I have questions.  How could a band have so many personnel changes since 1997?  How could they still sound this good? Do we have an uncompromising megalomaniac  running this metal extravaganza?   All but one of the original players have moved on to other pursuits!  It has to be that guitarist who loves Vivaldi.  I mean, really! Everyone knows Mozart was the better composer.  Mr. Rob Willemse,  I challenge you to a Mozart-Vivaldi duel.

Aw hell, I don’t really care and I’d probably lose because Cirrha Niva’s music is truly inspiring and LeGrand, their lead singer has red hair.  Besides, I only know that Mozart’s Jupiter No 41 in C Major is THE BEST SYMPHONY OF ALL TIME!  We’ll get back to that in a moment.  First, let’s review this Dutch treat, For Moments Never Done.

Cirrha Niva writes on their webblog how they had to put away their crown of thorns and burning crosses at the Elsrock festival on August 30th of this year because of local authorities.  Before you know it, all images of Christ will be removed from the world too.  Then we won’t be able to tell him from Mohammad.  And we will have world peace.  Which reminds me, anyone know if they’ve ever played their expansive musical piece, Golan Heights in the um…Golan Heights?  

LeGrand has a fucking awesome voice.  Stellar.  A superior vocalist. Perhaps it’s the red hair.  This album is his showpiece.  Some vocalists are good, some are great, a few are excellent and some are  Ginger Aliens.   LeGrand is the King of Ginger Aliens.  He came from another planet where he rules all the Ginger voices. This is the only explanation for him killing every song.   Sometimes he sounds pure shiny metal. Then there are a few passages where he sounds like that lead vocalist from Hollywood Undead  (not name-dropping, I swear).  He carries the mellow vocals nicely too.  But we wait anxiously for the next screaming high note to rip our world to tiny little shreds.

The guitar solo on their most commercial song Dreamon really rocks.  I’ve listened to it several times now. That’s right, I’m in the studio and have already played Cirrha Niva on headphones, in the F-150 and now they are cranked up and blasting through my Yamaha NS-20T’s  (a gift from Shadow Gallery’s Gary Wehrkamp) <-[ obvious namedrop-ed.]

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[Framed - Guitar Solo]

I was reading on their news page how their touring drummer and recently added bass player have left the band.   But the drummer wrote a goodbye note and said he really enjoyed his time but he is going to be a father in September.  He doesn’t understand. After diaper 15,001 he will wish he was still on tour with the band.  Cirrha Niva, there are too many people coming and going through your revolving door.  Who do you think you are, YES?

Having two expert guitarists in Rob Willemse and Carlo Heefer certainly doesn’t hurt LeGrand’s voice either.  Oh yes, now a Saxophone is pouring soul-water all over Spring before Winter.    This is where I find my Cirrha Niva balance, because I really need prog-based transitions to keep from freaking out and jumping out the bathroom window.

I think Framed is my favorite song.  I was checking these guys influences and Carlo Heefer is a Ritchie Blackmore fan. He also likes ZZTOP.   Now there’s some fucking guitar influences.   Hmm.. the music stopped…Time to start it over.

[10 minutes later] I went and made myself a midnite turkey sandwich so I could think about how to complete this review.  Now I’m replaying Self-Chosen.  LeGrand, you’re sick.  If you were in some American Corporate owned Rock Band, the label jerks would be sticking accolades up your ass (until they dropped your band due to a merger, a lay-off, or because you didn’t make the top ten on the Alternative charts on billboard).

Earlier this evening, while listening in headphones, I was reading a few of the more traditional reviews.   You know the ones I mean?  Where the writer has to name drop five of six more famous bands and then says you sound a little like each of them?  Queensyrche, Dream Theater, etc. etc.  Those reviewers are so full of crap.  Know why?

You sound like Cirrha Niva and you are professionals who know how to write, arrange, record, and perform your music as well as any one of those other bands.  As a matter of fact, I haven’t heard any band that sounds like you yet.

And now a suggestion:  one reviewer wrote “The strongest Dutch Progband at the moment.”  You have hoisted that quote high on your BIO like a flag of honor.  Take it down, please.  How long is a moment?  A second?  Until he hears the next album for review?  Really? You were the best for a moment?  Sweet Jesus.  I’ve listened all day. I should write, “The Strongest Dutch Progband of the day!”  Well, actually……

You can see Cirrha Niva performing live on November 5, 2011 at the Netherlands Brainstorm Festival – Gigant – Apeldoorn

[The Next Day]  I admit that was a silly joke of an ending that did not do the band justice. It was late, I fell asleep on my keyboard, and the dog ate my homework.   Let me summarize what I was trying, but failing to say last night.

Cirrha Niva is an experienced, professional prog-metal band with two phenomenal guitarists and a lead singer with a voice from another world.  Their music reflects their professionalism, their arrangements are well-balanced, their recording near flawless, and their understanding of their ability to present each song with heart and spirit is inspiring.
 The recording itself was not as brilliant as it should have been, the sounds didn’t pop like I expected them to in the truck’s CD player.  That may be the fault of the Mastering engineer. The slight blanketing effect on each song robbed us of that powerful sonic experience we have come to enjoy from many other artists inside our F-150.   Then again, it is a Ford.

We eagerly look forward to their next release. In the meantime, Cirrha Niva stays in the CD changer and on the Walkman, while we evaluate it’s potential for cross training.  Perhaps in six months we will be greeting their music like an old friend.  [end today's journal entry]

[Postscript: Rick Dante was once a Ginger, but never reached alien status as a singer.  Rick Dante wants to know what Cirrha Niva means in English because Google translate kinda sucks. Cirrha Niva may not be a dear friend yet, but Rick Dante told us that he needs to keep playing their album for the next six months, mumbling something about the power of the three.  He also suggests you purchase this album and go see this band in concert, preferably at a venue where the authorities are less inclined to care about stage props. -Ed.]