TRACE

Often compared to ELP just as German band Triumvirat were because of similar instrumentation ( keyboard array/bass/drums ), Holland`s Trace appeared at the zenith of the progressive rock mid-seventies glory years. While there is no doubt fans of ELP will eat this up right away and critics will be quick to write this off as an ELP copycat band there are essental differences which must be considered here.

At first it might sound a lot like Focus because of Pierre van der Linden`s distinct stylings and sound until Rick van der Linden`s keyboard explolsions really start to fire off with dazzling speed and time fluctuations with no vocals to get in the way on this one. But forgoe any notion that this will be a go nuts Rick band as both Van Eik on bass and Van der Linden on drums had been involved in the Dutch rock music scene since the late sixties and acquit themselves superbly with a tight rythmn section performance. We even get to hear a drum solo from Pierre which is quicker and not as tedious as the one found on the Focus III album.

As with many progressive rock keyboard players in the 70`s Van Der Linden, who was classically trained, raids some classics and also adds some jazz and rocks it out a little more than his contemporaries with seemingly boundless energy, much more so than the albums he made with his previous band Ekseption. No horns or saxes here, just pure electricity flowing from his arsenal of Keyboards and effects.Just about every keyboard available to the prog keyboard player at the time can be heard on this masterpiece at one time or another.

A great variation on the keyboard-wizard/drums/bass theme wil have any 70`s keyboard freak drooling like a komodo dragon.