THE TIDES RETURN FOREVER

"Eloy" was not really great since "Metromania" in 1984. Their production will also be rather discreet during all these years. Three studio effort and two (re-worked) compilation ones. The success of these compilations was maybe the kick to go on and release "The Tides Return Forever".

The band has almost turn their back on the synth-electro music and delivers here some better music. Only "Generations of Innoncence" will flirt with this genre and therefore I don't like it for most of its duration. Surprisingly enough, it will hold one of the best guitar break of the whole album. But the synth / pop "The Last in Line" is on par with their worse work. Skip it, by all means.

The title track (mostly due to the choirs) is fully Flodian. These vocals are the best moments of the song (don't worry, these are fully female ones, Bornemann does not interfere here : thank god)!

The best song is IMO, the long "Fatal Illusions". Very much "Floydian" oriented. The intro being some clone of the great "SOYCD". It has been quite some time that this major influence for "Eloy" has not been featured in one of their albums. The problem (as always I would say) are the terrible vocals. It is really a pity that during all these years, their leader Frank Bornemann didn't take some English lessons. This would have raised the quality of their work quite substantially.

We'll stay in the Floydian territories with the closing number "Company of Angles". When you listen to the chorus, they seem to come out some "The Wall" sessions. They are actually too much forced, exaggerated. And apart from this, the song is rather dull and flat. Uninspired and totally useless.

"The Tides Return Forever" is a pleasant trip back in the earlier "Eloy" discography. It does not compete with their best works of course ("Inside", " Ocean" and "Silent Cries & Mighty Echoes"). Still, it has been ages that the band didn't produce such an album. Three stars.