IN HAZE OF TIME

Fans of vintage keyboard-based prog will be in for a treat with this CD. TRESPASS are a new 3-piece band from Israel, but they released a CD featuring music that could have easily come out of another era. This 3-piece band is led by virtuoso keyboard player Gil Stein, and he is supported by a top-notch bassist, and drummer. Keyboard-wise, I hear Hammond, piano, and occasional synth leads. Gil also plays guitar on several tracks, but that instrument never leads. To my ears, TRESPASS comes close to ELP mixed with the playfulness of TRACE and FINCH (without the guitar leads). These guys love to swing jazzy Bach-influenced keyboard lines in odd time signatures, to give you a general idea. The CD booklet mentions that the band decided to keep a "free and breathy" sound, and those two words also fit perfectly with the style of prog on this CD. While instrumentally things get complex, I found the lyrics rather simple in nature. My guess is that the band wanted to balance out the frenzied playing with something easy-going. So, instead of singing about complex "prog" topics in a lengthy manner, the guys repeat simple sentences such as "I'm lost in time!" or "I'm in the mood to love you, baby". While this might surprise some prog fans, I found the simple lyrics a good balance to the complex instrumental sections. The use of 70s-styled vocal harmonies is likeable. Overall, this is on my Top 10 list of new releases. The vintage sound combined with incredible musicianship, and playful ideas will impress most fans of keyboard-based prog. Album number two already sounds like a monster!