RHETORIC

From Wikipedia: ''Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the capability of writers or speakers that attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations.'' Now to that I fully agree, as Credo fully apply this art on their second album, to which I come after listening to "Against Reason". The usual (as Mark Colton would say) subjects of love, war and personal experiences are portrayed through the emotional lyrics and a strong vocal performance.

For those familiar with "Against Reason", "Rhetoric" follows more or less the same pattern, with long, but pretty accessible and far from complex, compositions, dominated by mellow passages with the occasional injection of classic rock attitude. With Marillion (Fish-era) being at the heart of this album as an influence, here we also find a touch of Gilmour's style and some more raw 80's neo-prog in the vein of Pallas. Mike Varty injects some pure keyboard energy but also handles well the more mellow moments. Solid compositions, well-worked and carefully laid out form the spine of "Rhetoric", which shows another common characteristic with its successor: it comes out as rather long as a listening experience, as simple arrangements drag on for more than required, with the fear of sounding repetitive. No bad songwriting on this album, just not enough "creative" weight to support the length that would turn this into a masterpiece.

I find myself enjoying the more up-tempo, elaborate compositions, with the signature keyboard and story-telling of "Skintrade" leading the way, the majestic and passionate "Too Late..." (just listen to that refrain) and the neo-prog trademark "...To the Grave" with the powerful bass line that makes it ideal for playing live. This is what, I think, Credo do better so I will be looking forward to more of these elements in the future releases. 3.5 hearty stars.

Personal thanks go to Mark for providing this CD.