MILE MARKER ZERO

MILE MARKER ZERO     “Coming of Age”

By Dark Starr

This release is a strong one. It’s set in the modern style of progressive rock, but it’s decidedly prog. That said, it starts more AOR and turns more adventurous later. There are some pretty amazing moments along the road here.  That said, there is nothing here that fails to work. Some things just hit it harder than others do for me. 

Vocals start the opening “A Time in Place” sans instrumentation. Then piano joins after a line. The arrangement remains in that mode with the piano staying fairly sparse. “Best is Yet to Come” is next, and I really like the song a lot. It has a modern edge and a lot of cool guitar sound in the mix. Yet, it’s decidedly proggy. It has some cool shifts and turns along the road, too. The modern progressive rock angles on it work well. There are some pretty trippy excursions along the road, too. 

Harder rocking, but still quite proggy in an AOR modern way, “Towns To Grow Up In” is another solid tune. It’s high energy and driving. It’s also very cool. The rhythm section on the guitar solo part makes me think of RUSH to some degree. The keyboards on the track remind me a little of SAGA. I’m not sure I’d call “Bizarre” a ballad, but parts of it fit under that heading. Overall, it’s mellower and more introspective. Beyond that it’s in keeping with the basic premise. 

The title track has some great melodies. It’s more of a mainstream modern prog styled song. I love the vocal arrangement with its multiple layers. The musical composition has plenty of cool passages, too. There is a mellower dropped back section with the sounds of kids at play on a loop while we get some intricate acoustic guitar work. It explodes out with power from there, and we get one of the most dramatic sections of the whole album as it drives outward. 

Another powerful modern prog number, the instrumental break later in “Heavy Days” has a lot of classic prog leanings. I can make out hints of things ranging from KANSAS to YES, DREAM THEATER and more on this tune. This is one of my favorite cuts here. It’s just so potent. And, when it drops to a piano solo, it’s a beautiful respite, while retaining the themes. It builds out with style and charm from there. 

“Far From Here” is a screaming hot modern prog powerhouse. It’s another standout tune here. It has some of the best bass work of the whole album, and there are some stellar instrumental passages in general. The keyboards are really one of the shining stars on the closing “End of August.” The number has a good balance between more powered up and mellower stuff. It’s also one of the more purely proggy pieces here. It’s also another highlight. The harder rocking section later in the track really takes it to new heights, too.  

MILE MARKER ZERO