AD INFINITUM

Spartan yet ultimately failed attempt at recapturing the spirit of 70's prog. Clearly a lot of work went into this, with practiced faux-Wakeman keys and jangling Hackett/Rutherford-style guitars, but it never really gels. Probably because, though there's no out-and-out thievery of any one band, the band display absolutely none of their own personality. No stolen riffs, but it's all "That's a Genesis-style bit, followed by a Yes-style bit," etc.

The vocals are decent, but they're not helped by the lyrics. The band indulge in every fantasy-loving-prog-fan stereotype in their lyrics, which reach new heights of risibility in the Viking-inspired "A Winter's Tale". One wonders if a Stonehenge-inspired epic is in the making for their next album (and yes, Todd Braverman has said there will be another Ad Infinitum album).

For all that, the album remains enjoyable and listenable, yet never much more than that. If you can get a copy cheap...