MISTY MOON

Among the best, if not the best, Japanese Prog bands of the 80's, Outer Limits possibly existed since the start of the decade and their early line-up even featured bassist Tadashi Sugimoto (from Pazzo Fanfano Di Musica project), who left the group prior to the debut album.The rest of the early crew were keyboardist Shusei Tsukamoto, drummer Nobuykuki Sakurai, guitarist Takashi Aramaki, violinist Takashi Kawaguchi, bassist Tadashi Ishikawa and singer Tomoki Ueno.The band released the first album ''Misty moon'' in 1985, distributed by Made In Japan Records.

As many Japanese groups of the time, Outer Limits played Classical-influenced Progressive Rock, but unlike many of their compatriots, who had a very synth-drenched style of music, the symphonic influences of the album were proposed through the extended use of violin and the Classical orchestrations.Thus, the band sounded like the Asian version of U.K. and THE ENID, delivering bombastic groovy parts with deep bass work combined with awesome violin interludes of a Classical nature and lots of symphonic arrangements.The result was an album blending the romantic flavor of Symphonic Rock with more upbeat tunes, while three out of the four tracks of the original issue clock at or exceed the 10 min. mark.No need to say there is some huge room for instrumental workouts, full of captivating melodies, angular violin solos, muscled rhythmic parts and dominant breaks. and The limited vocals come in English with a very JOHN WETTON-like style of singing and far from the annoying, heavily accented color of most Japanese singers.The shortest track ''Saturated Solution'' contains also some excellent synth runs in full interplays with Kawaguchi's violin, creating a bombastic symphonic atmosphere.

One of the best Prog albums of the 80's out of Japan.Non-commercial, grandiose symphonic-oriented Progressive Rock, characterized by series of monster instrumental themes of a superb composing value.Highly recommended.