REMEMBRANCE BRANCH

My first reaction was, wow, are these guys really American? Unlike the in-your-face example of contemporaries like Spock's Beard and old timers like Kansas, Forever Twelve plays with an understated style that is decidedly British, but it is also very much their own.

One of my favourite features of the best songs is the jazzy/funky guitar style full of subtleties, and the way the rhythm section supports it bouncily. As a result, Forever Twelve is prog that actually rocks without the slightest metallic tint. Cat Ellen sings somewhere between Jane Relf (Renaissance/Illusion) and Jenny Hahn (Babe Ruth), while not sounding particularly like either.

While the songs are long, they generally have purpose and a sense of direction, although this breaks down a bit on the longest piece, Victor's Eye, and the last couple of cuts don't measure up to what came before, particularly from a compositional standpoint, but "Edge of Reality" parlays a gorgeous melody into a worthy arrangement of synths and the aforementioned guitars. The real gem is the 9 minute "Here Again", which stands up to many a prog/neo prog classic, while not really being comparable to any. It masterfully shed several skins during its tenure only to re-emerge stronger than ever. This song alone makes the album a buy. "Burning Ink" is more uptempo and its highlight is the mysterious spacey sounding theme that surfaces about halfway through.

How delightful that a modern band can produce a modern album with so much that is brimming with originality and energy, even if the work as a whole is not entirely consistent.