THE BLIND WINDOWS SUITE

I happened to like their second album. That album was a big step in the right direction from the debut album I am now reviewing here.

This is their debut album and a pretty unimpressive one too. The music is a mix of space rock, krautrock and symphonic prog. The latter one is not particular visible here. I think Krautrock is the most fitting description. The references to Eloy is pretty evident. So is some references to Pink Floyd and Yes too. But the weak songs and sound here is pretty much disguising these references. Not to mention the most horrid vocals I have heard for a long time. The main instruments is keyboards and guitars. Mostly keyboards. The music is a mix of pastorial and in particular; hard rock. There are some ELP nodding on this album too. Mostly at the end of it. But most of this album have some strong references to Eloy and the Krautrock scene. The quality is bad and I am not surprised this band, or their record label, gave up after the second album. There are many, many better bands and albums out there. This one just does not make it for me.

2 stars

Among the most famous Austrian prog bands (along with Eela Craig),Kyrie Eleison came from Wien and started rehearsing in 1974 with Gerald Krampl on keys,Karl Novotny on drums and Felix Rausch on guitars.Along with Michael Schubert on vocals and bassist Norbert Morin they toured in Austria,supporting acts like Van Der Graaf Generator,Colosseum and Amon Duul.The ''Blind Windows Suite'',released in 1994 by Indigo Music,was actually some early raw recordings of the band in a rehearsal level.

The style of the band's early phase was somewhere between Hard Kraut Prog and Symphonic Rock.Containing mainly long tracks,''Blind Windows Suite'' is settled pretty much in an amateur level,both compositionally and productively.Hard rock guitar explosions are accompanied by an angry vocalist and the Classical-trained Gerald Krampl in a mix,which is not really that succesful.The production is really bad,the compositions are split between structured formats and long jamming,the drums sound like beating cooking pots and the singer sounds like the worst version of PETER HAMMILL.Especially the breaks,followed by the meaningless solos,are what spoils more this effort.But not everything is bad of course.The structures ideas of Kyrie Eleison are generally at a good level,smoother parts are supported by heavy keyboard- driven passages, Krampl shines on his organ,harsichord and moog synth and the strong interplays indicate a band capable of more.Unfortunately a bad production and an insufficient singer will hold the material down.

''Blind Windows Suite'' can be appreciated only as an early document of Kyrie Eleison and it is a good release from this point of view.Otherwise the album heads only to collectors of keyboard-dominated Kraut/Symphonic Prog,but be sure to try some samples first.