If there’s anything in the music world quite like Pure Reason Revolution’s first full album, THE DARK THIRD, I’ve never encountered it. Of course, I can think of Talk Talk, Lush, Pink Floyd, My Bloody Valentine, Porcupine Tree, Cocteau Twins, NAO, and Newspaperflyhunting. . . but PRR is still something rather altogether different.
Even upon my very first listen, I remember being just utterly dazzled. Hard to believe that has already been a decade ago. it was the first album I ever purchased as a download. Frankly, I hate downloads, and I have long since bought the actual physical CD of THE DAR THIRD, but I remember well putting my credit card number in and waiting nervously for it to appear in iTunes.
But again, from that opening moment of THE DARK THIRD, I was hooked. That it took nearly six minutes for the first human voice to show up on the album, only strengthened my love. When Chloe Alper’s voice does finally make its first appearance, it’s as though I’ve been waiting to listen to it all of my life. Few albums can match vocal quality with music type (if PRR has a type) like PRR can on this first album.
Over and over the snow lies uncovered
through the storm fields
please lead us through the remains
For those of you who know my scholarly work, I named my personal blog, “Stormfields” in honor of these lyrics and this band.
As I look back over the band and its history, I find it all perplexing. There seem to be at least three different covers for THE DARK THIRD, a variety of track listings, and a similar number of different release companies.
Not surprisingly, Paul Northfield (Rush, Dream Theater) produced and engineered the album, and it certainly has the feel of audio perfection.
I tried to follow the band after it released THE DARK THIRD, but I personally found the followup music unlistenable. I realize they didn’t want to make a “THE DARK THIRD” part II, but the directions the band takes are just bizarre.
Regardless, the world has THE DARK THIRD, a gift of extreme beauty, in and of itself. After 10 years, I’ve never once grown tired of listening to this album or of finding myself in total immersion. And, I doubt this will ever change.
Progarchy 
I listened to that album I had never heard of them are they American their music is good
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I like a lot some passages of Ammor Vincit Omnia, found it brilliant. Then, Hammer and Anvil I find it, well, yeah, pretty much unlistenable.
The Dark Third is one of those things that sometimes happen in history. I remember listening to it for the first time and just feeling like “wow!”.
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