PHANTASMAGORIA

A different taste in progressive rock: Woman singing(about French Revolution, individual pleasure, ghosts, ghouls and much more!), accurate violin arrengements combined with sharp guitars, Vivaldi and Lewis Carroll influences, etc. They did what Renaissance also did but in a funny-yet virtuous-way. Marie Antoinette is wonderfully made.Maybe the best French Revolution song ever made, entirely focused on the austrian queen viewpoint. Sharp lyrics, fancy instrumental passages. Melinda is Sonja's tune, with her acoustic guitar floating by while she frames her words. A ballad pretty inspired. Not quite the Same is fun, the kind of humour I like to hear in music(that doesn't sound silly or compromise the sound), very odd and original. The two following instrumental tracks are both complex and pleasant, two prog rock gems. I like to think the rest of the tracks as a single one(because of their theme, which is similar) and I 've reasons to believe Monkman wanted them this way. However, they're all great(except the Whose Shoulder... oddity, my least favourite song, that I usually skip). Overall, a great album, and I can't find reasons to underrate it. It's different, inspired and unique. Five stars on it. Atchuuu!!!