BATTLEMENT

The obvious comparisons to Genesis begin with the French lead vocalist who sounds very English and very Gabriel. But these German musicians also replicate the Genesis musical sound in most of these 7-8 minutes songs - without ever ripping off any of Genesis' melodies or riffs. (I should note that the title song is actually sung by the bass player in a more Eloy-ish sounding manner.) This is a real joy to sit down and listen to straight through; no songs rated below an 8 for my tastes. Surprise, surprise - the production is not top-notch, but certainly nothing to complain about. Compare this group's style also to England's "Garden Shed".

If you loved early Genesis, this is about as close as you can get to the Rael thing.

4-1/2 stars