ONE MORE SLICE

The biggest change from the last album("Room For Surprise") to this one is bringing in a new guitarist who really takes a greater role than the last guitarist did. Not much of a comparison really as he offers up many solos throughout this record. There is a new keyboardist as well, but they sound the same to me. The songs are longer overall on this one. So I should like this one better than the last, but I don't. "Room For Surprise" had this innocence about it, this naivity that really one my heart over. The cover art is again brilliant. It's the kind of cover I just look at until I say no, that's not possible.

"The Joke" opens with marching style drums with synths coming in after a minute. Some surprisingly aggressive guitar before vocals and a calm arrive with piano.The lyrics are about a soldier, a topic that was prominant on "Room For Surprise". A nice guitar melody 5 minutes in with mellotron a minute later. Scorching guitar 7 1/2 minutes in. "Spirit Of This Day" is slower paced with intricate guitar melodies. Not a fan although it changes 2 minutes in as the drums pound and the guitar solos. The intro melody returns to end it. "Hell's Kitchen" features lots of synths.This one is all over the place actually. Some excellent guitar followed by spoken words 3 minutes in, then some brief heaviness. Mellotron comes and goes. Some great guitar before 6 minutes goes on and on.

"Between Reality And Dream" has a catchy beat to it as the drums and bass are relentless. Mellotron after 3 1/2 minutes followed by a keyboard melody. Yes the bass is still throbbing. "Have A Slice" is one of my favs. It sounds better once it gets going though. Some solid drumming with a synth interlude 4 1/2 minutes in. The drums and guitar shine a minute later. "Somewhat Late For Supper" is an instrumental and my favourite song on here. This sounds really good. Killer guitar especially late 7 minutes in. "Final Signals" is another good one with mellotron and some raw guitar. "Just Another Weird Vector" opens with mellotron and vocals. Synths then lead the way before guitar stands out 3 minutes in. The bass is prominant a minute later.

These guys from Norway again offer up their unique take on progressive music. Well done. 3.5 stars

There are some good songs featured on this ''Fruitcake'' album.

They are still playing their basic neo-prog style music, but this time it is by no doubt superior to their previous albums. The ''Genesis'' background is still there but at the end of the day, this is the basics of the genre. Still, the ''Watcher's'' effect is quite predictable (''The Joke'').

Needless to say that their lead vocalist is not the greatest one I have ever heard.Fortunately, keys and guitar are quite fine.

It is a bit of a pity since a more focussed search for a good vocalist could have lead this band to other boundaries. As such, it just sounds as one out of many to be honest. No poor tracks indeed, but no jewels either (far from it, actually).

This album sounds as a total ''déjà vu'' feel. Some fine guitar breaks (noticeably during ''Spirit Of This Day'') are quite passable moments. But nothing more. Your opinion might be biased though if you happen to have just discovered this band.

When I listened first to their music (in 2003), I was really enthusiastic. But I have to admit that the more I listen to them, the least I believe they are essential. As I said earlier, just average.

There are few to none songs which could lead me to the prog Walhalla. Fine arrangements for sure, but that's it (''Between Reality and Dream'')! I guess that if you ever wanted to ''Have A Slice'' of Fruitcake, the title number will please you. Fine instrumental intro, unfortunately followed by some weak vocals. But we are used to this with ''Fruitcake''.

There are some good reasons to persevere though. Some of the last songs demonstrate that the band has some potential in terms of song writing and musicianship. I particularly like the positive intro from ''Somewhat Late for Supper'' and since this track is an all instrumental one, I can only be happy. One of the best from this album. This is a very emotional track. You might know that I am keen on such music.

Three stars (but ''Final Signals'' is best avoided).

After the release of ''Room for surprise'' keyboardist Siri Seland left Fruitcake and was replaced by Helge Skaarseth.For unknown reasons the band dissolved in early 1997, but a few months later Sovik decided to reform Fruitcake with Skaarseth on keyboards, Olav Nygard on bass and guitarist Robert Hauge, who had previously played in ''How to make it'' and helped the band in several live performances.At the fall of 97' the new album ''One more slice'' was released on Cyclops.I do not know if former bassist Tore Bo had still connections with the band, but he was also credited among the composers of the album.

Fruitcake finally had grown in what they supposed to be during their early years: A solid retro-styled Neo Prog band, which had a unique talent in composition, but this time Sovik appears to have worked better with his voice and his performance becomes less and less annoying.This is big-time dramatic Progressive Rock with lovely organ-flavored GENESIS involvements, soaring synthesizers and atmospheric guitar parts, highlighted by some excellent solos.And I even hear some (sampled?) Mellotron in the process, unless it's the same organ used previously in an extended execution.The development of the band comes not only in their already familiar style with all these GENESIS, CAMEL and PINK FLOYD influences, but they even introduce some folky climates and Medieval-like textures in the process.The music is absolutely sufficient with impressive instrumental passages and a certain symphonic edge, reminding me a bit of the Swedish THE FOUNDATION.Lots of grandiose guitar moves, orchestral keyboard lines and some softer moments, when the CAMEL inspiration prevails.Some harder electric moments are not absent either, but they are always kept to a balanced level next to the always refined and lush keyboard stylings.

Definitely the most 70's-sounding and symphonic of all Fruitcake albums so far.A step towards the right direction with finally some bearable vocals and usually a very good composing level.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.

Fruitcake is the Norwegian progressive group led by Paul Sovik, who drums, composes most of the songs and sings. On the previous album 'Room For Suprises' the band finally made a fully professional album full of slow paced melancholy organ-driven prog. It's a personal favorite of mine.

On 'One More Slice' the band sounds significantly more 'heavy prog' with numerous axe-man lead guitar passages and riffs by Robert Hauge. The compositions are faster, intenser, more varied and way less moody and lonely sounding. The organ chords and lead synth are less dominant, but still present in classic Fruitcake fashion; retro (or dated in a charming way) and slightly dopey. As if they never heard another song than Genesis' 'Watcher of the Skies'. It makes them stand out and instantly recognizable. I described Fruitcake earlier as progressive rock's favorite slug, but on this album the band is actually quite versatile within its own idiom. Notably, on 'One More Slice' the band also has some really dark organ/guitar riffs, that almost remind of Red-era King Crimson.

Fruitcake has always had as its main weakness the dopey and occasional weak vocals of Paul Sovik. And though is voice grew significantly over the years, he also tried to tackle harder vocal lines - which in turn leads to equally average results. In the slower organ-based compositions of 'Room For Suprises' his performance was actually way more charming than in this heavy prog climate. Still, I would warmly recommend this record swarming of full bodied organ/guitar potency and beautiful harmonies and melodies. The recording sound is strong as well.