GLORY OF THE INNER FORCE

The debut album from one of the best prog bands to come from the Netherlands during the 70s: "Glory of the Inner Force" is a record full of musical glory and lively force. Right from the starting point, the opener 'Register Magister' shows a bombastic explosion of sound, fed by the fire of hard rock and the sophistication of jazz rock, ordained by the progressive laws of variations and unexpected twists in melody, rhythm and mood. Each individual musician's skill is top-notch, and all four of them know how to work effectively in togetherness: this opener is a clear example of how the band can use the melodic structure of the main motifs and expand their potential strength without over-indulging in excessive improvisation, always keeping the focus on the logic of the motifs themselves. As points of reference, I could cite Akkerman and McLaughlin as major influences on van Nimwegen's guitar playing, while keyboardist Determeijer sounds clearly inspired by the Canterbury scene, but mostly what these guys do is find their own voice while challenging each other during the performances. The rhythm section is awesome, too: they remind me of van der Linden-Ruiter in terms of energy and precision. The high standards of Finch's intensity level is reaffirmed in 'Paradoxical Moods' - including an incendiary organ solo by Determeijer and some of Klaase's best drum rolls in the album. This piece sound to me very reminiscent of 72-73 era Focus, since its framework is heavily leaned on jamming: finally, the closing section is similar to early Camel with a harder edge. Things certainly don't get much softer with the opening section of 'Pisces', which once again sees the band mainly focused on jamming (once again Determeijer exposes his talent brilliantly, this time on electric piano), until a slower section gets in and gives room for an intense guitar solo by van Nimwegen, and somewhere in the middle, a bass extravaganza by Vink, too. I feel the symphonic ending comes somewhat abruptly, not too naturally, as if its potential bombast had been aborted, but all in all, it's still a great track. Things go back to plain perfection with the majestic closure 'A Bridge to Alice', which is also the longest and most intense piece of the album's official repertoire. All throughout the series of successive motifs there is a predominant somberness performed in a bombastic ambience. Somewhere in the middle there is a captivating acoustic guitar solo, and immediately afterwards, a spacey section that enhances the air of mystery that is displayed in many places all over the track. What a splendid closure! But the CD edition has got some more for the avid prog fan: a bonus track titled 'Colosus', divided in 2 parts that occupied both sides of a single. It is a catchy piece, indeed, but not simplistic: the prototypical Finch sophistication is overtly there. Overall rating: the maximum mark, which is just what every masterpiece deserves.