OPPOSITION

'Opposition' came out in 2001 and the band had grown to a musical six-piece with the inclusion of Kim Finney on keyboards and John Tallent on percussion. It is interesting in the booklet to see that Jonathan Fleischman (lighting and stage show design) and Audre (artwork and web design) are all credited as band members. I must mention the booklet design, as it is one of the finest you will see, with great artwork accompanying each set of lyrics. The booklet has also been printed on a different quality paper to normal so that it is not glossy which gives it a tactile sensation reminiscent of old album covers.

Musically the band has decided to move into a darker and heavier sphere, with Karin's distinctive vocals rising over the top. While some songs tend to fit a bit more neatly into the neo- prog mould (although not completely by any stretch of the imagination), there are plenty of other influences such as Ozric Tentacles that clearly come through. Of the two I felt that in many ways this was the more complete album, one that makes more sense when listened to in it's entirety, but in some ways some of the sheer experimentalism and therefore 'difference' of the previous album are missing.

Originally appeared in Feedback #70, Oct 02