I MOVE

The most unfortunate aspect of this particular album is the band's dreadful choice of an opening track, an uninspired and listless pop number, "Spinning Round". Upon first listen I was feeling a deep regret about purchasing the album, but that all changed with the remaining tracks. IZZ creates a nice blend of pleasant, often Beatle-esque pop-sounding tunes with "proggish" instrumental excellence, found in tracks like "I Move", "Weak Little Lad", and "I Wanna Win". Buried among such pleasantries are some true prog treasures. "Star Evil Gnoma Su" is an outstanding 9 minute instrumental with plenty of Emerson sounding keys and, interestingly enough, a guitar sound which reminds me of Alex Lifeson in the mid 80s. Also some really great bass lines in this track. The other standout is the best track on the album, "Coming Like Light", which as of this posting is available to be listened to on this site (so please do!). I feel that while the first 4-5 tracks are quite good, it is the second half of the album which delves into more of a variety of sound and delivers a more interesting listening experience; for example, the Celtic inspired "The Mists of Dalriada". As far as influences go, Emerson, Lake & Palmer seems to be dominant thoughout, such as with the Lake-inspired ballad "I Already Know" and the epic "Coming Like Light".

Overall, great melodies and superb instrumentation make this an excellent addition to one's collection, especially for those seeking new artists in the symphonic genre.