SERPENTS IN CAMOUFLAGE

If you ever belong to the generation of the inconsolable Gabriel period of Genesis, I guess that such an album is made for you. Vocals are very much in Peter's style (actually, the huge amounts of lyrics reminds me even more Peter Nicholls form IQ) and musically, Genesis is never far away.

Is this a clone ? Well, yes probably. If you like bands like Rael, Mangala Vallis or The Watch for instance, there are a lot of possibilities that you will quite like "Citizen Cain". Now, I do not really know why "Citizen Cain" is ranked in the symph genre while most of the band playing this type of music is referenced under the neo-prog banner. Strange, indeed.

Do you fancy some "Cinema Show" keyboards ? Just listen to "Liquid Kings". Complex and long number, all the recipes of such derivative bands are included in this track. But "Citizen Cain" probably does it better than lots of other ones out there. Guitar is maybe a bit shy but this track is one of the highlights of this album.

Some of you might be irritated with the lead vocalist of course. To be that close of PG might sound too much. But that's the package. You can't leave him out of the band. And actually it fits perfectly well with the music of course. Compositions are long (only two clocking at less than ten minutes) and relatively complex. They are probably not grandiose for most of them, but none is poor (although "Dance f The Unicorn" is probably the weakest of all).

My favourite song is also the longest one. "Serpents In Camouflage". It shows a harder band for half of the song, but then some delicate and softer tone is adopted and will be built crescendo to offer a passionate finale. Great keyboards like who you know.

Of course, the first listening was love at first sight for me. But I am quite orphan of this period so, I am biased, can't help ! When I listen to such beautiful parts as during "Harmless Criminal" I just succomb. But , as I have said, no weak track on this album. I like it. Still, the more I listen to it, the more I notice that it lacks in creativity.

Three stars for this good debut work.