ENDURANCE OF THE OBSOLETE

So. Another one-man band. Well, I must say that I usually have issues toward one-man bands. Generally speaking, the singing is is OK (sometimes bad), the guitar is OK, the bass is OK, the keys are OK and the drum is OK. No virtuosity expected. The new Apogee album, Endurance of the Obsolete, checks in all categories. But, as a whole, does it make Endurance of the Obsolete an "OK" album ? A little more than that I must say, much to my surprise. Arne Schäfer, the man behind Apogee (and behind Versus X) manages to give us very nice melodies. The 6 songs of the album (3 of them are more than 12 minutes long, which I like) are anything but complex nevertheless structurally well balanced and pleasant to the ear. The opening song song, "Interpretations", is particularly interesting with its three-parts canon (à la Haken's Cockroach King) and its fine cello, harpsichord and vibraphone harmonies. Overruled, a 16-minute epic, is a good example of a perfectly well written and composed composed piece of progressive music. This is Apogee's tenth album and it was about time for me to discover Schäfer's work. Endurance of the Obsolete is, despite its minor flaws, a very interesting album that will surely force me to make up for lost time and listen to Apogee's old stuff. Well deserved 4 out of 5 stars here (could have been 4,5 with a guest singer !).