TOWARD THE SUN

Druid is compared mainly with the sounds of Yes. I can understand that with a singer that reaches towards Jon Anderson's vocal range, (at times screeching) and a bass playing obviously influenced by Chris Squire, but thats it for me. They sound more like Starcastle, especially when they harmonize. In fact, they sound more like a cross between Starcastle and Sebastian Hardie, especially on the second half of the album. Very subdued at times with generous amounts of mellotron, they can be pretty mellow. The first half of the album reminds me of "Recycled" era Nektar, until of course Dane starts to sing then you are just reminded of Yes. Nothing stands out on the album, yet its not badly played and the melodies do stick in your head. My only complaint is the cheesy end, you know, when the drum has that BMM, BUMMM, BMM, BUMM then gong type ending. UGH! A good album that at times is very good, but it's hardly essential. 3 stars!