DOS

If there is any album that I just could not live without, this is it. More than any other album from the last two decades this just strikes a chord with me. I was first taken in by the incredible musicianship on Where Is Harrison Ford (?), but was soon enraptured by just about every song on the album.

This is inventive, mostly high-energy hard rock, that has some elements of Crack The Sky and Pink Floyd. The hardest rocking songs, This Just Might Take Me Down and Made Of Gasoline, have more than enough prog flourishes to satisfy this prog fan. And Licking The V... (yes, it is about what you think it's about) is one of the sexiest songs recorded.

Darkness Visible is an amazing piece, with snakelike guitaring in an eastern sounding metal motif, and it leads to Thinkin' Bout Movin' To A Catatonic State, which is, in my opinion, the greatest prog metal song ever recorded.

Special mention must be given to the lyrics. Rarely, in any form of music, does a lyricist capture my attention, and just amaze me with his adeptness with words, like Gregory Markel does here. Some of the lines still, after hundreds of listens, bring a tear to my eyes.

An amazing thing, this band's albums can be found on many sites selling at 99 cents. Get them. It will be the best buck you ever spent.

I'm sure this album was never intended to deliver prog music as such, however has enough substance to be assigned to this genre in my opinion. Provided with excellent musicianship the band is something like an insider's tip I would say. Which means here we have a bunch of tricky heavy rocking songs - really enjoyable, although this is not dedicated to prog purists, the only thing you must know. Stylistically oriented at hard and heavy rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Rush they are throwing a proper experimental attitude in here and now.

Just take the high speed racing Where Is Harrison Ford? which bears a significant fusion touch and therefore proves the band's variety at best. Puzzling - I can't file I Wish It Would Rain - the main chorus sounds so remarkable to me, it's just like a deja vu - as if this has been produced in the 1970s, buried in my memory for a long time and finally digged out not long ago. Not the band's most representive song, because very catchy, probably peering hard at a place in the charts, never mind - enjoyable nevertheless.

Although the German song title means 'fear', Angst is a charming ballad on the contrary. If you still may have the impression that this comes as a simple rock album - Made of Gasoline will teach you better at the latest. And anyway - this is rather unusual - I have the impression the album qualitatively grows the more it comes to the end. This points to the closing monster track Thinkin' About Movin' to a Catatonic State - partially heavy - tending to prog metal - partially mellow. It all closes for the first time at 11:30 with some spacey/ambient soundscapes, you have the chance to relax then with complete weightlessness until they decide to attach some more time provided with a bubbling blistering atmosphere.

An extraordinary composition really, rich on variety, surprises ... and experimental approach if you take the last minutes. Following this I also have to mention The Waking Dream - a bluesy ballad basically ... but wooooow ... spiked with some striking extras, speaking of the irresistible dynamic, other-wordly vocals, psychedelic guitars - a fantastic solo included - aso aso. And so my final conclusion goes like this: 'Dös' is an entertaining album and - intended or not - has forwarded them into the prog olymp with ease.