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Unbound
[Ring of Myth] have produced an album that definitely doesn’t sound like a debut. They come across as high-energy Rush crossed with Yes and Spock’s Beard, not a bad mix I’m sure you’ll agree... [Presence] is a great start to the album with the interest captured and held. Straight away the listener has to be impressed, held by the ears, with jaw hanging open and drool forming a pool on the floor... There is quite a high jazz element here as well, which they have used to their favour... Thief of Night probably finds them at their most classic Yes-like, but they manage to make the sound their own just enough so that it isn’t a distraction. This was an album that I enjoyed and I hope to hear more from them in the future.” [Feedback]

Unbound
“Kinesis has come up with a real winner in this U.S. progressive trio. Half expecting Rush, I was blown away by their early 70’s Yes sound. Vocalist Danny Flores sounds a bit like Jon Anderson but the real standout is guitarist George Picado, who has all of Steve Howe’s moves down pat. One of the better titles to come out since 1996 began.” [The Laser’s Edge]

Unbound
“[Ring of Myth] are a trio from California whose sound is in the vein of early Yes and Flash. Younger ears might consider them an alternative take on prog. The guitar work is busy and generates loads of good aggressive lines and bits. Hints of Yes music and devices crop up here and there... I believe this is an honest representation of the group and that they are a real talent.” [Music Uncovered]

Unbound
“What a great surprise! This band plays a very refined and complex style, comparable to Yes, Starcastle, and Rush in their 2112 period. The music has obvious roots in the 70’s and should appeal to everyone who likes music from that period. For being a really fresh and interesting production, Ring of Myth is named to the Top 5 of this issue.” [Progressive Newsletter (Germany)]

Unbound
“While I await the release of the [next Yes album], I can be fairly secure in the knowledge that it is unlikely to sound anywhere near as Yes-like as Ring of Myth on Messenger. If it had been slipped onto a bootleg as an outtake from Time and a Word, not only would I have been convinced, but I would also have wondered why such a good track had been left off. I admit that the purist in me wants to scream ‘Imposter!’, but the Yes fan who has suffered well over a decade of increasingly banal Yes albums wins out in the end and I love it. As for the remainder of the album, Yes remains a more-or-less constant reference point, whilst Presence has more than a little Rush (although not too much) about it, and Only a Dream recalls the criminally-underrated Druid. Ring of Myth’s influences lie very close to the surface, but it is their first album, and these are excellent influences upon which to find their individuality for future releases.” [Astro Zombie]

Unbound
“Their progressive rock is full of vivacity and elaborate constructions, with nicely harmonized vocals, a bit in the Yes style... and sometimes evoking Gentle Giant.” [Musea]

Unbound
“Ring of Myth is just a trio although you wouldn’t know it from the very full sound on Unbound... When considered simplistically, Ring of Myth are sort of the perfect marriage of Yes and Rush, merging the classical symphonic sound of Yes into the trio format of Rush. The amazingly full sound comes from the bass, guitar and drums; the keyboards are used mostly as spot fill to round out the sound. Musically, the sound is most closely aligned to that of 70’s Yes with a 90’s sound, full of deft changes among complex meters. Each musician is excellent on his respective instrument, and the songs are full of enthusiasm. Singer Flores’ voice is in the same range as that of Yes’ Jon Anderson, solidifying the comparison. Ring of Myth’s sound draws enough originality, however, to avoid being called a Yes clone, although they often cut it close. Unbound is a great debut from a band with a lot of talent. Hopefully on future albums they will further define their own sound to showcase their abilities and shed the more obvious Yes comparisons.” [Gibraltar (Mike Taylor)]

Unbound
“Ring Of Myth evokes Yes Album and Fragile-era Yes: same energy, same virtuosic guitar, same thundering bass, same vocal harmonies. This is also apparent in the very complex compositions that don’t always avoid the clichés of the genre. Fans of old Yes will surely enjoy Unbound.” [Big Bang Magazine]

Unbound
“Ring Of Myth is an American trio that plays music a la early Yes, very much in the vein of The Yes Album and Fragile. At times it’s so close it’s scary, and it’s mostly because of vocalist/bassist Danny Flores. Having said that, Ring Of Myth are a bit more experimental than Yes ever were, and there are certain elements of jazz-rock to be found here and there. Which only makes the whole thing more exciting. Impressive!” [Scream Magazine (Norway)]

Unbound
“When a guitarist is a disciple of Steve Howe and the vocalist has a voice in the range of Jon Anderson, you have to have the elements of a band that sound like Yes. Well, Americans Ring of Myth are exactly this... Rush fans and Yes fans alike will find a lot of pleasure in the music of Ring of Myth, but I think more pleasure could be extracted if the Yes parallels were discarded, difficult though that is.” [Wondrous Stories]

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WEEDS
Attention all Yes fans that have been hungry for someone to carry the torch: Ring Of Myth has arrived.
With an uncanny resemblance to the vintage Yes of the 70's, Ring Of Myth still shines with originality and impresses with raw talent. Singer/bassist Danny Flores has the same sweet high tenor voice as Jon Anderson, and a great ability to soar with the music's high flying flair. The similarity to Anderson is tremendous, but Flores sounds very natural here just the same. The music is also reminiscent of Yes in the way that finds the band doing songs that are of epic length and proportion. The songs that most resemble Yes are "Soft Disguise" and "Into Phase," which have running times of 8:11 and 9:55 respectively.
The reason that Ring Of Myth is more than just another Yes rip-off though is simple; they are progressive in the true form of the word. This band has taken the foundations that were laid down years ago by bands such as Yes and King Crimson, and they have continued to build on them with new and experimental nuances. Listening to a song like "Drowning In Fire" secures my belief in this band as an up and coming force in the progressive genre. With its eccentric bass line fumbling about, and the effect riddled sound of George Picado's guitar, this is something that has its own personality. This is the type of song that you would never hear Yes doing, but it is still deeply rooted in that style. By taking things a step further with some vocal effects ("Bird's Eye View") and some heavier more distorted effects ("Half Wing"), Ring Of Myth make this record a "Yes of the 21st Century" kind of thing.  Scott “Dr. Music” Itter www.areuonsomething.com 

WEEDS
From Aural Innovations #32 (November 2005)
From Southern California, Ring Of Myth play a hard rocking brand of complex progressive rock. The band consists of Danny Flores on vocals, bass, keyboards and guitar, George Picado on guitars and Scott Rader on drums, keyboards and backing vocals. Their first CD, Unbound, was released in 1996 on the Kinesis label.
The band start off hard and heavy with "Offering", which made me think of Yes as a more stripped down hard rock band. Ring Of Myth are more raw and in-yer-face, but no less manic and complex with the instrumental workouts and hairpin time signature turns. Sure, there are lighter floating passages, complete with Jon Anderson styled vocals, but if Yes are one of Ring Of Myth models, these guys definitely have taken it into a direction all their own. Being a fan of both progressive rock and down n dirty hard rock, I really dig the rough rocking edge and almost punk-like mania Ring Of Myth give to some pretty darn complex music. The 12 minute "Blue Stem" is another powerhouse track, chock full of dizzying instrumental segments and continually shifting themes as the music alternates between wild abandon and peaceful calm. Outstanding! "Drowning In Fire" and "Half Wing" are similarly breathtaking rides, though on these tracks Ring Of Myth inject a dark and heavy mid-70's King Crimson feel into the music.
The 10 minute "Into Phase" is more blatantly Yes inspired. It's very good and has its rocking moments, but for the most part I have to say I preferred the runaway train style of the other tracks, where the band's influences are obvious but they establish some identity of their own. "Drone" is similar but with a nice guitar freakout section at the end.
Though it's impossible to review this album without mentioning Yes, by the end it was clear that there's so much more that influences and shapes the Ring Of Myth sound, and the band had me hooked. It's excellent progressive rock that draws on classic prog and hard rock stylings. But for me, Ring Of Myth are at their best when playing hard and heavy, slamming the listener with a volcanic force that is simultaneously hard rocking and complex. Hot stuff!  By Jerry Kranitz @ www.aural-innovations.com

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WEEDS
It’s amazing to me just how many prog trios there are out there. I’m sure there is a lot that can be written about why the three-some thing works so well. If I’m not mistake both Rush and ELP have claimed some distinct advantages. None-the-less it is amazing how one three-some can sound so different from another. You would think the lack of a fourth would or could be a limiting factor but that certainly doesn’t seem to be the case with Ring of Myth. Their new CD entitled Weeds shows a revitalized, punchy and at time cacophonous band clamoring for recognition. And I mean that in a good way.
Member wise, Ring of Myth, still based in the Los Angeles area consist of Danny Flores (vocals, bass, keyboards, guitar), George Picado (guitars) and Scott Rader (drums, percussion, back-up vocals). You have to go way back almost 10 years, to 1996 when they released their first CD entitled Unbound which displayed many of their influences, in particular a band called Yes. This was in no small measure due to Danny Flores vocal range and Picado’s guitar style. Be that as it may, that was then and this is now. You’ll have to put that out of your mind when you listen to their new release Weeds, not because Danny’s changed his voice but because the compositions have become so much more powerful, well rounded and dynamic. There is some glorious music here.
The other thing you’ll be interested in hearing is that over the time between releases the band has incorporated a more experimental rhythmic approach to their writing, so that while some of the songs still bear their trademark, vocal, guitar and bass elements they are composed in a dense wall of sound. This musical assault plays nicely against the sweeter more melodious moments. The 5-minute “Drone” is a classic example. You have the classic “sweet and sour” approach to their writing style. So while “Drone” starts all major chord majestic it ends in a dissonant blare. And it works quite well. Weeds has 10 compositions with a good many of them in the 7 or 8 minute range. The longest, the 11 minute “Blue Stem” has moments of pure RIO intermixed with a variety of melodic moments.
What’s also fascinating to me, is that if there is a hint of a Yes influence it’s more of an early seventies Yes or even a bit like Flash. The compositions betray a sense of rawness that hearkens back to those early days. But, and I feel I must stress this, Ring of Myth has progressed well beyond simply parroting their influences. These guys have really got it together, and it’s that mix of musical randomness, where a piece suddenly bursts into a fountain of noise before descending into a stream of sweet melody that really sets these compositions on a pedestal.
I think Ring of Myth have really hit their stride with this second release Weeds. The 10 years in between have afforded them the opportunity to really develop their style and they’ve really taken advantage of that time to move in some very interesting musical corners. This is a marked new sonic direction for them that to my ears works really well. It’s great to have Ring of Myth back on the scene and back on my CD player. Weeds deserves to be their breakthrough recording, it’s that good. Review by Jerry Lucky @ www.Ghostland.com

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WEEDS
With influences from Yes to Rush and everything in between, Ring Of Myth offers us a pretty adventurous and enjoyable trip to the musical world that is quite reminiscent of '70s Prog Rock in its genuinely many-sided appearance. It would be fully justified to use the proverb: "Influence is not opposed to originality" regarding all the instrumental themes and arrangements ever present on "Weeds", as they are free of derivative features, not to mention any specific borrowing. Yes, the previous sentence certainly implies that it could not have managed without a fly in the ointment. Danny Flores's vocals are not unlike Jon Anderson's, but thankfully not everywhere on the album. Just listen to the longer tracks: Blue Stem and Soft Disguise. In any event, this matter does not much affect the pleasure I'm getting while listening to the material. Generally, the current situation around the genre should keep us from being snobs each time we hear something familiar. Otherwise we should hate many great bands, Marillion for instance, while we just love them. So I find Ring Of Myth a remarkable outfit too, their music being much more intricate than probably anything by the Neo heroes. Although symphonic colors are rare guests in the palette, the album has a lush, saturated sound and is normally full of unpredictable, highly intriguing events. The trio collectively takes one through a lot of different pictures within each of the compositions, save the excessively romantic, vocal-heavy Drone and For a Time, and is technically on par with most so-called titans of Prog of the '70s. As to the stylistically structural aspects of the basic material, the sound is built around guitars, working in an Art-Rock meets moderately heavy Prog-Metal vein, steering far of anything that could be considered commercial. The one instrumental piece, Plight, is easily one of the primary style's brightest representatives, despite its shortness. That being said, the album is ornamented by the harshest and, arguably, the most compelling compositions. The first and the last track, Offering and Half Wing, are a much heavier attack overall, with growling guitars and bass and a pretty aggressive bottom end in general.Conclusion. Even considering all its drawbacks, I find "Weeds" more than a merely good album overall. Those who are not nitpickers, who miss the gorgeous '70s sound, can bravely check this CD out. Only exclude the fourth and the sixth track when programming your CD player prior to listening to it; otherwise they will play in your head for the next few days. www.progressor.net

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WEEDS
Offering opens in heavy style with the guitar roaring and the bass and drums busily filling up the gaps. There is the feel of King Crimson in the music, as well classic rock, like Led Zeppelin. The instrumental opening is followed, surprisingly to me, by a vocal passage which is very friendly, almost Jon Anderson like (but not as high as that). The contrast with the instrumental violence that follows, in which I am strongly reminded of modern instrumental powertrio's such as Kopecky and Attention Deficit, is marked. This alternation continues until we come to the harmony vocal driven, somewhat Echolyn like final of the song. The guitar is quite funky here. A varied song, filled with diverse fragments and elements. As a composition it is not that strong.
With the opening Into Phase we open in Genesis style, but soon we move into more Yes like territories because of the vocal melodies and the very Squire like bass playing. Indeed, the song reminds me very much of Time And A Word era Yes. The instrumental sections, such as the organ with guitar in the middle are stronger than Yes plays it, and very driven too. The song winds down at the end, giving us a short breather.
After the short and repetitive instrumental Plight, which is able to give a solo spot to each of the musicians at the same time, we come to another vocal and Yes-inspired song, Drone. The harmony vocals seem a bit far away, as if they were afraid to lay it too much on top of the music. Now it has to vie for attention with the instrumental side of things making for a very optimistic, uplifting, but also very tiring affair. Strange are the singalong vocals in this passage. It is as if somebody in the studio was mumbling along and recorded accidentally. The guitar work is sharp and rough.
Blue Stem, the only song passing the ten minute mark, opens in instrumental progrock trio style. Not much melody, but mainly a lot of varied playing with signature changes the rule instead of the exception. This is a side of the band that seems hard to reconcile with the Yes like songs. Still, the style of the band continues to meander between hard edged instrumental rock (their Rush influence) and Yes. I am not so fond of the vocals myself, they share part of their sound with Jon Anderson, but they are less clear and ehm screamier. The band is also more groovy/funky than Yes, but that's okay. The finale of this song is quite a difference again, including fast guitarwork in the vein of Muse no less.
For A Time is an echoey restful piece, with Flores sounding far away. After this short Christmas like song, we come to Soft Disguise. Compared to the earlier pieces this is also relatively relaxed with friendly jangling acoustic guitars and soft vocal harmonies. The space does go up in places, the vocals have a strong whine here. As a composition, the song is very fragmented with loose flying pieces of Genesis and Yes flying around alternated with occasional heavy outbursts. The second half of the song has the angular guitar of King Crimson, and a good vocal melody. One of the problems with this band is that the melodies lack sufficient colour. The vocal melody also lends a sense of urgency which together with the pace of it all makes this a highpoint thus far. We end in plodding style. There are elements of the Beatles' I Want You here.
Drowning In Fire opens sparingly with bells chiming, and we go into meandermode. Don't get me wrong: I like the band more in this style, then in the Yes-copy mode. The melody in the middle is quite subtle as vocals come back in (but very much low key). A hectic, sometimes somewhat scary tune.
Bird's Eye View continues the hecticness, and is even somewhat aggressive. The vocals are also more daring here and varied, and less in the Anderson vein. The choruses are somewhat Britpoppish at times, while the music has quite a bit more edge. The ending is somewhat disappointing.
Half Wing brings in tension again, beneath the skin. The guitar sound owes to King Crimson and the melodies are of the building up kind, a bit in the vein of Anekdoten, but without the mellotron. Strong stuff.
Conclusion
This band roams the space between Yes and the more modern instrumental powertrio's (and KC as well) with maybe a hint of Echolyn. To me, the band is at its best in the powertrio sections: for the other two they lack the melodic finesse and also fall short in the vocal department. The bass sound is very Squire like, but the guitarwork is as a rule quite a bit heavier. On most albums it is the other way around, but I found the last half of the album quite a bit stronger than the first half, both because of the sound and feel, but also because of the differently styled vocals. A mixed bag.
© Jurriaan Hage  @www.cs.uu.nl

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