CHRONOMETREE

What I find annoying about a lot of these reviews is the fact that people compare this to GH classics such as Shadowlands, Lex Rex, and so forth, when this album is, IN FACT, the predeseccor of those albums, dating from 2000! It's never been a secret that these musicians started playing prog after listening to bands such as ABWH, Yes, ELP, and a lot more. Heck, Chronometree's story is about a guy who hears stuff in between lines while listening to Yes' Close to the edge!!

Those facts stated and any preconceptions put aside, here's my two cents worth.

This was the first GH album I bought, mainly because Arjen Anthony Lucassen played on it. But boy was I in for a treat! I heard so many superb synths, mellotrons, B3 Rhodes, along with great guitar work, wrapped up in clever compositions, even the not so typical singer somehow added to he strange brew.

To this day I find this album one of the most intriguing GH albums to listen to, it's raw, it's off beat, it's like GH dared to enter a universe in which they never returned to since. At times it's tender, sometimes it's a barrage of sounds, but all in good ballance and harmony. It's experimental, yet recognisable......the word ''mesmerising'' comes to mind. Downsides are : the fact that the drum sounds bland and electric at times, and the singer's lyrics can be hard to understand at times, especially when he is slurring through his song.

Yet, this album is pure, short, and precious. And to me a show of impressive restraint. Something the guys from GH lost along the way sometimes, which they retained when Jon Davison entered the play in later years. From THAT point on there's no more denying these guys want to settle down on the shores where YES once resided.......Only time will tell if that'll ever happen.

4 out of 5 stars