Lights from Paradise

If you're looking for a good rock track to provide inspiration for you to kick off your next gym workout, be forewarned -- "The Greatest Hits by God" from Quest for Fire's sophomore effort, Lights from Paradise, is not exactly a prime candidate. That's not to say it doesn't have its merits, just that the group's "psychedelic symphonic" direction on the album opener evolves at a snail's pace. But Quest for Fire do manage to shift gears shortly thereafter, resulting in an album (their second overall) that seems to alternate between slower material and uptempo psychedelic rock. In fact, there's a dead giveaway when determining which tunes will rock out and which ones will meander -- if the song is under the four-minute mark, expect "the rock," and if it's listed at over four minutes, make sure you're in the right psychedelic frame of mind. Examples of the former can be found in such cuts as "Set Out Alone" and "Strange Vacation," while those of the more "stargazing" variety include the Pink Floyd-esque "Confusion's Home" (on which Chad Ross' vocals are eerily similar to those of David Gilmour) and the album-closing "Sessions of Light." And then there's the album's standout track, "Psychic Seasons," which does a fine job of combining acoustic guitars, symphonic swirls, and "lonely space boy" vocals. To sum it all up succinctly, there is no shortage of psychedelic jams to be found throughout Quest for Fire's Lights from Paradise. ~ Greg Prato