Point Of Ares - "The Sorrows Of Young Apollo" Reviews

Reviews - The Sorrows Of Young Apollo

"Point Of Ares plays upbeat rock with a prog rock edge and an intriguingly contemplative quality. . . . The Sorrows Of Young Apollo represents a thoughtful and thought-provoking excursion into prog rock that avoids musical indulgence and sticks to a tight core sound and involved lyrical vision."
--Tate Bengston, Chaotic Critiques, Issue 12, Summer 2000

" . . . it's rather like listening to a modern day female Homer holding forth."
--Eva Wojcik-Obert, Fantastica Daily, February 29, 2000

"I can't say enough about Point Of Ares. The music rocked!! Totally blew me away."
--Dana, In Her Name, November 13, 1999

". . . like Rush gone mad."
--Terri Seymour, President/Founder of Women 'N Rock, October 10, 1999

" . . . some of the coolest guitar lines I've heard since Mission of Burma. . . . high-quality gothic influenced college rock that deserves attention by listeners and labels alike. They state in their press kit that 'Music is the brandy of the damned' and this is truly the brandy. Drink up."
--Dark Velvet, Issue 4, Summer 1999

" . . . the lyrics, written by the bass player keyboards sorcerer and singer, Karen Michalson, are worth discovering since Karen is a talented science fiction and fantasy writer. . . . Worth discovering for the words and concept."
--Rolan Rogue, Acid Dragon, No.24, Summer 1999

"Point Of Ares is the project of Bill and Karen Michalson, and they are interested in certain things (1) lyrics, of which there are enough on here to equal a short story, and (2) mythological concepts, which hand-in-hand with the lengthy storytelling lyrics, comprise what I call 'fantasy rock.' Glass Hammer is fantasy rock, so was Citadel, and so are various other neo-progressive bands, especially those mesmerized by Arthurian themes, Tolkienesque wizards, role playing games, and Greek mythology. Apollo's focus lies close to the latter's more mystical end. . . . Karen Michalson, reportedly, has sold a trilogy to Tor (the first book of which influenced their first album), one of Science Fiction/Fantasy's premiere publishing houses, and this leads me to believe that the music acts a vehicle for her stories . . . . this is mostly going to appeal to those who enjoy musical adaptations of mythological/quasi-wiccan philosophy . . . ."
--Mike McLatchey, Exposé, Issue 17, May 1999

"The Sorrows Of Young Apollo is heavy, booming, atmospherically unsettling, mythologically-inspired progressive rock. Part of it is the heavy music, but much of it is the foreboding edge on singer Karen Michalson's voice. Even when the music dances merrily behind her voice, as in the Medieval-flavored melody of 'Pygmalion', you get a sense of impending doom. My favorite catchy axework on this disc is during 'Cyparissus'."
--Geoff Wilbur, Renegade Newsletter, May 1999

"Tired of that tinkley, insipid New Age music? Try this. It is Pagan rock. The music surges, the lyrics snarl, sweeping you away on a tide of rising energy. These are songs of passion, glory, and angst; dark songs of wild times and wilder deeds. . . . The Sorrows Of Young Apollo has multiple rather than general appeal. Fans of rock music will love it, whereas if you prefer ballads this is probably not to your taste. Gothic Pagans and those practicing a Greek or Roman tradition will also find it relevant. Highly recommended."
--Elizabeth Barrette, PagaNet News, Vol. VI, Issue III, Beltane 1999

"Karen is a tasty bassist, and Bill a strong guitarist. . . . this Massachusetts-based duo does have many fine ideas . . . . Point Of Ares can make quite a decent splash."
--John A. Wilcox, Progression, Winter/Spring 1999

"Karen Michalson, the untamable voice behind Point Of Ares, delivers a wild performance that is sparklingly dark - a sort of premonition-filled sonic reverberation that often accompanies the exploding nightmares - molds the stories and creates pulsating hallucinatory images that lead you into the blissful abyss. Art Rock from the darkness."
--Stavros Moschopoulos, FAO CASA, April 1999

"Karen and Bill Michalson, along with Ryan DesRoches, make up the beautiful, enigmatic Point of Ares. The artistic, progressive rock has a natural yet haunting sound that results in an almost Fleetwood Mac like flavor. Like their 1996 release Enemy Glory, the CD The Sorrows Of Young Apollo is lyrically rich with ancient folklore. Point of Ares weaves compelling tales of the lives and deaths of gods and goddesses, leading the listener to a private world of beautiful fervency where dragons dance and the sensitive, forgotten intricacies of the soul are discovered. Taking on the passions, dreams, and hatred of many different characters throughout the CD, Karen's soft, feminine voice flows over music caressed by a beautiful, passionate darkness. Point of Ares is implicative of Celtic music, with the edge of rock and a warmth which pervades the tracks on The Sorrows Of Young Apollo. Highlights include "Hypatia," a song that captures an interesting view on martyrdom for freedom, for people to live and worship peacefully without forced morals and ridiculous, morbid standards of perfection. It makes you think about the freedom in our society… It's very long, clocking in at eight minutes, but it's worth it. "Apollo in Picardy" is almost a full edgy instrumental, except for the short spoken introduction: "To meet beauty once in a dull grey life, never before and never again, is to live in Hell." "Miranda" is a Point of Ares song about a bard who dreamt of becoming her god by imitating him, until her efforts were stifled by authority positions and faded into obscurity. "Cassandra" is another track that stands out on The Sorrows Of Young Apollo. For all of you dreamers and coffeehouse-going music lovers who crave a spicy, warm yet dark poetic sound, this is one not to miss!! A very well-executed release."
--Michelle Baker, The Perpetual Nightmare, March-April 1999

"The Sorrows Of Young Apollo . . . is based on Karen's exploration of the 'tortured excellence' of the Hellenic god Apollo. He represents reason, perfection, and pure intellect, and throughout the narrative is haunted by tragedy in love and attempted trickery by less perfect beings who scorn him. The music reflects this well (and the dark sensuality of Dionysus, the other side of Apollo) with fierce vocals and guitar work that ranges from growling to soaring, moving you with insistent rhythm."
--Jennifer Powell, Horns and Crescent, Spring Equinox 1999

"An extraordinary album."
--Sigitas Velyvis, Edge of Time, March 4, 1999

" . . .tension-filled rock of heroic proportions."
--Tom Kidd, Music Connection, Vol. XXII, No. 5, March 1-14, 1999

"Singer/writer/bass player Karen Michalson crafted an elaborate song cycle on the ups and downs of Apollo and Dionysus. . . . Karen Michalson peels away layers of the well-known myths to examine the virtues (or loss of virtues) at the heart of the stories. All this and the band jams to boot. Point Of Ares generates an epic sound suitable for such Homeric rock."
--Scott McLennan, Telegram & Gazette, February 18, 1999

"Point Of Ares has once again managed to capture both the ennui and exuberance of the band's musical feel. Satirical, poignant, with a beat that'll move you like no other. The band is multi-talented with an extraordinary skill for lyrical imagery. The tunes always shine through from the harmonies, puns and poetry. No short-term music from this band! This CD explodes and don't miss the boat on this one! Inspired writing with a disc well-packaged, both musically and visually."
--Barry Metz, Island Gazette, February 10, 1999

"The punkish, almost garage band charm is quite a refreshing change from what can at times be a rather sterile musical genre. . . . This is quite an entertaining album. 'The Sorrows Of Young Apollo' [is] metallic prog fury in the vein of Rush's Caress of Steel era. . . . 'Hypatia' combine[s] prog sensibilities with Rushish metallic leanings and stripped down punky textures, this is a potent cut. 'Dionysus' . . .has some rather tasteful guitar soloing throughout . . . the bass work, on particular, on this instrumental break is quite effective. . . .The keyboard solo on ['Pygmalion'] is quite enchanting, and the harder rocking portion of the instrumental break is considerably catchy. Again, the keys really make the segment. [On] 'Leucothoe' . . . . a very wonderful instrumental break that actually calls to mind old Genesis just a bit makes an appearance."
--Gary Hill, Music Street Journal, Issue 13, February 1999

"The lyrics are very well-written. The music is dark, suggestive progressive rock. This is a good CD . . . worth having."
--Carl Lagerholm, Music Box, February 1, 1999

"While most contemporary Pagans draw from Celtic, Norse, and Native American influences, Point Of Ares’s second album celebrates the Pagan history and mythology of Greco-Roman culture. Like Enemy Glory, Apollo is a concept album, "an extended Homeric rock meditation on the loss of heroes and the meaning of the ancient myths to an age of disbelief." This lofty ideal translates to songs about the martyrdom of Hypatia, the last Pagan philosopher of Alexandria, the tension between divinity and humanity in the figure of Dionysus, and stories of tragic lovers from Leucothoe to Cyparissus, all wrapped in the dense narrative and elegant phrasing of POA vocalist/bassist Karen Michalson. . . .Karen’s vocals emanat[e] more from a storytelling context, like a gothic intersection between the beatnik poets and the bardic tradition. Around this, Karen and guitarist/drum programmer Bill Michalson build musical structures that range from propulsive to delicate, albeit with a slant towards the deviant."
--Scott Martin, Pagan Rock on the Web, January 18, 1999

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