As with my It Bites revelation last night, I’m finally giving this slab of 1984 neo-prog a go. I never could get past the sheen of the opening track, so I’d put it away. Pressing on, finally, it all came together quickly, and now I totally get it. Despite being produced by Eddy Offord, this does not have much in common with Yes or ELP. Instead, I hear shades of Van der Graaf, Rush, and Saga, among others. There is a rawness to the production that stands in contrast to other recordings from that era. But I do wonder how this would have sounded had they had a more fluid drummer; this dude’s playing is very stiff and it drags the material down at times (especially during the slow parts). The writing and arranging is very original, sometimes even clever, but it’s clear why bands like Marillion and IQ left them in the dust. That being said, this is a very cool record and I’m glad I stuck it out. I will spin this many more times and explore this band’s catalog further.
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