TRUST

Everyone has their opinions about which albums from this Canadian band are good and which are not. I will start by saying that, in general, I love Saga's albums from the first up to Heads or Tales, Behaviour being the album where, for me, things started to get a bit less interesting. Wildest Dreams and Beginner's Guide... I really don't like, Security of Illusion was good, Steel Umbrellas is, in my opinion their worst effort, Generation 13 I found amazing, The Pleasure and the Pain, with it's heavier side and session drummer (I was never too fond of Negus' drumming, except on Generation 13 where he shines brightly) was also very good. Full Circle was ok, House of Cards was great, Marathon was good, and Network I really like (again, Negus shines by his absence, Christian Simpson did a great job behind the kit).

Which brings us to Trust...

Enter new drummer Brian Doerner (formerly of Helix). He is, without a doubt, the best drummer Saga ever had, and I sincerely hope he'll stick around for a while. Trust is their best album since House of Cards, and among their top five from all time. You can find Gentle Giant influences in here, especially in songs like Footsteps in the Hall and On the Other Side. Saga managed to go back to their early style and still sound fresh with Trust. Only one song I find less interesting, which is Time to Play. Every other song is, simply put, Saga at their best. Only downfall : the album is too short !!!

4 and a half stars.