THE WAKE

Next to Marillion, IQ is for many the most important exponent when it comes to the rise of neo-prog in the 1980s. Their albums "Tales From The Lush Attic" (1983) and the one discussed here, "The Wake" (1985), have since become true classics.

For me, that status was already established after just a single listen to "The Wake." What an impact. It was my first introduction to the band's music. Seeing the evocative green album cover already indicated to me that the record was going to be something special. Shortly after, when I also purchased their debut "Tales From The Lush Attic," I was as happy as a child.

Over the years, I have greatly indulged in the grand, bombastic sound that IQ produces, a sound where the bass pedals and the chords of the Mellotron form a true foundational layer.

There's always a lot going on within the band's sound, and the dynamic nuances are never absent. With IQ, you hear the guitar echoing, the bass guitar weaving its way through everything, and the keyboards sounding intense. All of this is delivered with the necessary virtuosity, which is well expressed in various solos, synchronized runs, and many tempo and mood changes. The decisive drumming and the intense vocals complete the picture.

On "The Wake," this translates into seven tracks, at least on the original LP version. All CD releases that followed include bonus tracks, including the epic Dans Le Parc Du Chateau Noir. But first things first.

"The Wake" kicks off with the swirling Outer Limits, which, after a stoic bass synthesizer theme, is excitingly complemented by various other keyboard work before the band kicks in. IQ pulls you in with full conviction, the irregular time signatures sound smooth, and the transitions are surprising. The sudden touch of baroque is typical of Martin Orford, and don't you dare say it was forced. The track ends with the riff from the intro, almost immediately giving way to the bombastic title track. The drums sound heavy, and the vocals are passionate. You can almost imagine the adrenaline gushing out of the speakers. The Magic Roundabout is another particularly successful piece of progressive brilliance. It's a grand album track with beautiful fretless bass guitar playing, loads of Mellotron in the choruses, and a sublime guitar solo to finish. The following track, Corners, is a song that always raises some questions. The sizzling track, with Mike Holmes' use of the Choral sitar guitar and tablas, has a bit of a world music vibe, which is a bold move. With the epic Widow's Peak, IQ absolutely cements their immortality. The moment of the extreme Mellotron eruption is, in my opinion, the album's focal point. IQ presents themselves so majestically here that they can only surpass it themselves. With the catchy The Thousand Days, the band then heads in a more accessible direction. They do so quite well, although their heart clearly lies in progressive rock to the nth degree. In that category, the closing track Headlong fits perfectly. As far as the regular album is concerned.

The aforementioned bonus track, the older Dans Le Parc Du Chateau Noir, demonstrates how much compositional growth IQ has made with "The Wake." Especially the last few bars, which I think are needlessly complex. However, the track is full of IQ delights, like that wonderful guitar solo towards the end.

Originally posted on www.progenrock.com

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