MAN OF THE MOMENT

This was a complete surprise for me. I had never heard about this band when my friends here on PA told me about them. I read the glowing reviews and decided to take a chance on it, even if I had a lot of great CDs to buy this year, like the new IQ album. But it was worth it. It is very hard to find such a melodic sound and, after repeated spins, still not being able to classify it. They actually make a very interesting mix of symphonic, neo and melodic rock. The result is, at the same time, both complex and accessible (think of Genensis around the time of Wind & Wuthering with a modern sound). Don´t be fooled by the nice, sing-along harmonies. Behind them you can tell they are excellent musicians and the arrangements are very well done. You don´t get bored a single moment in the whole 75+ minutes CD!

One thing that really caught my atention is their flair for writing the great tune: the album is full of fine, captivating melodies that a lot of composers would die for, one after the other. Their energy and inspiration seem simply endless. There is no endless noodling or pointless display of virtuosity, even if you can tell those guys are very skilled. Everything is put to work for the songs, small or long. Another great feature is their vocal hamonies, like the counterpointing voices of Kai Marckwordt and Mirko Bäumer on Closer Contact. The two completely different timbres do make a great effect and I hope they use this technique more times in the future.

It´s hard to point out a highlight on this CD. It´s quite varied, and yet it has a cohesive whole. The excellent production and mixing also helps a lot to bring their talents to the fore. But the guitar parts, with its emotional, short and beautiful solos are one of the band´s strongest marks, along with the tasteful keyboards textures.

In other words, a very promising band and I´m loking forward to hear their next releases. If you like melodic prog, you shold not miss Man of the Moment! Highly recommended.