FREQUENCY

This is my 3rd glimpse into the world of IQ and by far the best. I started my journey with the well received DARK MATTER. As compelling as most of the songs were, some spark was missing. I am a sucker for concept albums, so I took the leap of SUBTERRANEA. Again, the musicianship was stellar and the lyrics were just obtuse enough to make your mind wander, but there was still something missing. After a lull, I decided to give FREQUENCY a listen. Am I glad I did! This is stellar. The music and lyrics compelling, the overall feel is buzzing with angst and a little anger. This was what I have been waiting for. The depth that Harvest of Souls compelled on Dark Matter, with some anger at a world unmoved and apathetic, over the last decade, towards everything permeates this album. It is truly spectacular to behold. The whole album is fantastic, but I love the title track, along with Ryker Skies, The Province, and Stronger than Friction.

The deluxe set is a must with the live DVD, which is also very good and full of long songs, just wringing with passion. I keep going back to this album over and over again, so it must be great! It also has me exploring more of the back catalog, after hearing the live versions of the songs on the DVD. I appreciate DARK MATTER much more now, and SUBTERRANEA THE CONCERT is far better than the studio version (not sure why...). I also picked up EVER, which is ok (dated perhaps?) and THE SEVENTH HOUSE, which I am still absorbing.

If you want to get into a great band, I suggest starting with the best, FREQUENCY!