HYBRID CHILD

I'm finding nothing new here--except the refreshing inclusion of violin. This group has some potential but mostly everything is very cliche and has already been done. Many times. It's always nice to hear a woman's voice in prog--as it is to hear less than typical rock instruments (like violin)--but the songwriting, performing, and too-polished feel need to soften and mature before anything really fresh or innovative comes out of this band. The two minute "Mindscan VII: Exploration" and "Mindscan X: Returning Home" are, to my mind, the album's highlights because of their CRIMSON-like time signature and ensemble performance challenges. Good but not quite excellent. Will look forward to the next.