SHATTERED IMAGE

Excellent second efford by this interesting neo prog band from Greece - and a huge step forward from their first. Their music is very much influenced by early Marillion, Arena and IQ, but they also have a very greek folk flavor in their sound as well. New singer Ima has a very particular voice that is soft and strong at the same time. She gave the band a kind of personality that was missing from their debut CD.

This is a concept album about a man looking at the facts of his past life and facing the possibility of suicide. All the tracks are linked with this story line. La Tulipe Noire has an interesting and unique approach to prog, less bombastic and more minimalistic and circular than most bands. What initially seems to be simplistic and sparse, is really very well crafted and melodic. It takes some time to sink in like most great prog albums do. But if you listen carefully to the small details youll find a great tapestry of sounds. The guitars/keys/bass/drums interplay is very interesting, but the keyboards brief solos are the most outstanding and rewarding pieces here. Very effective.

The songs themselves are all good. The second track, Shattered Ego, may sound too Marillion-like for some (even the drum patterns seems to be lift directly from Script From A Jester´s Tear). But it is the only one. The rest is quite unique, very convincing and powerful. The ten minute epic The Haze is probably one of the highlights, but I like to hear this CD as a whole. Production is ok. The cover seems to be a Mark Wilkinson rip off, but it surely works well considering their influences and style.

One of the nicest surprises I found on PA. Highly recommended, especially for 80´s neo prog fans. 4,5 stars.