Khatsaturjan – Aramed Forces Of Simantipak

Aramed Forces of Simantipak is the first official album for a Finnish quartet that excels at everything except maybe choosing band and album names. This is a wonderfully elaborate and inventive symphonic prog epic sung in English. The band is certainly influenced by classical music. There are lots of keyboards, some cello, and with all four members singing sophisticated choral parts, Khatsaturjan sound like the house band for a monastery of the Progressive order of monks. It’s definitely continental European; no English or American band could produce this album. It’s one of the great rock symphonies ever.