain a steady presence in the background, before the keys assume the main melody line. Overall, I really enjoyed the album, and you can tell the duo had fun making it. At times dark and moody, at other times trippy and weird, and at other times completely jovial, there is something here for everyone.Purchase Link:

https://shiningpyramid.bandcamp.com/album/children-of-the-stones