POWER AND OUTCOME

Very bombastic and majestic symphonic prog straight out of the 70s but with modern arrangements delivered by Cast in their 19th (!) studio album. Strong references to classical music, guitars often verging on neo-classical themes and riffs and a very strong violin presence in Roberto Izzo sort of complete the puzzle. In the more than 70 minutes of this album, the music is very diverse, at times overfilled with complex structures, relentless soloing and changing of speeds and themes, almost a cinematic approach to dragons, queens and castles. The album cover points to that sort of thematography with clear references to Genesis (is that Peter Gabriel?) and Marillion.

The strongest references are to Kansas and especially their earlier works. Cast are not afraid to experiment with extended song structures and this pays off to a very inspired and majestic outcome - the lengthy opener ''Rules of the Desert'' is a great example of this. Musically and lyrically there is not much that I can pick upon, apart from the vocals and vocal lines. The effort to over-express themselves leads to vocal lines that sound to me slightly out of tune with the music, while the accent and the way of singing can put the listener off from enjoying the full grandiose of the compositions. There is something here that does not quite match and is difficult to figure out, but definitely an area for improvement in order to produce a truly memorable output.

Other than this, ''Power and Outcome'' is an orgasm of melodies and structures, a 70-min Song for America or Cheyenne Anthem missing the catchy vocals and refrains. The musicianship needs to be discovered even if you don't enjoy the full spectre as I did.

3.5 stars