SUBTERRANEA

Going into this one, I'd say I am at level 1. I've heard some tracks but never the whole thing straight through. I don't know IQ very well, but I like what I have heard. Looks like another LONG album at over 1:43:00 It is apparently a Rock Opera on the following concept according to Wikipedia: Subterranea is about a man who's been the subject of an experiment. He's been held captive, almost like sensory deprivation, throughout his whole life and he doesn't have any contact with the outside world (Provider).

Disc 1

Track 1 - Overture

We fade in with an orchestra tuning up a la Sg. Pepper, but then we get power chords with a melodic figure and the rhythm section laying down a moderate tempo beat. We go through a few melodic themes over that beat. The underlying rhythm changes starting around 2:50. This is a pretty good opening instrumental. Things chill out at the end leading to?

Track 2 - Provider

?Which is a brief track with lead vocals over a keyboard drone. After that, we start?

Track 3 - Subterranea

, ?which begins with an 80s ZZ Top style "Na na na na'' keyboard which is joined by the rhythm section. Guitars join in over time, along with sustained string style keyboards. Nice steady groove until around 2:30 when the groove stops in favor of descending keyboard patterns. The vocal returns with just a hint of the rhythm on a guitar in the background. Then we return to the previous groove. We have some saxophone fills near the end between the vocals which becomes a full fledged sax solo. That solo leads us to

Track 4 - Sleepless Incidental

Acoustic guitar takes over the previous track's rhythm here. Things change up at around 1:50. The band plays accented rhythms with organ chords between, then they move into a faster odd-metered riff. ( I believe this is the first time we've left 4-4 time.) At about 3:40 a slow organ solo takes over. Eventually, snare drum rolls bring the band back in with a synth solo with a Wakeman influence. The synth gives way to a guitar solo, all the while with lots of drum fills behind. The rhythm drops out again near the end of the track with minor key synth chords. Favorite track, so far.

Track 5 - Failsafe

We begin with guitar and then the drums and bass join in to create a half-time feel. We have a few timing shifts, then back to the opening riff. The vocals take over with a synth creating a 6-8 accompaniment. The rhythm section returns on the second verse. The timing shifts to a quicker 4-4.Nice melodic guitar solo at around 4:15. Excellent piano part that reminds me a bit of VH's "Right Now" then it changes to a "1 and 2 and?" type of rhythm. The backing changes to a more free time, then marching style snare drum brings in a more complex guitar riff. Then a half-time section. Excellent vocals on the "I don't belong here" section. The song ends with guitar and drums doing a rhythmic pattern together with sustained keyboards behind it. Good track!

Track 6 - Speak My Name

Soft ballad-like keyboards joined by vocals start this one off. Introspective lyrics. Bass (fretless) joins after the first verse & chorus. Piano joins on the second verse. Then we have an acoustic guitar solo. Simple and melodic, but effective.

Track 7 - Tunnel Vision

The beginning of this one reminds me of Power-era Kansas. In fact, this album as a whole has a bit of an 80s AOR vibe, even when proggy. It's a mid-tempo rocker. Nice change around 2:10 the rhythm drops out with sustained keys and the rest of the band accenting between lines. A melodic guitar solo follows, with a little razzle-dazzle here and there. Things change at around 5:20 and we have a dreamy synth feature section to close out the song and lead us to?

Track 8 - Infernal Chorus

The dreamy synth gives way to marching snare drum styles that lead the band in, before they shift to 6-8 meter. The vocals join in and sing a verse or 2 before a brief change at around 1:45, then a return to the 6-8 time. A synth solo follows. Then we go back to a quicker 4-4 time. Good track.

Track 9 - King of Fools

A slow ominous fade in starts this one and the lead vocal joins in. The volume drops again after the first verse, and some distant chimes are in the mix. Very short track at around 2 minutes.

Track 10 - The Sense In Sanity

Vibraphone starts this one off in 7-8, I believe. A sustained synth-strings sound accompanies, then the lead vocal begins. I like the arrangement, so far. The vibraphone drops out at around 2:40, leaving synth and vocals. They return around 3:10. The same pattern repeats. I was expecting the rest of the band to eventually kick in, but it was not to happen. (I was expecting something like "Changes" from Yes). The vibraphone modulates up and leads us to?

Track 11 - State of Mine

Guitar takes over the rhythm and the rest of the band joins in. If tracks 10 and 11 are considered one song, it did what I was hoping for. It's a brief 7-8 instrumental. I'd like it to be longer, as it's probably the proggiest thing on the album so far. And thus ends Disc 1.

Disc 2

Track 1 - Laid Low

We begin disc 2 with a piano intro, joined by sustained lead guitar lines with heavy reverb. The guitar becomes more melodic, giving a nice countermelody to the piano part. This goes straight into?

Track 2- Breathtaker

Where the full band kicks in at a mid-tempo rock beat. Lead vocals join in over the syncopated rhythm that the band provides. (F-Bomb warning ;) ) At about 1:10 the rhythm becomes smoother and the lead guitar takes over, and the vocal rejoins for a bridge. Following that, the syncopated rhythm returns with vocals first, then an ascending synth line. Then the cycle comes back around to the smoother part. At about 3:00 we have a synth solo. After that the vocals return with sparse accompaniment. Next, at around 4:10, the band kicks in in a big way with a whole new feel?very arena rock. At around 5:25, things drop back down to a quieter dynamic to lead us into?

Track 3 - Capricorn

Which has an intro that immediately reminds me of Kayleigh by fellow neo-proggers Marillion. This continues for the verse, Then the band kicks in stronger with a sax solo. Before returning to the Kayleigh feel for the next verse. Again, the overall feel is more 80s arena rock than prog to me. That said, It's not bad. An excellent melodic guitar solo begins at around 3:00. I know I keep comparing this track to Marillion, but the solo is very Steve Rothery-like. The sax returns for a fade-out with wind sound effects.

Track 4 - The Other Side.

Wind leads us into clean guitar notes and harmonics with delay, nice sound. Keyboards join in and make a nice brief, peaceful instrumental track.

Track 5 - Unsolid Ground

Wind sound effects again make the transition to the next track. First they give way to some brief organ chords, then a muted guitar creates the rhythm for the verse with a minimal drum rim-shot pattern. The guitar opens up on the second verse while the rhythm section keeps the beat between verses. The next verse returns like the first one. Then a snare hit takes us to a new chorus section. A guitar solo follows, which is nicely executed. The muted guitar theme returns again following that. The intensity builds to the chorus' return. A keyboard sound fades out at the ending.

Track 6 - Somewhere in Time

Layered keyboards and guitar lead us into this slow-tempo ballad feeling track, and the vocals join in on top. On the second verse, another layer of sustained string-synth joins in the background. A brief interlude with a flute sound gives way to a sequenced keyboard part. The tempo increases and the song gets more rockin'. Following a verse/chorus there is a heavier guitar part with a double-bass-drum beat as a turnaround to the next verse. At around 4:25 we get the band accenting downbeats while the synth fills in between, and vocals join over the top. Then we get a half-time turnaround to another round like that. At around 6:10 we get a clean guitar strumming in a slightly Pinball Wizard manner, with a heavier riff alternating between segments. The heavy riff lays a bed for a brief closing synth solo.

Track 7 - High Waters

This one returns to the piano ballad feel that the previous track began with. Then at around one minute in we get ominous power chords with a piano line in-between. Following that the band makes a slow rhythm track for the melodic guitar solo. Coming out of the guitar solo the band seems to be building up to?

Track 8 - The Narrow Margin

Which is the closing epic at precisely 20:00 long. However instead of that build up going strait into this track there is a brief pause between tracks and this one begins softly with a rhythm pattern which seems to be done with possibly a drum machine. Then bass and piano join over the top of that. The vocals join for the first verses. A soft guitar part joins on the second verse which ends with a power chord, then a clean arpeggiated guitar pattern. Syncopated chord accents come next, leading into a faster tempo section. There is a more open/less rhythmic interlude before the quick tempo returns with a verse then a guitar solo. She syncopated chords return with vocals after she solo. Then the music fades into an ethereal synth-led section, with guitar joining on top. The rhythm section starts building underneath, followed by a new vocal melody. Lead guitar fills the space between verses. At around 7:30 we get big, long held high notes as a bit of a climax of this part of the song. A guitar countermelody joins the vocals following that. Big change at just after 9:00! A more dramatic fast tempo riff takes over with a scale based run bringing us to a steady rhythm for the piano to play a nice 16-th note pattern over, later joined by vocals. This is easily the most prog track on the album, not because of the length, but because of the frequently shifting rhythms and melodies. A sudden explosion and air raid keyboards happen at around 12:20 for a sustained sound- effect section. Then a truly proggy mixed meter riff takes over with a keyboard solo on top. Then it goes straight up 7-8 as the keyboards continue for an extended feature. I'm getting Genesis vibes here. A rhythm change and slower tempo with melodic guitar on top bring us out of that section with dramatic vocals following. We are reaching the climax of the song as things are slowly-building. Then we get a strummed acoustic guitar for a more peaceful closing section. Sustained keyboards lead to an ominous sound effect to conclude the song and therefore the album. This was by far the best track on the album, IMO.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

Most of the album was good but not great to me, until the final track. As mentioned, the majority of the album feels more like solid 80s AOR/Arena Rock instead of prog. The album was more prog in scope than in execution until the ending. That said, it doesn't mean I didn't like it. There was nothing that I disliked on the album, it just didn't blow me away until the final track. I'll give it 3.75 out of 5 (it was leaning towards a 3.5 until the final track).

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