IQ

So, here we go again. Another IQ album hot off the presses, if not quite hot on the heels of their last album Resistance (as playfully suggested by Peter Nicholls). Unfortunately I was too late to buy the orange vinyl version of the album but hopefully it'll come out again in some other colour or kaleidoscope of colours on vinyl. So I've bought the CD but not content to wait for it to arrive in the post I've also downloaded it onto my phone via Apple Music (a very small price to pay for good music). Now, I have to say, there is some really very good stuff on here, notably for me from Neil Durant, but not alone from him. This is IQ once again doing what they do best. I know that there will be those who suggest that this is IQ by Numbers, going over the same old ground yet again, delivering the same old melodies, the same old guitar solos, the same old chords, the same old stories that have been rehashed and the same old drums. Well, to that I can only say Yes. There certainly is some of that here. Quite a lot of that in fact. But I absolutely love it. This is a great album, once again from the band. I'm now in my mid 60s. And having been following and supporting and loving progressive rock music since I was in my early teens, this is what I want to hear.

Listening to IQ music is always a challenge to me.

"Dominion" opens with a long piece, 22 minutes, and well, this is not what I feared, the composition is well written, the voice of Peter Nicholls is emotional, good, and a bit sad as always. To get right to the point, IQ is always doing the same album, for 40 years.

The record is well done, everything is controlled, but to me, the aesthetic is too wrong. Their way to impose their chords-plaster, all along the album, is boring me up. To me, it's the worst Banks/Genesis use of chords, with Mellotron voice and so on, melted with some metal riffs. It's the opposite of progressive music. It doesn't show something new, or some subtlety to the compositions. They always go to these enormous chords-plaster. It's a nightmare to me, especially the keyboards. It's always a variation of Genesis' s special part of a song, a variation of "Apocalypse in 9/8" for example. "No dominion" embodies perhaps the most what I dislike in IQ music, the big chords-plaster.

But to be positive, they master their world. The mix is great, the sound is good, and the composition is well done. So if you like IQ, you will love this album.

But to me, it's not what I'm searching in progressive music. I search something delicate, that surprises me, adventurous and inventive, and this music doesn't bring me that. It's seems that with that kind of album, the progressive world is lost. But don't get me wrong, I think that this album is a good album, in it's own way. But I feel so desperate with that kind of album. So I'm looking around, searching "outside" of the prog world. Tigran Hamasyan for example.

So, fair enough, I wish a good listen to those who love this kind of music. There's nothing wrong. It remembers me of Marillion. In a same way, Marillion is always doing the same album, in a rhythmic perspective, and with the guitar. I love Marillion, but I feel that they are stuck in their way to compose music. And IQ is stuck too. But they improved their own language, so in that perspective, it's good.

Under The IQ Dominion

A music album is good when you don't have to listen to it multiple times to decide if it's good or bad. Most of the time, you either like the music or you don't right from the first listen.

IQ, one of the biggest prog bands, has released Dominion, an absolutely great record possibly one of the best the band has ever put out.

Like an oasis in the middle of nowhere, Dominion stands as one of the few truly great albums released by established bands in recent years. Classics or not, Dominion is the best record from a major band in this era. Think of Marillion, Yes, Jethro Tull, or Steven Wilson they've all released albums in recent times, but many of those efforts have left much to be desired in terms of quality.

IQ, on the other side of the fence, isn't trying to prove anything or discovering the fire . They're just smarter they simply made something good, something that follows the style they've been refining over the last two or three albums. And to be honest, it worked. In the end, Dominion is truly outstanding and goes beyond expectations.

Dominion is a kind of concept record, open to different interpretations, but it's a snapshot of what's happening today. The album touches on war, authoritarianism, life after a pandemic, and a society that refuses to be beaten or give up its consumerist lifestyle. The record is deeply emotional it moves every fiber of your soul. Dominion is about the worlds we create for ourselves our personal domains and the control we believe we hold. We are the dominant species.

The album opens with "The Unknown Door," a 20-minute-plus epic that perfectly embodies IQ's signature sound while leaning heavily into an ambient and atmospheric orientation. The track flows through intricate movements, blending haunting keyboard work and emotive guitar solos, capturing the essence of IQ's unique style. The song's expansive structure tells a compelling story, drawing you into the album's immersive world.

"One of Us" is an acoustic folk-influenced piece wrapped in IQ's unmistakable sound. The melancholic yet hopeful atmosphere feels like a gentle companion throughout the journey of Dominion. It's a reflective moment, offering a beautiful balance of intimacy and emotional simplicity with sophistication.

The lead single "No Dominion" leans into a more atmospheric and ambient vibe. While it's a great song, it's perhaps the least striking on the record?mainly because the rest of the album is just so exceptional. The song's brooding mood and immersive production make it memorable, but it doesn't quite reach the emotional heights of the other tracks.

"Far From Here" is the standout track my favorite on the album. It's a deeply emotional journey that showcases IQ at their absolute best. The emotional coda, soaked in deep feelings over a soft bed of pianos and synths, features Peter Nicholls touchingly recalling the passing of his mother two years ago. The song masterfully balances dynamic shifts, with brilliant keyboard work, an incredible vocal performance from Nicholls, and a seamless flow of complex arrangements. It's more than 12 minutes of pure captivation?an emotional masterpiece that may just be the band's finest song ever. Time will tell.

The album closes perfectly with "Never Land," a track that feels like the culmination of all the emotional weight carried throughout Dominion. It starts gently before building into a powerful, cathartic finale. This song embodies everything great about IQ?beautiful melodies, thoughtful lyrics, and a dramatic flair that wraps up this marvelous record on a high note.

According to Peter Nicholls, "Never Land" has nothing to do with the Neverland of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. Instead, Nicholls has explained that the focus is on a couple "who lived their life and did not give any thought as to how this would end."

The band sounds better than ever. Peter Nicholls' vocal performance is the best I've heard from him?his lyrics are truly outstanding, and his unique writing style remains extraordinary. Michael Holmes sounds fantastic here; his guitar skills have only improved over the years, and after a 44-year career, he's undeniably one of the great guitar players today.

Neil Durant, the "new guy" since his debut on The Road of Bones in 2014, has changed the band's sound in subtle but significant ways. He's an extraordinary keyboard player?more adventurous than his predecessors Martin Orford and Mark Westworth. Tim Esau, who played on IQ's first albums until Are You Sitting Comfortably?, returned to the band on The Road of Bones to fill the space left by the mighty John Jowitt. Esau's mastery not only fills that role but improves on it. Paul Cook remains one of the greatest drummers around, though heavily underrated. Here, he sounds clean and precise this might be one of his best work so far.

The production, handled by Peter Nicholls, is pristine and clear. Every instrument and detail is treated with care, as if under a magnifying glass nothing feels out of place.

The cover art of an old man with the sunset in his soul represents dominion?maybe because we are the owners of our destiny and believe our domains are eternal.

Dominion is a great record. To my ears, it's sentimental, dark, very personal, and atmospheric, with moments of instrumental brilliance great keyboards and guitar solos, outstanding drumming, and stellar vocals. It may not be the greatest IQ record ever, but it's definitely one of their best. Dominion feels good and surpasses everything done by established bands in recent years. Once again, IQ saves the day, and everyone is happy again.

At this current time, this is the prog album the music community's focusing on right now, especially places like Progarchives. IQ helped to invent and flesh out the general neo-prog sound, and once they perfected it, they lightly played with it in different ways until they pretty much stuck with a specific sound that the fans would like. Truthfully, the short story is that IQ's been practically making this same album for the last 20 years, even though they still sound pretty good. I feel this is confirmed by the familiarity of their previous album which I listened to on this same day as the release of Dominion: Resistance. However, this is also why I consider this an upgrade.

Now Resistance was made up of the basic familiar traits of any IQ, or standard, neo-prog album with some healthy melodies and vibes, but the album was stretched out to two discs, and not in the optional way like The Road of Bones was. Dominion, however, is only one disc, and it also recollects some more familiar neo-prog traits and tricks that we may have heard before, but all together creates something a bit more eclectic than Resistance. The also recollect their taste for contemplative examinations of death, which is something they've been doing since the early days. Even the sole 20-minute track carries a bit more tricks and whatnot that help differentiate it from the last album. As well, there seems to be a stronger take on more progressive tectures, complete with stronger symphonics as well, so this doesn't take the blatant metal edge like many of their recent albums did.

This may be a familiar album, but it's also an enjoyable one. It makes for a good introduction to many of the things that make neo-prog tick, and even though it's a but familiar for a band that's been pioneering the genre they invented for 40 years, this one also shows that they still have plenty of spirit and life left. If anything, this has plenty of spirit which might make up for the generic elements.

British NeoProg band IQ is back with their 16th studio album release since they formed in the early 1980s. It is amazing to me that four of the band's original quintet of membership return/remain . . . after 43+ years!

1. "The Unknown Door" (22:33) herald-like horns open this one before static-treated television (or radio) clips from old WW II British broadcasts float across the background. Then Peter Nicholls enters using the same voice to perform another lyric using the exact same melodic formula he's used for 40 years. The heraldry horns continue with Neil Durant's typical synth strings chord washes for a bit before other computer-generated (or -enhanced) instruments start to come out of their enclaves. This feels like an opening scene to a Disney film--like Beauty and the Beast or The Lion King--where the villagers or jungle animals all start to appear and congregate while the protagonist introduces the audience to the feel and look (new innovative wonders of animation) of the film. Finally, at 4:40 we have full introduction and, by the middle of the sixth minute, full display of all of the personnel and tricks that the producers/artists have. The thick bass and bass pedals are cool, the Hammond and drums nice (though, of course, quite stereotypic in their "requisite" presence) and the bouncing synth chords are nice while a slightly different, slightly more engaged Peter Nicholls continues his storytelling (of the British bravery and tragedy in the Second World War). At 8:38 the band launches into a protracted heavy prog power section (action and passion, Lads!) intended, I think, to represent the courageous, unbridled energy and resolve of the oppressed Brits in the face of Hitler's war machine. The changes in instrumental sounds are effective--and would be moreso had they thought to change the sound effects on Paul Cook's drums, but, alas! they remain the same as they were throughout the first half of the song. At the end of the thirteenth minute the action/onslaught ends, leaving a quiet patch in which to look over the post-battle wreckage through the morning mist. There are those distant herald horns again (or fox hunt horns). At the 15-minute mark, enter a nice strumming, two-chord David Gilmour "Dogs"-duplicate acoustic guitar motif to create the next passage for the band to build around--and for Peter to continue his narrative--which leads up to a majestic church organ breakout that definitely conjures up the royal monarchy and all that represents. This only serves as a bridge to the next section of impassioned performances from all five of the quintet. And here we here Mike Holmes' lead guitar for what feels like the first time but then, one phrase "spoken" and it's gone: receded back into the maelstrom of thick sound. But this, too, soon ends as the simple keyboard synth "grass" supports Peter's introduction to his summation--before the "I think it's gonna work out fine" GENESIS "Supper's Ready"-like dénouement of the moralistic conclusion of his story in the final two and a half minutes. Of course the song ends with the Regina Britannia church organ, but the effect of nationalistic pride chest-puffing is somewhat diminished by the pastoral guitar, synth strings chord wash, and statement of the song's title in Peter's last pronunciations. (I'm quite surprised that the heraldic horns failed to make a final appearance!) (40.333/45) 2. "One of Us" (3:10) nice Paul McCartney-like acoustic guitar play opens this, setting down the balnket over which Peter Nicholls will sing his "Blackbird" like vocal. Too bad for the entry of the synth wash chords at the one-minute mark: the guitar and voice duet was fully sufficient. Nice work Mike and Peter! More of this! (8.875/10)

3. "No Dominion" (6:25) bombast and the familiar instrumental sound palette we all know and, supposedly, love from 1976-77 GENESIS albums, A Trick of the Tail and Wind and Wuthering. while Peter Nicholls sings about something in the same monotone and ploddingly-pace vocal delivery as . . . always! The ending of the song is quite odd as instead of a buildup to a long instrumental passage with its crescendo and (more) bombast--as it definitely feels as if its going--it just fades out. Mid-phrase. As if the engineer, producer, or band said, "No! No! Enough of this!" and then slid down the volume paddles on the console of the soundboard! Since I don't hear lyrics (they're just another instrument in a song's weave), I can't comment or critique the song based on message, but in terms of exciting, refreshing, or innovative music? There is none here. (8.6667/10)

4. "Far from Here" (12:44) a construct that very quickly lost my attention--receded into the background as "another one of those." The sonic landscape is too thick and murky, the drumming too proscribed and rote, the main chord progressions too homogenous, and the few solos or individual performance breakouts too mashed up within the confines of the wall of sounds' overall murk. And Peter Nicholls melody choices are too borrowed (I hear so much of Jon Anderson's Yes vocal melodies in this song). Even the plaintive piano-based finale is just . . . dull. There is nothing I can store or retrieve from this song for future recalll--nothing that even remotely draws to want to try to do so. Before I can even ruminate if I could do this better--what changes I might make--I have to back up and realize that I would never even deign to give my time such a project. (21/25)

5. "Never Land" (8:16) I like the simplicity and near-spaciousness of the opening four minutes of this. Then the [&*!#] flies: watered down post-Hackett Genesis, gnarled and scuffed by distortion, overly-thick synth walls, and unnecessary bombast. At the same time, I do find myself, for some as-yet undetermined reason, inexplicably sympathetic to this one: the overall effect of the simplistic, straightforward "pop" chord progressions has an endearing emotional effect on me--one that is quite reminiscent of the way PREFAB SPROUT's "Desire As" has always held me under its spell. Thus, despite my inclination to negate this as a standout representative of progressive rock music, I like it! It makes me feel good! (18/20)

Total Time 53:08

Several reviewers have been commenting on the "new" sound or "reinvention" of IQ for this album, but I hear none of this; Dominion is nothing but more of the same solid, well-engineered NeoProg that the band have been turning out over the last fifteen years. I am so glad the band chose to not publish a two album release--with their now-usual "Bonus Disc" of unfinished, unpolished, second-rate cast-offs. 53 minutes of my time spent with this stuff is quite enough; in the past (and with many of today's NeoProg, RetroProg, and "Symphonic" bands [I'm referring to bands like The Flower Kings, Glass Hammer, Antony Kalugin, and Transatlantic here--not to mention all the "all-star" albums coming from Italian artists]), I've dreaded having to wade through the muck and dross of 70 to 140 minutes of music--especially when it never really presents anything new or exciting, so, thank you, IQ, for that small mercy. Despite its merciful length of 53 minutes, I had to spend some time with this album in order to accurately and record my sincere reactions and form my opinions. The problem with me reviewing any IQ release is the fact that I am disenchanted with the repetitious to the brink of monotony presentation of the same limited sound palette over the band's 43 years and, worse, the total and invariable predictability of Peter Nicholls' singing. The lyrics may change but the melodies and presentation is the same, nearly exactly the same, in every single song he's ever participated on. In the end, I do not hear any deviation from the band's formulae. (And I admit: Why should they? It has worked for a long time; the band has a very loyal and enthusiastic following. I am just not one of them.)

B/four stars; another solid and fairly consistent display of NeoProg mastery from one of the sub-genres' oldest and most consistent artists.

Dominion arrives six years after Resistance, making it one of IQ's most anticipated albums... Mike Holmes has clarified that many other tracks were written but set aside to preserve artistic unity. This shows how carefully each track was chosen! With "The Unknown Door," IQ opens the doors to a new masterpiece. I don't know what exactly I was expecting when I launched "The Unknown Door," the opening track from IQ's new album Dominion. But certainly not this. Not this immediate thrill. Not this dazzling return of everything that made me love The Road of Bones, with this little something extra: an even more refined maturity, a more muted tension, a more immersive narrative. Because yes, IQ is back, and they're not just prolonging their legend? They're elevating it. From the very first seconds, the song establishes an atmosphere that is both mysterious and heavy. We find this signature style so characteristic of the group: the dark and enveloping keyboards, a tense rhythm that advances with determination, and this voice? always the voice? of Peter Nicholls, which seems to emerge from the mists to tell us something crucial. He does not address us: he takes us along. "The Unknown Door" is both a journey and a warning. The sonic textures are rich, dense, but never stifling. The piece takes its time (more than 10 minutes!), but it never drags. Each sequence evolves, transforms, becomes tense. There is something almost cinematic in the way IQ constructs the rise: a progressive narrative, which advances scene by scene, without ever getting lost. What is most striking is the quality of the production. Everything is clear, each instrument finds its place. The guitars are sometimes sharp, sometimes ethereal; The keyboards, meanwhile, paint post-apocalyptic landscapes that look like something out of a science fiction film. We sense a band that has mastered its craft, but refuses to rest on its laurels. The instrumental break in the middle of the song is a pure moment of grace. Where many bands sprawl, IQ condenses emotion. The harmonies are subtle, almost unsettling. And when the vocals return, it's to remind us that this song is a gateway to something bigger, to an album that promises to be ambitious, dark, almost conceptual. As someone who's not really familiar with prog, I'm always amazed by how IQ manages to make this genre so fluid, so emotional. No need to understand all the time signatures or references: the music speaks directly, without detours. And this song is the perfect example. He takes your hand, shows you an unknown door, and simply says: "Come in, we don't know where this is going, but you won't regret it." "The Unknown Door" isn't something you listen to; it's something you experience. It places you in an almost meditative state, then shakes you up, gently but surely. And when the last note rings out, you're left there, a little drained, a little fascinated, with only one desire: to hear what happens next.

After the hypnotic shock of "The Unknown Door," IQ continues with "One Of Us," a track that's brighter on the surface, but just as subtle and nuanced in its construction. It's a welcome contrast, almost like a breather after the tension of the opening. But be warned: with IQ, even "accessible" songs are emotional labyrinths. From the very first bars, we sense a more direct, more fluid melody, almost pop in its hook?and yet, the layers pile up very quickly. A round bass line, supple drums, keyboards dancing discreetly in the background. And once again, that voice of Peter Nicholls, still as inhabited, but here softer, almost benevolent. It's as if the band is saying to us: "You're part of the journey now, let yourself be carried away." The chorus is a true melodic gem: simple, immediate, but never banal. IQ achieves a rare balance here in prog: that of not sacrificing emotion for complexity. There's an almost radio-friendly side to this song?which doesn't mean commercial? but rather universal. You can listen to it without being a fan of the genre, without knowing the band. It still speaks to you. But IQ wouldn't be IQ without a few surprises. The second half of the song opens with a rich, more contemplative instrumental variation. We find this finesse in the textures, these production details that make each listen different. And when the melody returns, it's with a new weight, a reinforced emotional depth. "One of Us" is the perfect introduction for those new to the band. A more accessible track, yet one that retains that unique identity: a balance between light and shadow, between restraint and intensity.

If "The Unknown Door" was the solemn opening to a dark universe, and "One Of Us" a more melodic clearing, "No Dominion" closes the opening triptych with a discreet but relentless punch. It's a shorter, more compact piece, but also more urgent, almost nervous. As if the tension built up in the first two tracks ended up overflowing here. From the first seconds, the rhythm is more direct, drier, and the tone is set. We feel a form of dull anger, contained in Peter Nicholls' voice, which here seems less introspective, more frontal. The guitar is more present, incisive, and the keyboards weave a taut, almost threatening sonic carpet. There's something post-punk in the way the instruments converse? A nervous modernity that contrasts with the classicism of prog. But IQ never goes for pure rupture: it's all about controlled contrast. Even in this new intensity, there are moments of respite, furtive melodic reflections, like memories of a lost calm. The chorus, in particular, retains the band's typical ability to capture an emotion in a few notes. "No Dominion" acts almost as a declaration of intent: this new chapter for IQ will be neither comfortable nor predictable. The band rejects all domination? in both the literal and symbolic senses. We sense here a desire to assert an identity that is always in flux, to tell the audience: "Don't put us in a box, we are alive, and we are moving forward." This track marks a controlled break in the album, a tenser, more electric turn, which undoubtedly heralds darker corners to come. And it does so without chatter, without artifice. In less than five minutes, IQ reminds us that they can also hit fast and hard? And that even in its conciseness, their music can leave deep traces.

With "Far From Here," IQ offers us a poignant and introspective interlude, almost suspended in time. After the electric tension of "No Dominion," this track acts like a deep breath, a necessary pause, but tinged with profound melancholy. Here, the power comes not from the instrumental flourishes, but from restraint, silence, and naked emotion. From the very first seconds, we are struck by the apparent simplicity of the track: a soft piano, subtle keyboard layers, and Peter Nicholls's ever-disturbing voice, poised and fragile. Everything is slow, stripped down, as if the band wanted us to stop for a moment and look back. And it works. Immediately, we are transported "far from here," as the title suggests. Far from the chaos, far from ourselves perhaps. But this gentleness hides a great emotional intensity. The main melody is disarmingly beautiful, with a chorus that tightens the throat without ever falling into pathos. IQ excels here in the art of expressive restraint: no need to overdo it to touch the heart. Each note seems weighed, each word chosen with care. There is something almost cathartic about "Far From Here." This track is reminiscent of a lunar stroll, a moment of floating between two storms. We find a bit of the soul of Harvest of Souls or Closer, but with even more tenderness and maturity. It's a song that could stand on its own, but which, inserted here in the album, takes on its full meaning. It acts like a slow heartbeat, a space to breathe, reflect, feel. And then, towards the end, a few notes rise, like a discreet hope. IQ never lets sadness completely take over. There's always that discreet glimmer, that tenuous thread that connects us to something larger, something brighter. "Far From Here" may be the album's most accessible track, but it's no less profound, sincere, and essential.

"Never Land" is at once a conclusion, an apotheosis, and an enigma. This lengthy piece, over 19 minutes long, closes the Dominion album with a rare ambition: to embrace everything that progressive rock has to offer, while remaining profoundly human. From the introduction, we feel we're entering a more introspective, almost spiritual territory. The first notes hang, almost silent, like a held breath. Then, slowly, the piece unfolds. We find all the faces of IQ: melodic melancholy, emotional surges, instrumental flights, motifs that intertwine and echo one another. But what's striking here is the time given to each idea. There's no rush. Each movement seems to live its own breath, in a fluid and immersive musical narrative. Peter Nicholls's vocals are particularly touching on this track. We feel him on the edge of a whisper, then carried by the waves of sound, always in tune, always expressive. There's a discreet theater in his voice, a way of conveying emotion without overplaying it. "Never Land" is a mental territory, an elsewhere. We hear the band's past, their neo-prog roots, but also a form of contemplative modernity. The song explores areas of light and shade, with transitions as natural as they are surprising. The finale, especially, leaves a sense of gentle grandeur, a suspended farewell, as if the album weren't really ending, but letting us continue alone, with everything we felt.

With Dominion, IQ delivers an album of rare coherence, chiaroscuro, magnetic and moving, shot through with constant emotional tension. Each track explores a different facet of their universe, in a subtle balance between sonic density and melodic grace. IQ isn't seeking to shine technically, but to tell a story, to make it felt. The production is clear, the arrangements are polished, and each track acts like a chapter in a larger narrative. Dominion is an album that can't be listened to in one go: it's experienced, and leaves a lasting impression. The production is clear, the arrangements are polished, and the performance is remarkably precise. Peter Nicholls delivers one of his most captivated performances, while the instrumentations of Holmes, Cook, Esau, and Durant weave a dense but never stifling web. You breathe in this album. You live in it.

And perhaps the most beautiful thing is that Dominion is profoundly accessible. You don't need to be an expert in the genre to appreciate it. Every fan of demanding, melodic, and narrative music can relate to it. It's a work that deserves to be heard, yes, but it never closes the door on you. Quite an achievement for a band that will celebrate its 45th anniversary next year, and that has never been so prolific!

The Road of Bones: When Progressive Rock Grabs You Without Warning 😁

I'll be honest: I wasn't a fan of progressive rock at all. For me, the genre evoked endless songs, endless technical solos, and sometimes obscure concepts. I liked rock, yes, but it was more direct, raw, and effective. My musical world revolved around more classic vibes: grunge, alternative rock, a few touches of metal, and a fair bit of Britpop. So when, one evening while browsing YouTube, the algorithm decided to suggest a track called "The Road of Bones," I wasn't expecting anything. Especially not such a monumental musical slap in the face.

The track starts slowly, like a sonic fog settling in. A dark, almost cinematic atmosphere. Then Peter Nicholls's voice arrives, calm, deep, and perfectly controlled. There's a constant tension in the first few minutes, as if something was about to explode, and that's exactly what happens. The song picks up steam, the drums become more prominent, the keyboards soar, the guitars cut through the silence... and then, without warning, I found myself completely drawn in.

This self-titled track introduced me to much more than just a band: it opened the doors to a musical universe I'd always dismissed without ever giving it a real chance. So I dove headfirst into the entire album, The Road of Bones, released in 2014. And, without exaggeration, I think it's one of the most coherent and memorable records I've heard in the last ten years.

This isn't IQ's first attempt: they've been a pillar of British progressive rock since the '80s. But here, everything is modernized, sharpened, and aimed at a balance between musical complexity and emotional accessibility. Prog is never an excuse to dwell on anything: each track has a thoughtful structure, well-crafted crescendos, and above all, a unique atmosphere.

Take "From the Outside In," the album's opener. It's a song that, in another context, could have passed for an excellent alternative rock track?except that each arrangement, each build-up is mind-blowingly subtle. The guitars are rough, but never overwhelming. The layers of keyboards add dramatic depth. And always that voice, both fragile and powerful, guiding us through the meandering sound.

Then come tracks like "Without Walls"?over 19 minutes of music??and I swear I never looked at my watch. As a radio-friendly fan, I found myself living every second, every transition, every silence with passion. It's not a song: it's a journey, a story. Pink Floyd springs to mind, of course, but also Marillion, Steven Wilson, or even certain concept albums by Muse or Radiohead. Except that here, IQ imposes his own style, elegant and tense, almost theatrical.

What moved me about this album was the emotional power of the melodies. Far from being coldly technical, the tracks on The Road of Bones are inhabited. There's something human, melancholic, sometimes desperate, that constantly surfaces. Even in the most daring instrumental passages, we feel a narrative thread, a desire to make us live an experience, not just to demonstrate musical expertise.

And the craziest thing is that this accidental discovery led me to listen to the rest of their discography: Subterranea, Frequency, The Seventh House, Dark Matter, Ever? Each album has its own color, its own atmosphere, its own cult tracks. But The Road of Bones remains, for me, that ideal gateway: dark, intense, accessible without being simplistic. It's the album that reconciled me with prog, that even made me want to discover more, to understand the roots of this genre and its modern evolutions.

Today, I find myself recommending IQ to my friends who listen to Tool, Porcupine Tree, or even Arctic Monkeys. Because this album transcends labels. It's not just for prog purists. It speaks to anyone who loves well-crafted, sincere, and vibrant music. To those who want songs that take their time but never lose focus. To those who, like me, thought prog rock was "not for them."

And today, the icing on the cake, I have the opportunity to see them live in Paris. IQ will be at the Casino de Paris on September 26 and 27, 2025, as part of ProgRockFest, for an exceptional weekend where they will play tracks from The Road of Bones, as well as their newly released album, Dominion. Needless to say, this concert has a very special flavor for me: that of the meeting between an unexpected discovery and a growing passion. If you like music that transports you, that tells a story, that dares to be intense without sacrificing melody, don't miss this chance to see them live. I never thought I'd say this, but this progressive rock band has completely changed my vision of music. And I plan to experience it live, surrounded by other curious souls.

All this to say that this album should, in my opinion, be much higher in this ranking which reflects the lack of notoriety of a group which is nevertheless exceptional and which has delighted us for more than 40 years!

IQ's latest studio album seems to me to be another concept album meditation on death; they've had past form with this, of course, what with The Wake and Ever following such ideas. (For that matter, the cover art seems to be a wry reference to the bootleg version of Nine In a Pond Is Hear, what with the "opening up something to reveal a sunset inside" motif.) The title seems to exist as counterbalance to one of the song titles, "No Dominion", which seems to be a nod to the much-used quote "Death shall have no dominion" and so on, and there's a strong fatalistic streak to much of the lyrics.

But then again, isn't that same as it ever was? The intro to the epic opening track, The Unknown Door, extracts a radio broadcast of the declaration of World War II, which feels like it's touching on both the use of historic wartime radio announcements on Frequency and the World War I themes of The Seventh House; Dark Matter's Harvest of Souls played on the afterlife theme too. The fact is that IQ do have a set of ideas and motifs they like to loop back to from time to time - especially when Peter Nicholls is on vocals - and they're looping it again this time around.

But restating your ideas can be a good thing: it allows you to refine them, add nuance, proclaim what you still believe all the stronger whilst jettisoning that which no longer rings true. Musically speaking, this feels like a significant advance in IQ's sound, adding a layer of production polish and compositional subtlety over and above their already high standards. Though once The Unknown Door really kicks into high gear there's no doubt they're still square in the neo-prog realm which is their true dominion, they're also playing up to classic prog motifs and retro stylings less than ever.

But this isn't a Nomzamo or Are You Sitting Comfortably situation where they've decided to go more commercial - the song lengths are all wrong for that approach, for one thing - so much as it is a case where they're confident enough in who they are and what their sound is that they can basically do as they wish and it all manages to sound IQ because it's IQ doing it in an IQ fashion; in other words, it's another prog classic, but not because they're following a 1980s neo-prog playbook but because it's IQ doing it, and even if IQ sucker you into thinking they're going to make it straightforward momentarily they soon work in a way to do something fresh with it.

Neil Durant's work on keyboard deserves particular notice here, dialling relying less on flashy complexity (though there's not an absence of that) and more on continuing the "cinematic" spin to things I'd noted he'd added to Resistance. Some moments of this wrangle from his modern electronics the sort of stateliness you associated with old-time church organs, putting me in mind at points of moments in Yes's work like Awaken, and on that note a case can certainly be made that this may be the IQ work where the Genesis influence on their sound is least apparent and the Yes influence comes to the fore like never before.

It might be the biggest update to their sound since Subterranea, and finds them producing something which will simultaneously give rich enjoyment to long-term fans but is less reliant on their classic 1980s sound or nostalgia for prog's golden age than ever before. As far as I'm concerned, prog's new golden age is "whenever Dominion is playing". This may well be down to a commitment to quality control - reportedly, whilst the gang had enough new material to make this one a double album, they took the single album approach with it, letting us have the cream of the crop whilst the rest gets held back for further polish and refinement. If that's so, then there's every reason to have confidence they'll pull off a blinder with the remainder too.

I'm reviewing The Wake here but this review might as well stand for the other three IQ albums in my possession - The Road of Bones, Subterranea, and Tales from the Lush Attic. I constantly hear about "IQ, Pendragon and Marillion", as if IQ compares to the other two. They do not, though The Wake is probably the strongest of the three. Most of the time it seems they are just going through the motions, like they asked themselves what a prog album should be like in order to sell, then compose music to fit. This is of course in sharp contrast to true brilliance throughout. Don't get me wrong, there are occasional flashes of brilliance but those flashes of brilliance are only occasional. Three stars not a penny more.

IQ's tour for Resistance was cut short, like so many other tours, by the onset of COVID in early 2020, but they were able to get this show down before that happened. In May of 2020 they ended up streaming the show on YouTube as a gesture to fans who'd been hoping to go to the cancelled gigs, and then they put it out on their Archive Collection.

It's an extremely solid show! The band are by and large on top form, though Peter is overcome with a bit of a case of the sillies during the closing encore of Subterranea, and the material from Resistance sounds just fine live. It's a genuine shame they weren't able to complete this tour, but so wonderful that they were able to get this show on tape before the world went on pause.