SPACE REVOLVER

The album that got me into this awesome band (not the first i tried tho). Roine at his best as singer, he sings the most of this album and in a very good shape, the albums opens and close with an epic in two parts ala "Larks' Tongues..." and "Shine on you...") I Am the sun, a very characteristic prog riff and superb lyrics, a very pompous start, with an arrogant point of view, yet it ends leaving you with the feeling this is just beginning; the second track, introduce you to a dream with Bodin's keyboard being the central sound.

Rumble Fish Twist probably one of the most complex musical piece the band has made, makes me remember of experimental fusion bands, a phenomenal performance of Reingold's bass and Salazar's drums, ending with a calm atmospheric ambient courtesy of Mr. Tomas Bodin. And Monster Within will blow your mind away, it remind me of some old terror movie, with flashes of bombastic segments of guitar/bass/drums splashed here and then, and as usual in this album, accompanied with magnificent lyrics.

Now we get to listen a very particular and totally out of place song about a farmer ... please ignore it as we pass by to the next track. Right next is "Underdog" which seems to be some kind of war hymn from the point of view of a pacifist, good ambient.

You Don't Know What You've Got is a good track, it just doesn't really follows the awesome lyric and complex music we would expect based on most of the album.

Slave To Money is where the lyrics starting to pick up, still the most memorable thing here is Roine's guitar.

A King's Prayer, this song and the next might be the climax of the lyrics in this album, you get to hear a payer; saying goodbye as he goes asking for freedom, peace, pride and union, it may sound a bit too touchy, but the combination of the right music and Roine's convincing voice make it more realistic than you might think.

"How long will matter have the power over mind How long before we leave the wars behind The leaders write our history in blood What would it take before science serve the matters of the heart Instead of keeping half the world apart... The other seeing profit as it's god"

... an inspiring positive view, very much a la YES, and one of Roine's finest moments on the final guitar solo.

I Am the Sun Part II; the other half of the shell, this time humble, optimistic, as who fearlessly leaves all behind and goes wandering free to know the world "free as a fish" with great expectations. It progress to the point in which it turns melancholic and the picks up to recall the first part but this time with a sad/melancholic ending.

All in all, a very powerful album with very few "downs" which will leave any prog fan (or wannabe) eager to know more about this music, one of the few TFK album i could recommend as an introduction to this awesome band.

Music: 4/5 Lyrics: 5/5

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