THE GNOMON

Wof ! There have been a long time since we heard such delightfull sound. The first thing coming to mind when earing Sleepwalker, the longest track was a mix of Pink Floyd (vocals, guitar) and Supertramp (piano), the whole thing on 20 000 volt. It even borrows the Division Bells bells around minute 21:00 and could have been the last Pink Floyd if Gilmour had been 30 instead of 50 in 1994. As Tarcicio notes it : - there is absolutly nothing bad in this record. Composition and playing is absolutly perfect from A to Z. I would just regret a nearly omnipresent and too proeminent drum set. - it's a feast of textures borrowed to the whole progressive and crossover domain, from folk to symphonic (mostly), in a very coherent opus. Hopefully, it does not verse into the hard/metal side, though, despite some high dynamics. But it actually rocks !

The Gnomo open the CD the way Shine On You Crazy Diamond Part I do. Astoria is a bit harsh for my symphonic-fed ears. Sleepwalker is the second best track, a much progressive track, while The Prayer of the broken heart is a bit repetitive. Adrift is more of an interlude slowing the tempo or Love Will Shine Like Gold, a piano driven and melancholic ballad. first class. Tempo is up again in Sunchild, except a church organ break around 4:00, quickly fading into a more synthesized keyboard, then Hammon. All in all this long track is exploring probably a dozen of different organ textures with coherence. Midnight Train, piano-driven ballad again, introduces warm femal vocals Wonderworld,weredrums are better controled, is the most melodious track and the clear winner with an absolutly outstanding interplay between guitars and keyboards. The second half is reminescent of Roger Waters and closing on a nice climax. This track will remain in your head long after the others have faded.

An absolute masterpiece.