Needs more grit and aggression.
A 6 track CD with the shortest one being 5:22 tells you that this is likely to be of a genre that is only mentioned in dark rooms where small groups sit around with no clothes on. You know what I’m talking about folks!
And I suppose it does sit under the prog banner, but if you are old like me and grew up with 70s Genesis, Pink Floyd, Yes and Rush for example, then anything ‘new’ has to be phenomenally good to impress. And as I started to write this review having listened to it a couple of times I was going to put that this album was one of those that wasn’t particularly bad, but one of those that you would maybe listen to once and then put away. But, I played it again as I started writing and I now feel it important to say that it is actually quite good. I admit to being stuck a little in the past when I hear some things and make comparisons and when the album started with ‘Secret Garden,’ I sat up and thought of Uriah Heep, as that was what it reminded me of.
And I still had Heep in my mind as it continued with ‘Nightmare Days’ and then track 3 ‘Prophet,’ reminds me of Steve Hackett with his brother John on the flute, but in one of their less dramatic moments. And then I realised what was the ‘problem’ for me with this album. It needs more grit and aggression and I put the lack of this down to production more than the song structure and execution. The acid test for me is whether or not I find myself remembering some of the music after I have listened to it say, yesterday, and to be honest that didn’t happen here.
However, I think in the future, with a few tweaks and changes here and there, that could easily be rectified.
Andy B
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