LEX REX

First Listening, once again the American Symphonic Prog outfit suprise me with yet another supreme example of the Genre they grace majestically. If you listen carefully you will get the essence of Yes, Genesis, ELP, but it's a mix and it works for me. After the intro which is supposed to be a victorian music hall Master of ceremonies (he appears twice more in the intermission and goodnight), the first track proper is Tales of Great wars. At 10:42 a nice prog length composition full of hammond and synthesizer arpegios and some Wakeman like synth soloing, I like it already. Track THREE is ONE KING and at 6:07 a more modest length, again more yes influence with nice synth and piano with a jazz/rock feel. Then the EPIC, FURTHER UP AND FURTHER IN, which is 15:13 and it's a superlative example of GH at their best, Excellent start with ELP themed synth then rich piano and sumptuous synthesizers. You get a bit of the Fountain of Salmacis (see if you can hear it!) thenan Emerson like Piano break, then Hammond organ arpegios straight out of Apocalypse in 9/8, ITS ACE. After the intermission, we get Music for four hands a nice piano duet, then a track A Cup of Trembling, nice guitar work and good Bass line and a very nice synth solo. Centurion has Piano a Guitar solo and a lovely Synth Fugue. Track 9, when we were Young has nice synths and Genesis Hammond (Colony of Slippermen?). It finishes with a nice little track Heroes and Dragons and I have been taken through a wonderful pastiche of prog themes, all aimed straight for my ear. The Theme is of a Roman Soldier, fooled by his gods to supposedly become Longinus, the Centurian who thrust his spear into the side of Christ on the Cross, and who is then converted to Christianity and away from his pagan roots. Again this CD deserves a 4.75 - To 4.8, BUT it'll get rounded down to a FOUR, PAH