Submit your review
1
2
3
4
5
Submit
     
Cancel

Create your own review

JEROME MAZZA
Average rating:  
 103 reviews
 by Eric Perry
Dutch Progressive Rock Page review of Pinnacle Point "Symphony Of Mind"




Issue 2020-087: Progtober 2020, Day 17 — Nordic Special
Published Saturday 17 October 2020

Reviews in this issue:

Pinnacle Point - Symphony Of Mind
Kimmo Pörsti - Wayfarer
Windom End - Perspective Views









October 2020 sees the 25th anniversary of DPRP.

A quarter of a century of uninterrupted reviews, interviews and features across the progressive genre is quite some landmark. To celebrate the occasion, we shall publish one review edition every single day during this month - 31 editions!

Welcome to Prog-tober!

In addition to our usual in-depth, independent reviews, our team has compiled a collection of interviews, artist features and several of our ever-popular Duo and Round Table Reviews. Over 40 different albums will be covered.

As ever, thank you to all our readers for your ongoing support, as well as all the artists and labels who create the music we love, and not forgetting the hundreds of people who have written and contributed to this website over the past 25 years.








Pinnacle Point — Symphony Of Mind


Pinnacle Point - Symphony Of Mind


Country of Origin: USA


Year of Release: 2020


Time: 61:00


Info: jeromemazza.com





Track listing:
Ascent To The Point (3:19), So Alive (6:58) Weight Of The World (4:11) Hero (6:32), Never Surrender (4:40), In The Wake Of Hope (6:03), Shadows Of Peace (6:11), Beyond (5:18), Nothing At All (5:29), Prodigal (5:47), Symphony Of Mind (7:03), Dangerous Times (5:04) (Dangerous Times available on the CD distributed in Japan only)


It needs to be said from the beginning; there is no doubt of the clear mirroring to Kansas in the soul of Pinnacle Point. After their 2017 debut Winds of Change, the band have returned with the same polished, melodic rock sound that draws the listener back to the primary decade of REO SpeedwagonJourneyAsia and Foreigner. In truth, there is nothing wrong with that. A few moments into the new album and this becomes incontrovertible.

Singer Jerome Mazza is clearly blessed with a voice that is uncannily similar to Steve Walsh, and on their second outing, Symphony of Mind his demonstrable ability is matched with a superb, rocking, symphonic-classical sound that is a Kansas trademark, manifestly underlined with the rather brilliant Valeria Pozharitskaya on violin.

The progressive elements are pronounced, yet light, and used to great effect throughout, especially in the sublime keys from John F Rogers. But the striking truth of this band is their clear ability to pen stadium-sized, catchy numbers that are rich in production.

The opening tracks, So Alive and the standout Weight Of The World, have pedigree written all over them, conjuring bouncy, stage-based videos from the early days of MTV. The breakout moments of interplay between Rogers and Torben Enevoldsen on guitar in the middle of So Alive evoke those 80s rock stylings that are few and far between these days, yet always command an intensity and excitement from the audience.

Mark Prator (drums), Jerome Mazza (vocals), Jim Morris (Morrisound Recording Studios). Photo courtesy official website.

The studs and leather of the opening riff from Weight Of The World harks back to Judas Priest's glory days, matched with a harmonic chorus that is so radio-friendly it's a crime that it will no doubt miss that opportunity in the 21st century.

Hero in contrast presents as more of a rocking, folk-flavoured sound that fizzes with infectious energy, all coupled with a soaring, epic backbone, and marching-style drums, and vocals in the rafters.

Elsewhere, Never Surrender returns to the memorable, hit-single format, gifted with the ability to embed itself in your head after one play. Earworm choruses flagrantly pepper almost every track.

Pozharitskaya shines to great effect in her agile, pacy weaving throughout the song In The Wake Of Hope. Succinctly, there are plenty of areas where the band as a whole have the opportunity to stretch their legs into progressive spaces, yet it never wallows or feels baggy, as Mazza brings everything to a neat close.

Finishing off the hour is the grandeur of the title track, which is sprinkled with Roine Stolt songwriting chops in the guitar passages that ascend with blissful pomp.

There are no weak areas on this album, that is packed full of refinement and spirit. Never mind the references to Kansas and others, the best thing to do is to simply grab hold of this and appreciate it for what it is; a tightly focused, rocking good experience. It will almost certainly gain appreciative nods from your (doubtless) long-suffering partner, long-resigned to your unique prog musical tastes. An alluring triumph of an album.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/4TeWmYd3B5E?autoplay=1


Eric Perry


Thank you, Eric Perry of Dutch Progressive Rock Page. We appreciate it very much.

 by Philippe André
ProfilProg.com reviews Pinnacle Point "Symphony Of Mind"













Let's make it simple at the end of summer 2020; did KANSAS' new album for various and varied reasons leave you hungry or at least on a mixed impression? No worries, we have the right potion with the opus of PINNACLE POINT "Symphony of Mind"; I've been listening to progressive music for almost half a century and I've rarely heard such musical mimicry between a new band and its model! "Incredible" according to the consecrated phrase. We had still had at the end of the nineties, a precedent with the albums of the Swedish band ZELLO (especially their album "Quodlibet").
Among the differences with KANSAS, the Russian violinist Valeria POZHARITSKAYA obviously has charm like Robbie STEINHARDT or David RAGSDALE.  And the young woman is particularly to her noticed on, among others, the fourth track "Hero" (what a brilliant introduction to Valeria's talent!).  Then the sixth and seventh tracks "In the Wake of Hope" and "Shadows of Peace", the first being heavier than the second but both are among the top titles of the album.
Among the common but then really commonalities, Jerome MAZZA is downright a vocal clone of Steve WALSH in his younger years, impressive resemblance, in all sincerity after a blind test, I would have been guessed wrong on the majority of titles as to who was singing.
Eight tracks out of eleven have a duration of more than five minutes without exceeding seven (or very few), thus very calibrated pieces; the album is sung so well.  This time, I did not comment on all of the pieces to the album as I do most of the time, but know anyway that the eponymous and concluding piece "Symphony of Mind" is worthy of a "Song for America" or a "Journey from Mariabronn" and is therefore worth a 10/10. If I were to designate the title that I like least, I would opt for the second "So Alive" which is nevertheless quite listenable.
After five listens, even if logically I have my preferences as everything in everyone can have each album release, everything is to listen to without reservation on this record.


Note that you will find on this album a certain Howard HELM on keyboards, organ B3 and synthesizers, a gentleman of a respectable age from now on who was in the past, member of ZON Canadian formation author of three albums between 1978 and 1980 and ICED EARTH American heavy metal formation from 1992 to 2007.


Go hop, a place in the top 10 of the year without hesitation and well deserved.


1) Ascent to the Point (3:17)
2) So Alive
(6:53) 3) Weight
of the World (4:09) 4) Hero (6:26)
5) Never Surrender (4:37) 6) In the Wake of Hope (6:37)
6:00)
7) Shadows of Peace (6:06)
8) Beyond (5:20)
9) Nothing at All (5:25)
10) Prodigal (5:44)
11) Symphony of Mind (7:06)

musicians





Jerome Mazza: Lead Vocals, Backing
Vocals, Torben Keyboards Enevoldsen: Guitars, Rich Ayala
Keyboards: Guitars, Background Vocals
Valeria Pozharitskaya: Violin
Mark Prator: Drums
Takeaki Itoh: Bass
Howard Helm: Keyboards, Organ, Synthesizer





https://www.profilprog.com/chroniques-reviews-2/Pinnacle-Point



PROFILPROG.COM     CHRONIC /REVIEW








Pinnacle Point - Symphony of Mind           Label:  Escape Music





Release date: July 17, 2020


Reviewer:  Philippe André - September 2020






Rating:  9/10
















Thank you very much,, Philippe Andre of ProfilProg.com.

 by Ceke Feri
Shocked! review of Pinnacle Point "Symphony Of Mind" - 2020

http://www.shockmagazin.hu/cd-kritika/pinnacle-point-symphony-of-mind?fbclid=IwAR3wvKT02WtkfwOVp-471yLmUDTB8mUjSsvuLmu9dGlUUmppLRBnd0lq8rA
Pinnacle Point: Symphony Of Mind

Friday, August 28, 2020, 6:19Ceke Feri
pinnaclepoint_cI can't imagine how many people in the Carpathian Basin have something to say about Pinnacle Point. In addition to the fact that a famous Cave System in South Africa is called this – it was found from the caveman findings found here that homo sapiens were, after all, from Africa – the name choice of the formation is more related to a legendary orchestra and its exceptional song wonder. Of course, it's not hard for the initiates to guess that this band is a certain Kansas, and the song is The Pinnacle, one of the gems of the Masque album.



The two pillars of the project are singer/keyboardist Jerome Mazza from Pennsylvania and Torben Enevoldsen, guitarist from Denmark, who keep their joint venture alive despite the long distance, which they formed four years ago, with various guest musicians. A year later, they released their debut album Winds Of Change, which, for a reason, contained Kansas-flavored, progressive rock and AOR music, as Mazza, in addition to appearing on the solo album by former Kansas front-man Steve Walsh, has a deceptively similar voice to his colleague, Steve Walsh. So much so that at the same time it was mentioned that, after Walsh's departure, he should be given the role of front-man in the current Kansas line up. I don't know what Kansas's latest new albums would have been like in this case, but I'm sure there would have been a lot more moments going back from the classic era. The music on Symphony Of Mind can be called Kansas a hundred times more than the most recent works of the Kansas' (i.e. slightly original) team.





released:
2020






label:
Escape Music
Ltd.




score:
8.5 /10




The similarity to the classic Kansas albums is so striking. The contrasts are almost blurred: Mazza evokes Walsh's tone as if you were really hearing Steve in his heyday, and some of the songs, decorated with violins, typical keyboard themes and vocal changes, can be called a concrete elongation of classic Kansas.  We can also get our heads up for an unmistakable song in "Beyond"– if there is anyone who knows Kansas dyscography from voice to voice besides me... But we're also bombarded with jaw-drop hits such as Never Surrender or even Dangerous Times, which sounds as if they've only missed out on Kansas' Freaks Of Nature album. And Weight Of The World, which could have been about as big a hit in the '80s as california.

And for me, not only is it a pleasure to have a new Pinnacle Point material evoking a classic era of my fanatical Kansas, but also because I could boast, for example, that I had the pleasure of working with Jerome on one occasion on a project that not only made me proud, but perhaps even more inspired by the question of who should have really been, not underestimating Ronnie Platt's merits, the current Kansas singer. And lately, I've noticed that I spin Pinnacle Point "Symphony Of Mind" album more often than I do Kansas' "The Absence Of Presence." For melodies, of course, this music with a lot of Westcoast elements and an American flavour is strongly recommended.



Tags:








Thank you very much.

 by Jurgen Tschamler
Rock it! Magazine speaks to Jerome Mazza, Pinnacle Point

Pinnacle Point
Point of no return?
With an acceptable debut called »Winds Of Change", Pinnacle Point presented itself in the scene in 2017. The band around ex-Angelica singer Jerome Mazza and Fate/Acacia Avenue guitarist Torben Enevoldsen is now presenting their second album called »Symphony Of Mind" and is calling for merciless comparisons to Kansas. Despite its massive proximity to Kansas, Pinnacle Point is still self-reliant and, above all, brilliant. A small talk with singer JEROME MAZZA is therefore inevitable.

Jerome, do you find it disturbing that your music is so strongly compared to Kansas?
"No, not at all. I find it amazing that after decades of Kansas making music, Pinnacle Point are the first to write almost identical music. This kind of epic music with flowing melodies, harmonies and violins is exactly the kind of music I want to write and sing. The music is hard to play, hard to sing. These are other aspects of the music that I love. It is also interesting to note that the interviewer always addresses the comparisons to Kansas. We in the band don't push the topic. On the other hand, I owe a lot to ex-Kansas singer Steve Walsh, who made Pinnacle Point known to Kansas fans. This happened because I was allowed to work on Steve's last solo album »Black Butterfly". Since then, this connection has existed, which I am very happy about, because Steve Walsh is one of my greatest influences."

You can't actually put more Kansas elements like in 'Shadows Of Peace' into a song. Where is the fascination of writing music that is so close to another band and also comes from another decade?
"'Shadows Of Peace' is my favorite song on the album, written by Rich Ayala. If you listen to the text carefully, you will find that it is somewhat biographical in terms of the band and its musical offering. It describes that we have a good time with what we do, even when we are compared to Kansas. It's a trip back in time, so the 70's or 80's but from a band that's just starting out."

I would like to know if we at Pinnacle Point can talk about a real band or rather a project?
"The band was founded by me and Torben Enevoldsen (Fate, Section A, Acacia Avenue) in 2016. We wrote most of the songs. In the meantime, guitarist Rich Ayala was joined by another main songwriter and in the end the band now consists of eight musicians. Yes, it's a band that's really keen to finally play live. Let us hope that the current situation will allow us to do so soon."
Jürgen Tschamler

Winds Of Change (2017)
Symphony of Mind (2020)

Great to talk to you, Jurgen.

 by Jurgen Tschamler

PINNACLE POINT
Symphony Of Mind / 61:02 Min.
Escape Music
For fans of: Kansas, Styx, Journey
9 points
The new Kansas album has just been released and is thrilled. Pinnacle Point's second album has also been released. And goes musically into the melee with the current Kansas Opus. Pinnacle Point, the band around ex-Angelica singer Jerome Mazza makes no secret of the veneration of Kansas and Mazza provokes comparisons to ex-Kansas singer Steve Walsh, his great role model. If PP have already shown on »Winds Of Change» 2017 where their references stand, on »Symphony Of Mind" you play to all his strengths and deliver an album that is characterized by precision and passion. Compared to Kansas, the pieces seem more rounded, melodic, earworm-like and, above all, more sustainable. In addition to Mazza, Fate guitarist Torben Enevoldsen is also worth mentioning, who delivers excellent guitar work in the 6-man plus a female troupe. In addition to the massive Kansas influence, there are also some styx and sound elements of various prog bands in the sound network, whereby the prog influences are not oversized, but ubiquitous. Fantastic tracks like 'Weight Of The World', 'So Alive','Nothing At All' or 'Shadows Of Peace' just make you fall to your knees and marvel carefully or enjoy. What great music! The sparsely used violin is better than kansas. "Symphony Of Mind" is a small masterpiece in which fans of Kansas and Co. can strike blindly. Everything fits here and it beats the current Kansas album by lengths. Goose bumps!
Jürgen Tschamler

Germany

Thank you, Jurgen Tschamler. We appreciate it very much.

Page 1 of 21:
«
 
 
1
2
3
 
»