NOVALIS

I think the second albun of NOVALIS "Novalis" a indispensable item in any serious prog collection and the best albun of this band, I consider also fairly superior to "Banished Bridge" and "Somerabend", albuns which presents the same 4 stars in the P A. The fantastic overture of the first track already leave perplexed the audience with a cascade of keyboards ( moogs and eletric organs ) side to side whit a explosive rhythmic section and a heavy wah-wah guitar harmony and making a announcement of a great disk, .litle by litle the music progress to a serene "intermezzo" where the eletric guitar dictates the melody to lead the sound to a new explosive rhythmic section unlike the first section with a short guitar solo and then returns to the overture theme. In fact this albun is full of this combinations to keyboards and guitars themes alternations ( like in the track 2, which starts like a ballad and changes in a almost martial following by a brief "meditative" theme whit a female voice in an evocation hymn and open passage for a heavy sequence which leading to an ecstasy/delirium the music and finaly returns to the sweet melody of the ballad. The third track is the less creative music and the more short , where the only detach goes to the texture of keyboards melody ( mainly moogs and mellotrons). The fourth track is very simmilar to the first with a except for the initial theme is a very influence by PINK FLOYD ( a space-prog theme), but the rest of the track is amazing and the highlights goes to the "waltz" melody playng by the hammond-organ wich are insert between the guitar solo passages. The fifth track reminds me a lot a ELOY theme and is also a great track. Without a trace of doubt this is a treasure of the prog scenery of the 70's. My rate is, natturaly... 5 stars !!!