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It is as clear as anything that Tr3nity stand squarely in that musical tradition affectionately known as ‘old school prog’. The band themselves make no secrets about their musical roots and indeed their second album, Precious Seconds, breaths that whole atmosphere. Their debut album, released in 2002, was entitled The Cold Light Of Darkness. Don’t get me wrong, even though all the elements developed by the ‘big five’ of the seventies are there, like the 10 to 20 minute epics, Tr3nity succeed in making that music 'their own'. It’s not like they sound ‘like this’ or sound ‘like that’. They just have the interest, the competence and the patience to put their story to that kind of music. Music with a positive purpose (musically as well as spiritually), they call it. If you’re not much into experimentation and innovation in progressive rock, this is as good a continuation of ‘mainstream prog’ as anything. It will be superfluous, therefore, to compare to the all-too-obvious sources of inspiration in terms of bands. For illustration (and for a change), let me only refer to particular albums with similar twists instead.

Their first song, Livin’ A Lie, opens with an intro where band members Paul Gath (keyboards) and Rob Davenport (guitars) put their fingerprints on things straight away. The growling synths and organs in the background and wailing guitar is an effective tool from the prog toolbox (compare The World or The Window of Life). This leads us across the first bridge with taped voices and sound effects to an instrumental passage where a tight rhythm section kicks in to support alternating guitar and keyboard riffs and solos (Raindances). The verse and chorus made me think of the American AOR bands of the seventies and eighties, if only because vocalist Chris Campbell’s voice reminded me of Steve Walsh. The band is at it best when they launch into an instrumental section again with a furious guitar solo backed up by groovy bass and drums. After a playful ‘blues bar’ interlude ( I Can See Your House From Here), the band are ready to take us through the last two parts of a catchy instrumental ending (first guitar and then frantic keyboards), picking up the main melodic theme again (Mirage).

The second song, Run Before You Walk, begins with an excellent piano & vocal section, joined by lead guitar and rhythm section after a few verses. Then there is a quieter interlude with electric guitar against a piano backdrop. After building up the tension, a guitar solo takes us full throttle through a musical landscape. After revisiting the quiet section with verse and chorus in 6/8, the song ends with an enjoyable and energetic instrumental passage, with duelling guitar in 4/4 and organ in 13/16, that lasts quite some time but without seeming long. It sweeps you along, like being taken from Selling England... and Dark Side... to The Jewel... and Songs From The Lion’s Cage.

From Afar, the next track, begins with a playful guitar and organ piece, accompanying verse and chorus like something that could be on Please Don’t Touch. When I say that the middle piece could be from Wind And Wuthering, you know we are visiting the late seventies. Personally, I find this a very tasteful and powerful episode in progressive rock, so I don’t mind commending Tr3nity for understanding how that kind of thing is done. If only because the singer has a completely different voice, the music has it’s distinct quality. There is only one point where I cringe every time I hear it, and that is when Campbell sings “Rainy day” in the chorus. It sounds out of tune (or, if it isn’t that, it slept at least one night under the same roof), so that I wonder why they didn’t solve that in a more convincing way.

This is all the more surprising as Campbell does great in the second song as well as in the next song, More Than I Deserve. Accompanied solely by electric piano he launches us right into A Curious Feeling, as it were, in this classic song/instrumental passage/song type track. I think keyboardist Paul Gath probably doesn’t mind being in Tony Banks‘ footsteps. The repetitive chords are simple but effective, taking you on a musical journey with different layers of instrumentation. Drums and bass are effective here as well, plugging along in a captivating tempo. As far as lyrics go, here we see something of Tr3nity’s spiritually positive - even Christian - purpose: hope, thankfulness, and a longing for connectedness at the heart of their music.

The final and longest song of the album, The Last Great Climb, is surely their 'piece de resistance'. This 20-minute epic captures most of what they prove to be capable of on the rest of the album. It tells the story of a friend who leaves for a hike in the mountains, enjoying the beauty of God’s creation, never to return however as he dies in an accident. The moral is that we never know what to expect in this life and as tomorrow may be our last day we should consider if we are doing the right things. So, ‘the last great climb’ is not only the last thing the man did physically, but also a metaphor for dying. Music-wise we are treated to a composition consisting in several parts. The band take their time to move from the chorus and verse to instrumental movements. It is an epic all right, but not a cut-n-paste job. I have that same feeling that I have with Pride and Stardust We Are - it goes on and on in an lively pace, time passes before you know it, and yet it doesn’t wear out.

What can be said about this last song, can be said about the entire CD.. Maybe the compositions do not stand out as really exceptional chord and melody writing. But the musicians play it with skill and flair, which gives the compositions an agreeable amount of style and honesty. Perhaps one or two guitar solos could have been a bar or so shorter. And overall the productions sounds a bit ‘dry’, as if the instruments have not been recorded in the same room and don’t always ‘gel’ fully as a ‘warm’ whole. However that may be, Tr3nity know what they want to do and what they’re capable of, and they do it well. If you’re into that venerable tradition of ‘old school prog’, here’s one of the worthy inheritors.

Conclusion: 8- out of 10

Bart Cusveller

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(16 May 2004) Precious Seconds (Cyclops (UK) CYCL 138, 2004) is the follow-up to Tr3nity's debut album The Cold Light Of Darkness. The band has been promoted by the Classic Rock Society and is certain to earn awards in Best Of The Year voting by the membership.

The 67 minute album is a progressive masterwork in every respect, and includes only five epic tracks ranging in time from 10:00 to 20:12! Precious Seconds, like the band's debut album, is a concept story album that seeks to demonstrate that we are only on this planet for a limited time, and encourages listeners to make the best of it while you have the opportunity.

The album features the stunning lead and backing (male) vocal work of Chris Campbell and tracks written by Paul Gath (keyboards) and Rob Davenport (bass, guitars). Campbell joins writing credits on "Livin' a Lie." The Tr3nity line-up is completed by Graham Lane (bass, fretless bass) and Rolf Smith (drums). Progressive arrangements include warm guitar excursions and orchestral keyboard textures. Campbell's evocative vocals exude confidence built from years of theatrical training.

"Livin' a Lie" features rich guitar and lush keyboard arrangements during the lengthy instrumental passages and an instrumental melange during the powerful vocal sections. Gath is to be congratulated for highlighting the individual parts--even drums--and not muddying one bit of the instrumental production.

"From Afar" (lyrics in the booklet however correspond to "Run Before You Walk") begins with a lovely piano part and Chris Campbell's vocal delivery is reminiscent of a West End musical. Instrumentals build--without washing out the vocals--with duelling guitar excursions and vast keyboard solos that remind the listener that this is a true progressive rock album. This combination of stunning theatrical vocal delivery and progressive rock sets Tr3nity apart from other acts in the genre.

The ballad "Run Before You Walk" (lyrics in the booklet however correspond to "From Afar") further develops the album including a lovely, accessible and memorable feel-good melody. Instrumentals are notably simpler with guitar and keyboard perfectly complimented by the band's rhythm section. The sweeping and extended instrumental bridge provides a melodic but progressive contrast between the lyrical passages.

The track "More Than I Deserve" begins immediately where the previous ballad leaves off. Vocals are sung in ballad style atop of a lovely piano melody with probably the most memorable hook--if a progressive recording is allowed to have one--of the album. As with other Tr3nity tracks, however, the progressive instrumentals build orchestrally with contrasting guitar excursions in contrast the song develops. The opening melody returns with a powerful guitar solo and then the final vocal passage as the track comes to a quiet yet dramatic close.

The album concludes with the over 20-minute epic "The Last Great Climb." Aside from the extended instrumental passage in the latter half of the piece featuring a dramatic keyboard solo, the track is dominated by Chris Campbell's soaring vocal excursions, and opens with the first of two choruses within the lyrical content. Powerful instrumentals underscore the vocal work throughout the number while extensive backing harmonies (especially in the concluding minutes of the track) and lush symphonic textures add colour to the sung parts. A masterpiece.

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It's almost two years since we reviewed Tr3nity's debut CD release, 'The Cold Light of Darkness', but at last the band are back with their long awaited follow up 'Precious Seconds'. The lineup is pretty much as before, the only difference being that bass duties are shared this time around between Rob Davenport (who doubles up as the guitarist) and newcomer Graham Lane.

Musically the band admit that they owe much to classic progressive acts like Pink Floyd and Genesis, and I would add that there are also hints of the likes of early Marillion in here too. Having said that the strong compositions and superb production result in a fresh, modern sound that loses nothing for its undoubted influences.

As was the case with the band's earlier release, 'Precious Seconds' is another concept release, and it is one that works on more than one level. Seen through the eyes of the main character, it deals with how we view and use our lives - the main point being that our lives are limited, so we should make the best of the time we have. That said, it is possible to ascribe a deeper, almost spiritual interpretation to the story and this duality in my mind considerably enhances the album.

The work is divided into five tracks, each of which runs over the ten minute mark - but unlike some progressive albums that rely on epic tracks, there is a marvellous sense of fluidity that runs from start to finish and the easy-flowing, ever-changing mood of the music means there is never any real danger of things becoming bogged down.

The opening track, 'Livin' a Lie', took a few listenings to get to grips with and this was mainly due to the time it took to get to the heart of the matter. The initial intro featuring melodic guitar work with subdued keyboard backing works well enough, but is perhaps a little on the long side. This in turn is followed by a bit of a lull after which the pace starts to pick up when percussion and bass kick in. From here on the sound generally takes on a grander feel as the keyboards and guitar both feed off each other, but it is not until we are past the half way point that the vocals finally come in. By this stage everything holds together perfectly and, while it is true to say Chris Campbell's voice is a little rough edged, it suits the job perfectly. He certainly puts across the lyrics with feeling. Towards the closing stages of the track any earlier misgivings are forgotten and though it's hard to single out all the high spots a mention must be made of Rolf Smith's superb stick work.

A gentle piano melody initially supports the stark moody vocal line as we move into 'Run Before You Walk'. It is not long before the piano is replaced by a soaring guitar accompaniment and, just as you think you know where things are headed, we are thrown back into a repeating piano theme as we enter an instrumental phase. Musicianship throughout this track is very high, and the subtle changes in mood and direction keep things bright and fresh.

After the highs of the previous track the pace slows down again as we move into the opening section of 'From Afar' which is very laid back. Keyboards and guitar sounds swoop and fall, but never lose touch with that dreamy quality that is present at the outset. The final section of the track has a very eighties, British progressive feel to it and Chris Campbell seems to find a new level as he brings things to a triumphal close.

'More Than I Deserve' is another track that starts with simple piano melody supporting the gentle vocal line, and initially this quite moving piece has all the hallmarks of a rock ballad. After the initial vocal passage comes to a close, we move into a drifting instrumental section that takes the basic melody line, and produces variations on the theme, constantly adding elements and building the sound up layer upon layer. Eventually the inevitable release comes and we are treated to an exuberant lead guitar break that rises to new heights before the vocals come back in, this time with a bit more pace, set against a pulsing bass line.

The major piece on the album is undoubtedly 'The Last Great Climb', which is the fitting culmination of everything that the band have shown themselves capable of to this point. From the restrained opening, this track takes us through the whole range of emotions, sometimes introspective, at others pacey and uplifting. This is perhaps fitting for the real message of the album is surely contained within this track. The final refrain "We never know, what our lives have in store, oh we never learn, as we live within His law" urge us to appreciate the lives we have been given, and not take things for granted - and when all is said an done that's an excellent thought to bow out on!

From the musical perspective I have been very impressed with this release. The packaging on the other hand is pretty standard fare. The booklet provides all the lyrics for the tracks, but to be honest very little else, and the cover art work is perhaps a little uninspiring. It may provide a visual pun that fits with the theme well enough but I for one find it hard to get worked up over computer generated artwork. One other minor niggle here was that tracks 2 and 3 are given in the wrong order (the track list at the head of the review is correct).

However when all is said and done it is the music that counts, and Tr3nity have without a doubt produced an album that grows on you with each hearing. Excellent musicianship, and well thought out lyrics make this album a real joy - highly recommended!

Simon 25th April 2004

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Occasionally we receive reviews directly from people that have bought our albums and feel they'd like to make a personal comment or two. James is one such person. He wrote to us in Oct 2004, and this is what he had to say about Precious Seconds....

Hello Tr3nity rockers! How are you doing?

I just want to say that I think you are one of the best around alongside classics like Genesis and Floyd so keep it up. Anyway, the point of me sending you this mail is that I wanted to show my appreciation and personally give you a review for Tr3nity.

So, here is my review!

"Livin a lie" and a long beginning which can get a bit long winded but It's still good and can be appreciated along with the brilliant guitar playing. Then the singer Chris Campbell comes in with his stunning voice. It really lights up the song and changes the mood in a split second.
Then after the track as finished you find yourself giving out a sigh of happiness.

I also wanted to comment on my favourite track of all. With its brilliant harmonics and acoustic guitar solo where a transition of fast music goes to a mood of Pink Floydesque glory. With great thanks to the guitarist Rob Davenport for playing this stunning solo performance which was stunning in the Rotherham gig in March 2004. I often find my self being inspired by this atmospheric masterpiece.

Overall I think that Tr3nity needs to do more gigs because I noticed you haven't done a lot of them. Me and Keira will do our best to be there for support!"

Kind Regards,
James Alanson (& Keira Hobson).
Ps- prog on.

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