LIVING THE FUTURE

The legacy alone of this late symphonic/early neo prog band from Stuttgart means that every release deserves at least the dignity of a taste test. Early in the 2000s they emerged from 20 year hibernation, or at least guitarist Uwe Krupp and keyboardist Matthias Ulmer did, recruiting the more technically proficient Andre Carswell as vocalist to replace Harald Bareth, who was a more traditionally prog singer a la John Wetton. But more than this, the band's style had downshifted to the mainstream, a blend of hard rock and ballad, with barely a hint of the early spirit. They trod water for a half decade through two mediocre studio albums and 2 good to better better live releases, then sunk again, and have resurfaced recently with only Ulmer from the old guard. Carswell is still here and supported by a host of other vocalists in a glossy at times funky extravaganza that makes meh albums like "Danger World" and "Wrong" seem audacious by comparison.

When this is bad it's wretched, and that is pretty much the case for the first 6 tracks, for all the reasons referenced above and then some. But when it's good, as in most of the next half dozen cuts, it's still a bit of a sh*tshow, just one I can mildly endorse. The progressive quotient has well and truly slunk away, tail between its legs. But a few highlights do emerge once the shock of the Christian Rock cliches has worn off and before they return in force for the ludicrously dubbed "bonus" tracks. "She's Not Just Anyone's Daughter" cleverly references not just the band name but the last track on the "Adonis" album, and is a dignified ballad as well. "One World for You and Me" is the most courageous number here, a techno meets hip hop meets RUNRIG multilingual proposition that is as enthralling as it is preposterous. "No Matter" offers welcome acoustic contrasts though the melody is a bit too familiar...stay tuned. "Voodoo Child" is a pretty decent cover of a Hendrix tune. Wait, what? Finally, the title cut is enhanced by Ulmer's keys and synthesized orchestral accompaniment, a piano ballad morphing into a sing songy anthem that isn't a total embarrassment.

I don't see an audience for this anywhere, anytime, but hey what do I know? I'm not even sure I can say that even poor ANYONE'S DAUGHTER is better than none, but this mostly faceless futureless release affords just enough quality to escape the bottom rung. You can probably still skip it.