AXIS

The response to the Anglo-Italian progressive rock phenomenon from a very competent Greek band. Weird to see and hear a prog band that has no guitarists.

1. "Waiting a Long Time" (4:26) more like across between URIAH HEEP and BLACK SABBATH. I like it but this is not Jazz- Rock Fusion. Really nice work on the keyboards. (8.875/10)

2. "Sewers Down Inside" (6:19) moody atmospheric music trying to be both Jazz-Rock Fusion and Space Music at the same time--like Stomu Yamash'ta's Go project. The vocals at the end sound like familiar. (9.125/10)

3. "Materializing the Unlimited" (5:03) Where the benefit of two drummers shows. Again, I love the creativity of keyboard maestro Demis Visvikis. Kind of long and drawn out with the raunchy, dirty imitation guitar two chords played over and over. (8.75/10)

4. "Asymphonia I" (5:05) piano, double bass, and percussion in an old-fashioned jazz style. Goes Don Pullen and Stanley Clarke in the third minute with its pounded piano chords and bowed bass. Nice drumming as well. (8.875/10)

5. "Suspended Precipice" (1:48) a jazzy composition that at times seems more advanced on the J-R Fuze evolutionary scale, but also slips into older blues-rock forms at times, and then bleeds into/becomes the next song. (4.5/5)

6. "Roads" (5:05) slowed down and bluesy while also projecting from the bass a little "Lucky Man" 'tude, then goes more jazz-rogue as the Demis launches into his solo. The drums and bass sound so good! I wish the electric piano solo were a little more creative or proggy. There's an interesting drum solo in an extended section of the second half with a kazoo-sounding Canterbury Hammond organ solo to follow. They're obviously giving a little nod to The Softs as well. Rated up purely for the awesome groove and sound presented by the rhythm section. (9/10)

7. "Asymphonia II" (2:50) bleeding over from "Roads," we slide back into the near free-for-all of Don Pullen/Ornette Coleman-like free jazz: for the first 90 seconds everybody is just going Animal wild, and then they try to incorporate space and pauses into their performances as if to try to trick one another! Interesting! Excellent skills on display; it's just not the most satisfying music to listen to. (8.75/10)

8. "Dancing Percussion" (2:38) another display of atmospheric keyboard work over which the band creates of a percussion-generated wall of sound. (4.375/5)

9. "Pa Vu Ga Di" (3:44) organ and choir sounding like Mellotron but it's real church music (from a real church setting?) Percussion starts getting a little loose and then, at 2:35, the drums, bass, and organ go full rock beneath the church choir. Interesting! I've rarely considered bringing prog into the church service! It's more common to try to bring church sounds and stylings into the prog studio. (8.75/10)

10. "The Planet Vavoura" (4:05) back to hard-drivin' rock-infused jazz-rock. The bass and drums are motoring while Demis tries to capture that Canterbury sax-saw-organ sound for a pseudo-sax solo over the top. Mellotron enters and slows everybody down for a bit before the band reconvenes for a dramatic finish. (8.875/10)

Total Time 41:03

The album starts off with absolutely no connection to the Jazz-Rock Fusion movement, but then, rather surprisingly, turns jazzy in the middle--a commitment that the band then maintains over the course of the rest of the album.

B+/four stars; a very good exhibition of prog rock from some very fine, very talented musicians. The songs just needed a little more polish and refinement.