NAVE

STYLE: Varied Progressive Rock blending many different styles and loaded with nice keys and guitars.NAVE manage to mix melodic Progressive Rock in a Classic Prog way with refined Jazz-Fusion insstrumental parts in a nice way.There are a lot of cool breaks throughout,going from wilder to softer moments.Keyboard work contain massive attacks of organ,piano and synths.Vocals are in English with plenty of well-performed multi-vocal sections.This album contains it all: Symphonic Rock,powerful Heavy Rock,ethnic influences,jazzy interplays, synth- based dreamy soundscapes.

INFLUENCES/SOUNDS LIKE: YES all the way regarding mostly the vocal-led tracks with a singer trying to sound like JON ANDERSON and plenty of YES-related acoustic parts and atmospheres.Jazzier parts contain ROBERT FRIPP-like guitar work with also hints of CAMEL.The more powerful ones remind me of RUSH or ENCHANT.

PLUS: All arrangements are in the same good level,always way above average.Plenty of different styles and influences,which can please any prog fan around.Unbelievable heavy and deep bass lines of great interest.A nice sense of melody throughout the album.A very good and clean production.

MINUS: Vocal work stands well,but it is pretty accented.Not a touch of originality,even the tracks with world music influences remind me of TONY LEVIN's solo albums.

WILL APPEAL TO: ...any prog fan who wants a mass of different styles in one attractive package.

CONCLUSION/RATING: ''Nave'' is trully a pleasant listening,to which I turn from time to time.Professional performances,lovely sounds,enough complexity.This album deserves much more attention...3.5 stars.

The album starts with the songs "Sweetness of Freedom" and "Defined Seasons", easily the worst tracks in the album. The band sounds quite different in these tracks compared to the rest of the songs. It's like the influences of the band had changed and these tracks represent the earlier ones. Perhaps the two first songs were written earlier, who knows. From the 2nd track onwards it's a different game, the best tracks being "End of Torments", "Portal" and especially the Brazilian-ethnic instrumental "Dunya".

Conclusion: Good and well-produced progressive.