For years I’ve seen Scott Mosher’s posts on various Progressive Rock forums but never approached or been approached to do a review. Now in 2004, Scott approached me via email to review his latest release, Inferno. I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect, so my expectations weren’t very high. I think this made it all the more better for me to listen with fresh ears and boy was I blown away by the music and the perfectly executed vocal tracks by Todd Corso, who also plays some guitar parts. Todd’s vocals just fit Scott’s instrumentation perfectly. This duo is a perfect match and to my ears have a bright future.
I’m not familiar with Scott’s other solo releases so I can’t make any comparisons. Musically Scott tread on the ambient, spacey side of progressive metal. I hear influences such as early 80's Rush and Tangerine Dream (Thief). Like I've read elsewhere, Todd's vocals are very similar sounding to Geddy Lee around the mid to late 80's onward. My only problem is the programmed percussion. I’ve never been a fan of it but Scott’s programming is much better than most out there.
Inferno has some melodic dare I say, mainstream moments throughout, such as "Left Behind". To counter balance, so to speak, he has some songs bordering ambient crossed with slightly complex prog metal, this can be hear on This World Fades To Gray. The last track is a remix, possibly from a previous release. It’s out of place here but rather interesting sounding.
In summary, take a chance, listen to the samples on Scott’s page and see that this guy is very talented and well worth your hard earned cash to invest in Inferno and possibly his other two releases. This is going to be a favorite of mine for 2004 for sure!
Reviewed by Ron Fuchs on August 31st, 2004
