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INSIGHTSLemur VoiceProgressive Metal3.39 | 44 ratings |
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Cesar Inca
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Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator |
Born in Holland and originally bearing the name Aura, the later re-baptized Lemur Voice
was a creative quintet that made an excellent, renewing statement in the prog metal
scene back in the mid 90s. "Insights" is the result of the fluid combination of rocking
energy, cleverly articulated interplaying, exquisite keyboard orchestrations and
genuine passion. One major influence in 1992-4 Dream Theater (as it happened with
many other 90s prog metal acts), but LV goes beyond that and implements some other
influences: neo-prog (fresh vibe and eerie keyboard layers), lots of jazz-rock elements
in the rhythm duo's input, old fashioned symphonic melodic sensibility. While bearing
such an amount of recognizable musical features, the final result ends up being
sufficiently original as to show the band as a talented bunch of writers and not mere
copycat of the bands they look up to. The lead vocalist's style and timber sound to me
like Tate-meets-Hogarth, while the keyboardist, due to his well crafted harmonies and
orchestrated layers, functions as the referential focus around which his instrumentalist
companions revolve. The interaction between Coenen and Faber's leads is spectacular,
and so is the precision that Tromp ven der Loo use when articulating the complex
rhythm patterns in their jazz-tinged manner (as I mentioned before) - great
performances for (generally) great compositions and inventive arrangements. The
opener is catchy but a bit overlong, since the main motif is not as impressive as many
others that will consecutively appear and the performances don't portray the level of
energy these guys usually have. Track 2 is the first one to show a hint of the band's
strong points: the instrumental 'Akasha Chronicles' is an amazing example of how a
band can have its individual members interplay in a delicately integrated set of diverse
musical ideas. Awesome. Also the sequence of tracks 3 and 4 is quire impressive to
me. 'Celestial Haze' is a beautiful nocturne delivered on piano over eerie string synth
layers and vocal adornments added near the end. 'Deep Inside' is a 9+ minute piece
that shows LV building a bridge between neo and prog metal and making a statement of
meditative introspectiveness from that position - somewhere in the last half a part
of 'Celestial Haze' reappears in order to widen the melancholy vibration of the
song. 'Alone' is another long track that is quite similar in spirit to 'Celestial Haze',
albeit 'Alone' feels more dramatic since its mood and motif shifts feel more intense;
besides, this time it is the dual acoustic guitars that take center stage for the softer
parts. Among the not-so-long tracks, my personal fave is 'Prime of Passion': the
polished ability that Tromp shows for his complex bass lines ands arpeggios is simply
awesome, a major asset for this particular song's greatness. 'More of Nothing'
and 'Memory Lane' are also great (especially the former, which continues to explore the
band's reflective side), although they're not as stunning as 3-4 (I see them as a unit), 6
& 7. All in all, "Insights" is one of those 90s prog metal gems that, hopefully, will not get
buried in the past despite the fact that the band broke up after the release of their
second album.
Cesar Inca |
4/5 |
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