BETWEEN FLESH AND DIVINE

Lovely one from this unassuming Turkish foursome, rich in flavor and of complex ingredients, sincere to a fault, and pious in their intention to do credible symphonic rock as that of Renaissance or Genesis. The group is also branded as a Camel clone-- in sound maybe, but not content. There is more going on here, the material has a greater concentration, as if the band knew they'd only have a couple records to say what they wanted to. It is, in a sense, Romantic Prog.

The main influences here are guys like Ravel, Vivaldi, Copland, as evident in lilting 'Nightwind' and pastoral eight-minute 'Northern Lights' layered with flutes & keys, the piece moving into harder territory and significant progression, expansion and development. Somewhat flat 'Boundless' is not helped by the tortured vocal, but decent arena-rocker 'Dedicace' reflects a dying era of rock/fusion in 1980, weird 'Lost in a Dream Yell' is unsettled and directionless but in a very Syd Barrett kind of way and probably too long at over seven minutes, and fun Surf/Psych 'Dreadful Memories' provides some needed relief.

A brilliant try at one of the most difficult modi operandi to compete in, and a fine record of lush symphonic rock executed with care.