FREIHEIT IST

Although band founder and leader Martin Schreier is still on board, otherwise there has been a generation change, and Schreier is the only remaining member from times when the band still did progressive rock, the end seventies and early eighties that is. The recent version of the band plays smooth keyboard oriented pop music with not particularly remarkable German lyrics. This will not be of interest to most prog fans. I listen to this mainly because I have a historical interest in the band and so make sure I know what they are up to. I do admire their longevity though, and always like when they come out with something new. Their pop music is well produced and sophisticated at times with some nontrivial jazz-influenced harmonics in some tracks, and I do like some of the melodies. One may find some later 10cc influence in this (but with less fun lyrics). I'd say the album is good for what it is if you like this kind of thing - smooth well done pop with some sophistication, but it's not progressive and doesn't have the elements that most of us are looking for in music.

Oh, I should mention that the title track "Freiheit ist" is pretty good and complex and even has some keyboards that remind me of their old material with Thomas Kurzhals (who still appears on one track though deceased in 2014) if not even Keith Emerson.