DESTINATION

Coming to Destination after Ra is one heck of a let down! While it is true the awful artificial percussion has been ditched in favour of a proper drummer, yet the progressive approach has also largely been abandoned in favour of generic song-based arena-rock anthems [eg Fire And Ice], heavy metal licks [eg Prisoner Of Mind] and guitar-god posturing [eg Eclipse Of Mankind]. It may be more accessible, but it is also downright boring in places, the memorable bits generally being confined to catchy vocal licks and melodies.

Fortunately, there are exceptions! Opener, Call Of The Wild is a fine start featuring a pounding beat, one-note bassline and real flute fills. Title track, Destination, also features a flute solo in an arrangement uncomfortably close to 1980s Genesis. It has a straightforward song structure but works quite well, especially when Bornemann's voice morphs into a synth-choir. Jeanne D'Arc is the only concession to Prog, a sprawling piece with a 'complex' structure and a big choir joining in the fun, though your attention tends to waver somewhat before the end.

This is not an album I play very often, nor could I recommend it to anyone other than an Eloy fan. As always, musicianship is of a high standard and there are some nice inventive touches in even the poor songs [eg the kiddies choir in Silent Revolution] but it just doesn't have the true spark of inspiration needed to lift it from the ordinary. Vocals are generally fine, and mostly multi-tracked, though the high harmonies sound a little strained. Overall, the album is not a great success, especially considering the band's glorious history.