STARCASTLE

Very pleasant album. More prog than their second which, although still proggy, contains a bit poprock oriented sound in several songs, but still good. Everybody talks about Starcastle beeing Yes clones. Well, how about no. Of course there are similarities, but along with differences (and not only to Yes, I hear ELP here and there among others influences). Bass sound reminds Squire, but the same can be said about Geddy Lee style and nobody seems to make a big fuss about it, Chris Squire was very influential and his style left mark on many bass players, and Squire wasn't the only one using Rickenbacker then (e.g. Rutheford). Vocal harmonies are often Yes-like, but the Yes themselves hadn't invent them. As You can hear from their Byrds cover on the first album, they had been influenced by others in regard of this. As for the vocals - it doesn't make a big difference for me if Gabriel or Collins sings (sorry) as long as the music is fine, here I can hear obvious differences between the two vocalists. Anderson voice is something special to my ears and I will mistake nobody with him, hence the Starcastle singer differs enough for me to appreciate him on his own. The style of the band is cleaner than Yes, the sound not as rich and dense, less multilayered if not less complex and overall smoothier, sweeter less dramatic. The melodies are nice and arrangements very complicated, and I can't find no three notes in a row stollen from any Yes song :) The band is generaly maybe not as good as Yes but definitely good. Within one genre it's not uncommon that somebody sounds like someone else at times. My suggestion - just enjoy good music, and Starcastle will deliver. Rating: strong 3,5 rounded up to 4.