REALM OF SHADOWS

Dutch progrock band Knight Area their debut CD The Sun Also Rises from 2004 sold more than 8000 copies, an incredible amount for a Dutch progressive rock band. And on stage the band impressed me very much, especially by their frontman Mark Smit (ex Queen cover band Miracle) and bass player Gijs Koopman (ex-Cliffhanger) on his mighty Rickenbacker bass. Last year Knight Area released their fifth studio effort entitled Heaven And Beyond, this album has more heavy prog and prog metal overtones than their previous four releases. I would like to go back to 2009, when Knight Area presented their third album, my favourite one.

The nine alternating and pleasant compositions (between 2 and 12 minutes) again sound very accessible and melodic. And again we can enjoy a blend of 24-carat symphonic rock (in the vein of 76-77 Genesis), neo-prog (like early IQ and Pallas) and more song oriented progrock. The climates shift from dreamy (with tender piano and passionate vocals) to powerful mid-tempo rhythms (with fiery guitar runs and fat synthesizer flights) and bombastic (with lush keyboards and Moog Taurus bass pedals). In many songs the focus is on excellent guitar work (from sensitive to biting), often supported by the distinctive sound of the Hammond organ and the unsurpassed Mellotron. Knight Area is at their artistic pinnacle in the track Momentum: from a swinging bass with violin-Mellotron to a Vinage Keyboard Heaven, featuring swirling Moog and impressive choir-Mellotron, goose bumps! Also the long final composition Occlusion showcases the huge potential of Knight Area, what a cascade of shifting moods, breaks and exciting solos. And what a breathtaking grand finale, including Moog Taurus bass pedals and choir-Mellotron, I am in Vintage Progheaven! Knight Area their progrock is a fine balance between showing skills and melody, this third album is a very strong example.