A PLACE INSIDE

Tristan Park....an American progband.....with light prog? songs! Mind you the music are only as strong as its musicians!! and the songs...thinner than the morningpaper! While listening to the songs....i feel like..well...sleeping.... mind you some of the songs are OK...but the delivery...ahhh...boring!!! Ive always loved light kind of songs...but this is by far....BORING!!! OK..OK..Its like SAGA on the downside..its like STYX on a bad day!..Its like TOTO on a really BAAAAAD day. In all Tristan Park...forget it!!! I´d rather be in a park with horny bears(sorry!) OK..OK..There are some moments..but hey..who cares...this is NOT prog!! Avoid at all cost!!!!

Ok, This guy is obviously a pissed off ex-member of the band or something. While I tend to like the heavier stuff These guys are pretty good. I'm not sure what's going on with the two singers trading off, but judging by the past albums and then the following offerings it looks like they were in a transitional phase. Good luck guys!! Keep the music coming we're not all damned fools.

Tristan Park were definitely on the rise in mid-90's, with the band recruiting singer Ray Bowless in the summer of 94', while they also signed a good contract with Cyclops Records.Their next album ''A place inside'' was recorded both in Carlisle, Massachusetts and London and finally released in August 95'.

This was actually the first full-length release of the band, clocking just under an hour long, compared to the short ''At the End of the Day'', and Tristan Park offered what they knew to do best: mixing the adventurous sound of Progressive Rock with the melody and emotion of AOR, to come up with an album of deep lyrical moments, intricate melodies and uptempo songs.This style relies heavily on inspirational melodies and catchy arrangements and, for once more, the band did it very well producing memorable material which contains some trully interesting musicianship on the background.Dramatic vocal passages, superb emotional solos, fast piano paces and a very rich yet dreamy sound overall are always there, comparable to bands like NEPENTHE, CATHERDRAL and ENCHANT.A couple of surupy tracks along with some cheap-sounding synthesizers are the flaws, which hold off ''A place inside'' from being a first-class Neo/Art/Progressive Rock release, but the interesting material is sure to reward the listener.

A great introduction for all prog-amateurs, a highly recommended addition for fans of easy- going Progressive Rock and a nice and pleasant listening for all the rest...3.5 stars.