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One can’t discuss Ring of Myth without mentioning Yes. Guitarist
George Picado sounds like an incredibly-accomplished disciple of Steve Howe, while adding
his own stylings. Singer/bassist Danny Flores’ voice is in Jon Anderson’s range
and adds Chris Squire-like bass. Rick Striker is one of the better drummers on the current
scene, and a great admirer of Bill Bruford. But what makes Ring of Myth unique among
Yes-influenced bands is that they harken all the way back to Time and a Word,
The Yes Album and Fragile, and they do it without a
full-time keyboardist! The lush vocal harmonies and Picado’s outstanding fretwork
provide the necessary textures, while keyboards are used in spots for coloration. Fans of
Rush who wish that band was a lot more adventurous should also give Unbound
(1996) a listen.
| “Ring of Myth is just a
trio although you wouldn’t know it from the very full sound on Unbound...
When considered simplistically, Ring of Myth are sort of the perfect marriage of Yes and
Rush, merging the classical symphonic sound of Yes into the trio format of Rush. The
amazingly full sound comes from the bass, guitar and drums; the keyboards are used mostly
as spot fill to round out the sound. Musically, the sound is most closely aligned to that
of 70’s Yes with a 90’s sound, full of deft changes among complex meters. Each
musician is excellent on his respective instrument, and the songs are full of enthusiasm.
Singer Flores’ voice is in the same range as that of Yes’ Jon Anderson,
solidifying the comparison. Ring of Myth’s sound draws enough originality, however,
to avoid being called a Yes clone, although they often cut it close. Unbound
is a great debut from a band with a lot of talent. Hopefully on future albums they will
further define their own sound to showcase their abilities and shed the more obvious Yes
comparisons.” [Gibraltar (Mike Taylor)]
“Ring Of Myth evokes Yes Album and Fragile-era Yes: same energy, same virtuosic guitar, same thundering bass, same vocal harmonies. This is also apparent in the very complex compositions that don’t always avoid the clichés of the genre. Fans of old Yes will surely enjoy Unbound.” [Big Bang Magazine] “Ring Of Myth is an American trio that plays music a la early Yes, very much in the vein of The Yes Album and Fragile. At times it’s so close it’s scary, and it’s mostly because of vocalist/bassist Danny Flores. Having said that, Ring Of Myth are a bit more experimental than Yes ever were, and there are certain elements of jazz-rock to be found here and there. Which only makes the whole thing more exciting. Impressive!” [Scream Magazine (Norway)] “When a guitarist is a disciple of Steve Howe and the vocalist has a voice in the range of Jon Anderson, you have to have the elements of a band that sound like Yes. Well, Americans Ring of Myth are exactly this... Rush fans and Yes fans alike will find a lot of pleasure in the music of Ring of Myth, but I think more pleasure could be extracted if the Yes parallels were discarded, difficult though that is.” [Wondrous Stories] “The opener sounds like vintage Yes with Danny Flores doubling as Squire and Anderson and managing to handle the falsetto vocals pretty well!... Thief of Light has a heavy start more like Rush, then the Yes influence comes in very strongly again. The beginning of Messenger starts uncannily like Heart of the Sunrise and features sterling guitar work by George Picado and drumming/vocal harmonies by Rick Striker - a lengthy, powerful track in the Fragile tradition... Eyes on the Hemisphere has two parts and again has Picado supplying some vintage Howe licks. The formula is the same, sounding like a forgotten Yes outtake.” [Acid Dragon] |
“[Ring of Myth] have produced an album that definitely doesn’t sound like a debut. They come across as high-energy Rush crossed with Yes and Spock’s Beard, not a bad mix I’m sure you’ll agree... [Presence] is a great start to the album with the interest captured and held. Straight away the listener has to be impressed, held by the ears, with jaw hanging open and drool forming a pool on the floor... There is quite a high jazz element here as well, which they have used to their favour... Thief of Night probably finds them at their most classic Yes-like, but they manage to make the sound their own just enough so that it isn’t a distraction. This was an album that I enjoyed and I hope to hear more from them in the future.” [Feedback] “Kinesis has come up with a real winner in this U.S. progressive trio. Half expecting Rush, I was blown away by their early 70’s Yes sound. Vocalist Danny Flores sounds a bit like Jon Anderson but the real standout is guitarist George Picado, who has all of Steve Howe’s moves down pat. One of the better titles to come out since 1996 began.” [The Laser’s Edge] “[Ring of Myth] are a trio from California whose sound is in the vein of early Yes and Flash. Younger ears might consider them an alternative take on prog. The guitar work is busy and generates loads of good aggressive lines and bits. Hints of Yes music and devices crop up here and there... I believe this is an honest representation of the group and that they are a real talent.” [Music Uncovered] “What a great surprise! This band plays a very refined and complex style, comparable to Yes, Starcastle, and Rush in their 2112 period. The music has obvious roots in the 70’s and should appeal to everyone who likes music from that period. For being a really fresh and interesting production, Ring of Myth is named to the Top 5 of this issue.” [Progressive Newsletter (Germany)] “While I await the release of the [next Yes album], I can be fairly secure in the knowledge that it is unlikely to sound anywhere near as Yes-like as Ring of Myth on Messenger. If it had been slipped onto a bootleg as an outtake from Time and a Word, not only would I have been convinced, but I would also have wondered why such a good track had been left off. I admit that the purist in me wants to scream ‘Imposter!’, but the Yes fan who has suffered well over a decade of increasingly banal Yes albums wins out in the end and I love it. As for the remainder of the album, Yes remains a more-or-less constant reference point, whilst Presence has more than a little Rush (although not too much) about it, and Only a Dream recalls the criminally-underrated Druid. Ring of Myth’s influences lie very close to the surface, but it is their first album, and these are excellent influences upon which to find their individuality for future releases.” [Astro Zombie] “Their progressive rock is full of vivacity and elaborate constructions, with nicely harmonized vocals, a bit in the Yes style... and sometimes evoking Gentle Giant.” [Musea] |
RealAudio
Clips (G2 28K Mono)
All clips are excerpts. The downloadable versions require the entire file to be downloaded first but can be saved to disk. The streaming versions will begin to play after a few seconds.
| DOWNLOADABLE | STREAMING |
|---|---|
| A Transforming | A Transforming |
| Only a Dream | Only a Dream |
| Wishing for the Truth | Wishing for the Truth |
| Seeds of Soul (1) | Seeds of Soul (1) |
| Seeds of Soul (2) | Seeds of Soul (2) |
Ring
of Myth - Weeds ($14.99)
Weeds (2005) is an album we’ve been looking forward to since, well,
1996, when Ring of Myth released their first CD Unbound on the Kinesis
label. As one reviewer of Unbound described them: “When
considered simplistically, Ring of Myth are sort of the perfect marriage of Yes
and Rush, merging the classical symphonic sound of Yes into the trio format of
Rush.” This still holds true for Weeds, though Ring of Myth have pushed
their sound into a slightly more experimental and cacophonous direction. While
one can still recognize the early Yes element in their style (Peter Banks’ band
Flash is probably an even better comparison), Ring of Myth can hardly be called
a Yes clone now. There probably isn’t another band around that sounds like them.
They still use keyboards only in spots and in a supporting role; they are
primarily a guitar/bass/drums trio with Danny Flores’ vocals still sounding like
Jon Anderson, though improved since Unbound. They get an amazingly full
sound, and much of the credit for that must go to guitarist George Picado. The
drummer on Weeds is Scott Rader, who is also involved with the band
Product. Obviously a lot depends on taste, but for many listeners oriented
toward 1970’s progressive, this may be one of the top releases of 2005.
