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Florida's Skyliner has always pushed the boundaries and on their new EP, The Age of Virgo, that trend intensifies. Three tracks of very different music round out the 24+ minutes of the EP. It starts with "The Age of Virgo, Pt. 1: The Seed, The Harvest" a nearly 9-minute instrumental written in what sounds like the middle of a King Crimson binge. Moody and contemplative, the song is based around a bass line with sparse drums and jazzy guitars. "The Age of Virgo, Pt. 2: The Deluge, The Birth" picks up the intensity with a heavy riff and guitar-driven melody. It reminds me of the middle sections of Rush tunes like "By-Tor and the Snow Dog" and "2112". The nearly 10-minute length is devoid of vocals until nearly the end when Skyliner adds some shouted choruses. "We Are Still at War" ends the EP on a more traditional power/thrash note, and a nice crushing note it is.

Skyliner are talented and clearly the music on The Age of Virgo was created to satisfy their own creative desires, regardless of whether anyone else likes it. I'm not sold on most of the music being instrumental, it just isn't what floats my boat. I don't hate it but it just doesn't get in my brain the way other styles of music do. If you like your music straightforward, The Age of Virgo probably isn't for you, but if you have an adventurous streak or like a wide variety of rock music, check it out.