DON'T BRING THE RAIN

Aragon's debut album is a rather forgettable affair compared to the earlier material collected on their classic Rocking Horse album; that showcased an interesting, spooky, electronic- influenced take on the whole neo-prog deal, whereas this time around they cleave much more closely to the late-1980s Marillion/Pendragon playbook. Poppy opener For Your Eyes and the embarrassing Christmas song Solstice represent the album at its worst, whilst songs such as The Cradle and The Crucifixion don't accomplish very much except giving me a craving to listen to some early Marillion, or perhaps Pendragon's The Jewel. It's a real shame the band didn't feel daring enough to include more material along the lines of Rocking Horse on here; as it is, the debut has to be seen as a wasted opportunity.