ISLAND

"Pictures" is the debut full-length studio album by Swiss progressive rock act Island. The album was released through Round Records in the autumn of 1977. It was recorded and mixed at "Dischi - Ricordi" Studios, Milano, Italy, 24th July to 3rd August 1977. Island are sometimes called the Swiss Van der Graaf Generator, because they don´t feature guitarist in their lineup, and the instrumental part of the music is created using organ/piano/keyboards, bass pedals, saxophone, flute, clarinet, and drums/percussion. Gentle Giant and King Crimson are arguably two other influences.

So this is progressive rock in the more complex and technically well played end of the scale, and the darkly atmospheric H. R. Giger cover artwork sums up the predominantly gloomy mood of the music. When that is said there is also the occasional more uplifting/sweetly melancholic jazzy Canterbury scene influence heard. The vocals are sparse and "Pictures" is predominantly an instrumental release. When the male vocals do appear, they are decent enough, but nothing out of the ordinary for the time. One of the strongest assets of the music is how percussive it is with the drums and a variation of percussion working together and complimenting each other, driving the music forward with great power and sophistication. The saxophone themes are quite brilliant too.

The tracks are quite varied and dynamic. So the listener is exposed to both nice jazz/rocking grooves, but also some pretty avantgarde musical ideas like you hear on "Herold and King / Dloreh". I could almost see a modern ballet being created around a track like that. Twists and turns and quiet and dark brooding sections relieved by loud high energy percussive parts.

"Pictures" is a well produced release featuring a powerful, detailed, and organic sounding production job, which perfectly suits the material. So upon conclusion "Pictures" is actually one of those forgotten gems that people always talk about, but which rarely turns out to be the gems everybody say they are when you listen to them yourself. There´s some quality here that you rarely hear on progressive rock albums which didn´t make it big back then. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

For my first ever review on prog archives I have chosen one of my favorite progressive rock albums of all time, namely "Pictures" by Swiss Eclectic Prog band "Island". Since I first heard this album a little over a year ago I have been hooked on it and listen to it once a month or so. I was recently able to get a almost un-played copy of it on vinyl which is now one of the records in my collection that I cherish the most of everything I own. I can hardly think of a progressive rock record that fits the sub-genre Eclectic Prog better than this. This album is an album from one of those bands that could have been one of the greats if only it were released a half a decade earlier. This still stands as one of the greatest debut albums of all time and possibly my favorite "one and done" band.

Now lets take a look at each individual song:

1. Introduction: This is hardly a song and is around one and a half minutes long but it does exactly what it's supposed to do which is to set the mood for the rest of the album. It is a haunting piece that opens up the album perfectly, similarly to something like "Speak to Me" from Dark Side of the Moon. 5/5

2. Zero: What a fantastic instrumental. This song shows Peter Scherer's incredible keyboard work and has some quite catchy parts too! It is just the right length and is overall a very nice prelude to the legendary epic that follows it. 9/10

3. Pictures: To close off the first side of the vinyl LP we have the almost 17 minute title track "Pictures". Wow! This is one of my favorite epic length tracks of all time. This track is filled with so many goodies and it gets better and better for every listen. The opening lyrics "Sounds of the air-creatures... ...It's a well known voice!" are so catchy and are one of the sections that stays in my head for days after listening to this song. Not to mention when Benjamin Jager sings: "Persist like the golden bow that gives the freedom to the arrow". Fantastic! Around halfway through there is a long instrumental section where once again Scherer gets to show off his skills but also has some fantastic instrumentation from René Fisch. All in all a perfect epic. 16/16

4. Herold and King / Dloreh: We open up the second side of the vinyl record with a very obscure piece, namely "Herold and King" The final word in the title is simply Herold spelled backwards because they do indeed sing backwards on this song. Sdrawkcab yllaretil. The track opens up with some gorgeous classical piano before all the madness kicks in though. Overall a fantastic piece that also gets better with every listen. 11/12

5. Here and Now: And already we arrive to the closer of this fantastic album and it is yet another (almost) perfect song. This track is a three part suite and is in some ways the most progressive song on the record (despite the craziness of "Herold and King" and the sheer length of "Pictures".) Each part of the suite has its highlights but I think my favorite part might be the final section of the second section "My heart calls for freedom... ...But where do I go?" This whole section is phenomenal and has some of the best vocals on the record. 11/12

This is one of those rare cases of what I would consider a perfect record. I do realize that not all the songs have a perfect score but I only have a handful of songs that I would give a perfect score (I am more lenient with shorter pieces such as "Introduction" that aren't proper songs), one of which is the title track to this album. This album is a must have! One of the easiest 5 star ratings I will ever give.

The year 1977 saw two of the greatest progressive rock releases in the nation of Switzerland's entire history. One was "Movin' On" by the Basel based Circus and the other was the now classic "Pictures" released by the WIndlach based ISLAND. This band that donned the famous H.R. Giger album cover art was as dark and mysterious as the album it released and seemed like it appeared from nowhere and then disappeared into the mysterious ethers but due to the fact that this band produced such a staggeringly complex array of progressive rock that took the keyboard prowess combo effect of Van der Graaf Generator with Emerson, Lake and Palmer and mixed in even wilder aspects of Gentle Giant, this band has become legendary.

Having released one sole album in the late 70s, it was impossible to compare this veritable masterpiece of progressive rock with any other works but in 2005 that changed when ISLAND at long last emerged from the shadows and finally gave a little context to the 1977 slice of prog heaven darkness that has enchanted those seeking the wildest rides that the progressive rock universe has to offer. It took near three decades but in the beginning of a new milliennium the archival release PYRRHO finally hit the market. This double disc CD set was released on the small label Z-Records which in reality was only a tiny record shop in St. Gallen, which made this rather unnoticed on the prog scene and still to this day remains a tad obscure.

PYRRHO was an ancient Greek philosopher and even though the disc didn't contain liner notes which kept the band basked in mystery and once again donning yet another Giger cover, it can be assumed that this is a concept album based on the few words that were printed, namely "Based on a story by Akron." Presumably this referred to the Swiss occultist Karl Friedrich Frey and the music has also been said to have appeared as a rock opera at the St. Gallen Stadtheater but none of that actually made it on to these home recordings. The first disc contained 14 untitled tracks that constituted the PYRRHO suite while the second disc was a live version of PYRRHO performed some time in 1976 in St. Gallen, Switzerland. The home recording on the first disc preceded "Pictures" and was recorded in 1975 in the band's native Windlach.

It's quite interesting to hear the evolutionary process that went on in the two years before "Pictures" emerged and while there are many similarities, PYRRHO is less dark than "Pictures" and shows a clearer link to the band's influences which at this point sounds much more like a more adventurous version of Emerson, Lake and Palmer with ample Genesis, Van der Graaf Generator and Gentle Giant influences. There's also some clear references to King Crimson. These guys didn't mess around. They went straight for the cream of the crop of prog and wove their own tapestry of complex sounds that easily stand up to the best of what the 70s had to offer. Despite the two discs showcasing the studio and live versions of PYRRHO, the time differences between 1975 and 1976 are apparent as the two discs have different lineups.

Here's a comparison:

Disc 1 - 1975 Home Recording of PYRRHO 14 Unnamed Tracks

Güge Meier - Drums, Percussion, Vocals Egon Eggler - Bass, Vocals Dani Rühle - Guitar, Vocals Beni Jäger - Lead Vocals, Percussion Peter Scherer - Keyboards, Vocals

Disc 2 Live Version 1976 24 Unnamed Tracks

Beni Jäger - Lead Vocals, Percussion René Fisch - Saxophone, Vocals Alfio Sacco - Bass, Vocals Güge Meier - Drums, Percussion, Vocals Peter Scherer - Keyboards, Vocals

1977's "Pictures" Lineup

Benjamin Jäger / lead vocals, percussion Peter Scherer / keyboards, bass pedals, crotales, voice René Fisch / sax, flute, clarinet, triangle, voice Güge Jürg Meier / drums, gong, percussion

While not as deliciously dark and wrapped in the most obscure and adventurous prog mysteries as "Pictures," PYRRHO doesn't disappoint as a prequel to that album. Keep in mind this is a home recording and the production is inferior but the musicianship is off the charts brilliant and displays that this band was far ahead of many of the more popular European bands of the same era and had they existed in England a few years earlier very well may have been one of the top dogs along with King Crimson and Van der Graaf Generator. Despite the poorer recording quality, PYRRHO delivers the same playful and delirious arrangements that bombard the listener with incessant prog twists and turns.

This is an excellent archival release and one that rightfully should've been released in 1975 when it was recorded since even though the production isn't top of the line it's far better than many other so-called professional produced albums of the era. This is simply a must for those seeking out hardcore keyboard driven prog rock with both classical and jazzy touches stitched into every off-kilter cadence and labyrinthine crazed convolution through a sizzling sonic journey. Both the home recordings and the live performances here are well worth the time even though together they extend to the 84 minute and 27 second running time.

How this exquisite and very theatric album from 1977 has flown under the radar for all these years is mystifying to me as I find here all of the elements that make prog epics by Peter Gabriel-era GENESIS and Ian Anderson-led JETHRO TULL present and polished in spades! Plus, the sound engineering and mix is among the best I've heard from 1970s releases--on a level with late-in-the--decade releases by National Health, Bruford, and UK. Drummer Güge Jürg Meier seems to be styling himself after contemporary BILL BRUFORD--sounding a lot like BRUFORD/UK-era Bruford. His playing is a definite and consistent highlight of the album. Keyboard player Peter Scherer is quite dominant with his array--with a skill level and variety comparable to RICK WAKEMAN and KERRY MINNEAR. The music and soundscapes are constructed more like those of Peter Gabriel-era GENESIS with a darkness that feels akin to that of VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR with a little Crimsonian bent thrown in there for good measure. The bass duties are handled quite ably by the same Mr. Scherer--on his keyboards and with bass pedals! What makes this feat more exceptional is the fact that the bass lines often come across feeling like BRUFORD bass master JEFF BERLIN! This means that the band had no bass player! But more: it did not have a guitarist, either! Amazing! Vocalist Benjamin Jäger is gifted with great tone, range, and control as well as a theatrical acumen not unlike that of Peter Gabriel, Ian Anderson, and early Phil Collins.

The two complex, sophisticated, and dynamic instrumentals that open Side One evoke such promise that we are a bit surprised when the 17-minute epic "Pictures" opens with such spaciousness and with such a slow tempo. But it changes--and develops beautifully. In fact, this song is, thus far, the best "new" epic from 1970s albums that I've only recently discovered. The album feels as if it is trying to tell a story--a story that is, unfortunately, at times more domineering than the music--which is disappointing in that these musicians and their compositions are so strong on their own. This story-leading-the-music tendency is especially evident with Side Two's two epics, "Herold and King / Dloreh" and the several sections of "Here and Now." They both feel weakened by the fact that the music takes a back seat to the singing/story--a story that often meanders and drags on mystifyingly despite the wonderful and theatric voice of lead vocalist Benjamin Jäger.

1. "Introduction" (1:28) a delightfully ominous beginning. (5/5)

2. "Zero" (6:13) such a dynamic and intricately constructed song! Keys (including bass!), drums, and sax! Gentle Giant meets National Health and King Crimson! (10/10)

3. "Pictures" (16:51) as I said, one of the best constructed, designed, performed, and sounding prog epics from the 1970s that I have heard! Vocalist Benjamin Jäger's voice fit in like another virtuosic instrument! (10/10)

4. "Herold And King / Dloreh" (12:13) opening with two-and-a-half minutes of awesome classically-oriented solo piano, this one starts out on a super high, but the successive organ and sporadic percussion and sax founded "nightmare" sequence is far more story-oriented, far less a display of full-scale tapestry than that of a sparse Edgar Allan Poe poetry reading. The performances are all virtuosic, all theatric, all immaculate in the way they assist in the definition of the dark subject matter. The story--and its support music--may be a little too drawn out or too negligent to ever develop out of the deep abyss of the mid-section. Still, this one could very well have come off of a late 70s BRUFORD or UK album. (9/10)

5. "Here And Now" (12:15) seems to open up right where "Dloreh" left off--though the music is a little fuller and more dynamic from the get-go. I have to admit that the performances of all four musicians--and especially vocalist Benjamin Jäger and saxophonist René Fisch--reach pinnacle proportions on this one. There are few songs in Prog World on which the vocal achievements are so rarefied as on this one. The flaw to this song, in my opinion, is the unbefitting doldrums of the far-too-long middle section. The final three minutes of the song may contain the most dramatic points of the album, but it seems almost a little too little too late. (8.5/10)

Pictures is an extraordinary album of creativity commensurate of those of many of the all-time great "masterpieces" of prog history.

Five stars; an unquestioned masterpiece of progressive rock music.

Review Nº 195

Island is a progressive rock band from Switzerland. The band was lead by Benjamin Jäger. Island was loosely related to Brainticket, only because the band's vocalist Jäger was with a group called Toad, which featured Cottonwoodhill era members of Brainticket. Toad was supposedly a more conventional hard rock band and they had nothing to do with Island. Island was an unusual progressive rock band from the 70's, perhaps one of the most experimental at the time. We can see lots of wind instruments (particularly saxophones), keyboards (Hammond organ, Mini Moog and piano) and drums, percussion and Moog Taurus bass pedals. But, there aren't absolutely any guitars or bass guitars on the band.

"Pictures" is the debut and only studio album of Island and was released in 1977. "Pictures" is an album influenced by many and varied music styles, such as the Canterbury scene, the jazz rock/fusion and the RIO Avant/Prog. The sound of the band certainly approaches to progressive rock from the darker end of the spectrum. This is also an album deeply influenced for some of the best and most charismatic progressive rock bands of the 70's. The main influence we can find on this album is, without any kind of doubt, from Van Der Graaf Generator. If we take a look to the line up of the band we can clearly see it. They are also four and they have no guitars and basses. And they have saxophones and flutes and the keyboardist also plays bass pedals, which is the usual thing on almost all the albums of Van Der Graaf Generator. But their album is in fact even more complex and disharmonious than even Hammill & Co. were at their most weird. The influences from Gentle Giant are pretty obvious too, especially in terms of vocals. The King Crimson's influences are also evident, especially due to their album "Islands". Perhaps the name of the band wasn't really a coincidence. We can also see some influences from Emerson, Lake & Palmer especially on the keyboards. However, we can't say that Island is a clone of those bands. The band was able to have a very own sound and a truly original identity.

The line up is Benjamim Jager (lead vocals and percussion), Peter Scherer (keyboards, bass pedals and voices), René Fisch (saxophone, flute, clarinet, triangle and voices), and Guge Jurg Meier (drums, gongs and percussion).

The first track "Introduction" is a very short number. It causes an atmosphere which gives the mood to the album which reminds us the soundtrack of "Alien", which isn't really a very strange thing. This is one of the best prologues I know, a perfect prologue to this album. The second track "Zero" is based on a great organ and saxophone theme. It's an instrumental, jazzy track with a darker, long, very complex, and beautiful motif. This is the least complex track on the album in which vocals are used for the first time. This track goes through so many changes, it's not even funny, and somewhere you get treated with a great jazzy sax solo from Fisch. It's the most beautiful track on the album. Then comes the nearly 17 minutes long title track. It contains, perhaps, the most beautiful melody. It sounds medieval and renaissance, accompanied by harpsichord, which emphasizes some medieval atmosphere. In addition we have their very Van Der Graaf Generator's influenced sound where the band uses some very distinctive percussion. The track is loaded with great themes and instrumental parts. It has lots of saxophone and a very powerful organ. Any Van DerGraaf Generator's fan will love it. The third track "Herold And King/Dloreh" is exactly so weird as the title suggests. This is where the band starts singing in reverse. Not by playing the tape in reverse, but singing the words in reverse, such as "Dloreh" which is "Herold" in reverse. It's very energetic and powerful, and as I said, the complexity is unbelievable. This is a very dark and sinister track. The last track, "Here And Now", is more laid back but still is very complex and probably is the least accessible track on the album. It continues the dark and sinister atmosphere of the last track. I especially love the use of bass pedals here. The atmosphere here is a little bit more light and optimistic than before.

Just one more thing! The cover of the album was made by the Swiss artist Giger. He made the cover for "Brain Salad Surgery" and he was the man who made all the sceneries from "Alien". I love this cover. It was perfect for this album.

Conclusion: "Pictures" is an album with lengthy tracks and without weak points. I must confess that I was blown away with "Pictures". It surpassed all my expectations. I listened to the album several times and it never ceased to impresses me and it always grows on me with the auditions. This is almost a perfect album, a real forgotten and hidden jewel that needs to be discovered. It's a pity that they have made only this album. This is, without any doubt, one of the greatest progressive rock albums from the late 70's, and you have no other thing to do than just listen to it. In the punk and disco dominated world of 1977, it's nice and comfortable to see there were still a few progressive rock acts not willing to make compromises. And Island proved that. This is truly not an easy album to get in to it and it easily will have its detractors. But if you'll have patience and if you're a truly progressive lover of its dark side, maybe you can love it.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

A very dark, obscure journey into the deepest vestiges of prog's reaches.

Dug up from the absolute bowels of music, the sole studio offering from an obscure Swiss band, "Pictures" is a bit of an oddball release. Like its chilling album artwork, the album is bleak and cold, and inhumanly intricate. The music is keyboard-heavy with saxophone touches, a la Van der Graaf, and is primarily instrumental. There are some English vocals, but they're unconventional to say the least. As in, singing backwards, and waxing poetic about gastric juices. Many reviewers are quick to note heavy influences from other eclectic and jazz-based prog artists but the atmosphere of this album is really like nothing else out there. The first time you listen to this album it's generally hard to take in more than the first 10 minutes or so, as the music is often very dense and technical, but with each listen you slowly begin to appreciate it more and more. Having said that, this seems to be an album that you put on for the experience, not necessarily for the music.

While there are truly riveting, and frankly haunting, moments on the album, and the atmosphere is extraordinarily eerie, I would not recommend this to just anyone. This is certainly not an album for newcomers to prog but more something for the listener who's heard anything and everything and is craving for something a little (read: a lot) different. While I would normally assign a high rating to music as interesting and original as this, I feel that 3 stars does "Pictures" justice not only because I find (even after repeated listens) that many of the instrumental passages overstay their welcome, but also due to the incredibly niche appeal of the album. So if you like your prog headspinningly kinky (Mmmm - gastric juices, anyone?), then this should be right up your alley.

How in the world can an avid lover / fanatic / caused a divorce (many years ago - happily married now) / devotee of progressive rock have missed this fabulous album!? But, I did. I just got this through Synphonic Music, and what a surprise.

Very complex, and yes, as others have mentioned there's Van der Graaf, Gentle Giant, ELP, avant prog, RIO, etc...influences. But also, a similarity to USA's, Fireballet, actually both fabulous albums from them. Of course another point of reference might be their fellow Swiss, Flame Dream.

Still, this is so very unusual, personal, yet extremely professional and well recorded and remastered. And that combination is what makes it 5 stars for me.

I just love the addition of woodwinds, and the sax here on Island's "Pictures" is what takes them to another level. The keyboards (oh my gosh, on this third listening I just noticed that there's no guitar - not even missed) are the predominate, with the bass pedals sounding like there supposed to, just in the right spot. Very cool through a surround decoder, with the subwoofer slightly pinning the whole tapestry down. I usually don't like the "extra track(s), but this one is quite good, although maybe not necessary. Still, nice to hear sometimes.

OK, I'm gushing now, but again, what a pleasant surprise. May there always be these nuggets of pure inspiration and performance to be found. And as always, thanks to this wonderful site, Progarchives.com for being able to share our love of this musical miracle, Progressive Rock.

ISLAND was one of a handful of eclectic progressive rock bands to emerge from Switzerland in the 70s and managed to release this sole offering PICTURES in 1977 well after the boom of the early prog years but still managed to pack a major punch with the intensity. While somewhat based in symphonic prog with crazy synth runs dominating the soundscape, the Van Der Graaf Generator-esque passages emanate from a deeply darkened end of the prog spectrum that includes Gentle Giant complexities, jazz-fusion sensibilities and uncompromising prancing through overtly complex time signature workouts. While mostly instrumental there are vocals performed by Benjamin Jäger that probably remind most of Colin Goldring of Gnidrolog. Everything about PICTURES is off-kilter and progressive as [%*!#]!

Living up to their name, it really seems like this band was stranded on an island somewhere far away for a really long time and had nothing better to do except create this otherworldly (based on earthly alchemy) music. This sole release is some of the most demanding prog workouts to be experienced. Yes, influences of Van der Graaf, Gentle Giant, ELP, avant prog, RIO and the rest are here, but this music really doesn't sound like anything else that exists in the musical universe. It is utterly eerie, spectral and spooky, crazily complex, pungently powerful and brashly bizarre! The decision to leave out the inclusion of guitar adds and focus on percussion, crotales, saxes, flute and clarinet really add to the uniqueness and sets it apart from virtually everything else of the era.

Warning! This eclectic stew takes a few listens to grow on you. Just as Rome wasn't built in a day, most likely neither will PICTURES jump to the top of your prog appreciation list. This is approaching a 10 on the progometer but will reward those who have the patience to let its secrets unfold. I have grown to love this! I heard this several times on YouTube ( where it is free and still expensive to track down on physical format) before I tracked down a copy and after several listens I only love love love this more each time. The bonus track "Empty Bottles" on the CD is definitely no throwaway. It fits in perfectly with the rest of the album and clocking in at over 23 minutes adds a huuuuuge chunk of time. Surely it would have been included if time lengths had permitted in the day as it actually exceeds the complexity of the actual album in many ways. So what are you waiting for? Go out and find this! It's the perfect soundtrack for cuddling up to H.R. Giger's Necronomicon!!! :P

Not much is known about this legendary Swiss Prog band, but it seems certain that Island evolved from the disbanded Deaf, as the very early mid-70's five-piece line-up included drummer Güge Jürg Meier and guitarist/singer Dany Ruehle (also a member of The Shiver).However their sole album ''Pictures'' would only see the light in 1977 on the unkown Round Records (propably Island's members had some involvement with the label), featuring from the original line-up ex-Toad Benjamin Jäger on vocals and percussion, Güge Jürg Meier on drums, Peter Scherer on keyboards and bass pedals along with the newest addition of wind-instrumentalist René Fisch.

The album is a British-influenced experience of dense and complex Progressive Rock along the lines of VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR, GENTLE GIANT and GNIDROLOG, very unpopular for the time of its release but definitely well-executed and offering plenty of interesting material already from the opening minutes and the superb instrumental ''Zero'', a milestone of rich and frenetic Progressive Rock with fantastic interplays between piano, organ, saxes and clarinets as well as some excellent drumming.What follows is a dark, haunting and complicated trilogy of three long epics, clocking between 12 and 17 minutes, where Island's sound reaches the top of its complexity but also where the VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR is trully apparent.What really shines in these compositions is the perfectly balanced sound of the band between the instrumental madness and the intense lyrical parts as well as the dreamy, almost fairytale atmospheres and obscure, dark soundscapes.The instrumentation seems also greatly measures.Lots of sax and clarinet interventions next to some lighter flute parts but also plenty of keyboard attacks, including Avant Garde-like piano textures and tons of organ orgasms.Pretty tight stuff and what makes ''Pictures'' even more charming is the absence of guitars and the use of bass pedals instead of a bass.Count in the numerous wordless chants and you get ''Pictures'' abnormal and schizophenic atmosphere.

The Laser's Edge CD reissue contains also a rare 23-min. jamming of the band, which is also attractive and very solid.A must have for all fans of complex and dark music of the VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR school of Prog and warmly recommended for all the rest...3.5 stars.

A very, very, very strange slice of avant-garde-cum-canterbury-style progressive rock from the rather obscure Swiss four-piece Island, this 1977 release, right down to the techno-biological artwork of renowned Swiss artist H. R. Giger(him of 'Alien' fame) really is an 'acquired' taste. Practically impossible to get hold of(certainly at the time of writing) this is one of those exceptionally singular albums that both confounds and delights in equal measure, though after initial listens one does wish that the group had simply focused more on developing the album's various quirky melodies instead of just being deliberately weird. Featuring five tracks - the final three of which each break the ten-minute mark - 'Pictures' kicks off with strange moanings, hushed whispers and crashing gongs on the aptly-titled mini-prologue 'Introduction' before a cacophony of sonic squalls lead into the impressively jazz-flecked follow-up 'Zero'. It's on 'Zero' that the group's canny ear for delightfully intricate melodies really shines through, as brisk keyboard patterns and skittering drums dance an oddly-timed avant-jazz jig that brings to mind the more complex meanderings of both National Health and Hatfield & The North. However, 'Pictures' really starts to amp up the weirdness factor on the three epic closing compositions, each of which drags the listener bemused and kicking into the Swiss group's wholly eclectic musical world. Mainly instrumental - bar from some genuinely creepy vocals courtesy of percussionist and ex-Toad member Benjamin Jager - the title- track, 'Herold & King' and 'Here & Now' really need to be heard to truly be (dis)believed. At times, a slight medieval feel permeates the dizzy madness, and whilst frequent needless wanders into overly dissonant territory prove frustrating, it's almost worth the effort when Island do manage to concentrate on the actual music. If you can take over forty-minutes of whacked-out prog(sample chorus line: "Gastric Juices! Gastric Juices!") 'Pictures', an album almost perfectly summed up by its freakish cover art, may actually be worth exploring. However, you have been warned... STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012