DIFFERENT STRINGS

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ProgArchives (Olav Martin Bjornsen) - Friday, 2nd November 2007

Interesting debut release by this artist from Malta.

At the mellowest, the music sounds a bit like a mix between Eloy and Marillion, and influences from classic hard rock acts like Deep Purple and more contemporary prog metal can be heard as well.

It adds up to a very interesting release, where the main drawback is a poor production. Both the general mix as well as the vocals suffers from the production.

Still, a nice debut; and worth checking out for fans of melodic prog with harder edges that aren't addicted to high-tech production.

Tales of Wonder (Luca Alberucci) - Saturday, 15th September 2007

INTRODUCTION Different Strings...is a project conceived and led by the multi-intrumentalist Chris Mallia from Malta. The release of this first album "It's Only The Beginning" has been postponed several times because of the lack of a decent singer. Then Alan Mayo (ex Limestone Kick) came to fill the gap.

SOUNDS LIKE ... The sound is very close to a neo-pop-prog in British style, quite refined and melodic. POINTS OF INTEREST Chris is a good composer, no doubt ! He can write soft and beautiful ballads like "Dead Man Walking" and then change skin with "Beyond Infinity" where he's free from vocal parts and he can show how much pompous and spacey is his keyboards playing. Very good stuff.

WEAK POINTS ...The low budget conditioned the release. The sound is not brilliant and drum-machine bothered me as always, though not so much as in other similar solo works. A brief note on Alan Mayo: Chris needed a singer and overall he found a decent singer but Alan never makes the difference, in my opinion.

FAVOURITE TRACKS ..."Dead Man Walking" "Beyond Infinity"

RECOMMENDATION ..."It's Only The Beginning": the title is enough to describe my feelings. Chris knows so well how a song must take shape, he only needs a better singer, an higher budget and your encouragement. Not bad as a beginning.

Progressive Ears (Yeshead777) - Thursday, 30th August 2007

Different Strings is actually the brainchild of one multi-instrumentalist from Malta, Chris Mallia. Mallia plays all of the instruments on the CD with vocals by Alan Mayo. He also produced and mixed the disc and states on the CD that "This is a home made CD to be sent around the world in search of a record label. It's done this way for financial reasons." Having said that, you are left after hearing this CD thinking about how much potential this CD would have with more professional engineering and production. There is so much potential here. Chris is an accomplished guitarist, keyboardist, and bassist. Unfortunately, the drum mix is so flat and muddy at times, that it is hard to distinguish his abilities here.

The overall sound is very Pink Floydish starting with the layered synths on "It's only the beginning", and the Gilmour like licks on "All over again". The standout track is the instrumental "Beyond Infinity" where he really shows his varied chops. The 14-minute epic "Around the world" does not have much continuity, but does also include great playing by Mallia. The vocals are mostly adequate throughout, but at times are so poorly mixed that the vocalist is not really given a fair chance. With all this said, keep in mind-this is only the beginning for Mallia and Different Strings, and with the proper backing and production this CD and his career could go a far way. Lets hope he gets this in the near future, and gets the chance he deserves.5/10 stars.

Dutch Progressive Rock Page (DPRP) (Christos Ampatzis) - Thursday, 9th August 2007

Pity this is in fact a demo, because there is quite a lot in the music despite the poor production, and it is a kind of music that I enjoy listening to. In general we are talking about a neo-progressive band with some heavier side (Dream Theater-like). To be straight from the beginning: I do not associate to neo-prog the negative connotation Marillion has attributed to the genre. Anyway, Different Strings is actually a one-man band: Chris Mallia. Well, almost. Chris plays all instruments and has composed the music, but the vocals are the work of Alan Mayo. As for the name you may have guessed it right from the start: it's a pointer to Rush's heart-breaking masterpiece.

Dead Man Walking was released as a single back in 2004 and is arguably the album's highlight. It has a very smooth melody that vaguely reminds me of no-man's Carolina Skeletons. Around The World starts as an absolute pointer to Marillion and something in the vocal lines makes me sing "She's got her hooks in you...". Later on things get more complex and a little bit too far-stretched towards the end- I would like to hear a more compact version of this song in the future as the different bits and pieces do seem a bit unconnected. All Over Again and Beyond Infinity are tracks that kick off radiating the Alan Parson's 70's and 80's pop-prog feel. Then something more wicked this way comes and Dream Theater textures and complex arrangements come into play. All Over Again also comes in a radio-edit version, which I prefer to the longer original one. Simply, the refrain and catchy melody are enough to make a simple and straight to the point pop tune that doesn't really need a complex progressive counterpart. As for the vocals, they are adequate and sometimes remind me a bit of Nick Barrett. As for the other instruments (all played by Chris), the work is more than decent with the keyboards standing out a bit from the rest.

All in all, this guy seems to have something to offer to progressive music, and I think he deserves a chance to find himself a decent record deal and then re-work on this material, with an emphasis on a better production. I was hesitating to leave this CD unrated, since I find it a bit unfair to let the flawed production reflect on the rating. Anyway I give it a 6.5 out of 10 but I would not mind at all to review a possible future version. I'm sure that a better production and a little bit richer material would guarantee a higher rating. Maybe I should add that this is stuff with good chances to appeal to fans of neo-prog or mellow progressive rock. Less interesting I guess for those of you looking for heavier or more technical and complex music - even if the music here has such elements too. Ah, and a comment on the album title: it can give us an idea about the (justified) ambition of Chris Mallia.

Conclusion: 6.5 out of 10

CHRISTOS AMPATZIS

Progarchives.com (H.T. Riekels) - Wednesday, 11th July 2007

Chris Mallia has put together an impressive debut under the name of DIFFERENT STRINGS. There is some fine musicianship, and quality composition. The only part of this he didn't handle himself was the vocals. I don't know if Chris can sing or not, but Alan Mayo was a very good choice. His voice suits the music perfectly. On the whole, it's low key, but there are some rocking segments. He pulls off a pretty decent ballad on "Dead Man Walking." What's missing is a spark. There is nothing that really gets me excited here. Technically, there are no problems. It just needs a boost of energy, inspiration, hook, or something. I can't really nail it down, but it doesn't pull me in. What I really see here is promise. One person pulling off a debut album of this quality is quite impressive. The talent is evident. If he continues to grow, this will probably be viewed with much more affection. As it is, I can give it no more than three stars.

H.T.

ZNR Records (Steve) - Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Excellent modern prog that hints at both the seventies school (Genesis, Camel,etc) and the eighties (Pendragon, IQ, a.o.) with just a hint of Dream Theatre way in the background at times. The recording is the work of one Chris Mallia who played all the instruments himself and manages to steer clear of the typical "one-man-band" pitfalls the vast majority of the time. The vocals are handled by a fellow by the name of Alan Mayo who sounds a little like Nick Barrett of Pendragon. All in all a real nice release for an album that Chris descibes as 'just a demo'! Largely this is very symphonic and highly enjoyable to fans of both sides of the progressive coin. Also of interest is the fact that this is the first progressive recording we have seen from Malta. Being a bit more isolated on an island in the Mediterranean perhaps gives this disc some of its special feeling!

Progarchives.com (Andrew) - Sunday, March 4, 2007

Chris Mallia's project, Different Strings, focuses on modern progressive rock, primarily of the Neo-Progressive style, but with noticeable metal influences. The music is at times atmospheric, at times quite heavy. I don't think there is a specific well-known Neo-Progressive band that I could compare Different Strings to, but I'm reminded of Everon and Illuvatar every now and then while I listen to "...It's Only the Beginning". I find the music on this record to be slightly more enjoyable than that found on Everon's Fantasma, which while espousing hooks and melodies, seems just a bit lacking in soul. That problem does not plague "It's Only the Beginning", which is a relief. I have often found that many lesser-known acts tend to focus on technique, as if they're trying to get noticed. That's definitely not the case with Different Strings; the band (which consists of only Mallia and vocalist Alan Mayo) the instrumentation is full-bodied, but certainly not showy. However, every now and then I feel that the instruments are not high enough in the mix, which can make it seem like they're there to support the vocals, something I disdain. If anything, the vocals should add color and texture to the music, not the other way round. This is not a large problem, and I won't degrade the album too much for it.

To continue the airing of negative feelings about this album (a regretful but necessary task)I will say that the production does not strike me as one befitting a first-rate act; I can clearly tell the musicianship is very fine and often intricate, but sometimes the guitar riffs or can sound thin or muddy. Whereas the vocals may seem to me a tad too high in the mix at times, the drums can seem a bit too low, which can give the music a sort of static feeling, as if it is just there, without fully engaging me or surrounding me. I stress that different listeners may have different responses to these supposed shortcomings of the album (these might not even be problems for anyone else) but I feel I must get out in the open all negative feelings I have in order to give spotlight to the positive feelings, which I have plenty of as a matter of fact!

Alright, now with the good news about this fine release. I should say that for a debut album by a up-and-coming act, "It's Only the Beginning" is far ahead come to expect in terms of level of enjoyment. The music may not be clearing a path through the Great Forest of Progressive Innovation, but I have said over and over and over again that innovation isn't worth the time it takes to speak the word: only the composition and enjoyment of the music counts. One's enjoyment of the music may end up depending on the level of innovation, however. A sad, sad result, I say. "It's Only the Beginning" delivers most of what I look for when I turn toward Neo-Progressive rock: well-composed, layered, emotional, and atmospheric music. I previously let it be known that I was disappointed with the mix which seemed to put Mayo's vocals at the forefront. This is not to say he is a poor singer. Far from it! I wouldn't say he's the next Gabriel or Anderson, but he's talented and fits the music well. The keyboard, guitar, and other arrangements on "...It's Only the Beginning" are fantastic and deserve the generous amount of presence they receive in the music.

"...It's Only the Beginning" is a pleasant release for me, and I suggest it to fan of Everon, Illuvatar, and anyone generally curious about lesser-known neo-Progressive bands.

Gnosis2000.net (Eddie Lascu) - Tuesday, March 20, 2007

If you would listen to this album for the first time, without knowing anything about it, you would say that it's probably a band from UK heavily inspired by Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree playing a fine, spacey neo-prog. Boy, you would be wrong. Different Strings is an almost one-man show, Chris Mallia of Malta being the driving force behind the project. I say "almost" because he does get some help from Alan Mayo who contributes all the lead and backing vocals. Other than that, the music and the lyrics are written and arranged by Mallia. He plays all the instruments and this is where you should get your first shock. The level of skill heard on this album is very high, Mallia seamed equally comfortable as a guitarist, drummer or keyboard player. I tried to think back when was the last time I heard a one-man band that sounded so coherent and cohesive. Not since I got to know Al Garcia's work was I this impressed, but that's a story for another day.

As Mallia puts it, this album is home-made from A to Z. He was responsible for programming, performing, recording, mixing and producing the record. I wish the production would have met higher standards, just because the music has so much to offer and with that I laid down the only complaint I have about this album. As mentioned before, the music draws blood from the likes of Porcupine Tree and other bands that play an aggressive kind of progressive rock oscillating from spacey tones to sheer power metal. The 6 tracks are divided between alternating instrumental pieces and songs featuring Mayo's able vocals. During my research I found out that "Dead Man Walking", the third song of the album, became somewhat of a hit in Malta. The highlight of the album is, without any doubt, the 15-minute, 4 part suite "Around the World". Let's really hope that this is only the beginning and we will get to hear more from Chris Mallia. With a bit of luck, he gets his music known and maybe, just maybe, the next release will benefit from a more professional recording environment. Everybody will gain something from that.

Proggnosis.com (Marc) - Friday, March 23, 2007

Interesting album by this newcomer band Different Strings. On It's Only The Beginning they offer us some well performed melodic (even mellow at times) accessible Prog Rock. Instrumentation is pretty basic (guitars - electronic keys - bass - drums) and lead singer Alan Mayo has a nice voice, but occasionally limited in range. I can't say I'm blown away by what I hear on this demo album, but it is quality stuff and it's quite possible that their next effort will be even better. I'm convinced that many melodic Prog fans can really enjoy It's Only The Beginning . Use our links to check this promising band out.

Ytsejam.com (Tommy Hash) - Thursday, March 29, 2007

Here is a record that could have deeply benefited from better production; the music, the musicianship, the arrangements, and the songs were in place, but the sound was way too sketchy. The brainchild of musician/songwriter Chris Mallia, his project Different Strings is neo-prog project that stands in line with Carptree and Galleon, being driven by synthesizers and hook oriented Floydian soundscapes. And Mallia is a great musician and writer for that matter, but the vocals & mix could have used some extra work (almost scratch/demo sounding), not to mention that the snare sounds a little dry at times.

Regardless of the production aspects, fluid melodies like the soundscape of the title track, the ethereal All Over Again, and the jam session of Beyond Infinity exposes Maillias ability as a composer. Hopefully, Its Only the Beginning is the beginning of some more material to come from Maillia, only next time, put a little more work into the production, and there can be the potential for an improved record.

lib66.tk (Mike Bugeja) - February, 2007

Different Strings first made its presence felt on the local scene in May 2005 with the low-key release of debut single Dead Man Walking, which featured former Limestone Kick frontman Alan Mayo on vocals. The warm reception for the single, especially from rock audiences, gave Chris Mallia - the one-man band behind Different Strings - the momentum to complete his debut long player. As the title suggests, this is really a beginning of sorts, and given the opportunity, more intense post-production would certainly add to this record’s focused appeal and extended vision. As Mallia admits, this album is home-made in every sense of the word. He was responsible for the song writing, programming, performing, recording and production of the record - except of course the vocal parts, which Alan Mayo so ably pulls off!

What is immediately obvious about this album is the strong progressive influence behind its 45 minutes of meticulous rock ambience. Aside from the ‘shorter’ vocal tracks (including new single All Over Again) the album comes into its own on the longer, epic pieces – conceptual prog compositions that ooze more than a touch of Yes here and Floyd there, while retaining their own hard rock identity and direction. The end result is a reflection of Mallia’s musical engagement and creative expression, and should certainly please those already enamoured of his Dead Man Walking single! Strongly recommended for anyone with an old-school rock heart!

ragzzi-music.de (Volkmar Mantei) - December, 2006

The slogan “long live rock’n’roll” stands under the history of origins in the CD booklet. Some rage swings therein. Different Strings is a solo product of an individual musician, who had to work completely without a band, studio and no perfect conditions to convert his ideas. You will find more information in the folding booklet: for the technical ears, this is a homemade CD, which should go around the globe; the goal is to find a record label which offers better conditions. Everybody who is interested in bankroll this music, should not hesitate, he is invited to.

The whole instrumental work is done by Chris Mallia, supported by Alan Mayo on vocals. All 6 tracks are a typical one-man product. In these songs you will miss the altercation of more than one head; another reason is that the very talented Chris Mallia is not a master on each instrument. He is excellent on keys and drums but guitars and bass are half-hearted. The sound of the CD is a bit easy going but audiolicious. The whole compositions are successful and have a topic, the vocals are catchy.

In the instrumental part is the keyboard very important, and it is very good. The content of the songs re very good as well but they have rough edges. “Dead man walking” has some weaknesses, in which the phrase “dead man walking” is sung too often, resulting to be a little too lengthy for 7 minutes.

The conclusion is that Chris Mallia finds a label, musicians and an arranger; I know who would be perfect, nobody other than Flower Kings' Roine Stolt. That would be a good team.

Kultura 21 - (review on "Dead man walking" single by Chris Galea) - March, 2005

The introspective song `Different Strings` by Canadian progressive-rock legends Rush, clearly reflects the philosophy of Chris Mallia. Originating from Valletta, Chris might initially appear laid-back but his creativity speaks volumes. Influenced by bands such as Spock's Beard, Dream Theatre, Rush and Kansas, Chris Mallia has been composing music for quite some time. Some of these songs he burned in his home-made recording studio (helped in no small way by his affinity with technology), playing lead guitars, bass guitars and keyboards, and having also programmed drum-machines himself. Incredibly, his first guitar he even made himself from scratch (cutting the wood and installing electronic components).

Following feedback and encouragement from his friends,Valletta born Chris finally decided to come into the open. He has done this while adopting the pen-name 'Different Strings'. "I always wanted to release my music in a professional way, although financial restrictions time and again caused me problems. Now I have the added help of a mini DAW Studio, so I can comfortably record at home, and it's cheaper", he admits. The CD-single Chris has just released onto the local market is "Dead Man Walking". Lyrics are his own. Although Chris had used his own voice in previous experimental recordings, since he was now exposing his music to a wider audience, he has now decided to emply a proper singer. Enter Alan Mayo. Many will surely remember the days Alan sang with "Limestone Kick" his sensitive and melodious voice had been an essential trademark of Kick's sound. "For me Alan is an exceptional singer. The style of my songs might be somewhat different from what he's sung before but thanks to his talent he managed to adapt very well to this music", affirms Chris.

I ask Chris to describe the song `Dead Man Walking` and its lyrics. "Although as you correctly said I am usually involved in Progressive Rock, this single has a slightly more commercial sound. The title refers to a condemned prisoner walking towards the notorious electric chair and the lyrics of the song are his confessions and thoughts during this last walk". Although his efforts and talents are truly admirable, I feel that a profession- al recording studio/producer and the use of an acoustic drum-kit would do more justice to his songs. Chris actually seems to agree. Chris Mallia then talks about the human touch: "Utilising a professional recording studio is always advantageous.You have a prime quality recording engineer/producer assisting you using, in all probability, the latest technology in recording equipment. A (human) drummer is far better than synthetic percussion sounds. I used (synthetic) pro drum tools but the human touch cannot be reproduced. The disadvantage is that more expenses would be involved, which would of course have to be borne by myself.

Reviews in Maltese

It - Torca (Siro Camilleri) - Sunday, April 8, 2007

L-ewwel album ghal Different Strings – "... It’s Only The Beginning" – il-mohh, wara dan il-progett gdid fix-xena tal-muzika lokali tal-kompozitur, awtur, muzicista – Chris Mallia. B’kollezzjoni ta’ sitt siltiet li b’kollox jiehdu mal-50 minuta. Album li joffri hajra gdida ta’ muzika, li Chris ilu jahseb u jikkontempla ghal dawn l-ahhar snin. Influwenzat minn elementi rock tat-tmeninijiet bhal dawk ta’ Rush li huma l-aktar favoriti mieghu. Wara li tghallem il-kitarra klassika, it-teknika tal-kitarra u jipprattika l-pjanu, kien issieheb mal-grupp Turmoil. Aktar tard mar mal-grupp Achiral fuq il-keyboards, fejn ha l-ewwel esperjenza ta’ studio fejn jirrekordjaw id-diski. Wara biss sena mar mal-grupp Velvet u kien f’dan iz-zmien tas-sena 2000 li beda jikteb u jdoqq fil-pubbliku. Id-differenzi ghall-istil li kien qed ifassal u jibni fuqu r-repertorju tieghu, haseb li jkun ahjar li johrog bhala solista, bhala Chris Mallia, izda taht isem ta’ band li hadu minn wahda mid-diski ta’ Rush ‘Different Strings’. Isem mahluq perfettament ghaliex hu stess kien se jdoqq l-istrumenti li jirrekordja. Ghalkemm f’dawn l-erba’ snin baqa’ jdoqq ukoll mal-grupp Shaman, l-aktar ghall-gost u l-esperjenza, milli ghal xi qliegh. ‘Dead Man Walking’ kienet wahda mill-ewwel kompozizzjonijiet li kiteb u li biha ddebutta bhala Different Strings (2004) u li nsibu ukoll f’dan l-ewwel album ta’ Chris. Silta twila aktar minn ghaxar minuti, ispirata minn film dwar persuna ikkundannata ghall-mewt. B’kollox Chris ghandu bizzejjed kompozizzjonijiet biex johrog erba’ albums. Dawn huma biss hamsa li fl-opinjoni tieghu huma ideali bhala introduzzjoni li jista’ jipprezenta lill-produtturi tad-diski anke barra minn Malta.

L-ewwel silta ‘... It’s Only The Beginning’ hija strumentali b’hafna keyboards. Atmosferika hafna u li taghti identità ghall-album, ghaliex hija l-bidu. Fil-fatt fi tmiem is-silta hemm il-bikja ta’ tarbija tat-twelid. “L-aqwa bidu li jista’ jkollok hija l-hajja ta’ bniedem. Ironikament huwa l-ewwel album u warajh ghandhom jigu aktar,” qalli Chris. It-tieni wahda ‘All Over Again’ (6.52m) ghandha kor tal-widna u warajha ‘A Dead Man Walking’ (7.18m). Ir-raba’ silta ‘Beyond Infinity’ (10.24m) hija t-tieni strumentali b’element progressiv, influwenzat minn hafna gruppi. Il-hames silta ‘Around The World’ (14.26m) hija gabra epoka, maqsuma f’erbgha u titratta espedizzjoni, bil-bidu tal-vjagg: ‘into the great wide open’ (strumentali) u ‘the mountain of wonders’ (vokali) b’riflessjoni lejn it-tmiem fejn hemm ‘night storm’ (strumentali) u ‘monolith of dreams’ dejjem b’interpretazzjoni vokali ta’ Alan Mayo, li huwa l-mistieden specjali bhala kantant ewlieni ghall-kumplament ta’ l-album kollu. Is-sitt silta hija verzjoni radio-edit (4.33m) ‘All Over Again’ li rrekordja ghal dawk li jippreferu aktar muzika moderna. L-album huwa mahrug fuq tikketta ProgDome Records, li Chris irrekordja fl-istudio privat tieghu fid-dar, jikteb u jdoqq l-istrumenti kollha live. Il-bidu, ghaliex kif qalli dan il-kompozitur u multi strumentalista, bazikament it-tieni album, ghalkemm mhux irrekordjat, imma jaf x’inhu u x’ghandu ppreparat.

ahbarijietdotcom (CD Launch) - Thursday, February 15, 2007

Kien fil-bidu tat-tmeninijiet meta Chris Mallia beda jisma l-muika rock iżda r-rock progressiv dejjem laqtu kemmxejn aktar. Ritmikament kienu preċiżi u meldokament kienu interessanti għal Chris iżda l-iktar ħaġa li laqtitu f'din it-tip ta' mużika kienet il-lirika. Dejjem kien jgħewden li hu għandhu jitgħallem strument mużikali u fl-aħħar beda jitgħallem. Fl-1994 hu beda jieħu lezzjonijiet tal-kitarra.Filwaqt li kien qed jitgħallem il-kitarra taħt diversi għalliema kien qed jitgħallem il-pjanu waħdu wkoll. Hu kellhu diversi esperjenzi ma' bands, wħud iktar siewja minn oħrajn. Wara s-sena 2000 pero hu iddeċieda li jibda jdoqq solo. Hu għael l-isem ta' 'Different Strings'. F'erba snin sal-2004 hu kellhu xi performances live. Sa din is-sena hu kien kiteb diversi diski ida ma setax jirrekordja l-ebda minnhom għas-sempliċi raġuni li ma kellux flus u ma kellux vuċi. Iżda fl-2004 hu ltaqa ma Alan Mayo li skond Chris dan huwa wieħed mill-aħjar kantanti f'Malta. Alan aċċetta l-invit ta' Chris li jaħdem miegħu. F'Ottubru tas-sena 2004 huma rrekordjaw 'Dead ma walking' li kienet tnhiedet fl-1 ta' Novembru ta' l—istess sena. Bejn l-2005 u l-2006 huma rrekordjaw 'l bqija tal-kanzunetti għall-ewwel album li ingħata l-isem '...it's only the beginning'. Chris Mallia ser inhiedi l-album tiegħu il-Ħadd li ġej ġewwa l-Exotique ta' Baystreet fl-16:00. Kulħadd hu mistieden li jattendi.