THE SEVENTH HOUSE

I've said it before and I'll repeat it once more: when it comes down to the crunch, music is all about feeling. When all is said and done, the aim of all musicians is one and the same: to move the listener. And IQ is one of those gifted bands that have mastered the art of moving your innards like no one else.

"The Seventh House" is altogether freaky, genial and dangerously seductive. It is full of slippery chords, time changes and musical passages that choke you with emotion at every turn. The opener "The Wrong Side of Weird" is an explosive tune that spells "Ever" all over again (the intro alone will blow you away). "Erosion" is a hauntingly beautiful piece with a scorching bluesy part, about three quarters into the track. The 12-minute epic "Seventh House" is a little slow to kick off but develops wonderfully as it progresses. With tracks such as "Zero Hour", you have to admit the bass player knows a trick or two - notice the part where NICHOLLS sings 'Zero hour, times are changing, Count the seconds one by one' - wow, I get all worked up just thinking about this passage). "Shooting Angels" leaves me a bit cold but the closing track, "Guiding Light" (my personal favourite), embodies just about everything I like about IQ: rough yet melodious passages, extremely moving musical themes and PETER NICHOLLS vocals at their best. Had it not been for the weaker "Shooting Angels", I would readily have given this album 5 stars.

(I've just re-read this review before posting it and can only imagine what a field day a freudian psychologist would have... But hey, we progsters know what we like. And if bands like IQ can deliver the goods so exquisitely, more power to them!)