137 [AKA: ONE THREE SEVEN]

I love this band and have been following them since 2004. As a live act they have perfected their sound and on record they have progressed to the point where I hold them in the same esteem as Marillion and Porcupine Tree. This review is of the remastered reissue of 137, the second album from the band. The first thing any long time fan will notice is that the clarity of the production has been enhanced greatly and this improves the album. If you know Bruce Soord's work then this will hold no surprises as it is full of his trademark melodies and soft vocals. It does show it's age as if you have listened to later releases such as All The Wars or Tightly Unwound you can see how song structure and lyrics have improved. Also this album is a lot lighter musically than the last three albums and certainly more up beat than most of what comes after it. This said, if you are a fan of the band and don't already have the Cyclops edition then this is an essential purchase. For everyone else, if you like Alt - Rock such as Radiohead then this will interest you but you may want to get some of the later albums first.