FOCUS II [AKA: MOVING WAVES]

This was the first album that I heard, and what an introduction it was. Hocus Pocus, their most famous track, is the most perfect opener possible. Thijs Van Leer's yodelling does get somewhat irritating after listening to this track too much, but it is but a minor blemish on what is one the most musically advanced and experimental tracks by Focus. The next four tracks are decent, nothing too remarkable, but still very good, showing off Akkerman's guitar skills and Van Leer's flute. The main track on this album, though, is the epic 'Eruption'. This track replaced 'Close to the Edge' as my favourite epic track. The guitar work on it is just brilliant, the drums are jaw-dropping, in fact, everything about the track just screams 'epic!' The riffs are unforgettable and the track explores everything from hard rock to medieval sounds. In my eyes, this album is a masterpiece of prog rock. Five stars.